As you might have heard if you follow GMGates on twitter, I will now be doing the "Studs and Duds" section on Friday nights.

Tonight was a quiet night in the NHL, with only 8 teams playing. However, there were a few individuals who stood out, and some that faltered in Friday's action:

Studs

3)Certainly no "Joe"ke

Joe Thornton was considered the San Jose Shark's best player for the latter half of the decade. Joe Pavelski is currently being considered the San Jose Shark's future, and "Little Joe" is preparing to take over "Big Joe's" role as top scorer. However, on Friday night the two overlapped their success, and combined for 2 goals and 2 assists. Together, they managed to overcome a 2 goal deficit and defeat the New Jersey Devils in the shootout. As long as the Sharks have one of these "Joes" on the team, they should have absolutely no reason to worry.

2)Filppula's Fantastic Friday

When most hockey fans think of the current Detroit Red Wings' squad, certain players often stand out. Talented individuals such as Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Nicklas Lidstrom are often fan favourites and the most relevant players on the team. However, the Wings are filled with lots of young talent, and game changers when there is the need for role players to step up.

Valtteri Filppula is one of these forgotten contributors, and had a fantastic night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Filppula got 1 goal and 3 assists, leading the Red Wings to a 5-2 victory. When Filppula plays well, he is a pleasure to watch. Expect more games like this to come from Filppula occasionally throughout the year, as he does have the talent to accomplish such feats.

1)"Kari" the Team on His Back

Things were not looking good for the Dallas Stars in June. After missing the playoffs by losing to Minnesota, the situation in Dallas took a turn for the worst. Brad Richards refused to re-sign, the internal cap set by management diminished their chances of signing a marquee free agent, and it looked like the Stars were looking at a potential top 10 pick in the 2012 NHL draft. After signing Sheldon Souray and Michael Ryder, and seeing improved play by youngsters such as Jamie Benn, not all hope was lost in the Lone Star State.

However, the most important player on a team is the goalie. As the Stars have learned thus far, Kari Lehtonen has had the ability to save the team in multiple situations. On Friday, Lehtonen was a star yet again. Kari stopped 35 of 36, giving him a record of 6-0, and a GAA of 1.48. With these numbers, Lehtonen is proving that he should not be taken lightly, and that he is soon becoming a star goaltender in the NHL.

Duds

3)Negative Storms

Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner are considered the 2 best forwards on the Hurricanes' squad. After combining for 139 points last season, the dynamic duo was considered to be one of the elite tandems in every category of the NHL. Currently the points are coming, as they have 10 points in the 7 games played. More is expected, but that will come in due time.

However, with Staal finishing -1 last night in St. Louis, the two skaters have a combined -15 in 7 games. That's only 1 rating higher than what the duo had combined all of last year. With the captain sitting at -9, and the sophomore at -6, this shows that there has been irresponsible defence being played by the best the team has to offer. These ratings should change fast, to help both the Hurricanes and Fantasy Hockey GMs.

2)"Quack" in the Offense

Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan were one the best lines in the NHL last year. With all playing at their ideal positions, and each with a large frame, it is not fun to have to defend these three when they are at their best. However, Friday was yet again a relatively quiet night for the three, giving the trio abysmal statistics thus far. In 6 games, the three forwards have only combined for 8 points, a total that some were expecting Corey Perry to have by himself at this point of the season. These offensive woes need to be resolved quickly, before it is too late and the Ducks' record reflects on the poor play of their first line.

1)Columbus "BOOOOO" Jackets

If you're looking for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the overall standings, it's not very difficult to find. All that you need to do is scroll down the page...all the way down. The 2011 offseason that brought hope to all Blue Jackets' fans, with the addition of James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter. However, the early suspensions and injuries have handicapped the squad, who is the only winless team in the NHL. If this continues, there is a likely chance that the Jackets have a lottery pick, but only time will tell.

Points of Interest

Besides Filppula (who got 4), two other players recorded 3 points: Loui Eriksson and Johan Franzen,

The Detroit Red Wings are still undefeated, sitting at 5-0.

The New Jersey Devils played their third game in the shootout, and were handed their first loss in extra time.

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Twitter: @TK12555

Haha, Quack in offense. Awesome

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@B0ndon

Goalies: If I'm pickin em you best be sittin em!

Those ANA boys always seem to start the year off slowley! wont be long before they get to the top part of that list!

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LOTS OF TEAMS!