Perry missed Wednesday's game with the flu and did not practice this afternoon, which puts his status for Friday's game in a bit of doubt. Monitor his status during tomorrow's morning skate.

There was no word earlier in the day that Perry wouldn't play, but he is a late scratch tonight vs. the Islanders. Expect Dany Heatley to draw into the lineup. Consider him day-to-day.

In his return after a brief conditioning stint in the AHL, Anaheim G John Gibson had an easy go of it against the Columbus Blue Jackets, turning aside 16 of 17 SOG for his first win of the season. With the stellar play of Frederik Andersen so far this year, it looks like Gibson will get spot starts unless Andersen begins to falter. Everything looks to be in Andersen's favor, but one never knows how quickly the hand of fate delivers.  Corey Perry continues his torrid start with a goal and an assist but if somehow D Sami Vatanen is still available in your league, snatch him up ASAP as he had a goal and an assist, both on the power play. Cam Fowler seems to be the forgotten offensive d-man in Anaheim although he did also notch an assist on the power play and now has 5 points in 8 games... Edmonton rattled off their third win in a row as they blasted the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 at Rexall Place. It appears there is no fantasy-worthy options in Carolina but as the top talent returns to the lineup, the production should improve.  Jeff Skinner broke the ice in his third game back since opening the season on the injury list, so look for his numbers and the rest of the Canes to get quite better as C Eric Staal is close to returning as well. Without either of those in the lineup, the Canes have been horrible as they have gone winless.  Some good "buy-low" options in Carolina.... Speaking of being lost, Edmonton's Jordan Eberle broke out in a big way last night with 2 goals and an assist, the first goal a thing of beauty as he and Tayler Hall had a nice give-and-go to break Eberle free. Those who were a bit disgruntled can breathe a sigh of relief as Eberle should be a big part of that Oil offense.... You knew sooner or later that the Colorado Avalanche offense was going to break out as they scored 7 goals against the visiting Vancouver Canucks. The return of starter Semyon Varlamov didn't hurt either as the team seemed to play much better with their no. 1 back in the crease. Matt Duchene (G, 2A), Jarome Iginla (2G, A) and Tyson Barrie (3A) all had a 3-point night while Erik Johnson had a goal and an assist. Perhaps the Colorado Rocky air was just the right elixir.  Put your Avs back in the lineup pronto.  Take me home country roads.... The talent of the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially starter Ben Bishop (40/42 SVS), was just too much for the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec was chased after giving up 4 through 2 periods and his numbers are clearly not what the team ...

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Canadian solider who was shot and killed in yesterday's shooting in Ottawa. The Philadelphia Flyers won the Battle of Pennsylvania last night with a 5-3 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers held Crosby off the score sheet and gained a much needed win over a division rival.  Claude Giroux (G, A) and Jakub Vorcaek (2A) were active but it was Sean Couturier who had an empty-netter plus 2 assists to lead the scoring. Couturier has been called upon by GM Ron Hextall to be more involved the offense at the start of the season.  Couturier has the skill set to be more productive.  And with 5 points in the first 7 games. perhaps this is the start.... Anaheim's Corey Perry didn't need such a pep talk as he has started the season on fire, scoring a hat trick against the Buffalo Sabres last night. Perry now has 8 goals and 10 points in 7 games.....Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen remains unbeaten at 6-0-0 with an incredible 1.32 GAA and a .952 SP. He seems to have locked down the starter's role.... Don't look now but the Edmonton Oilers have won 2 in row with their 3-2 win over Washington Last night at Rexall Place. The Oil carried over their solid play from the Tampa Bay game and shut down another explosive forward last night in Alex Ovechkin. Some home cooking is all the Oilers needed to right the ship as the team is playing better defensively in front of G Ben Scrivens who may just be getting on a roll as he has let in only 2 goals in each of the two victories and has a .931 SP in that span....Is Edmonton D-man Justin Schultz heating up? Schultz has now scored in 2 straight games after going scoreless in 4.  Look for the talented young defenseman to be more involved in the offense going forward.   Schultz has so much untapped potential that if the team can play a sound defensive game in front of Scrivens, this could allow the extremely talented offense to shine through, benefitting both Schultz and Scrivens.

