|
|
| Dustin Byfuglien scored a goal and added an assist from the blueline for the Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Byfuglien now has 15 goals on the year including a goal in two straight games and three in four games. |
|
|
|
| Patrick Kane recorded two assists on Monday night to pull within one point of Nicklas Backstrom for the NHL lead amongst rookies in points (57 to 58). Kane has battled through adversity in his rookie year and he has proved beyond a doubt that he can be successful even though he is on the smallish side at 5'10", 170 pounds. |
|
|
|
| Todd Bertuzzi racked up 19 PIM on Wednesday night though he failed to record a point for the first time in three games. Though he now has points in three of the last four games, Bertuzzi has failed to produce the offense that the Ducks and his fantasy owners had hoped he would provide given that he has just three points in his last 11 games and only two goals in 19 games. |
|
|
|
| George Parros made the most of his 4:36 seconds on the ice as the tough guy picked up 19 PIM thanks in large part to a fighting major that was accompanied by an instigator penalty and a 10 minute misconduct. Parros has a paltry five points on the year, but he has 176 PIM in his 60 games giving him value in those leagues that count the rough stuff. |
|
|
|
| Chris Pronger returned to game action after sitting out the past two games due to a broken jaw. Pronger skated 22:58 seconds and generated one shot on goal while picking up two PIM. Activate Pronger immediately as he will wear a face shield and play through the pain of the broken jaw. |
|
|
|
| Rookie Corey Crawford stopped all 19 shots he faced on Wednesday night to earn his first victory, and shutout, of his NHL career. Crawford will likely only see action if Nikolai Khabibulin continues to be sidelined due to back spasms as Patrick Lalime, the former backup, has been strong in net since taking over for the injured Khabibulin. |
|
|
|
| Brad Boyes failed to score on Wednesday as he was a (-2) on the night in the loss to the Red Wings. Boyes skated less than 14 minutes in the game, and has now gone eight games without a goal. Even worse, his goal scoring slump extends to only two goals in his last 19 games. |
|
|
|
| Erik Johnson scored the Blues lone goal on Monday night as the Blues fell 4-1 to the Wings. The first overall selection in the 2006 draft, Johnson has had a fine rookie season that includes four goals and 21 assists in 54 games. Few young blueliners have a brighter future, so continue to monitor this young studs growth heading into the 2008-09 season. |
|
|
|
| Dominik Hasek stopped 18 of 19 shots on Wednesday night to pick up his 21st victory of the season against just 11 loses (eight in regulation). Word out of Detroit is that Hasek will likely play 10 of the team's last 15 games to prepare himself for the playoffs, and why wouldn't he play considering he has a 2.06 GAA on the year? |
|
|
|
| Brian Rafalski finally returned to action on Wednesday night and he scored a goal and was a +3 in his first game back after being out since February 12th because of a groin injury. Rafalski is a pretty amazing +24 on the year with 47 points in 60 games, and with Nicklas Lidstrom targeting a return this weekend, look for the Wings to once again become the machine that they were earlier in the year with their full compliment of players. |
|
|
|
| Pavel Datsyuk scored two goals on Wednesday night to lead the Wings to a 4-1 victory over the Blues. Datsyuk is now up to 25 goals, the fourth straight season he has reached that mark. He also has 78 points on the year and appears to be in line to better his total of 87 points that he has recorded each of the past two seasons. |
|
|
|
| Mike Ribeiro skated over 21 minutes on Wednesday night, and though he did not score, he also didn't appear to be adversely effected by his injured elbow. Ribeiro, one of the league's breakout performers this season, has 75 points in 67 tilts this year marking him as a difference maker since he was undoubtedly drafted extremely late in most pools. |
|
|
|
| Philippe Boucher played only one shift on Wednesday night before he removed himself from the game due to his injured shoulder. This was just the fourth game that Boucher had played since returning from December 5th shoulder surgery. Last season Boucher was a huge fantasy performer with 19 goals, 12 on the power-play, and 51 points. This season the offense just hasn't been there for Philippe who has only one goal and 12 points in 32 games. |
|
|
|
| Brenden Morrow failed to register a point on Wednesday night but he was still a valuable fantasy performer thanks to a 10 minute misconduct. Morrow has contributed in almost every category this season with 26 goals, 63 points, 24 power-play points, a +22 and 89 PIM. Few produce across the board better than this feisty winger. |
