“Sean gets the puck and five guys on the other team want to kill him.” – Scott Gomez

It’s good to finally have a player on the Rangers you can say that about. Sean Avery’s playing the role of villain on the ice and is quiet as a mouse off it. I was lukewarm on his return to the Rangers, worried that the circus he brings with him would evershadow everything else, but he’s saving his agitation for the games, which is where it belongs. Every player on the opposing team is going out of his way to pummel him, but he’s keeping his head and drawing penalties. Of course, only about one in three are called against him, but that’s life for Avery. He can get elbowed in the face in Montreal right in front of a referee without a whistle blowing, but the officials have no choice but to call some of the punishment he takes. And he’s scoring – four goals, one assist in seven games since …

This was a week of records being broken, World Baseball Classic excitement and drinking until you turned green on St. Patrick’s Day, but it may have all been overshadowed by the weirdness that is Alex Rodriguez. Pictures were released of him pretty much making out with himself and rolling around on a mattress. Did he finally sweep himself off his feet? What’s next? Cloning? Maybe he got divorced so he can marry himself. He’s just getting more and more bizarre. “What was he thinking?” and “A-Rod” go to together like peanut butter and jelly these days. This week’s Hot Stove Player of the Week, Martin Brodeur, has turned down his prize: “I don’t need a prize. Just working and living in New Jersey is an award in and of itself.”

Winner

Martin Brodeur: The Devils goalie tied Patrick Roy’s all-time wins record on Saturday in his hometwon of Montreal and then broke it in New Jersey on Tuesday night. Next up is the all-time shutouts record, currently held by Terry Sawchuk, though it …