By John Cullen
As I alluded to last week, this is one of the most difficult times of the year for fantasy players. If you miss the boat on some critical moves right now, you could end up putting some of those categories you’re way behind in out of reach. That said, you pull the trigger too early on some of these slow starters and you could miss the hot streaks that win teams money.
It’s hard to know exactly what to do, and we’re still at the stage in the year where one really hot night for a team can see them jump up 5 to 7 spots in the standings, or worse yet, a really bad night can drop you just as many. It’s hard to deal with those swings, and they’re mostly due to those who are hot right now: and those who are not. So this week, I’d like to take a look at two major streaks running through fantasy leagues right now(and dominating conversation), and offering some advice on where to progress from here. We’re not a month into the season yet, so panic button time is nowhere near, but you never want to miss the boat.
Streak #1: Craig Anderson
Good ol’ Andy is putting together one of the hottest goalie streaks in recent memory, dashing out from Tomas Vokoun’s shadow to an unbelievable start with Colorado, leaving many wondering how it can last, and for how long. My answer: it can’t. A lot of people are left proclaiming Colorado to be the real deal, but history generally dictates that goalies who have stepped out from behind an elite starter to become a starter in their own right struggle, even after a hot start. The reality is that an 82-game season is a very, very long time, particularly for a goalie - and particularly for one who’s been asked to start every one of his team’s games this season so far, (with no end in sight with back-up Peter Budaj out with the H1N1 virus) and especially for one who has played over 40 games only ONCE in his ENTIRE CAREER, and that was in juniors in 2000-01 with the Guelph Storm, where he played 59 games.
One only needs to take a quick look at the last back-up to step out from Vokoun’s shadow to find that the proof is never far. Chris Mason covered for Vokoun in the 2005-06 season after Vokoun suffered a blood clot injury, and Mason played unbelievable, carrying Nashville to a first-place standing in the Central Division before relinquishing the job back to Vokoun. That was enough for the Preds to feel confident trading Vokoun at the trade deadline the following season, handing number one status to Mason. Mason posted very good numbers to start the 2007-08 year, recording 10 wins by mid-November, including a streak of 3 shutouts in 5 games. Many were ready to declare Mason an elite goaltender, and then the intensity of playing night-in and night-out hit. Mason began to struggle mightily and ironically ended up losing his job to back-up Dan Ellis. Mason struggled to a sub-.900 save percentage for the first time in his career, and was traded. He’s since regained his form, but that season was an excellent indicator of just what a full schedule can do to a goaltender. Couple that with Anderson’s defense, featuring a top pairing of two offensive-minded d-men and a couple of veterans, and this is a recipe for eventual struggle.
Advice: sell high now. A goalie’s stock has never been this high and guys will hit the panic button much earlier if their goalies are struggling. Anderson could legitimately fetch a struggling starting ‘tender and a solid roster player at the moment, and that’s a deal I couldn’t pass up.
Streak #2: Anze Kopitar
Kopitar’s average draft position on Yahoo! this season was 86.6, putting him in the 8th-round for a typical 10-team pool, and this is keeping in mind that a lot of leagues draft a week into the season, which would skew Kopitar higher. Consistently held back in LA, Kopitar has always been seen as a risk to own: his plus-minus often wasn’t worth the risk for his inconsistency issues and his overall point totals. This likely led to his low draft position, and is making those who were fortunate enough to draft him look like geniuses. But can he keep it up? To be honest, all signs point to yes. Any time anyone has commented to me over the last few years about how bad L.A. is, my standard response was “well, if they ever get someone to play with Kopitar, they’ll be fine, that kid is the real deal.” Now, I don’t believe I’m an unbelievable clairvoyant (I was in 4 pools this year and didn’t draft Kopes in any of them), but I always knew there was something about that guy, and he’s finally found linemates he can work with.
In his years in L.A., he’s been given talented linemates, but not ones who suit his style. He was usually put with guys who also like to shoot, and it took away from his ability to get quality scoring opportunities, as I don’t know if Kopitar ever felt like the #1 shooter on the lines he played on. And believe me, he is a NUMBER-ONE SHOOTER. The best Kopitar ever plays is for his native Slovenia, where he consistently logs disturbing amounts of ice-time and where you have to feel the dressing room talk contains flashbacks to Bel-Air Academy's Coach Smiley, whose one and only game plan was "pass the ball to Will". He even led Slovenia to their first ever appearance at the World "A" Championships, where Kopitar was lucky enough to play due to L.A. missing the playoffs. The guy thrives on being the top guy, both on his line and on his team, and it's clear he is now that guy for L.A.
While his shots-per-game average has only gone up slightly this year (2.8 from last year to 3), I believe that playing with two guys who would rather do things other than shoot (Smyth driving the net and Williams passing) has allowed Kopitar’s quality scoring chances to increase significantly, and in the games I’ve seen LA play, that has been the case. Playing with guys like Mike Cammalleri (who averaged nearly 4 shots a game playing with Kopitar) and Alexander Frolov (2.7/game) allowed Kopitar time playing with great players, but not complementary ones, especially when compared with Smyth (3 shots/game average in 13 games this season, around 2.5 for his career) and Williams (averaging 2/game for his career). That’s 3 shots less per night coming from Kopitar’s linemates, which means that Anze is the one getting the quality chances for the first time in his career, as a ridiculous 25.6% shooting percentage alludes to. Getting a proper grinder who can also dish the puck was a stroke of genius by Dean Lombardi, and while I don’t see Kopitar leading the league by year’s end, I see no reason why he can’t crack the top 10 or even top 5. LA’s dynamite power-play, QB’ed by Drew Doughty, certainly doesn’t hurt either and that tinted visor and cracked-tooth smile is going to make a lot more highlight reels by year’s end.
Advice: hang onto this stock and hang onto it hard. I'd value Kopitar as a top-3 centre right now behind Crosby and Thornton and a top 10 fantasy player, particularly in pools that value power-play stats.
Overall, remember that streaks can often be just that. As we talked about with the waiver wire last week, streaks can be the difference between a team’s success and failure, and it’s important to remember that individual history, team history, and time of the year all play a huge role. If you’re unsure, do a small amount of research. NHL.com has a ridiculous stats database and there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t put it to good use researching your own players, but also those who may have found themselves in similar situations to your streakers, either hot or cold. Be knowledgeable and give yourself the best chance to win every day.
The Saturday Slate
Your weekly guide to goalie sits and starts. If my “start” goalies record a win and a peripheral statistic of either 2.00 GAA or less, or .920 save % or higher, I take one point. If they record one of the two, I take a half-point. If my “sit” goalies take a loss and post either a 3.00 GAA or higher or a .900 save % or less, I take one point. If they take either one of the two, I take a half. For the year, I have 9 of a possible 12 points, recording at least a half-point in 10 of 12 predictions thus far. In the event of a starting goalie not playing the game, I will assume their backup’s stats.
