Cam Ward is among the Hurricanes players to target in a great matchup against the Coyotes tonight. Who else should be on your radar for NHL DFS contests?

Blueshirts rise to the top; sliding Penguins; Landeskog a March fantasy gem; and more: Boston had a chance to leapfrog over the Ottawa Senators who lost to the NY Rangers, but gave up a late goal then lost in overtime.  They managed to tie the Sens in total points but have a game in hand and with the return of David Krejci (2A) to the lineup, the Bruins will be tough to keep away from here on out.  Get him in your lineup as he makes the whole team better when he is playing well, and the Bruins need him to play well…. The NY Rangers clinched a playoff spot by routing the Senators 5-1 with Chris Kreider (2G) and Derek Stepan (2A) providing the early spark.  5 Rangers with multi-point games as it looks like they are peaking for the start of the playoffs.  And expect Henrik Lundqvist to be back in net in their next game on Saturday against Boston, or Sunday versus Washington.  Get your Ranges into your fantasy lineups… In a battle of two teams fighting for that coveted number 1 draft pick in June, Arizona beat Buffalo 4-3… Cam Ward returned triumphantly after missing 5 games due to a virus, turning aside 27 shots in Carolina's 5-2 decision over Pittsburgh. The win snapped a 0-3-3 slide at home while the Penguin offense keeps floundering without Evgeni Malkin and Patrick Hornqvist.. LA continued rolling over the New York area teams with a 3-2 win over the Islanders completing the sweep of both NY Teams and New Jersey on their road trip.  They are battling to gain the playoffs so don’t expect anything less from the Kings from here on out.... The Florida Panthers continue to stay alive in the playoff hunt after knocking off dismal Toronto 4-1 on the road. Jonathan Huberdeau scored a key second period goal while linemate Aleksander Barkov picked up two helpers. Both youngsters should be huge breakout candidates in 2015-16.. Not a great fantasy year for Patrick Marleau, but the San Jose forward spearhead a huge offensive flurry in the 6-4 win over Detroit with two goals and one assist. His best days seem clearly behind him as his 52 points on the season represents a huge step back from the normally reliable 60-70 point producer.. Pekka Rinne stood tall in Tampa as the Nashville goalie stopped 28 of 30 shots while the Lightning's Ben Bishop was pulled in the second after allowing three goals on 11 shots. After a short dry spell, Rinne has found his elite form once again and should be a top starting option over the last few weeks while the Predators fully work out...

Vermette traded to Chicago; Hammond wins again; Jagr's South Florida debut; and more... In the wake of Patrick Kane's long-term injury, the Blackhawks have traded for former Arizona center Antoine Vermette. While this represents a super solid move for the team in their quest for another Stanley Cup, his fantasy value will largely depend on how he is utilized. You can bet Vermette will get a shot at centering the second line but his power play time should be relegated to the secondary unit. He is worth an add though on an explosive Chicago team looking to make up for Kane's offensive absence... The Florida Panthers got some veteran leadership the other day by acquiring Jaromir Jagr from the New Jersey Devils and his guidance helped pave the way for the Cats to come back against the Buffalo Sabres after being down 2-0 after one period of play.  Although he didn’t figure in the scoring, the Panthers scored 5 goals with Jussi Jokinen leading the way with a goal and 2 assists.  Perhaps Jokinen would be a good pickup for the remainder of the season as he clearly seems to benefit from Jagr being on the team.  Others who may also benefit are Brian Campbell and Brad Boyes as the Panthers may lean on the veterans to try and make the playoffs…. Putting a bit of a damper on Florida’s comeback win was the fact that Boston manhandled the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 shortly thereafter keeping the panthers 4 points behind.  Patrice Bergeron should be the main contributing factor now that David Krejci is out due to injury.  Bergeron’s goal and assist was matched by Zdeno Chara, Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand with goalie Tuukka Rask turning aside 32 of 33 shots on goal.  The Bruins will battle the rest of the way and it may be a good idea to get some of these big, bad B’s on your fantasy squad… New Jersey’s Cory Schneider probably deserves a better record but continues to play strong even though the Devils are practically out of the playoff hunt.  Schneider shutout the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0, it was his 4th shutout on the season and 2nd of the week…. It was a classic battle between old Western Conference rivals Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings that saw the latter edge the Preds 4-3.  The once invincible Predators have now lost 4 of their last 6 but should right the ship.  Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne has been a little pedestrian of late but he also will turn things around… If you haven’t noticed, the Carolina Hurricanes have won 3 straight and 5 of their last 7 as the...