Three struggling teams were shutout at home last night, all by teams that struggled mightily last year. Four of the six games on the slate last night were won by visiting teams.  Of the shutouts, first Roberto Luongo blanked the Buffalo Sabres 1-0 earning his first, and the team's first, win of this season. Don't expect many wins from either team this year as they are in the midst of rebuilding...Secondly, the Nashville Predators remained undefeated as Pekka Rinne stopped all 31 Winnipeg Jets shots to raise his record to 3-0-1 and remind people that he is still one of the elite goaltenders of the NHL.  The Jets dropped to 1-3-0 even though G Ondrej Pavelec is playing better than he has ever played in his career with a 2.22 GAA and a .919 SP. It's only a small sample size of 4 games but it looks like Pavelec is determined to prove critics wrong.... Thirdly, Ryan Miller backstopped the Vancouver Canucks to a 2-0 blanking of the Edmonton Oilers to raise their record to 3-0-0 and drop the Oil to 0-4-1. The line of Radim Vrbata-Henrik Sedin-Daniel Sedin has been money so far and should consistently produce throughout the year as the Sedins look to rebound from last season's nightmare.... Just like last year, the Calgary Flames will fight to the end of every game and did so again last night but came up short against Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets who built a 3-0 lead only to hold on for the 3-2 victory.  Ryan Johansen shows no signs of slowing down even though he held out of training camp. The blue Jackets are becoming a fantasy relevant team as they have a solid young goaltender, a deep defensive core and young forwards coming into their own.  Johansen, Cam Atkinson and Bobrovsky are must-starts in your fantasy lineups while d-men Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski are off to slow starts, this could be a good "buy-low" opportunity to strengthen your fantasy defense. One pl;ayer to keep your eye on is LW Nick Foligno who has quietly put up 5 points in 4 games... You just have to wonder how dangerous the Red Wings could be once Pavel Datsyuk returns to the lineup. Without the superstar center, Detroit, behind Henrik Zetterberg (3A), Gustav Nyquist (G, A) and Johan Franzen (2G), defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 last night. Franzen may be one player that is available in your league, but if not take a look at Justin Abdelkader who had a goal and assist in last night's tilt. Abdelkader now has 4 points in 4 games and may be helpful in deeper ...

For all the fantasy owners who drafted New York Rangers winger Rick Nash a bit later than the customary early rounds, you reaped huge returns in Game 1. The enigmatic forward led the way with 2 goals, including the late game-winner and an assist in the Blueshirt's huge 3-2 road win over St. Louis. While seemingly star-crossed and in a state of disfunction all of last season, Nash looked every bit the part of a dangerous scorer last night while clicking on a line with the emerging Chris Kreider and the newly appointed center Martin St. Louis. While this represents a small sample size, this was an encouraging sign for a possible rebound season for Nash... Big injury news out of the same game- New York defenseman Dan Boyle will be out 4-6 weeks with a broken hand that he sustained while blocking a shot. Obviously, a blow to fantasy owners as Boyle looked to poise to put up decent numbers while anchoring their top power play unit. Give Ryan McDonagh a slight boost in fantasy value as he should get a modest uptick in power-play minutes.. Huge nights for Sidney Crosby (2G/1A) and Corey Perry (3G) in Pittsburgh's 6-4 win over Anaheim, but this high-scoring affair also introduced the debuts of Ryan Kesler and Patric Hornqvist in new uniforms. Both opened up the year in grand style, as fantasy owners must be thanking their luck stars for scooping them up. Kesler was terrific on the power-play with Getzlaf and Perry, collecting a goal and two assists. Meanwhile, Hornqvist responded to starting on the first line with a goal and a helper. Barring injuries, the gritty Swede is well on his way to a career season playing in his new digs... Sami Vatanen looked pretty comfortable with the man advantage, also chipping in with two assists. Even with a healthy Cam Fowler, the talented Finn might push for more PP time. Keep your eyes on him as his fantasy ascension has already begun.. So much for sitting Flyer's winger Wayne Simmonds this week on the basis that he was a bit banged up- two goals and assist in the 6-4 loss to New Jersey provides further evidence that his 60-point breakout season was definitely for real. Don't get caught up with the fact that he doesn't skate on the first line with Claude Giroux. He is a dominating force on the power-play and always around the net. 30+ goals should be a lock... The "Zach Attack" was on full display in Minnesota, as Zach Parise was in dominant form with a goal and two assists in the 5-0 drubbing of Colorado. Not much on Tomas ...