START
Mike Smith v. New Jersey: I hate to keep picking on New Jersey, but if they want to keep averaging 2.5 goals/game, I’ll have no choice. Tampa remains unbeaten in regulation at home and Smith has posted 2 wins and 2 shootout losses in his 4 games at the Ice Palace, with a very impressive 2.21 GAA and .935 save-percentage alongside.
Ilya Bryzgalov v. Anaheim: Breezy’s been putting up a wall in Glendale, posting unbelievable numbers to start the year. It has to fizzle out sometime, but against an Anaheim team playing a back-to-back and averaging an uncharacteristic 2.5 goals/game, it won’t be this Saturday.
SIT
Jaroslav Halak/Carey Price v. Toronto: You won’t see me recommending goalies to sit against Toronto too often, but this Saturday seems ripe for the picking. Montreal will have played the night before in a different timezone, and coming back home to play the HNIC against their Original 6 rivals should be a recipe for disaster. Despite Toronto lacking a true scorer, they can put the puck in the net, and against the Habs the last few years, 4 or 5 goals sometimes hasn’t even won the game. Either goalie might pick up a W, but the supporting stats won’t be worth it, and I’ll take the half-point all the way to the bank.
Miikka Kiprusoff v. Detroit: Detroit is showing signs of finally putting it together, coming back from 3 down to beat Vancouver and 4 down to earn a point against a hot Edmonton squad. I see this finally translating to a solid win on Saturday night, as Kiprusoff looks to be in fine form from the last two seasons(a lot of ugly wins) and I don’t see it improving against a Detroit team that still carries so many offensive weapons.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
NHL: October taught me...
By Tim Daily
- The Avs are for real. They've got the best goal differential and penalty kill percentage in the Western Conference - not to mention a very effective power play. The Kyle Quincey acquisition gave Colorado another elite power play QB, which is almost unfair considering they have John-Michael Liles back there as well. Wojtek Wolski has always had the skills but is finally showing that his ability to be a PPG player. The story of the Avs' season so far, though, has been Craig Anderson.
- Anze Kopitar is making me look good. And by that, I mean that when I ranked him as a top 7 forward in the league last season (and was subsequently criticized), I fully knew he was going to become a big time player in this league. His ability to shield defenders off the puck is almost Jagr-like, and he has the vision and scoring touch to be a complete offensive threat.
- Don't be fooled, Marian Gaborik will get hurt. I know, you probably already knew this, but I'm a Rangers fan. I had my hopes up.
- The Sharks are again one of the best (regular season) teams in the league. Sure they're 8-4-1 and got off to a slow start but their power play is operating near 29% and Patrick Marleau is skating as well as he ever has.
- Steve Mason is going through a bit of a tough period in his development but that's actually a good thing. Professional sports are all about adjustments and the players that can consistently make them are the ones that will shine. Hopefully Mason can rebound and go back to being the best reactive goaltender in the league.
- DVR'ing NHL on the Fly at 3 AM on a Sunday morning is absolutely essential. If you're a hockey fan there isn't a better hour of television.
- The Flyers are going to have to score way more at even strength if they want to live up to a lot of experts' preseason expectations. Pronger has been more than effective (especially on the power play point) but Philadelphia is a team that can skate and bang bodies very well. Those talents are best displayed in 5 on 5 situations.
- The Central division is up for grabs. Any one of those teams can go on a run and make things interesting.
- Alexander Ovechkin is the best sniper this league has seen in a long time, perhaps since Mario Lemieux. I actually knew this already, but it's worth saying because of how true it is.
- Michael Del Zotto's 2008 training camp was no abberation, this kid can play and that's the reason he almost made the team out of camp LAST year. Last night he decked Kyle Okposo, who was coming in on the forecheck and attempted to hit Del Zotto. MDZ calmly backed into leverage position and used Okposo's momentum to drop him to the floor. Not only can the kid QB a power play, he can actually play defense in this league as well. Gilroy got all the preseason hype but I wouldn't be surprised if Del Zotto turns out to be the best Rangers d-man since Leetch.
- Sure Gomez and Gionta were great additions for Montreal, but Mike Cammalleri makes that line. No matter where he goes (LA, Calgary) the guy scores. That line may be small but you're going to have a tough time catching them. Physical puck possession teams will probably have a better chance to stop them than any other style.
- Boston sorely misses Phil Kessel, but hit a home run in making the trade that sent him to Toronto. They received Toronto's first rounder, which could give them the #1 pick. If that happens, they will have a shot to take the best player out of what some are saying is one of the best top-10 draft crops in a long time.
- The Pacific division is stacked with competition this year. Dallas, San Jose, Los Angeles and Phoenix have all looked pretty impressive to start the season. The Ducks have a ton of talent though and should be able to rebound as the season progresses.
- Steven Stamkos is going to be one hell of a player. He and Matt Duchene could be the face of the league in 5 years.
- This blog is a lot of fun. We initially intended to do something at the start of the 2008-09 season and got delayed, but I couldn't be happier with the way things have turned out. We have several terrific writers that deserve to have their material put out there and I'm glad I've been able to help them do that. Pretty soon we'll be moving to fromtheslot.com with a new design and some new features and for that I can't wait. Thanks for reading and keep checking it out!
- The Avs are for real. They've got the best goal differential and penalty kill percentage in the Western Conference - not to mention a very effective power play. The Kyle Quincey acquisition gave Colorado another elite power play QB, which is almost unfair considering they have John-Michael Liles back there as well. Wojtek Wolski has always had the skills but is finally showing that his ability to be a PPG player. The story of the Avs' season so far, though, has been Craig Anderson.
- Anze Kopitar is making me look good. And by that, I mean that when I ranked him as a top 7 forward in the league last season (and was subsequently criticized), I fully knew he was going to become a big time player in this league. His ability to shield defenders off the puck is almost Jagr-like, and he has the vision and scoring touch to be a complete offensive threat.
- Don't be fooled, Marian Gaborik will get hurt. I know, you probably already knew this, but I'm a Rangers fan. I had my hopes up.
- The Sharks are again one of the best (regular season) teams in the league. Sure they're 8-4-1 and got off to a slow start but their power play is operating near 29% and Patrick Marleau is skating as well as he ever has.
- Steve Mason is going through a bit of a tough period in his development but that's actually a good thing. Professional sports are all about adjustments and the players that can consistently make them are the ones that will shine. Hopefully Mason can rebound and go back to being the best reactive goaltender in the league.
- DVR'ing NHL on the Fly at 3 AM on a Sunday morning is absolutely essential. If you're a hockey fan there isn't a better hour of television.
- The Flyers are going to have to score way more at even strength if they want to live up to a lot of experts' preseason expectations. Pronger has been more than effective (especially on the power play point) but Philadelphia is a team that can skate and bang bodies very well. Those talents are best displayed in 5 on 5 situations.
- The Central division is up for grabs. Any one of those teams can go on a run and make things interesting.
