Winnipeg @ Boston Ottawa @ Buffalo Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay Carolina @ Nashville Edmonton @ St. Louis Pittsburgh @ Dallas Minnesota @ Colorado RAY'S PICKS G: Pekka Rinne-NSH D: Kevin Shattenkirk-STL D: Anton Stralman-TB LW: Jonathan Drouin-TB LW: Valeri Nichushkin-DAL RW: Nikita Kucherov-TB RW: Troy Brouwer-STL C: Tyler SEguin-DAL C: Steven Stamkos-TB  

2015 PRIMEPUCKS™ STANLEY CUP FINALS PREVIEW CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS vs. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: The Lightning find themselves in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2004, and for the second time in their 22-year history.  They got to the Finals with a tremendous showing against the President Trophy-winning New York Rangers, beating the Blueshirts twice by identical scores of 2-0 at Madison Square Garden in Games 5 & 7.  By virtue of their record, the Bolts will have home-ice advantage throughout the Finals, something that they lacked against the Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens but still managed to get to the Cup Finals. The Lightning did an extraordinary thing by beating Hart Trophy candidate and Vezina-winner Carey Price and defeating an almost invincible “elimination-game” specialist Henrik Lundqvist in back-to-back rounds and find themselves with a shot at Lord Stanley’s Cup.  Tampa Bay has done it with both offense and defense as they have been able to mix up their game plans to fit the need on any particular night.  The offense has been led by Tyler Johnson who leads the playoffs with 21 points and has been just a marvel on the ice.  Line mates Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat have formed an imposing threat at any given time so expect them to continue to give their next opponent some cause for concern.   Steven Stamkos seems to have awakened against the Rangers from his early playoff slump and along with Alex Killorn, gives the Lightning two very potent lines.  Valtteri Filppula, J.T. Brown & Ryan Callahan gives the team the veteran leadership and toughness it needs. The defense is led by Victor Hedman who skates very well for a big man and can take control of a game at the drop of a hat.  One blue liner who gets overlooked is Anton Stralman who has played extremely well on the backend to shore up the defense in front of goalie Ben Bishop.  If you remember, Stralman was a main cog in the Rangers defense in last year’s Cup run.  Tampa is glad to have him on their team.   Matt Carle, Andrej Sustr and Braydon Coburn complete the defensive corps. Goaltender Bishop has looked shaky at times but is an imposing figure in net as he stands 6’ 7” and takes up a lot of area for snipers to aim at.  Going to the net is the only way to get through him and the Chicago Blackhawks should note how the Rangers were able to exploit that is some of their playoff games and when they Tampa Defense locked down, he was impossible to score against.  The Lightning ...

2015 PRIMEPUCKS™ EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS NEW YORK RANGERS vs. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:  There is a connection between these two teams as both teams have some of the other team’s ex-teammates.  Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle are donning the red, white and blue of the Rangers while Anton Stralman, Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle have the Bolt emblazoned across their chest.  But that’s is where the connection ends.  The Rangers will see a switch from the physically demanding series against the Washington Capitals while the Lightning see a team built deeper than the Montreal Canadiens. The two teams met three times early in the season and it was the Bolts who prevailed in all three contests but things have changed over the course of the season and we all know that the playoffs are a different story.  The Lightning will see a much more focused Rangers team who don’t seem to get flustered no matter the circumstances. Being down 3 games to 1 last round didn’t faze them a bit as they rallied to win another series after being in that predicament like they were last year against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tampa brings much more scoring depth but the Rangers carry a deep defensive unit that plays so well in front of the Blueshirts last defense in Henrik Lundqvist.  Tampa goalie Ben Bishop is up against another elite net minder in Lundqvist after having gone face-to-face with Hart Trophy candidate Carey Price.   All Lundqvist has done is prove once again that he is a clutch goalie and that it won’t be easy for Tampa to find twine in this series.  Look for the Rangers to play the Lightning tight and for Lundqvist to get into the minds of the younger Tampa players.  The Rangers are built for the long playoff run, and with last season’s experience, that should help them get through this series.  With the way Lundqvist has been playing after missing 2 months of the season, it looks like he is in mid-season form.  Note one thing about the ‘King’, he has a 1.60GAA and a .944 SP and doesn’t have a shutout yet.  Perhaps he is due. As for this series’ fantasy options, besides Lundqvist, Steven Stamkos has been red-hot since the switch of Valtteri Filppula to centering his line and Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov are on quite a roll but expect that to slow down a bit against these New York Rangers.  The Rangers possess a deep and balanced scoring attack except that we don’t know what is going on with St. Louis as he is still looking for his first playoff goal this year.   Chris ...

