Some hot Oilers, Caps get needed 2 points, Quick stonewalls Coyotes The Washington Capitals got a much needed 2 points as they try to stave off playoff hopefuls Ottawa and Florida.  It took a shootout but regardless the extra point gives them some breathing room. Alex Ovechkin had 9 shots on goal but buffalo managed to keep him off the score sheet.  Defenseman Matt Niskanen showed some signs of life with 2 assists giving him just 23 points on the season which is afar cry from last year’s career season with Pittsburgh. Keep those Caps in your lineup as they try to establish a favorable playoff spot as they are just 2 points behind the Penguins for third in the Metropolitan Division... In what could be a preview for a potential playoff matchup, Tampa Bay controlled the game against thee I treat Canadiens 4-2 which tied the teams atop the Atlantic Division and just 2 points behind Eastern Conference leader the New York Rangers.  Steven Stamkos had 2 goals and an assist giving him 39 goals on the year and with a good hot spurt could reach the 50 mark… In a contest between two sad Canadian teams, the Edmonton Oilers behind red-hot Jordan Eberle (G, 2A) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2A) defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 behind Ben Scrivens 28-save effort. If you missed the first period then you missed all the scoring.  Scrivens had extra incentive as he was playing against his old team.  The Oil may be safe bets to put in your fantasy lineup the rest of the way as they seem to be playing looser with the pressure off… Jonathan Quick was the story against Arizona as the Kings won by a score of 1-0 although Coyote goalie Mike Smith put on a stellar performance stopping 34 SOG.  Smith has been playing a bit better lately but the team is so devoid of offense, he's not getting any help, never mind wins.  

The New York Islanders began a stretch of 6 games against Metropolitan Division teams with a 5-4 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins who play another match today on the Island. Ryan Strome, with a goal and 2 assists, now has 15 points in 19 games and looks to be getting comfortable with 8 points in last 7 games. Those in deep fantasy leagues, or who are in need of a 5th or 6th forward, might want to take a flier on this kid as he has tremendous talent and could possibly see time with John Tavares from time to time....Speaking of playing with superstar talent, Patric Hornqvist scored his 10th goal of the season and also added an assists with 5 SOG. Hornqvist must feel like he has been rewarded for all his hard work in Nashville all those years....Pittsburgh LWer Blake Comeau saw time on Sidney Crosby's line and notched a goal. If he sticks on the line, you could expect Pascal Dupuis-type production (40-45 pts) as Comeau is limited to minimal power play time..... Is this Ryan Johansen kid a stud or what? Even though the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Boston Bruins in a shootout, Johansen had a hand in all 3 goals for the Jackets. With 23 points in 19 games, he is way ahead of a pace to break last season's career high in points of 63 in 82 games played....Benefitting from playing along RJ this season is Nick Foligno who added to his point totals with a goal and assist, giving him 20 in 18 games. Foligno doesn't seem to be slowing down, so keep on inserting the LWer in your lineup.... New Jersey's Cory Schneider started his 20 game in a row last night in Edmonton and blanked the Oil for his second shutout of the season, his second in last 4 games. Schneids will probably get today off in Calgary but then should be back in net against Vancouver in the next one which will probably start another string of starts. After losing 4 in a row at the beginning of November, Schneider seems to be settling in by only allowing 7 goals in last 5 starts.  Keep the NJ net minder in your starting lineup because he can pitch a shutout on any given night....Eric Gelinas assisted on both Devils' goals but should only be considered if you need defensive help as he only has 7 points in 17 games so far this season....Viktor Fasth has played relatively well for the Oilers in his last 4 starts, winning 2, losing two but only giving up 8 goals in those 4 starts, while Ben Scrivens has been inconsistent in last 4 going 0-3-1 and letting in 16 goals. May be worth a shot if you ...

When the Edmonton Oilers made those two trades last year to acquire Viktor Fasth from Anaheim and Ben Scrivens from Los Angeles, I thought that they were on the right track since the Devan Dubnyk experiment was a disaster. I had thought that Fasth would take over as the number 1 goaltender even though Scrivens played better upon arrival, but neither has shown any resemblance of an NHL starting goaltender. Comparing the numbers, Scrivens is just 4-7-1 with a 2.94 GAA and a .899 SP. Fasth on the other hand is much worse with a 2-3-1 record, a 3.63 GAA (whoa!) and a .885 SP. If the Oilers want to save their season, something needs to be done and quickly.  It's nice to have all those young offensive weapons, but they need a goalie who can take over as a true No. 1, with a little help from the defense of course. In fact, Minnesota just put Josh Harding on waivers and with Edmonton sitting near the bottom of the NHL, Harding might be the ideal candidate for this young team. Harding has the talent, and the experience now, to be their guy.  He doesn't cost much against the cap at $1.9 million, and if he doesn't work out, he's an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year. Other options include Martin Brodeur but I don't believe he would want to go anywhere except a Stanley Cup contender. They've gone down the Ilya Bryzgalov road last season and that didn't pan out. Tomas Vokoun could be a decent option but he hasn't played much over the past few years and is up there in age at 38. There are slim pickings out there that is why Harding makes so much sense.  He may have health issues, but he did sport a 1.65 GAA and a .918 SP in 29 games last year. Not too shabby and better than what they are getting now. Harding is worth a shot for a team that is trying to establish themselves as a true NHL contender. Harding wouldn't cost them a young talented player and the cap hit is very palatable. How bad could this be?  Harding just may cause the Oil to stop slipping. POST MARKS: SHARK BITE--Hats off to Troy Grosenick who got his first NHL start the other night and posted a 2-0 shutout of the Carolina Hurricanes. Young troy faced 45 SOG and turned every one aside.  Nothing could be finer than to shut out Carolina for my fir-r-r-r-rst win!.....STEALTH JET--Michael Hutchinson burst onto the NHL scene as the end of last season and opened a lot of eyes with a 2-1-0 record, a 1.64 GAA and a .943 SP. Can't get much better than that huh?  Well, so far this season he is 2-1-0 ...

