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 ...

The Canadiens will let their 35-year-old defenseman stay in Montreal and wait for Thursday's game vs. the Islanders. The Habs are locked into a playoff spot, so they have the luxury of resting players down the stretch.

It's been such a long and hectic day, that I was very excited to share some random fantasy thought on defensemen that could prove helpful for the final stretch run. Tyson Barrie is real good. The 22-year old defenseman from Colorado has shown glimpses of his vast potential over his first two years, but his defensive shortcomings kept his playing time in check. However, his overall game has quickly evolved under new coach Patrick Roy and his point totals have flourished as a result. With 15 points (4G/11A) in his last 15 games, Barrie is arguably the hottest fantasy blueliner in the business. Keep starting him with confidence, as he has showed little signs of slowing down. Now with the old. As he approaches the age of 39, Philly's veteran defender Kimmo Timonen has been contemplating retirement at the end of the season. His disappointing overall effort in '13-14 has turned for the better since the Olympic Break, as the Finnish blueliner has collected 7 points in the last 4 games. However, his impending UFA status and unrelenting quest for his first Stanley Cup might keep him around for another year or so. Look for him to continue being a valuable fantasy asset the rest of the way. Fedor Tyutin has been sufficiently recovering from his ankle injury and should be able to return to the Columbus lineup on Saturday. While he is more valuable to the Blue Jackets back-end than to fantasy owners, he has gained a respectable 24 points in 53 games. His fantasy value always skyrockets when power-play stalwart James Wisniewski goes down with an injury. That happens quite often, so Tyutin is always in the fantasy conversation. What a heck of a season is Calgary's Mark Giordano having for his fantasy owners! After enduring a brief four-game point-less skid, the Flames' captain has rolled out 7 points in the last 6 games, making him a must-start fantasy option at the most opportune time. With 35 points in 47 games, few have been better this season. Back to the old, as Montreal's Andrei Markov has been tearing it up since the Sochi games with 7 points (1G/6A) in the last 7 games, including four power-play helpers. His offensive production has stagnated in December/January after a decent start, but the veteran defenseman has been on "fire" lately. I like him to stay productive, but you should expect his scoring pace to lessen. And finally back to one of the NHL's rising stars... Ryan McDonagh. Entering tonight's game, the Ranger's rearguard has a four-game point streak ...

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....

***UPDATE: According to the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review, Penguin D Kris Letang suffered a stroke last week and will miss at least 6 weeks. Our well wishes for a speedy and complete recovery for Kris and his family. As we head into the Olympic break, I wish to pass on a few fantasy thoughts as they directly tie in to last night's statistical performances. Can there possibly be a more tantalizing fantasy forward to own than Montreal's Max Pacioretty? The winger had another dominant performance last night, scoring three goals against Vancouver while firing 6 shots on goal. I love the guy's potential, but I rather somebody else deal with his extreme inconsistencies in the scoring department. Check this out. Out of his 37 points in 49 games, 22 of them have come in just 8 games. That leaves him with 15 points in the remaining 41 games. Yeah, I'll pass on him.Shame on us for not making a bigger deal about the trade that sent defenseman Raphael Diaz to Vancouver a few days ago, because it does have decent fantasy implications. The Swiss defender has collected 2 points in 2 games for his new team, including being promoted on the top power-play unit over the streaky Jason Garrison. Let's not forget that before Montreal's PK Subban signed last season, Diaz flourished alongside Andrei Markov and picked up 8 points in the first 6 games, including 6 on the power-play. Watch him, as Coach Torts might ride him with the man-advantage.With 2 goals against Buffalo, Ottawa winger Milan Michalek has three goals in the last two games and showing plenty of chemistry with Jason Spezza. It might be worth taking a flier on Michalek who can put up points in a hurry and will benefit from Spezza's traditional second half scoring splurges. Speaking of the Sen's captain, he has 12 points (3G/9A) in the last 9 games so start him with extreme confidence. If he can stay healthy, he will be an absolute fantasy difference-maker for sure. I did my best to acquire him in a few leagues while his production was down, but my competition was keen to my intentions. (A shout out to Kevin!)Hey, maybe Ben Scriven's numbers won't be so bad for his new team Edmonton.. After stopping 35 of 36 shots in the 2-1 win over the New York Rangers, the Oiler's goalie of the future has only allowed 8 goals in his last 5 starts and posting a .960 save percentage over that span. More importantly, he won 3 of those games as the Oilers are starting to get better results in tightly contested affairs. This guy might ...