Rangers continue to roll, Islanders round up the Coyotes, Boston & Philly blow chances & birthday wishes. Happy Birthday wishes go out to our newest PrimePucks™ fan, Ella from New York.  Happy Birthday Ella! Huge injury news from Chicago as RW Patrick Kane apparently injured his shoulder while falling head-first into the boards. Nothing more to say other than a long-term injury to Kane would represent an irreaplacable loss for fantasy owners at this time of the NHL season. Hopefully, the MRI will not reveal serious damage but it did not look good. More info when we get it... New York Rangers Cam Talbot has performed brilliantly in net as he starts for the injured Henrik Lundqvist and gives the Rangers some breathing room in making sure the King is ready to return.  Talbot posted a 1-0 shutout of the Calgary Flames who gave the Rangers their all but Talbot came up big stopping all 21 SOG to raise his record to 8-1-2 since taking over.  Don’t fret Lundqvist owners, the King will rightfully return to his throne when he is 100% healthy….With the trade deadline approaching, the Rangers may look to solidify their 3rd and 4th lines but with all cylinders clicking, may not need to make a big move… Cam Ward continues to show that he still has what it takes to be a premier starting goaltender in the NHL by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 and raising his record to 5-1-0 in last six starts.  Start Ward with confidence as he is playing extremely well…As I mentioned in my SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE, when Jeff Skinner is healthy and gets on a roll, he’s a blessing as witnessed by his second consecutive game with a goal and 5 in his last 7.  Ride him while he’s hot, but get ready because he is injury prone….Philly, in a race for a Wild Card spot, lost a tough one especially, and with Boston losing as well, they missed a golden opportunity to bridge the gap.  They still remain 4 points behind the Bruins… The New York Islanders exploded for 4 goals in the 3rd period to rout the Arizona Coyotes who are plummeting fast in the Western Conference.  Expect a fire sale of Arizona veterans as the trade deadline approaches.  Names like Antoine Vermette, Shane Doan, Keith Yandle perhaps and more…. Although the Buffalo Sabres are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, they have been playing spirited hockey although the wins haven’t been coming but tonight Goalie Michal Neuvirth was rewarded for his solid play of late with a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets… With Eddie Lack ...