- Alexander Ovechkin is the best sniper this league has seen in a long time, perhaps since Mario Lemieux. I actually knew this already, but it's worth saying because of how true it is.
- Michael Del Zotto's 2008 training camp was no abberation, this kid can play and that's the reason he almost made the team out of camp LAST year. Last night he decked Kyle Okposo, who was coming in on the forecheck and attempted to hit Del Zotto. MDZ calmly backed into leverage position and used Okposo's momentum to drop him to the floor. Not only can the kid QB a power play, he can actually play defense in this league as well. Gilroy got all the preseason hype but I wouldn't be surprised if Del Zotto turns out to be the best Rangers d-man since Leetch.
- Sure Gomez and Gionta were great additions for Montreal, but Mike Cammalleri makes that line. No matter where he goes (LA, Calgary) the guy scores. That line may be small but you're going to have a tough time catching them. Physical puck possession teams will probably have a better chance to stop them than any other style.
- Boston sorely misses Phil Kessel, but hit a home run in making the trade that sent him to Toronto. They received Toronto's first rounder, which could give them the #1 pick. If that happens, they will have a shot to take the best player out of what some are saying is one of the best top-10 draft crops in a long time.
- The Pacific division is stacked with competition this year. Dallas, San Jose, Los Angeles and Phoenix have all looked pretty impressive to start the season. The Ducks have a ton of talent though and should be able to rebound as the season progresses.
- Steven Stamkos is going to be one hell of a player. He and Matt Duchene could be the face of the league in 5 years.
- This blog is a lot of fun. We initially intended to do something at the start of the 2008-09 season and got delayed, but I couldn't be happier with the way things have turned out. We have several terrific writers that deserve to have their material put out there and I'm glad I've been able to help them do that. Pretty soon we'll be moving to fromtheslot.com with a new design and some new features and for that I can't wait. Thanks for reading and keep checking it out!
Monday, October 26, 2009
NHL Players of the Week - 10/19 through 10/24
By Dara Heaps
1. Dustin Penner and Ales Hemsky, Edmonton Oilers. Penner and Hemsky turned in a fantastic performance in a come-from-behind win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. They combined for 10 points and had a hand in 5 of the Oilers 6 goals. Edmonton fell behind 4-1 but thanks to an inspiring effort by Penner and Hemsky, the Oilers came back to win 6-4. Penner went on to score a goal against Calgary and Hemsky recorded 2 assists in a 5-2 loss Saturday night.
2. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are off to a fantastic start this season. Kopitar lead the way this week, recording 7 points, including a hat trick in a 5-4 OT win against Dallas. The Kings are 7-4-0 this season so far. Their biggest problem has been holding the lead but so far they have had strong support from their offense. With Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown and Ryan Smyth leading the way, the Kings look poised for their first playoff berth since 2002.
3. Jaroslav Halak, Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price is in the doghouse again. Halak has started the past 3 games and won all 3. He allowed only one goal in his first two against the Atlanta Thrashers and the New York Islanders before allowing 4 against the red-hot New York Rangers. He ended the week with a .916 save percentage.
Honorable Mentions
Mike Cammalleri helped Halak out Saturday night by netting 3 goals and an assist. … Nashville’s J.P Dumont had 5 points (1+4) in a 6-5 OT win over Ottawa. Shea Weber netted 2 goals and an assist in the win. … Devin Setoguchi helped the Sharks rout the Rangers Monday night 7-3 with 2 goals and an assist. … Sidney Crosby scored his first career goal short-handed in his 300th regular season game Friday night in a 3-2 shootout win versus Florida. … Cristobal Huet stopped all 27 shots the Predators sent his way, recording his first shutout of the season. … The New Jersey Devils beat the Penguins 4-1 Saturday night to extend their road record to 5-0-0. … Craig Anderson continues to shine for the Avalanche, stopping 48 of 49 shots against the Red Wings, handing them their 3rd loss in a row. … Colin Wilson scored his first NHL goal against the Boston Bruins. … Roberto Luongo won 2 on 3 games for the Canucks this week putting up a .934 sv% in the process. … Zach Parise scored 3 goals and 2 assists this week for the Devils. … Mike Smith made 32 saves on 34 shots by the Sharks fror a 5-2 win. … Jason Spezza had 3 assists in an inspired effort against the Predators. The Senators ultimately lost 6-5 in overtime. … Ales Kotalik, Marian Gaborik, Vaclav Prospal and Michael Del Zotto continue to be the Rangers best players. … Brent Johnson and Tomas Vokoun battled it out Friday night in Pittsburgh, each making fantastic saves to keep their team in the game. Johnson and the Pens came out victorious in a shootout. … Boston came from 2 goals down in the final minutes of regulation to win in a shootout against Ottawa Saturday night. … Mason Raymond scored 2 goals for Vancouver in a 3-1 win over Toronto.
A lot of focus is put on the NHL top players and understandably so but the Stanley Cup can’t be won by just top players. Pittsburgh boasts two of the best players in the world in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby and Malkin can do all the scoring on their own though, and that’s where the Penguins 3rd line come into play. Jordan Staal flanked by Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke are arguably the best 3rd line in the league. When they get the puck, they can cycle it and wear down the league’s best players. They play the majority of their time in the offensive zone, take few penalties and they’re responsible defensively. They do everything a 3rd line should do. Staal, Kennedy and Cooke have been playing on the same line for almost a year now and have excellent chemistry. Kennedy has 5 goals in 9 games so far this season and either Staal or Cooke assisted on 4 of them. Teams in the new NHL can’t be successful with just 2 lines. Staal, Kennedy and Cooke add excellent depth to the Pens team.
Major thumbs down this week to Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu for his hit on Darcy Tucker of the Colorado Avalanche. Six minutes into the 2nd period, Ruutu hit Tucker from behind, showing complete lack of respect for Tucker. Ruutu smashes Tucker’s head into the glass, resulting in Tucker needing 40 stitches and an night in the hospital. Ruutu was suspended for 3 games. No one likes to see plays like this happen. Plays like this raise questions of why there aren’t more stringent rules about hitting from behind. As our junior hockey writer Andrew Harvey said, “Maybe the NHL needs to put stop signs on the back of their jerseys like the 10 year old kids have.” Players should have more respect for one another to not make plays like the one Ruutu made.
1. Dustin Penner and Ales Hemsky, Edmonton Oilers. Penner and Hemsky turned in a fantastic performance in a come-from-behind win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. They combined for 10 points and had a hand in 5 of the Oilers 6 goals. Edmonton fell behind 4-1 but thanks to an inspiring effort by Penner and Hemsky, the Oilers came back to win 6-4. Penner went on to score a goal against Calgary and Hemsky recorded 2 assists in a 5-2 loss Saturday night.
2. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are off to a fantastic start this season. Kopitar lead the way this week, recording 7 points, including a hat trick in a 5-4 OT win against Dallas. The Kings are 7-4-0 this season so far. Their biggest problem has been holding the lead but so far they have had strong support from their offense. With Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown and Ryan Smyth leading the way, the Kings look poised for their first playoff berth since 2002.
