Ward finished the preseason with a 1-1 record while posting a 2.80 GAA and .887 SV% in 50 minutes of playing time. He is coming off of an injury plagued season where he posted a 3.06 GAA, which was his worst since his rookie season. On Friday, it looks like he will get the call against an improved Islanders team.

In the 5-2 defeat to Washington, the last exhibition game of this preseason, the Carolina Hurricanes endured two key injuries. High-scoring winger Jeff Skinner was lost to a possible concussion, leaving his timetable for a return to the lineup "up in the air". Also, 2nd-year center Elias Lindholm exited due to an injury with the details of it's severity unclear. He had been playing extremely well in the preseason, so his absence would certainly hurt the Canes. Fantasy-wise, Anton Khudobin's poor outing- he allowed 5 goals on 38 shots- probably means that Cam Ward will be penciled in starter Opening Night. It doesn't mean that the road will not lead back to Khudobin, but for now, stash him away and start another option.

Can you believe it has been 9 seasons since the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup over the Edmonton Oilers? So many things have turned sour for not only the Edmonton Oilers, who haven't been back to the playoffs since that debilitating loss, but the Hurricanes have returned only once, and that was 2 years after their Cup win and not since.  Cam Ward, who was the hero in that Stanley Cup series, had his worst season to date last year.  The team seems to be mired in the mud lately and it doesn't look like they are any closer to returning to the playoffs this year.  There are just too many question marks regarding the Canes. GOALIES Any team's chances of reaching the playoffs starts in net and that's where the first question comes into play. Will perennial stalwart in net Cam Ward regain his form after battling injuries last year? Or, will Anton Khudobin continue to show that he is ready to stake claim to the Number 1 job in Carolina? All fingers are pointing towards Khudobin starting in the blue paint, especially after his first stretch of NHL action last year in which he played in 36 games and posted a 19-14-1 record with a 2.30 GAA and a .926 SP, respectable numbers by far.  But, you just have to remember that it was his biggest stint in the NHL to date.  Can he handle the rigors of being a Number 1 goalie in the NHL?  This is where Ward's value comes into play.  Ward has all the experience teams rely upon in their goaltenders to steady the team in front of them and build upon throughout the long season.  Has Ward lost his touch?  Highly unlikely.  Every year brings different challenges and veterans like Ward work harder to take back what they believe is rightfully theirs.  This will have to play itself out in camp, but if Khudobin falters at the start, having Ward to come in and hold down the fort is a huge asset. DEFENSE Andrej Sekera was the surprise on the blue line in Carolina last year. The Buffalo Sabre reject showed what he is capable of doing and showed no signs of slowing down.  His 44 points eclipsed his previous high of 29 with the Sabres in 2010-2011, but he will not be an unknown quantity this season as teams will be aware of his presence.  Justin Faulk had a decent season going 5-27-32 in 76 games but is poised to add to those totals this coming season. He has the tools, just needs the right bounces and a little bit of confidence.  Faulk could be a decent sleeper/breakout d-man this season. Ryan Murphy is projected to one day be...

Extremely late confirm by the Hurricanes will make it impossible to start Ward, unless he was already in your lineup.

ALL GOALIES ARE CONFIRMED UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED AT TIME OF PRINT The last weekend of the regular season is upon us; 7 games tonight, 9 tomorrow and 10 for Sunday. Where did the time go?  With all the playoff positions basically filled except the final spot in the Western Conference, most teams will rest some of the starting goalies for the long playoff drive. Corey Crawford gets the call tonight against the Washington Capitals, who will go with Jaroslav Halak (LIKELY). Chicago is resting some players and giving some of the younger players some valuable playing time.  The Hawks have won 4 in a row and seem to be peaking heading into the playoffs.  The Capitals played last night so a rested, Blackhawks squad should be able to get past the Caps.... Detroit sends out Jimmy Howard as the Red Wings prepare for their 233rd consecutive playoff appearance. The Carolina Hurricanes will go with Anton Khudobin who has made Cam Ward expendable by his play this season. Howard has a personal 4-game winning streak so he is back in form after a season where he struggled to find consistency.  The Red Wings should make it 5 in a row for Howard.... Curtis McElhinney gets the call for the Columbus Blue Jackets who, despite a tough schedule to close the season, have clinched just their second playoff berth in their NHL history. The Blue Jackets won't suffer with McElhinney in net while the Tampa Bay lightning hoe to get Ben Bishop back for the playoffs.  Anders Lindback will start until then to get some playing time in and to boost his confidence. Lindback has managed to win two in a row in relief of the injured Bishop, but the Jackets are hot right now.  Go with the Jackets.... Tonight could be Martin Brodeur's (LIKELY) last hurrah with the New Jersey Devils as he takes on Evgeni Nabokov (LIKELY) and the NY Islanders at the Rock. It is difficult to imagine Marty coming back to the Devils especially with the Devils trying to lock down a goalie for the next ten years in Cory Schneider.  Unless the Islanders have another target for goalie next season, Nabokov could be re-upping to stay on the Island for one more year.  Nabby has gone 4-0-1 in his last five starts, but the Devils will give Brodeur a good sending off..... A win tonight by Kari Lehtonen and the Dallas Stars will clinch the last open playoff spot but they need to get past the St. Louis Blues to do that, which is no small task. The Blues would love to make the Stars squirm for another day, and with Ryan Miller in ...