MAY I HELP YOU? As the regular season turns into the home stretch, many teams are striving to reach the playoffs and others are trying to better their positions.  The latter ones are all but set in the crease going forward but some of the former teams need to either fix what is wrong or improve on their situation. Let's take a look at who can help your fantasy team down the stretch in your quest for the championship. EDDIE LACK: With Vancouver’s Ryan Miller suffering an injury due to a collision the other night, it appears the 2nd year goaltender will assume starting duty for the next 4-6 weeks as Miller recovers.  Expect Lack, who saw considerable time last year when Roberto Luongo was traded, to provide consistent goaltending as the Canucks battle for a playoff spot.  Probably not available on the waiver wire anymore, but if he is, grab him… ANDREW HAMMOND: Another situation where the starring goalie is out due to an injury, as is the case with Craig Anderson.  However, the backup goalie in Ottawa is also out, with Robin Lehner out with a concussion after colliding with team mate Clarke MacArthur.  Hammond was pressed into action and he has done remarkably well by winning his first two starts.  He may have a rougher time this week with 3 away games against the three California teams so temper your expectations.  His NHL starting experience may be short-lived as Anderson is close to returning as he is travelling with the team. MICHAL NEUVIRTH: You wouldn’t expect a recommendation of a Buffalo Sabre player especially with the season they are having but ever since Jhonas Enroth was traded away to Dallas, Neuvirth has settled in as the undisputed starter with 6 starts in a row and has posted decent numbers during that span, although only going 2-2-2.  If you are in multi-category leagues, Neuvirth may be helpful in all statistical categories except wins.  MICHAEL HUTCHINSON:  It may not be obvious to all but the Winnipeg Jets seem to play better when Hutchinson is in net as he has gone 5-3-2 in last 10 starts while Ondrej Pavelec has gone just 3-5-2.  With the Jets trying to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since their return to Winnipeg, expect the team to rely more on Hutchinson and break away from the alternating starter system they have employed since the All-Star break. POST MARKS: RETURN OF THE KING—With Cam Talbot and the NY Rangers winning without their star net minder, it appears the Blueshirts can take their time getting Lundqvist ...

~~Is a career year underway for Montreal's Max Pacioretty? His overtime game winner gives him 23 goals and 40 points on the season. He would need 17 goals and 26 points over the last 34 games to establish new career-highs in both offensive categories. He should be starting in all formats, while his new center man Tomas Plekanec might be worth a waiver grab if available. After allowing 16 goals over his last four starts, Goalie Petr Mrazek rebounded yesterday afternoon with a 22-save effort in the win over the a Islanders. However, the promising youngster could be heading back to minors soon with Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard close to returning. The Wings were be much better off having Mrazek play more games in the AHL and continue to develop rather than sitting behind Howard... A bunch of multiple point performers on display during Ottawa's 7-2 romp over Phoenix, including Mark Stone who now has registered points in 8 of last 9 games. He is on the cusp of being starteable in most leagues. Hopefully you heeded our advice during our last ADD'EM installation... So who you rather have starting for your fantasy team- Tuukka Rask or Jonathan Quick? Based on last night alone, the Boston goalie looks to be the better option but let's judge based on January's peripherals- Rask: 1.61 GAA and .949 SP/Quick: 3.18 GAA and .878 SP. Pretty one-sided just in case you hadn't realized... Rookie defenseman John Klingberg need to be picked up ASAP after his dominating 4-point effort in the unfriendly confines of Winnipeg. His 6 points in his last 2 games, the 22-year old has left Dallas defender Alex Goligoski "in the dust". Start him immediately as he doesn't appear to be fading anytime soon... Whats up with Michael Hutchinson? The Winnipeg goalie has given up nine goals over his last two starts. Despite the blip on the radar, he is the superior goalie over Ondrej Pavelec so no need to worry about diminishing fantasy returns.. So how many of you picked up Cam Talbot when "King Henrik" received his huge scare with a puck to the throat? Great thinking, but Lundqvist should be ok to resume his monstrous workload for the Rangers. BTW, Cam Ward was rewarded for his fine effort against the Blues with the start at MSG. Bad move as Anton Khudobin has owned the Blueshirts lately. Expect the Russian in the Carolina crease the next time out.. Michael Del Zotto now has points in six straight games. The 24-year old defender is worth a long fantasy look as he has been logging big ...