|
|
|
| Shane Doan scored his 21st goal of the season on Wednesday night, and he also picked up a late 10 minute misconduct in the game as well. Doan continues to lead on and off the ice for the Coyotes, and despite just four goals in his last 15 games Doan does have 12 assists in that time as the teams most consistent offensive force. |
|
|
|
| Radim Vrbata had an assist on Wednesday night though he failed to score a goal for the seventh straight game. Radim still has career best numbers with 27 goals and 52 points, and he has still managed to produce some points even without any goals of late (four assists in seven games). |
|
|
|
| Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 20 of 21 shots on Wednesday night as the Coyotes beat the hottest team in the West in the Dallas Stars. Bryzgalov has been keeping the Coyotes in the playoff hunt with stellar play of late allowing only six goals in his last five games. He is now 25-19-5 on the year. |
|
|
|
| Maxim Afinogenov failed to register a point for the first time in March, though he was still named the third star in the Sabres loss on Monday. Since returning to the lineup Maxim has two goals and four points in four games as he tries to salvage what has been up until this point a massively disappointing season (9-13-22 in 42 games). |
|
|
|
| Ales Kotalik scored the lone goal for the Sabres on Wednesday night in their 3-1 loss to the Caps. The Sabres have now gone 2-4-1 in their last seven games. The goal was the 20th of the year for Kotalik, the second time in three seasons that he has reached that plateau. |
|
|
|
| Starting in place of an injured Cristobal Huet, Olaf Kolzig stopped 25 of 26 shots to pick up his 23rd victory of the season. Huet is being listed as day-to-day with back spasms, so until he is back at full health the Caps will lean on the man who has been their main man in goal for years. Kolzig is a below average goaltender at this point of his career with a save percentage barely over .890, so only play him if you are desperate in net. |
|
|
|
| Nicklas Backstrom, the league's leading scorer amongst freshman, scored a goal and added an assist on Wednesday night. Since December first, Backstrom has been a consistent point producer with 44 points in 42 games for the Caps. |
|
|
|
| Alexander Ovechkin might as well be given the Hart Trophy for being the league's MVP right now as he scored two more goals on Wednesday night upping his season long total to a career-high 54. Ovechkin now has five goals and nine points in his last three games as he is just eight points from 100 on the year. |
|
|
|
| Kari Lehtonen was pulled in favor of Johan Hedberg in the second period after allowing four goals on 22 shots on Wednesday night. Hedberg wasn't much better with 13 saves on 15 shots. Lehtonen is now an awful 13-19-4 on the year for Atlanta, and his GAA is nearly three despite a SV% of .911. |
|
|
|
| Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 43rd goal of the season for the Trashers in a loss to the Hurricanes. Kovalchuk also had an assist though points have still been hard to come by for the sniper with only four points in his last six games. |
|
|
|
| Joe Corvo scored a goal on Wednesday night on the power-play, his second goal in two games and third in 10 games with the Canes. After 27 points in 51 games in Ottawa, Corvo has picked up the offense since joining Carolina with seven points in 10 games during which time he is a +5. Corvo is one of the more underrated defensemen in the fantasy universe. |
|
|
|
| Scott Walker scored a goal and added an assist on Wednesday night for the Canes. Walker has been on a nice run of games with points of late as he has two goals and five assists over the last six games as he has also added 12 PIM as well. |
|
|
|
| Eric Staal scored two goals and added an assist on Wednesday night in the Hurricanes 6-3 victory over the Thrashers. With 33 goals on the year, this is the second highest goal scoring total of his young career (45 in 2005-06). Staal needs just seven points to better last season's disappointing total of 70 points. |
|
|
|
| Jason LaBarbera will be out for the rest of season after undergoing a hernia operation on Wednesday, this according to NHL.com. As a result, Dan Cloutier and rookie Erik Ersberg will share time in net the rest of the way. Ersberg has a .929 SV% in his three starts this season, and with the up and down play of Cloutier, Ersberg could see some substantial play in net if he maintains his solid effort thus far. |
|
|
|
| Jordan Staal practiced on Wednesday and believes he will be able to suit up for the Penguins contest on Thursday night, this according to the AP. Staal injured his ribs on Tuesday night. Staal has been a major fantasy disappointment in his second season as he has just nine goals and 23 points a year after he scored 29 goals and 42 points. |
