Boston Bruins stopped the red-hot Blues 2-0 behind Tuukka Rask's 33-save effort. Rask also stopped red-hot players such as Jori Lehtera, Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko which has been no small feat lately...Patrice Bergeron continued with his 4th goal and 9th point in 8 November games. His goal was the game-winner.  Bergeron is the definition of pure consistency and leadership..... Marc-Andre Fleury notched his fourth shutout on the season, blanking the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre 4-0. Not really known as A shutout goalie, Fleury has raised his game over the past two seasons, so look for his strong play to continue....Beau Bennett had a goal and 2 assists in the game, showing signs that he is getting his game in order. Bennett is still not getting a lot of ice time, but as long as he continues to have games like this, he will be relied upon more.  Remember that this is only his fourth game back after missing the start of the season.  Perhaps he will be the winger that the team needs to fill out their top-six.....Sidney Crosby scored his first goal in 9 games. That's sort of news.... Jimmy Howard continued his 2014 resurgence with a 5-0 shutout of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Red Wings played a solid game without their superstar center Pavel Datsyuk who is sidelined again with a groin injury. Age is catching up to the talented Centerman, but is still very productive when in the lineup...5 different goal scorers for the Wings, most from their young forward core; Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco and Sheahen all scoring for the Red Wings.... The New York Islanders turned the page on the Tampa Bay Lightning who beat the NY Rangers 5-1 last night but lost to the Isles 5-2. There was an emotional letdown for the Bolts and the Islanders took full advantage by beating ex-Islander goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who only saw his 4th start of the year... Like the Red Wings, the Isles had 5 different goal scorers and what was surprising was that John Tavares was held off the score sheet. Nothing to worry about though..... Buffalo did it again to the San Jose Sharks, beating them for a second time this season, this time by a score of 4-1. Sabres' starter Michal Neuvirth (LBI) had to leave the game and Jhonas Enroth held the Sharks at bay. Brian Gionta was the scoring star with 2 goals and an assist, but I would steer clear of any Sabres until you see more stability from the team as a whole.... The days of being a defensive-style team is long gone as the Nashville ...

If it wasn't for goalie Carey Price getting knocked out of the series, it could have been the Montreal Canadiens playing against the Los Angeles Kings for the right to hoist the Cup.  Apparently fully recovered from his knee injury, Price looks to lead the Habs back to the Promised Land.  Gone are Thomas Vanek, Brian Gionta and Daniel Briere. Vanek didn't pan out and was often pointed out as the scapegoat.  Gionta and Briere will be missed for their leadership and playoff experience.  PA Parenteau and Tom Gilbert were brought in for depth purposes. Will the Canadiens have what it takes to get back again this year? GOALIES At 27-years of age, Price is entering his prime and has adapted to the pressure of being Montreal's starting goaltender. At 34-20-5, he almost matched his career best in 2010-2011 when he had a 38-28-6 record and his metrics were almost identical.  Now that he is a bit more seasoned, expect more consistency from Price going forward.  Peter Budaj will serve as backup again but if he falters, I'm sure the Canadiens won't hesitate to bring up last year's playoff darling, Dustin Tokarski. DEFENSE There is no denying the fire in P.K. Subban's belly but if he can control that emotion and funnel it into the game, he will be extremely dangerous. Look for Subban to mature a bit this season.  Andrei Markov seems to have rid himself of the injury bug and now has played in 2 back-to-back seasons, although one was the shortened 48-game Lockout season. Markov will still get you around the mid-40 level in points.  FORWARDS They may not have the elite name like a Crosby, Stamkos or an Ovechkin, but the Habs can throw out a few solid lines at you. Max Pacioretty along with David Desharnais, form the top pairing and should lead the team in offense. One player to keep your eye on this year is Alex Galchenyuk. This kid packs a tremendous amount of talent that it is just a matter of time before he explodes.  He has shown flashes, but not the consistency.  Slated to play on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Parenteau, these veterans just may be able to bring out his best. Brendan Gallagher is an energetic player that packs a scoring touch. For deeper leagues, Lars Eller could have a breakout year as he has been steadily improving every year. PROSPECTS Two defensive prospects, Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu, are close to joining the club but far from making an impact. Other players are perhaps a season or two away from being any kind of factor. ...

Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets are ready to get this season started as the team raised their pre-season record to 6-1-0. Without the services of some top forwards in the likes of Ryan Johansen (contract), Boone Jenner (injury) and Nathan Horton (injury), the Jackets are getting balanced scoring throughout the lineup. Cam Atkinson would be the likely choice to succeed in Horton's absence while Alexander Wennberg is getting a good look at Center. Bobrovsky, a former Vezina winner, is your first choice when looking at the Jackets roster for your fantasy squad....The Buffalo Sabres exploded for 6 goals against the Capitals last night with 5 different scorers.  Matt Moulson scored twice and is one of the main cogs on offense for the Sabres. Even though the team ended up near the bottom of the Eastern Conference last year, they did play with spirit. The additions of veterans Brian Gionta and Andrej Meszaros will bring stability and with Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson entering their prime, it should make for some interesting hockey in Buffalo this season.....Bobby Ryan gets a 7-year extension in Ottawa. You may not recall but Ryan was scoring at a point-per-game clip until he suffered an injury mid-way through the season limiting his production.  The injury wasn't revealed until later in the season.  If fully healthy, expect a return to the ppg level.....You know we are getting close to the season opener as top goalies start to play more and establish themselves once again.  Marc-Andre Fleury posted a 2-0 shutout over Detroit while Carey Price made 31 saves in the Habs 3-1 win over Chicago. If there were any concerns about these two being ready, consider them washed away.

NY RANGERS vs. MONTREAL Must-Starts Montreal: Thomas Vanek, David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty, P. K. Subban, Andrei Markov, Carey Price New York: Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, Henrik Lundqvist Sleepers Montreal: Brenden Gallagher, Daniel Briere, Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Lars Eller New York: Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Brian Boyle, Benoit Pouliot Notes: Halfway home for both of these Original Six teams!  Not many gave the Montreal Canadiens a chance against the Boston Bruins but they came up big.  Actually, both the Canadiens and the Rangers came up with tremendous Game 7 victories on the road.  The Rangers, after being down 3 games to 1, had the Pittsburgh Penguins fire their coach after their historic comeback.  The Canadiens had some Bruins talking some controversial smack immediately following their elimination, but it's the Canadiens who get a chance to talk some more while the Bruins head for the golf course. The Canadiens have quite a few veterans with playoff experience in the likes of Gionta, Plekanec & Vanek, but it may come down to the play of Desharnais & Pacioretty, along with Vanek, who came to life in the last two games of the Bruins series with a combined 7 points in those two crucial games. They can be the difference for the Habs, but they will be facing another elite NHL goaltender in Lundqvist who is playing at the top of his game now, as is Price. The Rangers come at you the same way as the Bruins do with four lines capable of scoring but are responsible defensively. In the last 3 games against Pittsburgh, Brassard (3G, A), Zuccarello (3A), Richards (G, A) and St. Louis(2G, A) were the biggest point-getters for the Rangers and if they can get Nash going, who has the most SOG in the playoffs with 52, the Blueshirts will be tough be beat. The experienced playoff players for the Rangers came up big in crunch time and if that continues, the Canadiens will be hard-pressed to move on to the Cup Finals. On the defensive side, it may all come down to how much can the Rangers contain Mr. Subban? Montreal comes at you with Subban (12 pts in 11 games) & Markov (5 pts) and if the Rangers can shut down Subban, they contain a lot of the Montreal offense. The Rangers don't have a dynamic defenseman like the Habs do, but their top 6 contribute across the board both offensively and defensively.  They have shown the ability to jump into the play and even get deep into the offensive zone, as the Ranger forwards are ...