Cory Schneider (41/43) did all he could for the New Jersey Devils to win but the Pittsburgh Penguins managed to find a way to win with a late third period goal to tie and an overtime goal to put damper on a fine effort by Schneider.  The Devils goalie has been playing well of late but the team is fading fast in the playoff race.  His metrics are fine but he's just not getting the wins....Zac Rinaldo may have done more than knock Kris Letang silly right before the All-Star break. He may have knock the life back into him as he been on a rampage with 7 assists in his last 3 games, getting 2 last night against the Devils.  Letang is enjoying a fine season and when healthy, ranks right up there with the best in the league.  He now has 39 points in 43 games played this season just 2 points behind defensive points leader Mark Giordano. Semyon Varlamov and the Colorado Avalanche have climbed their way to within two points of a wild card spot as they continue their second half surge up the standings after beating the Nashville Predators 3-0. There was a Nathan MacKinnon sighting as he posted 2 assists and ranks as probably the best "buy-low" candidate because of his vast potential, not only for this season but for keeper leagues as well. It is safe to insert your Avalanche players as they have something to play for the rest of the way when earlier it looked like they were buried under a slow start.... After building a quick 2-0 lead, the St. Louis Blues managed to eke out a 3-2 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blues chased latest hot goalie Anton Khudobin just 3:35 in. On came Cam Ward and kept the Canes in it until they could tie it up only to lose in the shootout. It may be too hasty to pull the reins on Khudobin just yet, but if he falters a little, Ward is always waiting on the bench.... Known more for his goal-scoring, Patrick Sharp contributed an assist on all 4 Chicago goals as they beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 last night. Sharp has played under his career average pace but seems to have picked up his game of late wit h9 points in past 5 games.  The window for buying low on Sharp is closing fast, so take a last swipe at trying to snag a good goal-scorer on a good team for the balance of the season.

The New York Islanders continue their supremacy over the Rangers this season with a 4-1 win for their 4th win of the season over the Blueshirts. Jaroslav Halak almost had another shutout but lost it with just 10 seconds left in the game. The Isles are tied atop the Eastern Conference with the Detroit Red Wings who beat the Florida Panthers 5-4.  Stephen Weiss was the offensive hero for the Wings with a goal and 2 assists. Weiss is probably still available on the waiver wire and should be picked up as a lower end forward or for depth purposes.... The Pittsburgh Penguins were without the services of top guns Crosby and Malkin but got back some significant contributors in Patric Hornqvist (2 goals) and D Kris Letang who had 5 assists in his return from injury. Keep these fantasy studs in your lineup at all times because if they can score without Crosby and Malkin, imagine what they could do with them in it.... Columbus and Philadelphia kept their playoff hopes alive with must-needed victories over Washington and Arizona respectively. With Bobrovsky lost to injury, Curtis McElhinney pushed aside 25 of 28 SOG for the win and will be counted on to keep them in the race until their starter Bobber returns....Philly beat the Coyotes in a shootout to stay in the hunt. IF you are looking for some defensive help on the score sheet, take a look at Michael Del Zotto who seems to have found his scoring form with his fourth on the season but that makes 5 points in last 4 games.... Carey Price turned aside 40 shots as the Montreal Canadienssneaked by the visiting Dallas Stars by a 3-2 score. Defenseman Andrei Markov has firmly jumped back into fantasy relevance by collecting another power-play assist to improve to eight points in his last six games. After collecting ten points over the first two months, all the cagey veteran has done is rack up 17 points in his last 22 contests. Start him with confidence as he and PK Subban have revitalized the Habs on the power-play..Jason Spezza has shown signs of life for the sputtering Stars, extending his point streak to five games with an assist. Expect him to juice up his numbers in the second half, but don't count on a point-per-game clip... It seems that Cam Ward is clearly the forgotten man in the Carolina crease as Anton Khudobin keeps flashing his breakout form from last season. In the 4-2 win over Tampa Bay, the streaking Russian improved his win total to six over his last seven games and his streak of allowing two or less ...