3. Jaroslav Halak, Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price is in the doghouse again. Halak has started the past 3 games and won all 3. He allowed only one goal in his first two against the Atlanta Thrashers and the New York Islanders before allowing 4 against the red-hot New York Rangers. He ended the week with a .916 save percentage.
Honorable Mentions
Mike Cammalleri helped Halak out Saturday night by netting 3 goals and an assist. … Nashville’s J.P Dumont had 5 points (1+4) in a 6-5 OT win over Ottawa. Shea Weber netted 2 goals and an assist in the win. … Devin Setoguchi helped the Sharks rout the Rangers Monday night 7-3 with 2 goals and an assist. … Sidney Crosby scored his first career goal short-handed in his 300th regular season game Friday night in a 3-2 shootout win versus Florida. … Cristobal Huet stopped all 27 shots the Predators sent his way, recording his first shutout of the season. … The New Jersey Devils beat the Penguins 4-1 Saturday night to extend their road record to 5-0-0. … Craig Anderson continues to shine for the Avalanche, stopping 48 of 49 shots against the Red Wings, handing them their 3rd loss in a row. … Colin Wilson scored his first NHL goal against the Boston Bruins. … Roberto Luongo won 2 on 3 games for the Canucks this week putting up a .934 sv% in the process. … Zach Parise scored 3 goals and 2 assists this week for the Devils. … Mike Smith made 32 saves on 34 shots by the Sharks fror a 5-2 win. … Jason Spezza had 3 assists in an inspired effort against the Predators. The Senators ultimately lost 6-5 in overtime. … Ales Kotalik, Marian Gaborik, Vaclav Prospal and Michael Del Zotto continue to be the Rangers best players. … Brent Johnson and Tomas Vokoun battled it out Friday night in Pittsburgh, each making fantastic saves to keep their team in the game. Johnson and the Pens came out victorious in a shootout. … Boston came from 2 goals down in the final minutes of regulation to win in a shootout against Ottawa Saturday night. … Mason Raymond scored 2 goals for Vancouver in a 3-1 win over Toronto.
A lot of focus is put on the NHL top players and understandably so but the Stanley Cup can’t be won by just top players. Pittsburgh boasts two of the best players in the world in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby and Malkin can do all the scoring on their own though, and that’s where the Penguins 3rd line come into play. Jordan Staal flanked by Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke are arguably the best 3rd line in the league. When they get the puck, they can cycle it and wear down the league’s best players. They play the majority of their time in the offensive zone, take few penalties and they’re responsible defensively. They do everything a 3rd line should do. Staal, Kennedy and Cooke have been playing on the same line for almost a year now and have excellent chemistry. Kennedy has 5 goals in 9 games so far this season and either Staal or Cooke assisted on 4 of them. Teams in the new NHL can’t be successful with just 2 lines. Staal, Kennedy and Cooke add excellent depth to the Pens team.
Major thumbs down this week to Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu for his hit on Darcy Tucker of the Colorado Avalanche. Six minutes into the 2nd period, Ruutu hit Tucker from behind, showing complete lack of respect for Tucker. Ruutu smashes Tucker’s head into the glass, resulting in Tucker needing 40 stitches and an night in the hospital. Ruutu was suspended for 3 games. No one likes to see plays like this happen. Plays like this raise questions of why there aren’t more stringent rules about hitting from behind. As our junior hockey writer Andrew Harvey said, “Maybe the NHL needs to put stop signs on the back of their jerseys like the 10 year old kids have.” Players should have more respect for one another to not make plays like the one Ruutu made.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Fantasy Hockey Friday: Walking the Waiver Wire
By John Cullen
There probably isn’t a day that goes by where my dad and I don’t talk about fantasy hockey. 4 years ago, I joined my first daily roster update pool. As a kid who could recognize all the NHL teams by logo at age 3(winning my dad some pocket money from his friends on “yeah, right” wagers) and who liked hockey cards more for the statistics on the back than the pictures on the front, fantasy hockey was a logical progression. It became an addiction for me, and as such, began to seep into my every day conversation. A life-time hockey fan, my father’s interest was piqued, and the next year, I started my own pool, and he joined. When he joined, the father-son talks increased. And there's no mistaking, these father-son moments weren’t always darling, and our father-son interactions don’t always conjure images of fishing at some small watering hole when I was young lad. We get along very well, but when it comes to fantasy hockey, they’re usually pretty confrontational, and they almost always center on one thing: free agents.
I have to admit, I generally get to a point where I pity people who are in “select ‘em and forget ‘em” pools. You have a few key injuries and your season is over. You make a risk pick(Michael Nylander, Sergei Kostitsyn, perhaps?) that doesn’t pay off, and your season is over. However, in pools with a waiver wire, these situations are ones that can come with a remedy. Of course, there’s never a cure for bad drafting and a slew of injuries can kill you in a daily update pool as well, but the waiver wire can provide solutions, and in the case of my dad, can win you second in a pool. Making over 125 moves last season, my dad took a horrible draft and turned it into something. And you can too.
This is typically the week where most fantasy managers will lose their patience with their roster and begin to make moves. I often try my best to preach patience, but with some teams having 10 games under their belt, there are trends being set by guys that can’t be ignored. So, if you’re new to the game or a veteran, the waiver wire can be a confusing and troubling place. Many seasons are won and lost on the wire and it is more than simply dropping a guy and picking him up. These moves can impact a team for an entire season. So how do you deal with it?
The first key (and the key to all fantasy hockey, really) is patience. Just because a guy is running extremely hot on the wire or extremely cold on your team is not necessarily a cause for concern. You need to allow situations to play out in both directions. Team play is always a very important thing to consider when you’re making these sorts of decisions. Take Shea Weber for example. His slow start to the season was as much a result of Nashville’s 6-game winless streak and their abysmal 1.5 goals-per-game average as it was of his own play. He was getting buckets of ice time, playing in all situations, but it’s pretty hard to get much happening when your team has scored one goal or less in half of its games. Yahoo! reacts by taking him off their “Can’t Cut” List. ESPN ranks him 25th out of current defenseman based on production for THE REST OF THE YEAR, putting him behind fantasy “legends” Stephane Robidas, Kevin Bieksa, Paul Martin, rookie Victor Hedman, and Pavel Kubina.
So how are you, as the newbie poolie, supposed to react? Unfortunately, people get impatient. They hit the "drop" button a little too fast. Then hey, guess what, Nashville wakes up in a 6-5 win over Ottawa and Weber puts up a line with no surprises: 2 G, 1 A, -1, 2 PIMs, 1 PPP, 1 GWG, 7 SOG, 26:27 TOI. Yes, Nashville won’t light the world on fire this season, but those of you who hit the panic button on Weber must be feeling quite silly now. So my advice? Ride the storm. It’s the same advice I gave with the goalies, and the same advice I give my dad and other poolies who come to me for advice every day. Pay attention to the TEAM dynamics before you make any rash decisions. Slumps happen. They are frustrating to a fantasy team and if they get too long, then moves need to be made, but take a look at the intangibles(is the team slumping? Has your player seen a drop in icetime? Has he been put on a different line? Is he in the coach's doghouse?, etc.) before you make any harsh choices.