Scrivens allowed three goals on 30 shots in a loss to the Canucks last Saturday. After a four-game winning streak, Scrivens has dropped each of his last two starts while allowing seven goals on 65 shots (.892 SV%). He draws a tough matchup vs. the Bruins, however they are a little thin because of injuries.

Scrivens stopped all 29 shots that he faced in the Oilers 3-0 win over the Canadiens on Monday. Scrivens is all of a sudden one of the hottest goalies in the NHL. He has won four in a row while posting a 1.75 GAA and .940 SV%. He is starting to earn the trust of the fantasy world and should be safe to deploy against a Predators team that is tied for 24th in scoring (2.25 G/PG).

NY Ranger defenseman John Moore was suspended for 5 games by the NHL for his hit to the head of Minnesota's Erik Haula in Monday night's game. Some were calling for a lengthier sentence because of his hit on Montreal Canadien Dale WIese in last year's Stanley Cup Conference Final round. Moore should count his blessings that it wasn't longer... Speaking of last year, fantasy owners of Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard were perplexed by the off-year he was having after so much was expected from him. In fact, he had such a ppor season that a lot of poolies lost their faith in him but those that stuck with him are reaping the rewards early on this season as he raised his record to 4-1-2 with the 4-2 victory over Washington last night.  His hot start has him posting the best numbers of his career with a 1.96 GAA and a .928 SP.... There is another goaltender who is showing that he has returned to form and thy name is Pekka Rinne. Rinne and the Nashville predators halted Ben Scrivens and the Edmonton Oilers 4-game winstreak with a 4-1 effort on the road. Rinne raised his record to 6-1-1 with a 1.71 GAA and .936 SP.  Not too shabby!  The Predators sit 2 points behind Wetsrn Conference leader Anaheim with a game in hand.

Darcy Kuemper's dream start to the 2014-2015 season was derailed last night at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers exploded with 5 third period goals to cap a dramatic comeback victory over the Minnesota Wild. Rick Nash continues his terrific scoring pace with a goal, his 9th on the season, and an assist that started the impressive comeback after being down 3-0 after 2 periods and without the services of LW Chris Kreider and D John Moore who were ejected with game misconducts. Nash seemed determined to erase the black cloud that followed him in last year's Stanley Cup Finals.  Congrats to those who were smart enough to draft him as you clearly are benefitting from his new determination.....Mats Zuccarello rewarded his patient fantasy owners with a goal and 2 assists in the comeback win. You should expect more consistent and more normal levels of scoring from here on out after having only 1 assist in 7 games before last night.....Derick Brassard matched Zuccarello's output on the evening and the performance should boost the confidence of not only Brassard, but of all the Rangers....Martin St. Louis seems snake-bitten as he was held without a point in the contest. Fantasy owners should remain a little patient as we all know his capabilities once he breaks out....Congratulations to Ranger Rookie Anthony Duclair on netting his first NHL goal that was the game-tying goal. What a bright future this kid has! Don't look now but the Edmonton Oilers are the hottest team in the NHL at the moment after blanking the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 behind Ben Scrivens 29-save effort to run their winning streak to 4, all at Rexall place, making Dorothy proud. During that span, Scrivens has a 1.75 GAA and a .940 SP and finally giving the Oilers the stability in net that they have been missing.  With the Oil getting this type of goaltending, it's only a matter of time before the offense gets started as they gain more confidence.  Edmonton plays twice more at home before hitting the road for a 5-game trip.

Scrivens allowed three goals on 30 shots in a win over the Hurricanes on Friday. He was named the NHL's second star of the week after winning all three of his starts with a 2.34 GAA and .920 SV%. It has been a rollercoaster of a month for Scrivens, who had an .848 SV% entering last week. Despite the hotstreak, he has a rough matchup vs. a quality Habs team.

Scrivens allowed three goals on 30 shots in a win over the Hurricanes on Friday. He was named the NHL's second star of the week after winning all three of his starts with a 2.34 GAA and .920 SV%. It has been a rollercoaster of a month for Scrivens, who had an .848 SV% entering last week. Despite the hotstreak, he has a rough matchup vs. a quality Habs team.