
The last time Ryder faced his old 'mates was back on November 22nd. At the time, Ryder had netted only 3 goals in his first 20 games in Black & Gold. Ryder had been playing solid in all three zones, but couldn't seem to light the lamp as advertised during the early part of the season. Montreal held Ryder pointless that night, but sometime shortly after the Habs game something clicked for Ryder. He went on a tear, scoring 14 goals in 20 games, including 5 game winning goals.
Ryder's 17 goals place him second on the team behind Phil Kessel (24 goals). The winger has proven that he can come through in the clutch with a league-best 7 game winning goals. Early in the year, many B's fans and media members were ready to ride this guy out of town on a rail, but I haven't heard much from those people lately.