That said, don’t be TOO patient. One thing I like to do each year is designate a “waiver wire” spot on my team. This is usually pretty easy, especially if your draft was a particularly deep one: you’ll always have a clunker around. I reserve this spot for whomever is playing hottest on a weekly basis. I may only keep the player for a week, maybe even less time if I really like the match-up, but teams lose out by standing pat week in and week out. While I think an itchy trigger finger can be dangerous, by giving yourself this spot, it eliminates the potential danger of getting too waiver-wire happy, because if the player busts, you were planning on replacing him anyway, or if the guy you dropped catches fire, you were planning on replacing him anyway, so the stress levels go down. As I’ve said before, fantasy seasons are much too long to be stressed out and the more you panic, the less chance you have of winning. Oftentimes the best managers are the ones who make the least moves with the most impact. So give yourself some room to breathe, keep an expendable guy around, and roll with the hot hand when you get a chance. It might be just those sorts of fringe points that win your team a season. Ask my dad, him and his 2nd-place trophy have a lot to say about it.
The Saturday Slate
Your weekly guide to goalie sits and starts. If my “start” goalies record a win and a peripheral statistic of either 2.00 GAA or less, or .920 save % or higher, I take one point. If they record one of the two, I take a half-point. If my “sit” goalies take a loss and post either a 3.00 GAA or higher or a .900 save % or less, I take one point. If they take either one of the two, I take a half. For the year, I have 7 of a possible 8 points, recording at least a half-point in all 8 predictions thus far. In the event of a starting goalie not playing the game, I will assume their backup’s stats.
START
Marc-Andre Fleury v. New Jersey: Fleury’s been the hottest goalie to start the year, and the Devils are only averaging 2.75 goals per game. Simple math dictates this play, especially when you factor in the Penguins are 3-1 at home.
Pascal Leclaire/Brian Elliott v. Boston: I wouldn’t be surprised to see either goalie get the start here, and I don’t think it matters. Boston’s beat up and playing their 3rd game in 4 days, and Ottawa will be looking to bounce back from a tough home loss vs. Nashville.
SIT
Tomas Vokoun @ Philadelphia: The Flyers have been a victim of bizarre NHL scheduling to start the year, having played only 2 games in 12 days. They looked lackluster in both games, and it’s hard to blame them. One of those two games was a lazy loss to these very same Panthers, and with the Flyers finally playing games within 2 nights of one another, I expect them to find their form and exact some revenge against one of the league’s worst defenses.
Chris Mason v. Dallas: Dallas has put up some big offensive numbers this year behind a finally-healthy lineup and the emergence of James Neal and rookie sniper Jamie Benn. Brad Richards returned to the lineup Thursday vs. L.A., posting two assists, and with so many weapons and Mason still looking like he left his game in Europe, it’s tough to find him a good play here.
There probably isn’t a day that goes by where my dad and I don’t talk about fantasy hockey. 4 years ago, I joined my first daily roster update pool. As a kid who could recognize all the NHL teams by logo at age 3(winning my dad some pocket money from his friends on “yeah, right” wagers) and who liked hockey cards more for the statistics on the back than the pictures on the front, fantasy hockey was a logical progression. It became an addiction for me, and as such, began to seep into my every day conversation. A life-time hockey fan, my father’s interest was piqued, and the next year, I started my own pool, and he joined. When he joined, the father-son talks increased. And there's no mistaking, these father-son moments weren’t always darling, and our father-son interactions don’t always conjure images of fishing at some small watering hole when I was young lad. We get along very well, but when it comes to fantasy hockey, they’re usually pretty confrontational, and they almost always center on one thing: free agents.
I have to admit, I generally get to a point where I pity people who are in “select ‘em and forget ‘em” pools. You have a few key injuries and your season is over. You make a risk pick(Michael Nylander, Sergei Kostitsyn, perhaps?) that doesn’t pay off, and your season is over. However, in pools with a waiver wire, these situations are ones that can come with a remedy. Of course, there’s never a cure for bad drafting and a slew of injuries can kill you in a daily update pool as well, but the waiver wire can provide solutions, and in the case of my dad, can win you second in a pool. Making over 125 moves last season, my dad took a horrible draft and turned it into something. And you can too.
This is typically the week where most fantasy managers will lose their patience with their roster and begin to make moves. I often try my best to preach patience, but with some teams having 10 games under their belt, there are trends being set by guys that can’t be ignored. So, if you’re new to the game or a veteran, the waiver wire can be a confusing and troubling place. Many seasons are won and lost on the wire and it is more than simply dropping a guy and picking him up. These moves can impact a team for an entire season. So how do you deal with it?
The first key (and the key to all fantasy hockey, really) is patience. Just because a guy is running extremely hot on the wire or extremely cold on your team is not necessarily a cause for concern. You need to allow situations to play out in both directions. Team play is always a very important thing to consider when you’re making these sorts of decisions. Take Shea Weber for example. His slow start to the season was as much a result of Nashville’s 6-game winless streak and their abysmal 1.5 goals-per-game average as it was of his own play. He was getting buckets of ice time, playing in all situations, but it’s pretty hard to get much happening when your team has scored one goal or less in half of its games. Yahoo! reacts by taking him off their “Can’t Cut” List. ESPN ranks him 25th out of current defenseman based on production for THE REST OF THE YEAR, putting him behind fantasy “legends” Stephane Robidas, Kevin Bieksa, Paul Martin, rookie Victor Hedman, and Pavel Kubina.
So how are you, as the newbie poolie, supposed to react? Unfortunately, people get impatient. They hit the "drop" button a little too fast. Then hey, guess what, Nashville wakes up in a 6-5 win over Ottawa and Weber puts up a line with no surprises: 2 G, 1 A, -1, 2 PIMs, 1 PPP, 1 GWG, 7 SOG, 26:27 TOI. Yes, Nashville won’t light the world on fire this season, but those of you who hit the panic button on Weber must be feeling quite silly now. So my advice? Ride the storm. It’s the same advice I gave with the goalies, and the same advice I give my dad and other poolies who come to me for advice every day. Pay attention to the TEAM dynamics before you make any rash decisions. Slumps happen. They are frustrating to a fantasy team and if they get too long, then moves need to be made, but take a look at the intangibles(is the team slumping? Has your player seen a drop in icetime? Has he been put on a different line? Is he in the coach's doghouse?, etc.) before you make any harsh choices.