Lots of activity in the NHL yesterday with 11 games played, so we have a lot to go through. The Flyers and St. Louis kicked things off with Philadelphia winning 4-1.  Steve Mason was very solid in goal for the Flyers with 32 saves. His record on the year is now 30-16-6 with a 2.52 GA and a .918 SP.  Not a bad season!  Left wing Scott Hartnell had a goal and an assist, and he has been hot lately with 5 points in his last 3 games. Still he has only 46 points on the year.  Young Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz scored their only goal, and he now has 52 points. Look for him next season, as this kid is only going to get better.  The Penguins topped Tampa Bay 4-3, and the big guns were all over the scoreboard.  Evgeni Malkin had a big game with 2 goals and 2 assists for Pittsburgh, while Sydney Crosby had a goal and 2 assists. Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. The Red Wings beat Minnesota 3-2, as defenseman Brendan Smith had a goal and an assist. Smith has only 17 points on the season so don't go after him. Dave Leqwand, also, had a goal and an assist for Detroit, but with only 47 points on the year I would not chase him either. The Stars beat Ottawa 3-1.  Boy Ottawa is having a tough year. Kari Lehtonen had 26 saves for the win in goal, and he has 26 wins on the season. Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson got their only goal, and this guy is a monster with 19 goals and 65 points on the year.   LA shutout Florida 4-0, as goaltender Jonathan Quick had 24 saves. Big night for Quick as he surpassed Rogie Vachon as the winningest goaltender in LA history with win number 172.  Congratulations to him!   Montreal got past Toronto 4-3, as each team's right wings Brian Gionta and Joffrey Lupul had a goal and an assist. Neither is fantasy worthy though.   The Rangers shutout New Jersey 2-0, as goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had a big night with 21 saves, and he surpassed Eddie Giacomin for the franchise record with his 50th shutout. Congratulations to him as well!   Carolina beat Winnipeg 3-2, as goaltender Cam Ward had a good night with 34 saves. Maybe he is coming back to life after a difficult season.  We shall see.  Defenseman Andrej Sekera had 2 assists for the Hurricanes, and he is having a great season withh 11 goals and 44 points. Jarome Iginla may be getting up a bit in age, but it sure isn't affecting his play as he had 2 goals last night in Boston's 4-2 win over Phoenix. Goals number 27 & 28 on the year. Tuukka Rask was sharp in goal for ...

Lots of activity in the NHL yesterday with 11 games played, so we have a lot to go through. The Flyers and St. Louis kicked things off with Philadelphia winning 4-1.  Steve Mason was very solid in goal for the Flyers with 32 saves. His record on the year is now 30-16-6 with a 2.52 GA and a .918 SP.  Not a bad season!  Left wing Scott Hartnell had a goal and an assist, and he has been hot lately with 5 points in his last 3 games. Still he has only 46 points on the year.  Young Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz scored tgeir only goal, and he now has 52 points. Look for him next season, as this kid is only going to get better.  The Penguins topped Tampa Bay 4-3, and the big guns were all over the scoreboard.  Evgeni Malkin had a big game with 2 goals and 2 assists for Pittsburgh, while Sydney Crosby had a goal and 2 assists. Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. The Red Wings beat Minnesota 3-2, as defenseman Brendan Smith had a goal and an assist. Smith has only 17 points on the season so don't go after him. Dave Leqwand, also, had a goal and an assist for Detroit, but with only 47 points on the year I would not chase him either. The Stars beat Ottawa 3-1.  Boy Ottawa is having a tough year. Kari Lehtonen had 26 saves for the win in goal, and he has 26 wins on the season. Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson got their only goal, and this guy is a monster with 19 goals and 65 points on the year.   LA shutout Florida 4-0, as goaltender Jonathan Quick had 24 saves. Big night for Quick as he surpassed Rogie Vachon as the winningest goaltender in LA history with win number 172.  Congratulations to him!   Montreal got past Toronto 4-3, as each team's right wings Brian Gionta and Joffrey Lupul had a goal and an assist. Neither is fantasy worthy though.   The Rangers shutout New Jersey 2-0, as goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had a big night with 21 saves, and he surpassed Eddie Giacomin for the franchise record with his 50th shutout. Congratulation to him as well!   Carolina beat Winnipeg 3-2, as goaltender Cam Ward had a good night with 34 saves. Maybe he is coming back to life after a difficult season.  We shall see.  Defenseman Andrej Sekera had 2 assists for the Hurricanes, and he is having a great season withh 11 goals and 44 points. Jarome Iginla may be getting up a bit in age, but it sure isn't affecting his play as he had 2 goals last night in Boston's 4-2 win over Phoenix. Goals number 27 & 28 on the year. Tuukka Rask was sharp in goal for the...