|
|
|
| Mattias Ohlund will miss at least one game for the Canucks, the result of an injured knee, this according to the AP. An MRI was taken but the results have not yet been made public. Ohlund is a rock on the blueline for the Canucks, even if his fantasy numbers don't excite many (8-12-22 with 79 PIM). Luc Bourdon was recalled from the minors to add depth on the blueline. |
|
|
|
| Brendan Morrison returned to the ice on Wednesday for the first time since wrist surgery in December, this according to TSN. According to the report, he is targeting March 10th for his return to the Canucks lineup. Morrison will be a great addition to a Vancouver club that plays terrific defense but often struggles to put the puck in net. |
|
|
|
| Manny Fernandez was in full gear facing shots on Wednesday, this according to the Boston Globe. Fernandez, who is coming back from December knee surgery, still hasn't been cleared to drop to the ice in the butterfly, though that next hurdle is only a couple of days away. The Bruins are solid in net with Tim Thomas, but adding Fernandez would be great insurance if the team makes the playoffs. |
|
|
|
| Patrice Bergeron, out for over 50 games due to a concussion, has been skating hard and for 28 minutes he practiced with his teammates on Wednesday and the results were very encouraging, this according to the Boston Globe. "It felt good to be out there, and to get my heart rate higher, that's for sure. Now we'll see how I feel during the day, and tonight, whether the headaches come back." Bergeron is still a long ways from returning to game action, but it appears that there is now a legitimate chance that he could make it back before the end of the year for the Bruins. |
|
|
|
| Despite earlier reports that the team would start Jaroslav Halak in goal on Thursday night, TSN is reporting that the Habs will once again turn back to rookie Carey Price. Last time out against the Sharks Price allowed six goals, at least two of which he should have stopped. However, he allowed only four goals in his previous three starts and the Habs traded Cristobla Huet so that Price could be the man, so they will continue to ride him down the stretch. |
|
|
|
| Martin Gerber will make his third consecutive start for the Senators on Wednesday night, this according to the Ottawa Citizen. "At some point in the near future, I have to identify 'the' guy, I suppose, but right now I'm going to go with Martin," said HC Bryan Murray. The team has alternated between Gerber and Ray Emery for most of the last few months, and with all the trouble that Emery has caused this year it's a bit surprising the team has given him so many chances. If Gerber is impressive against the Sharks on Wednesday that could go a long way toward him securing a bigger role in net for the Sens. |
|
|
|
| Nicklas Backstrom has to be one of the leaders for the Calder Trophy, awarded each year to the league's Rookie of the Year. Backstrom has only 10 goals on the year, but thanks to 46 assists, many to Alexander Ovechkin, he now leads the rookies point scoring race. "It's not something I think about it," Backstrom said of the rookie scoring race. "I just want to go to the playoffs. That's my goal." Backstrom is a tremendous skater in keeper leagues and figures to be a point-per-game scorer down the stretch this year. |
|
|
|
| Cristobal Huet is uncertain to suit up on Wednesday night due to issues with his back, this according to the Washington Post. "I feel better," Huet said. "It's very tight, and there is certain movement you can't do." If Huet can't go the team will turn to Olaf Kolzig against the Sabres. |
|
|
|
| Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms) will sit out the Senators and Sharks game on Wednesday night, this according to the AP. “It’s a lot better today, so hopefully it keeps (improving). I don’t know if there’s a big chance, but I’m hoping it’s going to get a lot better by tomorrow and looser. So we’ll see what happens (on Thursday), I guess.” Alfredsson has helped to lead the charge for the Senators all year until recently when he has gone cold with just six points in 11 games. |
|
|
|
| Rick DiPietro returned to practice on Wednesday after missing time due to a death in the family, but it is not certain that he will start for the Islanders on Thursday, this according to the AP. “We can’t forget the fact that [Wade] Dubielewicz has been playing great,” HC Ted Nolan said. “We’re in a good situation. Whether Ricky goes in or Dubielewicz goes in, we feel quite confident.” We would figure that DiPietro will be able to convince his coach to let him play on Thursday, but only time will tell. With a somewhat shoddy defense around him this year, DiPietro has struggled to a 2.70 GAA and .905 SV%. |
|
|
|