As we head into the Olympic break, I wish to pass on a few fantasy thoughts as they directly tie in to last night's statistical performances. Can there possibly be a more tantalizing fantasy forward to own than Montreal's Max Pacioretty? The winger had another dominant performance last night, scoring three goals against Vancouver while firing 6 shots on goal. I love the guy's potential, but I rather somebody else deal with his extreme inconsistencies in the scoring department. Check this out. Out of his 37 points in 49 games, 22 of them have come in just 8 games. That leaves him with 15 points in the remaining 41 games. Yeah, I'll pass on him.Shame on us for not making a bigger deal about the trade that sent defenseman Raphael Diaz to Vancouver a few days ago, because it does have decent fantasy implications. The Swiss defender has collected 2 points in 2 games for his new team, including being promoted on the top power-play unit over the streaky Jason Garrison. Let's not forget that before Montreal's PK Subban signed last season, Diaz flourished alongside Andrei Markov and picked up 8 points in the first 6 games, including 6 on the power-play. Watch him, as Coach Torts might ride him with the man-advantage.With 2 goals against Buffalo, Ottawa winger Milan Michalek has three goals in the last two games and showing plenty of chemistry with Jason Spezza. It might be worth taking a flier on Michalek who can put up points in a hurry and will benefit from Spezza's traditional second half scoring splurges. Speaking of the Sen's captain, he has 12 points (3G/9A) in the last 9 games so start him with extreme confidence. If he can stay healthy, he will be an absolute fantasy difference-maker for sure. I did my best to acquire him in a few leagues while his production was down, but my competition was keen to my intentions. (A shout out to Kevin!)Hey, maybe Ben Scriven's numbers won't be so bad for his new team Edmonton.. After stopping 35 of 36 shots in the 2-1 win over the New York Rangers, the Oiler's goalie of the future has only allowed 8 goals in his last 5 starts and posting a .960 save percentage over that span. More importantly, he won 3 of those games as the Oilers are starting to get better results in tightly contested affairs. This guy might not be so far off from a bordeline no. 2 starting goalie option in most fantasy formats. Watch him.My last thought is on the supposedly "washed up" Jarome Iginla, who has been tearing it up for Boston lately with ...

Ten games in the NHL yesterday. Tampa Bay and the Flyers kicked things off as the Lightning beat Philadelphia 6-3.  Valtteri Filppula had a goal and an assist for Tampa. He now has 18 goals and 36 points on the season.  His name is hard to spell, and he is a waiver wire type player.  Flyer goaltender Steve Mason had a night to forget as he allowed 5 goals on only 17 shots. Sometimes you have games like that.  He is still having a good year with 18 wins.  Jakub Voracek had 2 goals for the Flyers, and while he has only 32 points on the season, he has been hot lately with 5 points in his last 4 games...Montreal beat Chicago 2-1 in OT as veteran defenseman Andre Markov scored both goals for the Canadians.  Markov has been overshadowed by fellow defenseman P K Subban, but he can still bring it with 24 points on the season... New Jersey beat Florida in OT as well as defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored the game winner.   Like Markov, Zidlicky is an old veteran who can still rack up points.  He has 24 on the year.  Devils forward Michael Ryder scored the other goal.  He has scored a goal in 4 straight games, and he has 7 points in his last 7 games.   He once scored 62 points for Dallas.  Grab him while he's hot....Ottawa beat Nashville 2-1 in a shootout, as Senators goalie Craig Anderson was outstanding with 32 saves.  After a brutal start to the season, Anderson has been steadily improving, and he now has 15 wins on the year.  Ottawa's Kyle Turris scored a goal, and with 34 points on the season he is worth a look as a 6th forward option. At 24 years old he can still get better...Columbus pounded Winnipeg 6-3.  Bryan Little had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets.  Little is a lot like Turris, just on the edge of being fantasy worthy...  Colorado beat the Wild 4-2 as young forward Ryan O'Reilly had 2 goals for the Avalanche. We like O'Reilly, but with only 30 points on the season we can't recommend him yet.  He is only 22 years old.  He has 70 point potential in a year or two.  Paul Stastny left the game with an injury...Anaheim continued its winning ways with a 5-3 win over Phoenix. Ryan Getzlaf left the game with a LBI.  Mathieu Perreault had 3 assists for the Ducks, and while he has only 25 points on the season, he has been hot lately with 6 points in his last 3 games. Radim Vrbata had 3 assists for Phoenix. Vrbata is another one of those marginal 6th forwards...In a tight close checking game Pittsburgh beat Calgary 2-1 as Penguin forward Chris Kunitz ...