This version of SMC is coming to you from Wells, Maine where it's really cold but the coffee is really good! I've been telling you that Boston has been getting their act together. Don't let last night's hiccup against Columbus discourage you.  They are back. T-Rask is back to being his dominant self. Ryan Johansen looks like you ‘will' be the centerpiece for the Jackets after all. It has been a pleasure to see him rise to new levels. Once Milan Lucic gets a head of steam, watch out! I think Philly's season is practically over, but they still had to beat Buffalo last night. It will take a miracle for the Flyers to make the playoffs.  That's a shame considering the seasons that Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek are having. I had to take a week of lessons on how to both pronounce and spell this Buffalo Sabres name because I think Zemgus Girgensons is going to be a good one in a very short time. The Toronto Maple Leafs went 0-4 on their mostly West Coast road trip scoring only 1 goal. I wonder if they left their sticks in TO?   They'll probably be glad to be home, but they have 5 of their next 7 on the road.  David Backes has 16 points in last 9 games. Say what?!?!?!  He's a good fantasy player in all categories but this prolific of a scorer? The Islanders are going to have to work on their defense if they want to go deep into the playoffs. Are John Tavares and Kyle Okposo going to tear up the NHL from here on out? I think JT has been saving it up for the stretch run. I truly believe that. This Montreal Canadiens team is scary. Carolina beat Ottawa in a "does anyone really care" matchup. Eric Staal should not be disappearing in some games. He's just too good for that. What happens to Jeff Skinner? Sometimes he looks like a world-beater and then you don't hear from him for months. I mean besides the oft-times that he's injured. Too many top goalies getting injured of late. Or is it a plot to keep them out of the All-Star game?  My conspiracy theory for the week. Tomas Tatar has 20 goals already. What have I been watching to not realize he was having this good of a season? That 5-2 loss to Detroit really showed how much Pekka Rinne is perhaps the best net minder in the NHL right now. If anyone can have a huge second half that has been pretty much non-existent, it's Nathan MacKinnon, he's that talented. For a minute I thought Victor Hedman got injured again when I saw Anton Stralman's line in the box score. 1G, 1A, -1, 1 SOG, 1 BS, 2 HT, and the most power play ...

Luck Of The Buff When star defensemen have dual eligibility, even when playing forward, there isn't a better bonus for their fantasy owners. However, in the case of Winnipeg's Dustin Byfuglien, he started the season on a forward line and lost his defensive eligibility in most fantasy leagues, a very rare occurrence. What should a fantasy owner do in dynasty league formats where keeping him to play as a 2nd or 3rd line winger and possibly have a 50-pt ceiling significantly reduces his value relative to his position? Such was the case of Brent Burns who played winger on the San Jose top line last season and collected 48 pts in 69 games. That represented close to elite point totals for a defender, but nothing more than depth forward for most fantasy teams. The difference with Burns was that the decision was made in the off-season to switch him back on defense. Fantasy owners drafted accordingly and the shrewd ones took him relatively high in most drafts. With Byfuglien, he was generally categorized during the draft process as a forward, so many keeper league owners bailed on him and his average-draft position took a steep hit in standard formats. However, much to the joy of those who drafted him late, he was shifted back to defense on December 6th largely due to the team being ravaged by injuries to the blue line. Then it happened... Prior to the move, Byfuglien had amassed 28 points in 44 games. Ever since getting back his defensive spot, he has a crazy 17 points in 18 games. Since now he has dual eligibility at both forward and defense, fantasy owners have been granted an elite fantasy option on D without ever having to make a move. So for those fortunate enough to be in this situation expect there to be some chatter about him possibly going back to forward especially since Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian are back healthy. But I wouldn't bet on it. Players like Burns and Byfuglien thrive while playing big minutes and limiting their TOI to 14-15 minutes a game reduces their general effectiveness. Reap the rewards of this huge holiday gift. Parting Shots: A horrific stretch for the Minnesota Wild just got worse with the news that Ryan Suter was suspended for two games for an elbow thrown at Steve Downie of Pittsburgh. An elite fantasy defenseman the majority of the time, he has struggled mightily with one assist over the past ten games. I would try to buy low on Suter while his market value is at his absolute lowest....Anton Stralman is a solid short-term...

There was much to get excited about in New York last spring as the Rangers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals against LA where their dream playoff run ended in a hard-fought battle in which the Kings hoisted their 2nd Cup in 3 seasons. Even though the series ended 4- in games, the matchup could have gone either way with a few different bounces going New York's way.  Gone are some vital components of that run in Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman, but for the most part, the main nucleus has been maintained and fans are expecting great things again this season. GOALIE When you have one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, not only are the chances of you making the playoffs increased, but the possibility of getting to the Stanley Cup Finals are just as good, as long as you get a few of the lucky breaks that go along with making it so far in such a grueling stretch. Henrik Lundqvist has earned the nickname "The King" as he has played spectacular as the NY Ranger net minder. Lundqvist gives the Rangers an excellent chance of returning to the Finals, even if he was drafted in the 7th round of the 2000 draft. Be assured that The King will do everything in his power to get back to the Cup Finals once again.  Cam Talbot showed that he is more than a capable backup and will resume the same role again this year. DEFENSE As the Rangers made their way through last year's playoffs, there was one glaring need. That was a true power play quarterback.  As the free agent period approached, I kept saying that they needed someone like a Dan Boyle to run the point as Brad Richards couldn't hit the net half the time during the playoffs. Sure enough, the Rangers signed Boyle to a 2-year deal. Boyle will supplement the solid defensive corps already in place.  Dan Girardi is the rock and Ryan McDonagh is just starting to come into his own and will develop into a world class leader soon. Marc Staal, Kevin Klein and John Moore round out the unit and all possess the ability to not only play sound defense, but can contribute here and there, but expect most of the scoring to come from Boyle and McDonagh. FORWARDS Acquiring Martin St. Louis at the trade deadline for Ranger favorite Ryan Callahan was something that the team needed. The Blueshirts needed that veteran with the playoff experience to show them what it takes to hoist the coveted Cup.  St. Louis struggled upon his arrival, but he sure made up for it in the playoffs.  St. Louis was in the top 5 in NHL Scoring at...