That said, don’t be TOO patient. One thing I like to do each year is designate a “waiver wire” spot on my team. This is usually pretty easy, especially if your draft was a particularly deep one: you’ll always have a clunker around. I reserve this spot for whomever is playing hottest on a weekly basis. I may only keep the player for a week, maybe even less time if I really like the match-up, but teams lose out by standing pat week in and week out. While I think an itchy trigger finger can be dangerous, by giving yourself this spot, it eliminates the potential danger of getting too waiver-wire happy, because if the player busts, you were planning on replacing him anyway, or if the guy you dropped catches fire, you were planning on replacing him anyway, so the stress levels go down. As I’ve said before, fantasy seasons are much too long to be stressed out and the more you panic, the less chance you have of winning. Oftentimes the best managers are the ones who make the least moves with the most impact. So give yourself some room to breathe, keep an expendable guy around, and roll with the hot hand when you get a chance. It might be just those sorts of fringe points that win your team a season. Ask my dad, him and his 2nd-place trophy have a lot to say about it.
The Saturday Slate
Your weekly guide to goalie sits and starts. If my “start” goalies record a win and a peripheral statistic of either 2.00 GAA or less, or .920 save % or higher, I take one point. If they record one of the two, I take a half-point. If my “sit” goalies take a loss and post either a 3.00 GAA or higher or a .900 save % or less, I take one point. If they take either one of the two, I take a half. For the year, I have 7 of a possible 8 points, recording at least a half-point in all 8 predictions thus far. In the event of a starting goalie not playing the game, I will assume their backup’s stats.
START
Marc-Andre Fleury v. New Jersey: Fleury’s been the hottest goalie to start the year, and the Devils are only averaging 2.75 goals per game. Simple math dictates this play, especially when you factor in the Penguins are 3-1 at home.
Pascal Leclaire/Brian Elliott v. Boston: I wouldn’t be surprised to see either goalie get the start here, and I don’t think it matters. Boston’s beat up and playing their 3rd game in 4 days, and Ottawa will be looking to bounce back from a tough home loss vs. Nashville.
SIT
Tomas Vokoun @ Philadelphia: The Flyers have been a victim of bizarre NHL scheduling to start the year, having played only 2 games in 12 days. They looked lackluster in both games, and it’s hard to blame them. One of those two games was a lazy loss to these very same Panthers, and with the Flyers finally playing games within 2 nights of one another, I expect them to find their form and exact some revenge against one of the league’s worst defenses.
Chris Mason v. Dallas: Dallas has put up some big offensive numbers this year behind a finally-healthy lineup and the emergence of James Neal and rookie sniper Jamie Benn. Brad Richards returned to the lineup Thursday vs. L.A., posting two assists, and with so many weapons and Mason still looking like he left his game in Europe, it’s tough to find him a good play here.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Discussion Panel: NHL Surprises (So Far)
Tim Daily: For me, it's been the increased contribution of youth throughout the league. Since the lockout we've seen several teams lean on young stars for production and leadership, but it seems that junior-eligible players are making more of an impact today than ever before. I had all but penciled in Michael Del Zotto and Matt Duchene as guys that would return to their junior squads, but after watching them play it seems clear to me that the NHL is the only place where they will get tested and forced to bring their game up another level.
John Cullen: Duchene I saw as a guy who had the potential to stay up if Colorado gave him enough icetime (which obviously they have), but I would have never even had Del Zotto making the team, nevermind for the year. The new NHL has allowed for that, 10 years ago there's no way a guy like Pat Kane is not only the number-one overall pick but one of the best players in the league. It's allowing younger, smaller guys to succeed without question.
Andrew Harvey: Del Zotto surprises me a lot as do Ryan O'Reilly and Dmitri Kulikov all making the league this year.
Nate Wells: I always assumed Duchene would make the Avs given how the team is; however, Ryan O'Reilly is a shocker.
Tim: O'Reilly is certainly surprising but with Duchene, I initially had him going back because it's often tough to put lottery picks in situations where they have to be the forefront of an NHL franchise right away.That said, after watching a few games its obvious he belongs in the bigs.
Nate: I agree with the thought, but it's become common to see those players stay in the new NHL. In the last five drafts there has only been one top-three pick coming out of major juniors who got sent back to his CHL team [Bobby Ryan] while most of the college players were one-and-dones [Erik Johnson, Kyle Turris] or caused friction with their drafted team [Jack Johnson in Carolina after returning to Michigan for a sophomore campaign, JVR in Philly]. In these cases, the team looks out for their best interest instead of the player.
Andrew: There was no way Duchene was going back to juniors. I bet he would have cracked every lineup in the league.
Pat Andrzejewski: Filatov being a healthy scratch is shocking too.
Tim: I'm surprised but not totally shocked. I watched Filatov play a bit timid in the corners and back away from being physical on the puck early on in the season and I'm sure Hitchcock doesn't want Columbus to miss on another 1st rounder (Zherdev). They were lucky to get anything back in return for that guy, let alone a player like Fedor Tyutin. Filatov will be fine though, he seems like he has a genuine interest in working hard to get better.
Eric Kveton: My biggest surprise is Phoenix... 5-2, with victories over Pittsburgh, SJ, and Boston, and playing absolute shutdown defense. Aucoin has been a big addition for them.
I actually think it's more surprising for the defensemen to be doing so well. I guess it's not a big surprise for guys like Hedman and Gilroy to be flourishing due to their size and experience (respectively). But the stigma that rookie defensemen can't do well in the NHL has been taking a hit with guys like them, Del Zotto, and (last year) Doughty, Bogosian, and Schenn jumping in right away and succeeding.
John Cullen: Duchene I saw as a guy who had the potential to stay up if Colorado gave him enough icetime (which obviously they have), but I would have never even had Del Zotto making the team, nevermind for the year. The new NHL has allowed for that, 10 years ago there's no way a guy like Pat Kane is not only the number-one overall pick but one of the best players in the league. It's allowing younger, smaller guys to succeed without question.
Andrew Harvey: Del Zotto surprises me a lot as do Ryan O'Reilly and Dmitri Kulikov all making the league this year.
Nate Wells: I always assumed Duchene would make the Avs given how the team is; however, Ryan O'Reilly is a shocker.
Tim: O'Reilly is certainly surprising but with Duchene, I initially had him going back because it's often tough to put lottery picks in situations where they have to be the forefront of an NHL franchise right away.That said, after watching a few games its obvious he belongs in the bigs.
Nate: I agree with the thought, but it's become common to see those players stay in the new NHL. In the last five drafts there has only been one top-three pick coming out of major juniors who got sent back to his CHL team [Bobby Ryan] while most of the college players were one-and-dones [Erik Johnson, Kyle Turris] or caused friction with their drafted team [Jack Johnson in Carolina after returning to Michigan for a sophomore campaign, JVR in Philly]. In these cases, the team looks out for their best interest instead of the player.
Andrew: There was no way Duchene was going back to juniors. I bet he would have cracked every lineup in the league.
Pat Andrzejewski: Filatov being a healthy scratch is shocking too.