Ten games in the NHL yesterday. Tampa Bay and the Flyers kicked things off as the Lightning beat Philadelphia 6-3.  Valtteri Filppula had a goal and an assist for Tampa. He now has 18 goals and 36 points on the season.  His name is hard to spell, and he is a waiver wire type player.  Flyer goaltender Steve Mason had a night to forget as he allowed 5 goals on only 17 shots. Sometimes you have games like that.  He is still having a good year with 18 wins.  Jakub Voracek had 2 goals for the Flyers, and while he has only 32 points on the season, he has been hot lately with 5 points in his last 4 games...Montreal beat Chicago 2-1 in OT as veteran defenseman Andre Markov scored both goals for the Canadians.  Markov has been overshadowed by fellow defenseman P K Subban, but he can still bring it with 24 points on the season... New Jersey beat Florida in OT as well as defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored the game winner.   Like Markov, Zidlicky is an old veteran who can still rack up points.  He has 24 on the year.  Devils forward Michael Ryder scored the other goal.  He has scored a goal in 4 straight games, and he has 7 points in his last 7 games.   He once scored 62 points for Dallas.  Grab him while he's hot....Ottawa beat Nashville 2-1 in a shootout, as Senators goalie Craig Anderson was outstanding with 32 saves.  After a brutal start to the season, Anderson has been steadily improving, and he now has 15 wins on the year.  Ottawa's Kyle Turris scored a goal, and with 34 points on the season he is worth a look as a 6th forward option. At 24 years old he can still get better...Columbus pounded Winnipeg 6-3.  Bryan Little had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets.  Little is a lot like Turris, just on the edge of being fantasy worthy...  Colorado beat the Wild 4-2 as young forward Ryan O'Reilly had 2 goals for the Avalanche. We like O'Reilly, but with only 30 points on the season we can't recommend him yet.  He is only 22 years old.  He has 70 point potential in a year or two.  Paul Stastny left the game with an injury...Anaheim continued its winning ways with a 5-3 win over Phoenix. Ryan Getzlaf left the game with a LBI.  Mathieu Perreault had 3 assists for the Ducks, and while he has only 25 points on the season, he has been hot lately with 6 points in his last 3 games. Radim Vrbata had 3 assists for Phoenix. Vrbata is another one of those marginal 6th forwards...In a tight close checking game Pittsburgh beat Calgary 2-1 as Penguin forward Chris Kunitz ...

Ten games in the NHL yesterday. Tampa Bay and the Flyers kicked things off as the Lightning beat Philadelphia 6-3.  Valtteri Filppula had a goal and an assist for Tampa. He now has 18 goals and 36 points on the season.  His name is hard to spell, and he is a waiver wire type player.  Flyer goaltender Steve Mason had a night to forget as he allowed 5 goals on only 17 shots. Sometimes you have games like that.  He is still having a good year with 18 wins.  Jakub Voracek had 2 goals for the Flyers, and while he has only 32 points on the season, he has been hot lately with 5 points in his last 4 games...Montreal beat Chicago 2-1 in OT as veteran defenseman Andre Markov scored both goals for the Canadians. Markov has been overshadowed by fellow defenseman P K Subban, but he can still bring it with 24 points on the season... New Jersey beat Florida in OT as well as defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored the game winner. Like Markov, Zidlicky is an old veteran who can still rack up points.  He has 24 on the year.  Devils forward Michael Ryder scored the other goal. He has scored a goal in 4 straight games, and he has 7 points in his last 7 games.   He once scored 62 points for Dallas.  Grab him while he's hot....Ottawa beat Nashville 2-1 in a shootout, as Senators goalie Craig Anderson was outstanding with 32 saves.  After a brutal start to the season, Anderson has been steadily improving, and he now has 15 wins on the year.  Ottawa's Kyle Turris scored a goal, and with 34 points on the season he is worth a look as a 6th forward option. At 24 years old he can still get better...Columbus pounded Winnipeg 6-3.  Bryan Little had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets. Little is a lot like Turris, just on the edge of being fantasy worthy...  Colorado beat the Wild 4-2 as young forward Ryan O'Reilly had 2 goals for the Avalanche. We like O'Reilly, but with only 30 points on the season we can't recommend him yet.  He is only 22 years old.  He has 70 point potential in a year or two.  Paul Stastny left the game with an injury...Anaheim continued its winning ways with a 5-3 win over Phoenix. Ryan Getzlaf left the game with a LBI. Mathieu Perreault had 3 assists for the Ducks, and while he has only 25 points on the season, he has been hot lately with 6 points in his last 3 games. Radim Vrbata had 3 assists for Phoenix. Vrbata is another one of those marginal 6th forwards...In a tight close checking game Pittsburgh beat Calgary 2-1 as Penguin forward Chris Kunitz scored a ...