Are There Five 10-Goal Scorers on the Red Army?

With all of the buzz surrounding Mother Russia's goal scoring prowess these days, fans and statisticians alike have been debating old offensive records that could be broken this season. The most recent record to earn the concentration of the rabid fan base is another record set by the 2009 Summer Season, who set the franchise record for most 10-goal scorers with four. That season, Mark and Neal Hendricks, Pat King, and Ben Breiterman all netted 10 goals or more (all of them actually netted at least 15, but only the Hendricks brothers reached the 20 goal plateau) as the Soviets enjoyed their most productive offensive season to date.

Could this season's team tie that record? Could they beat it?

Right now, Hendricks leads the team with six goals, then there is a seven-way tie for second most goals on the team with two. Last season, the team only had two 10+ goal scorers (Hendricks had 10, D'Ignazio had 18). You have to imagine those two are likely to crack the 10 goal plateau again. But are there three other 10 goal scorers? Let's look at the most likely candidates.

Pat King. He is one of the seven to have two goals, but he is the only one who has played just one game. In the past few seasons, King has seen a diminishing return with (regular season) offensive production, but a lot of that can be attributed to missing games. With King, attendance is the key. He's a goal-a-game player. If he can make at least 10 games, he'll get there. Eh, we'll even say he can do it in nine. A ten goal scorer? Our prediction: Yes (with a BOLD prediction of 13 goals).

Aaron Duda. The defender tasked with filling the void left by Ryan Odell got on the board on Sunday with a pair of goals. The Red Army has a history replete with offensive defenseman, but most score between six and nine goals. Odell scored nine last season, 7 the season before that, and eight the one prior. Duda's uncanny ability to get shots off leads us to believe he'll get a few more chances than Odell. A ten goal scorer? Our prediction: Yes (with a BOLD prediction of 11 goals)

Steve Hand. The forward has been struggling to find his offensive game for a few seasons, but is off to a good start with two goals in two games. For him, it's all about rebounds, getting to the front, and scoring on rushes. He isn't going to create the opportunities like the other guys on the list may, but he's going to be around the action, and more often than not, on top of the goalie. Hand is going to Ireland in late February and will miss a few games though, so that may hinder his shot. A ten goal scorer? Our prediction: No (with a BOLD prediction of 9 goals).

Pete Collis. The defender turned offenseman turned defender has played in every game so far this season and like several others, has netted two goals. During his tenure with the Red Army, Collis averages a bit under a goal-per-game. A lot of that can be attributed to his play on defense though. Often, with D'Ignazio, Hand, and Hendricks' fairly good attendance, with King is in the lineup, Collis is on defense. Considering that, and the fact that we already predicted King to be a 10 goal scorer, our prediction did not favor Senor NASA. A ten goal scorer? Our prediction: No (with a BOLD prediction of 7 goals).

Tony Horton: Coming off his 24th consecutive "Most Improved Player" award, this season may be the season Horton cracks the 10 goal mark. With two goals in two games this season, he has continued his rate lately, dating back to near the midway mark of last season, of being nearly a goal-per-game player. His ability to join the rush makes him a serious threat in the offensive zone. His lack of a slap shot will hurt him, but we think he'll be able to make due. A ten goal scorer? Our prediction: Yes (with a BOLD prediction of 10 goals).

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jamie Simek and Jason White, fear not, an article focused on a defensive record will be published later this week, and you two will feature prominently in that. Of course, if either of you goes and nets a hat trick on Sunday, you'll make me look quite foolish.

So, we here at the RAD are saying this team has five 10-goal scorers. D'Ignazio, Duda, Hendricks, Horton, and King. Agree? Disagree?

EDITOR'S NOTE 2: I really like making bold predictions. I think there should be a weekly column called "Bold Predictions". Yes, yes I think there should be a column indeed.