Can this be the start of the Bruin resurgence? With the 3-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils, Boston has now won 2 in a row and they are starting to look like their old selves.  It may be time to start stocking up on your beloved B's for the stretch run....Milan Lucic had 2 goals with one on the power play and with David Krejci back to full health, it seems like this duo is ready to light it up.... Buffalo is reeling and Carolina is starting to put together a few wins as Cam Ward turned aside 18 of 20 shots for the 5-2 win. The Canes have won 3 of last 4 and if you haven't noticed, Eric Staal has now scored a goal in last 5 of the last six games. Ward and Staal should be in your starting lineups along with D-man Justin Faulk who had 2 assists in the contest. The time may be right to count on a few Canes to provide decent output..... Braden Holtby started his 23rd straight game for the Capitals and played well in the 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers who breathed a sigh of relief that G Steve Mason was able to tend net. Mason stopped 26 of 28 for the win.  Mason has been playing well lately and the effort earned him his second straight victory.  The Flyers will need a healthy Mason to make a run if they hope to make the playoffs.... In Nashville, defenseman Shea Weber continued his "hot" ways with two goals, including the overtime game-winner to help give the Predators a 3-2 win over Dallas. The gifted defender now has collected ten points over the last ten games and is surging toward a potential top-five finish. If not better...Fellow defender Roman Josi continues his brilliant breakout season with a goal and an assist, improving his numbers to 27 points in 41 games... After a classic 7-0 thumping by St. Louis, Arizona bounced back with a 4-1 win over Winnipeg, largely due to the scoring of Shane Doan (1G/2A) and goaltending by Mike Smith (34/35 saves). The Coyotes have been struggling mightily and besides their two elite d-men- Yandle and OEL- there is little reason for fantasy owners to take any vested interest in this team. Having said that, if you are a firm believer that the Coyotes will turn this sorry season around, then Doan and Smith should have a much stronger second half.. Jarome Iginla gave the Avalanche a much-needed offensive boost, scoring two goals in the 5-2 victory over Ottawa. Don't look now, but the 37-year old has turned it on recently with nine points in his last ten games. While he is clearly on the decline, his famous ...

The biggest news to come out of last night's action was Claude Giroux getting the back of his leg sliced by a Justin Faulk skate in the 3rd period of the Flyers-Hurricanes matchup. Giroux left the ice with assistance, not being able to put any weight on his leg.  The word is that the Philly Captain is fine and expected to be in tonight's game in New Jersey.  Giroux is tied for third in league scoring.  Whew! After losing their captain, the Flyers fought back to get within one but that was all as they lost for the fourth straight time. Wallowing near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, it would take an incredible run to qualify for the playoffs.  Carolina G Cam Ward (23/24 SV) has played excellent of late, this time being on the positive side of a close game. Ward could be an excellent number 2 fantasy goalie.  With Jordan Staal returning from a broken leg and Eric Staal looking like he is starting to heat up, it may be worth it to have a few Canes on your fantasy squad now.... Roberto Luongo continues to enjoy life in sunny F-L-A as he shut out the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 behind a 30-save effort making 2 first period goals stand up. Bobby Lu raised his record to 15-7-7 with a 2.22 GAA and a .926 SP.  Continue to start Luongo with confidence while we wait for the young offense to pick up.... P.K. Subban was the story for Montreal last night against New Jersey assisting on 3 goals. The Habs built a 3-0 early in the 3rd period before the Devils made it interesting. The Devils ship is sinking fast and there is no land in sight.  New Jersey has gone 2-7-3 in last dozen games.  Ugh! You just knew it was going to be a high-scoring affair in Pittsburgh as the Penguins took on the Lightning of Tampa Bay. It was all Pens early as they built a 3-0 in the first period chasing starter Ben Bishop from the net. The bolts tried to stage a comeback but Steve Downie put the final 2 nails in the coffin of a 6-3 win for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby with 4 assists in the game almost matched his total output for November where he had 5 total points. Look for Sid to pick up his game from here on out.... The return to early season form for Minnesota G Darcy Kuemper was what the Wild needed against the high-scoring Toronto Maple Leafs who came into the game as the highest scoring team in the NHL. Kuemper turned aside 34 of 35 SOG as Minnesota won for just the second time in the past 8 games....With a power play assist, perhaps Thomas Vanek is ready to heat up as he has been very...