Tim: I'm surprised but not totally shocked. I watched Filatov play a bit timid in the corners and back away from being physical on the puck early on in the season and I'm sure Hitchcock doesn't want Columbus to miss on another 1st rounder (Zherdev). They were lucky to get anything back in return for that guy, let alone a player like Fedor Tyutin. Filatov will be fine though, he seems like he has a genuine interest in working hard to get better.
Eric Kveton: My biggest surprise is Phoenix... 5-2, with victories over Pittsburgh, SJ, and Boston, and playing absolute shutdown defense. Aucoin has been a big addition for them.
I actually think it's more surprising for the defensemen to be doing so well. I guess it's not a big surprise for guys like Hedman and Gilroy to be flourishing due to their size and experience (respectively). But the stigma that rookie defensemen can't do well in the NHL has been taking a hit with guys like them, Del Zotto, and (last year) Doughty, Bogosian, and Schenn jumping in right away and succeeding.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Why a 1-6 Team With Shallow Prospect Depth Gave Up a 2nd Round Pick
By Nate Wells
Chuck Fletcher's trade of AHLer Craig Weller, prospect Alexander Fallstrom and a second-round pick in 2011 for Boston Bruins forward Chuck Kobasew is an interesting trade from a Minnesota standpoint. While Boston's benefits are more obvious and straight-forward - the B's get cap help and more future assets to parlay into something down the line - Minnesota's benefits and success will depend upon what else Fletcher does later this season and next off-season.
At first glance, it appears that this was a disappointing trade for the Wild as they overpaid for a twenty-goal scorer due to desperation from injuries, a 1-6 record and forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard being out longer than originally assumed. While some of that is true and Kobasew can stop some of the initial bleeding the Wild have suffered, this is a move designed for the long-term. Minnesota's new GM has been saddled with a lot of bad contracts and players who aren't set up to play head coach Todd Richards' brand of hockey. Thankfully for him, there are eight UFAs this season and one or two should fetch a good price at the deadline provided Chuck Fletcher has better asset management than Doug Risebrough. It's hard to remedy that with one player, especially when there's little prospect depth to begin with, but this is a start and will help the Wild out some in the short-term. There's no one "answer" to Minnesota's problems as Richards still has a lot of problems to get through, injuries notwithstanding.
Kobasew is a player who I believe will fit in well with Minnesota, as they need scoring now with four "top-six" players hurt and he actually has a shoot-first attitude and a good work ethic [all things the Wild need right now]. That said, he can't do everything by himself; if that's the case and he was brought in as a stop-gap, then this trade is a coup for Boston. Kobasew needs to be surrounded by more players who fit into the new vision Fletcher and Richards have for the team. It'll be interesting to see what happens next season as the team is shaped into something new and more assets are attained [it wouldn't be surprising if there are a few players who could be on their way out], but for now Bruins fans have to be very happy with the return they received for an expendable piece.
Chuck Fletcher's trade of AHLer Craig Weller, prospect Alexander Fallstrom and a second-round pick in 2011 for Boston Bruins forward Chuck Kobasew is an interesting trade from a Minnesota standpoint. While Boston's benefits are more obvious and straight-forward - the B's get cap help and more future assets to parlay into something down the line - Minnesota's benefits and success will depend upon what else Fletcher does later this season and next off-season.
At first glance, it appears that this was a disappointing trade for the Wild as they overpaid for a twenty-goal scorer due to desperation from injuries, a 1-6 record and forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard being out longer than originally assumed. While some of that is true and Kobasew can stop some of the initial bleeding the Wild have suffered, this is a move designed for the long-term. Minnesota's new GM has been saddled with a lot of bad contracts and players who aren't set up to play head coach Todd Richards' brand of hockey. Thankfully for him, there are eight UFAs this season and one or two should fetch a good price at the deadline provided Chuck Fletcher has better asset management than Doug Risebrough. It's hard to remedy that with one player, especially when there's little prospect depth to begin with, but this is a start and will help the Wild out some in the short-term. There's no one "answer" to Minnesota's problems as Richards still has a lot of problems to get through, injuries notwithstanding.
Kobasew is a player who I believe will fit in well with Minnesota, as they need scoring now with four "top-six" players hurt and he actually has a shoot-first attitude and a good work ethic [all things the Wild need right now]. That said, he can't do everything by himself; if that's the case and he was brought in as a stop-gap, then this trade is a coup for Boston. Kobasew needs to be surrounded by more players who fit into the new vision Fletcher and Richards have for the team. It'll be interesting to see what happens next season as the team is shaped into something new and more assets are attained [it wouldn't be surprising if there are a few players who could be on their way out], but for now Bruins fans have to be very happy with the return they received for an expendable piece.
Monday, October 19, 2009
NHL Players of the Week - 10/12 through 10/16/09
1. Milan Michalek, Ottawa Senators. Michalek came over to Ottawa in the Dany Heatley trade and is a great fit in Ottawa. He scored his first career hat trick on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Two of his goals came shorthanded, the third on the power play. The Sens are off to a 5-2-0 start this season and looking like they can compete for a playoff spot. Their scoring is more balanced and Pascal Leclaire has made a huge difference in net.
2. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals. As expected, Ovechkin is leading the league in goals with 9. This week, he scored 2 goals against San Jose and netted another 2 against Nashville. Ovechkin totaled 6 points this week and a whopping 26 shots on goal in 6 games. The Caps boast a formidable, offense-heavy team with the likes of Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green. They should contend for top seed in the Eastern Conference this season.
3. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins. Fleury is off to his best start of his career this season winning all 7 games he’s played. Fleury allowed just 4 goals on 83 shots in 3 games, good for a sparkling .956 save percentage. The Pens are showing why they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions, playing a great puck possession game and finding ways to win.
Honorable Mentions: Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European blueliner to score 1,000 points on Thursday against the LA Kings with his assist on Henrik Zetterberg’s goal. … Henrik Lundqvist is off to a great start for the hot New York Rangers (more on that later). He won all 3 games this week, allowing only one goal in each game. … Pittsburgh’s Tyler Kennedy scored 2 goals against the Ottawa Senators. Kennedy has 3 game winners this season so far. … Tyler Myers (BUF), Matt Duchene (COL) and Ryan Vesce (SJS) all scored their first NHL goals this week. … Pat Kane lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a stunning come-from-behind win against the Calgary Flames on Monday. Kane had a goal and 2 assists, helping the Hawks win in overtime against the Flames after being down 5-0. … Cam Ward was stellar in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Penguins on Wednesday, making 36 saves and absolutely robbing Billy Guerin and Evgeni Malkin late in the game to keep the Hurricanes in it. Ray Whitney scored 2 goals for the Canes...The Dallas stars thrashed the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. Captain Brendan Morrow lead the way, scoring 2 goals along with Loui Eriksson, who also had an assist. Brad Richards had a goal and 2 assists and goaltender Marty Turco made all 29 saves for the shutout. … Tim Thomas notched his first shutout of the year, stopping all 27 shots the Stars threw at him. … Joe Thornton had 3 points against the Islanders Saturday night (1g, 2a). … Martin Brodeur needs one shutout to tie Terry Sawchuk’s record of 103 shutouts. Brodeur stopped 26 shots against the Carolina Hurricanes for the win. … Jay McKee blocked a whopping 7 shots against Tampa Bay for the Pens on Saturday. McKee leads the league with 28 shots blocked. … St. Louis beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-0 Saturday, lead by Andy McDonald who had 2 goals and an assist. Ty Conklin made 26 saves.