| Chad Kilger, who was granted a leave of absence to attend to personal matters, has not returned to the club and as a result he was suspended without pay on Wednesday, this according to the AP. At this point we don't know what the issues are that Kilger is dealing with, but we do know that Kilger is not fantasy relevant given his totals of 10 goals, 17 points and 18 PIM in 53 games this season. |
|
|
|
| Marc Savard is looking to make his first playoff appearance of his 11-year career this season, this according to NHL.com. "The team has done a great job all year staying in the top eight and we want to get into the playoffs because we know we can do some damage," said Savard. Savard has 74 points in 65 games, including an NHL leading 60 assists. Savard continues to be an all-around force with 66 PIM and 29 power-play points. |
|
|
|
| Craig Anderson posted a shutout on Tuesday night, and over the past two games he has stopped everyone one of the 93 shots sent his way. "Who would have ever thought, with all the great goalies that have ever played this game and will play this game, that I'd be the guy you'd be talking to right now about this? It's definitely an honor," Anderson said. Anderson has been so solid in fact, that his 93 saves over two consecutive games are the largest number of saves in league history in back-to-back shutouts. |
|
|
|
| Daniel Alfredsson may not be able to play on Wednesday due to back spasms. He was able to ride a bike on Tuesday but is otherwise sore. "It's hard to move one way," he tells the Ottawa Citizen. "You have to guard against it all the time. My movement is not great. I could ride the bike, which is good to get the blood circulation going, which helps the healing." |
|
|
|
| Matt Niskanen practiced on Tuesday but will be a game-time decision on Wednesday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. He's been out since February 23 due to a sore foot. |
|
|
|
| Mike Ribeiro skated on Tuesday and is expected to play on Wednesday despite a sore elbow, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. |
|
|
|
| Chris Pronger is questionable for Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Times confirms. He has missed two straight games due to a broken jaw. |
|
|
|
| Corey Crawford will start between the pipes for the Blackhawks on Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune confirms. Crawford, 23, is the team's goalie of the future, but he is just giving Patrick Lalime a night off at this point. |
|
|
|
| Henrik Tallinder will not play on Wednesday due to a sore shoulder, the Buffalo News reports. He is day-to-day. Dmitri Kalinin will take his spot. |
|
|
|
| Tim Connolly will sit out on Wednesday in order to rest his hip, the Buffalo News reports. Clarke MacArthur will slide over and play center in his place. |
|
|
|
| Dan Cleary skated on Wednesday morning and provided an update on his status. He busted his jaw on February 9. Head coach Mike Babcock tells the Detroit Free Press that Cleary could play "near the end of the month." |
|
|
|
| Chris Chelios skated on Wednesday morning but is still having problems with his right leg. He chipped his fibula on February 22. Is it improving? "Not at all, to be honest with you,” Chelios responses to the Detroit Free Press. “The key is, it’s not worse than it was. I skated hard today and we’ll see how it feels later today and tomorrow, but I’m being optimistic here that it’s on its way to getting better. I’m not close.” |
|
|
|
| Dan Hinote will miss a fifth straight game on Wednesday due to a sore hip, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. He is day-to-day. |
|
|
|
| Ray Whitney did not practice on Tuesday and is not expected to suit up on Wednesday, the Raleigh News and Observer reports. He is dealing with a sore groin and hasn't played since February 28. He is day-to-day. |
|
|
|
| Niclas Havelid practiced on Tuesday and expects to play on Wednesday night, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. He has been dealing with a sore elbow, and X-rays showed no damage. |
|
|
|
| Todd White returned to practice on Tuesday. He'll test his sore elbow prior to game time on Wednesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Fantasy owners should wait until White gets in a game before they think about using him. |
|
|
|
| Avs defenseman Jeff Finger has missed six straight games due to a hand injury but is close to returning, the Denver Post reports. He has no fantasy value. |
|
|
|
| Pavol Demitra scored a goal, coming off an outstanding pass from Marian Gaborik, in Minnesota’s 2-4 loss to Chicago Tuesday night. |
|
|
|
| Jason Williams had a goal and an assist to lead the way for the Chicago Blackhawks in a win over the Minnesota Wild Tuesday night. |
|
|
|
| Patrick Lalime stopped 28 shots in Chicago’s 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild, earning his 14th win of the season. |
|