That's why they play the games! The San Jose Sharks imploded after taking a 3-0 series lead.  I wonder if they will shake things up out there? The Chicago Blackhawks look determined to make it back to the big dance in June, don't they? If you're like me, you forgot that the Montreal Canadiens were still in the playoffs. They have had 10 days off since sweeping the Lightning out.  It's almost like starting the season all over again. It's not odd that the NY Rangers ousted the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games. It's just odd that they beat the Flyers in all the odd games.  Odd. The Flyers have to be ecstatic that it looks like they have a franchise goalie after a long hiatus. I'm sure that deep down inside very one of us, there was a glimmer of hope that the Columbus Blue Jackets would have beaten the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1. Except for Penguins' fans of course. Congratulations to Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche on a successful season even though they didn't advance. They will be tough to play against for a long while. Matt Niskanen is having some season, eh? He is tied for the playoff lead in points for a defenseman with Paul Martin.  I know Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty will have something to say about the two Pens atop the point charts. Nathan MacKinnon is to be feared. This is why Martin St. Louis was acquired at the trade deadline. Forget his regular season drought with the Rangers.  It's playoff time. I betcha Tampa Bay wishes they had Marty back now. Montreal is still in this, right? I'm always afraid when the Boston Bruins get a few extra days to rest up. I think I will root for a NY-Montreal Conference Finals matchup. Just like old times. Battle of Los Angeles starts this weekend with LA going against Anaheim. Perhaps I'll watch the movie first to get an idea of how explosive this series can be. What are the St. Louis Blues going to do now? Is Ryan Miller not the answer? Was the Miller the answer?  Will they move some pieces around? Congratulations to "Iron Mike" Keenan who won the KHL Gagarin Cup with the Metallurg Magnitogorsk becoming the first coach to win both the Stanley Cup and the Gagarin Cup. He will now be known as "Behind the Iron Curtain Mike" Keenan. Rask and Price, Kopitar and Toews, Niskanen and Keith. Tops at their positions for the playoffs so far. Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Anton Stralman and Marc Staal had done an amazing job shutting down Claude Giroux. The Rangers won the series without Rick Nash potting a ...

I have my coffee and ready to roll. What happened to Joey Crabb? Where did he go? A wild shootout in the desert yesterday afternoon.  I didn't know the Coyotes had it in them.  Oilers, yes.  Coyotes, no. RNH has rebounded nicely after last year's lost season. Rob Klinkhammer is more of a wrestling name than a hockey name. It's shame he didn't score in that Edmonton/Phoenix game. That's three games in a row with 6 SOG for David Perron. What a devil! Speaking of the devil, New Jersey pulled an unlikely upset of the Boston Bruins last night. Or was it old-timers day as Jarome Iginla (G, 2A), Jaromir Jagr (2A), Marek Zidlicky (G) & Martin Brodeur (W) all were prominent figures in the game. Give them the day off today, pleeease! Big shutdown night as Crosby and Ovechkin were both held without a point with Stamkos & Malkin only 1 assist each. That Phil Kessel is something else. Logan Couture is heating up for what should be a career year. Antti Niemi and Tuukka Rask will surely battle until the very last day for top goaltender honors, barring injury of course. Carey Price was terrific in net again last night, but his team couldn't gain any momentum in the game. Once Pacioretty returns, Price will get on a winning streak if he continues to play this way. Jimmy Howard has been struggling since his return from injury. He's lost 4 in a row.  Try to grab him on the cheap. There are only 8 teams with a record under .500 in the NHL. Johan Franzen had 7 SOG in the game against the Rangers; showing that he's not so stubborn to shoot the puck after two straight games with none. Top shooter on the Rangers? Anton Stralman. Yikes. Patrick Roy has done an amazing job in Colorado so far. Let's see how long this lasts. The Sabres just can't score. Perhaps they need to change coaches again. Poor Thomas Vanek. The Philadelphia Flyers are turning it around and Steve Mason is finally getting the wins that he deserves.   It helps that everyone is back in the lineup too. These young Islanders are looking good so far this year: Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. You know besides JT & Matt Moulson. Nielsen is tied for third in league scoring.  Just thought you'd like to know that. I think Lecavalier likes playing in Philly. What do you think? Standings are finally forming into what they should be except I have to do a double take each time I see the Avalanche at the top of the Central. I definitely did not expect to see a 2-1 Shootout game in the Winnipeg/Dallas game. There are too ...

Look for Stralman to get back in the lineup shortly. He has two goals and 16 points in 46 games.