Ward stopped 28 of 29 shots in a shootout loss to the Senators on March 31st. It was a strong outing for Ward, but he was out-duelled by Craig Anderson. Tonight, he will face a Rangers team battling for home-ice. He was victorious in his first start vs. the blueshirts, but has struggled going 4-6-3 with a 3.33 GAA and .88 SV% on the road.

Ward was pulled after allowed three goals on nine shots in a loss to the Islanders on March 25th. He comes into play tonight with a 3-3-0 record, 3.43 GAA and .893 SV% in March. He won his first start against Ottawa.

Since his heroic shootout exploits against Team Russia in the Olympics, American winger T.J. Oshie hasn't followed up with the same success in his return to the NHL. After enduring a brief slump of 4 straight games without a point, the Blues forward had himself a heck of a night with a "hat trick" and 6 shots on goal. That gives him 6 points in the last two games and 60 on the season. His recent "hot" streak has helped him eclipse his previous career-high of 54 points set in 2011. Amongst the "potpourri" of interchangeable forwards utilized in Ken Hitchcock's balanced offensive scheme, Oshie has stood out as perhaps the most consistent forward option to own on St. Louis. So is it really much warmer in St. Louis than Buffalo? Well, if you ask Ryan Miller, I am sure he would agree. After turning aside 27 of 28 shots in the 5-1 demolition of Minnesota, the streaking goaltender has amassed an incredible 9-2-1 record since being traded to the Blues, along with a 2.03 GAA and a .918 SP. Maybe the elite goalie option in the NHL right now. Nashville's Shea Weber scored 2 more goals, raising his season total to 20, which is lofty by anyone's standards for a defenseman. With his career-high of 23 goals on the verge of being eclipsed, there are only a few fantasy blueliners better than the best Predator of all. What can you say about Tuukka Rask? Bouncing back after a tough home loss to Montreal, the Boston goalie prodigy stopped all 28 shots in the 3-0 shutout win over Chicago. With a 9-0-1 record over his last 10 starts, he is nearly unbeatable these days, but keep in mind that back-up Chad Johnson will get more starts over the last few weeks with Boston having nothing to play for. With Anders Lee stealing much of the rookie spotlight for the Islanders in the absence of the injured John Tavares, fantasy owners need also keep the more highly-skilled Ryan Strome on their fantasy radar for next season. His goal last night gives him 13 points in 28 games, but more importantly, he is gaining invaluable experience as he gobbles up big minutes with JT out. He could be poised for a huge jump next season, maybe 55-60 points. Anton Khudobin delivered another monster effort in the crease for Carolina, blanking Florida with 35 saves. His numbers are far superior to Cam Ward's, as he has gone 16-12 with a 2.20 GAA and a .929 SP. The Hurricanes would be wise to hand over the reigns to the young netminder for the remainder of the season. After being irrelevant for most of the ...

Since his heroic shootout exploits against Team Russia in the Olympics, American winger T.J. Oshie hasn't followed up with the same success in his return to the NHL. After enduring a brief slump of 4 straight games without a point, the Blues forward had himself a heck of a night with a "hat trick" and 6 shots on goal. That gives him 6 points in the last two games and 60 on the season. His recent "hot" streak has helped him eclipse his previous career-high of 54 points set in 2011. Amongst the "potpourri" of interchangeable forwards utilized in Ken Hitchcock's balanced offensive scheme, Oshie has stood out as perhaps the most consistent forward option to own on St. Louis. So is it really much warmer in St. Louis than Buffalo? Well, if you ask Ryan Miller, I am sure he would agree. After turning aside 27 of 28 shots in the 5-1 demolition of Minnesota, the streaking goaltender has amassed an incredible 9-2-1 record since being traded to the Blues, along with a 2.03 GAA and a .918 SP. Maybe the elite goalie option in the NHL right now. Nashville's Shea Weber scored 2 more goals, raising his season total to 20, which is lofty by anyone's standards for a defenseman. With his career-high of 23 goals on the verge of being eclipsed, there are only a few fantasy blueliners better than the best Predator of all. What can you say about Tuukka Rask? Bouncing back after a tough home loss to Montreal, the Boston goalie prodigy stopped all 28 shots in the 3-0 shutout win over Chicago. With a 9-0-1 record over his last 10 starts, he is nearly unbeatable these days, but keep in mind that back-up Chad Johnson will get more starts over the last few weeks with Boston having nothing to play for. With Anders Lee stealing much of the rookie spotlight for the Islanders in the absence of the injured John Tavares, fantasy owners need also keep the more highly-skilled Ryan Strome on their fantasy radar for next season. His goal last night gives him 13 points in 28 games, but more importantly, he is gaining invaluable experience as he gobbles up big minutes with JT out. He could be poised for a huge jump next season, maybe 55-60 points. Anton Khudobin delivered another monster effort in the crease for Carolina, blanking Florida with 35 saves. His numbers are far superior to Cam Ward's, as he has gone 16-12 with a 2.20 GAA and a .929 SP. The Hurricanes would be wise to hand over the reigns to the young netminder for the remainder of the season. After being irrelevant for most of the ...

Sorry folks, but it's been a crazy day at work.. Here are our goalie picks today without our usual random comments. FANTASY MUST-STARTS Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh vs. Phoenix Carey Price, Montreal vs. Buffalo Cam Ward, Carolina vs. NYI SLEEPER ALERT Jimmy Howard, Detroit @ Columbus GOALIE PICKS Steve: (87-58) Cam Ward Ray: (84-61) Carey Price Mike: (68-48) Corey Crawford