Steven Stamkos returned to the Tampa Bay lineup last night and although the Bolts lost to the lowly Sabres, he acquitted himself quite well after a long layoff. Playing on a top line with Alex Killorn and Teddy Purcell, the star center was held scoreless but registered 5 shots on goal. There will be an adverse effect on his fantasy value without the great Martin St. Louis by his side, but Stamkos is good for 85-90 points a season regardless of who he lines up with. Give him a few games and the points will come. BTW, keep your eye on Purcell, who has definitely received a fantasy boost if he becomes the second scoring option on the Lightning. No points for Marian Gaborik in his Los Angeles King's debut, but the Slovakian sniper was skating with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams on the first line. His addition to the top power-play slides Mike Richards down to the second unit. I am liking the chances here for solid offensive production from the Kings here on out, given that they have two legitimate scoring lines to roll every night. "Gabby" will need a few games to click with Kopitar, but Richards will not with Jeff Carter. The two have been linemates since their Philly days, so expect a modest rise in fantasy value for Richards. Thomas Vanek had a quiet games for his new club in Montreal, playing on a second line with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta. I am not sold on him being a point-per-game performer moving forward, considering coach Michel Therrien's intentions to keep the top line of Desharnais-Pacioretty-Gallagher intact. However, if Vanek can eventually click with Alex Galchenyuk, then we might have ourselves a new no. 1 line in Habs Nation. We still need to see how the lines play out in Montreal. Keep tabs on the Islander's Anders Lee, who after scoring a goal in the overtime loss to Edmonton, now has four in the last five games since his AHL recall after the Olympic Break. Our own "Razor" has noticed, so make sure to check out his latest installation of Under The Raydar. The fantasy star of the night was the Dallas Star's Tyler Seguin, who turned in a masterful performance with a "hat trick" and two assists in the 6-1 romp of Vancouver. He now has collected 4+ points on five different occasions this season, giving him 63 points(28G/35A) in 61 games. Jamie Benn was also huge with a goal and two helpers. Look for this duo to take another step toward fantasy stardom in '14-15, as they should develop more consistency while playing together in Year 2....

Steven Stamkos returned to the Tampa Bay lineup last night and although the Bolts lost to the lowly Sabres, he acquitted himself quite well after a long layoff. Playing on a top line with Alex Killorn and Teddy Purcell, the star center was held scoreless but registered 5 shots on goal. There will be an adverse effect on his fantasy value without the great Martin St. Louis by his side, but Stamkos is good for 85-90 points a season regardless of who he lines up with. Give him a few games and the points will come. BTW, keep your eye on Purcell, who has definitely received a fantasy boost if he becomes the second scoring option on the Lightning. No points for Marian Gaborik in his Los Angeles King's debut, but the Slovakian sniper was skating with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams on the first line. His addition to the top power-play slides Mike Richards down to the second unit. I am liking the chances here for solid offensive production from the Kings here on out, given that they have two legitimate scoring lines to roll every night. "Gabby" will need a few games to click with Kopitar, but Richards will not with Jeff Carter. The two have been linemates since their Philly days, so expect a modest rise in fantasy value for Richards. Thomas Vanek had a quiet games for his new club in Montreal, playing on a second line with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta. I am not sold on him being a point-per-game performer moving forward, considering coach Michel Therrien's intentions to keep the top line of Desharnais-Pacioretty-Gallagher intact. However, if Vanek can eventually click with Alex Galchenyuk, then we might have ourselves a new no. 1 line in Habs Nation. We still need to see how the lines play out in Montreal. Keep tabs on the Islander's Anders Lee, who after scoring a goal in the overtime loss to Edmonton, now has four in the last five games since his AHL recall after the Olympic Break. Our own "Razor" has noticed, so make sure to check out his latest installation of Under The Raydar. The fantasy star of the night was the Dallas Star's Tyler Seguin, who turned in a masterful performance with a "hat trick" and two assists in the 6-1 romp of Vancouver. He now has collected 4+ points on five different occasions this season, giving him 63 points(28G/35A) in 61 games. Jamie Benn was also huge with a goal and two helpers. Look for this duo to take another step toward fantasy stardom in '14-15, as they should develop more consistency while playing together in Year 2....

Gionta missed Saturday's game because of personal reasons. He will be back on the Habs second line with Lars Eller and Max Pacioretty.