Big thumbs down to the Toronto Maple Leafs who are winless 7 games into the season (0-6-1). The Leafs team defense has been awful. Last season, the Leafs had no quit whether they were winning or losing. This year, the team seems to have no motivation. Vesa Toskala has been atrocious in his only 3 games. It doesn’t help having Toskala out with injury along with highly touted Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson. Head coach Ron Wilson is stuck playing third-string goalie Joey MacDonald. Offense is also hard to come by. The Leafs have only scored 14 goals this season while allowing 32 goals (which happens to be the league-leading Rangers GF). The Leafs don’t play again for a full week when they travel to Vancouver to play the Canucks. The team and coaching staff need to figure out how to fix this and get the ball rolling. The fans are displeased, along with the players. The lone bright spot for Toronto is the fact that newly acquired winger Phil Kessel has been progressing ahead of schedule in his rehabilition from off-season shoulder surgery and should be ready to play by mid-November.
On the flip side of things, the New York Rangers have been arguably the best team in the league so far. They’re 7-1-0 with their only loss coming against the Pittsburgh Penguins October 2nd. Henrik Lundqvist has been stellar so far with a 6-1-0 record, 2.15 GAA and .932 save percentage. For the past 4 years, he has been the best player for the Rangers and continues to give them a chance to win every night. Lundqvist is now getting solid support up front. Marian Gaborik is leading the team in points with 12 and goals with 6. Vaclav Prospal has been a fantastic signing by general manager Glen Sather. Prospal and Gaborik have great chemistry and usually if one scores, the other assists. Rookie Michael del Zotto has been the key to the Rangers 8th ranked power play which is clicking at 26.3%. The Rangers are almost exactly opposite of the Leafs. The Rangers are getting the offense, goaltending, special teams play (the Rangers PK is also 8th in the league at 86.1%) and they have the chemistry the Leafs seem to lack. Rangers head coach John Tortorella has really implemented his aggressive system this season, helped by the fact he had a full training camp to work with the players. The Rangers look like they won’t be slowing down any time soon.
2. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals. As expected, Ovechkin is leading the league in goals with 9. This week, he scored 2 goals against San Jose and netted another 2 against Nashville. Ovechkin totaled 6 points this week and a whopping 26 shots on goal in 6 games. The Caps boast a formidable, offense-heavy team with the likes of Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green. They should contend for top seed in the Eastern Conference this season.
3. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins. Fleury is off to his best start of his career this season winning all 7 games he’s played. Fleury allowed just 4 goals on 83 shots in 3 games, good for a sparkling .956 save percentage. The Pens are showing why they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions, playing a great puck possession game and finding ways to win.
Honorable Mentions: Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European blueliner to score 1,000 points on Thursday against the LA Kings with his assist on Henrik Zetterberg’s goal. … Henrik Lundqvist is off to a great start for the hot New York Rangers (more on that later). He won all 3 games this week, allowing only one goal in each game. … Pittsburgh’s Tyler Kennedy scored 2 goals against the Ottawa Senators. Kennedy has 3 game winners this season so far. … Tyler Myers (BUF), Matt Duchene (COL) and Ryan Vesce (SJS) all scored their first NHL goals this week. … Pat Kane lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a stunning come-from-behind win against the Calgary Flames on Monday. Kane had a goal and 2 assists, helping the Hawks win in overtime against the Flames after being down 5-0. … Cam Ward was stellar in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Penguins on Wednesday, making 36 saves and absolutely robbing Billy Guerin and Evgeni Malkin late in the game to keep the Hurricanes in it. Ray Whitney scored 2 goals for the Canes...The Dallas stars thrashed the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. Captain Brendan Morrow lead the way, scoring 2 goals along with Loui Eriksson, who also had an assist. Brad Richards had a goal and 2 assists and goaltender Marty Turco made all 29 saves for the shutout. … Tim Thomas notched his first shutout of the year, stopping all 27 shots the Stars threw at him. … Joe Thornton had 3 points against the Islanders Saturday night (1g, 2a). … Martin Brodeur needs one shutout to tie Terry Sawchuk’s record of 103 shutouts. Brodeur stopped 26 shots against the Carolina Hurricanes for the win. … Jay McKee blocked a whopping 7 shots against Tampa Bay for the Pens on Saturday. McKee leads the league with 28 shots blocked. … St. Louis beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-0 Saturday, lead by Andy McDonald who had 2 goals and an assist. Ty Conklin made 26 saves.
Big thumbs down to the Toronto Maple Leafs who are winless 7 games into the season (0-6-1). The Leafs team defense has been awful. Last season, the Leafs had no quit whether they were winning or losing. This year, the team seems to have no motivation. Vesa Toskala has been atrocious in his only 3 games. It doesn’t help having Toskala out with injury along with highly touted Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson. Head coach Ron Wilson is stuck playing third-string goalie Joey MacDonald. Offense is also hard to come by. The Leafs have only scored 14 goals this season while allowing 32 goals (which happens to be the league-leading Rangers GF). The Leafs don’t play again for a full week when they travel to Vancouver to play the Canucks. The team and coaching staff need to figure out how to fix this and get the ball rolling. The fans are displeased, along with the players. The lone bright spot for Toronto is the fact that newly acquired winger Phil Kessel has been progressing ahead of schedule in his rehabilition from off-season shoulder surgery and should be ready to play by mid-November.
On the flip side of things, the New York Rangers have been arguably the best team in the league so far. They’re 7-1-0 with their only loss coming against the Pittsburgh Penguins October 2nd. Henrik Lundqvist has been stellar so far with a 6-1-0 record, 2.15 GAA and .932 save percentage. For the past 4 years, he has been the best player for the Rangers and continues to give them a chance to win every night. Lundqvist is now getting solid support up front. Marian Gaborik is leading the team in points with 12 and goals with 6. Vaclav Prospal has been a fantastic signing by general manager Glen Sather. Prospal and Gaborik have great chemistry and usually if one scores, the other assists. Rookie Michael del Zotto has been the key to the Rangers 8th ranked power play which is clicking at 26.3%. The Rangers are almost exactly opposite of the Leafs. The Rangers are getting the offense, goaltending, special teams play (the Rangers PK is also 8th in the league at 86.1%) and they have the chemistry the Leafs seem to lack. Rangers head coach John Tortorella has really implemented his aggressive system this season, helped by the fact he had a full training camp to work with the players. The Rangers look like they won’t be slowing down any time soon.
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