***The 2014-2015 PrimePucks FantasyHockey Draft Guide and 3-Year Statistical Spreadsheet have been updated through the morning of October 5th.  Go to "My Account" and then to the "Files" tab and you can download the updated Guide and Spreadsheet. Tyler Toffoli scored two goals while linemate Tanner Pearson scooped up two assists in the Kings 3-2 loss to Colorado. They will have their moments of "hot" scoring stretches playing with Jeff Carter, but the lack of playing time should temper your fantasy expectations. Playing behind Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik on a defensive-minded team can't help... A few superstars already in mid-season form: Corey Perry, who scored the OT game-winner against the Sharks and Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 45 of 47 shots in the win over Nashville... Two of the 60-point variety which are excellent middle-round value picks, Boston C Patrice Bergeron (3G) and Minnesota RW Jason Pominville (3A) enjoyed huge nights. Very consistent but not much upside. You need these type of forwards to win, so don't take for granted... Forever teasing us with his immense talent, Winnipeg's Evander Kane gave us more to think about with two goals in the 4-1 win over Calgary. If you can take him close to the mid-rounds, I say low risk/high reward as he is going to explode one day soon... Is Willie Desjardins going to fo wonders for the Sedins out in Vancouver? You betcha, as Daniel scores ones while brother Henrik chips in with two helpers. Just like the old days. Don't forget about Radim Vrbata who picked up his 3rd preseason goal on his new team. Only a few years removed from a 35-goal campaign, this guy can bury the puck. If he clicks with "Swedish Heaven", he is a downright steal in the late rounds.. David Krejci left the Boston game with a very monor injury, but should be ready to go by Opening night.. Memo to Lubomir Visnovsky owners- Nick Leddy is coming! Even if starts the season opener, Visnovsky will find it difficult to stay healthy the entire season. The young Leddy is oozing offensive upside and is getting a new lease on life after his trade from Chicago, so he is well worth a flier.

Tyler Toffoli scored two goals while linemate Tanner Pearson scooped up two assists in the Kings 3-2 loss to Colorado. They will have their moments of "hot" scoring stretches playing with Jeff Carter, but the lack of playing time should temper your fantasy expectations. Playing behind Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik on a defensive-minded team can't help... A few superstars already in mid-season form: Corey Perry, who scored the OT game-winner against the Sharks and Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 45 of 47 shots in the win over Nashville... Two of the 60-point variety which are excellent middle-round value picks, Boston C Patrice Bergeron (3G) and Minnesota RW Jason Pominville (3A) enjoyed huge nights. Very consistent but not much upside. You need these type of forwards to win, so don't take for granted... Forever teasing us with his immense talent, Winnipeg's Evander Kane gave us more to think about with two goals in the 4-1 win over Calgary. If you can take him close to the mid-rounds, I say low risk/high reward as he is going to explode one day soon... Is Willie Desjardins going to fo wonders for the Sedins out in Vancouver? You betcha, as Daniel scores ones while brother Henrik chips in with two helpers. Just like the old days. Don't forget about Radim Vrbata who picked up his 3rd preseason goal on his new team. Only a few years removed from a 35-goal campaign, this guy can bury the puck. If he clicks with "Swedish Heaven", he is a downright steal in the late rounds.. David Krejci left the Boston game with a very monor injury, but should be ready to go by Opening night.. Memo to Lubomir Visnovsky owners- Nick Leddy is coming! Even if starts the season opener, Visnovsky will find it difficult to stay healthy the entire season. The young Leddy is oozing offensive upside and is getting a new lease on life after his trade from Chicago, so he is well worth a flier.

After being knocked out of the second round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings in seven games, the Anaheim Ducks wasted another stellar regular season showing as the Western Conference point leader. However, Coach Bruce Boudreau and company were quick to act during the offseason, trading for former Vancouver center Ryan Kesler in exchange for Nick Bonino and Luca Sbisa. Veterans Teemu Selanne's and Saku Koivu have retired, but the signing of extensions for young forwards Jakub Silfverberg and Patrick Maroon assures the club of much needed forward depth. They also took a chance on former prolific scoring winger Dany Heatley, signing him to a one year deal. Goalie Jonas Hiller was allowed to bolt via free agency, handing over the reins to the promising tandem of Frederik Andersen and John Gibson. All in all, this team has elite fantasy stars up front while plenty of emerging value on defense. GOALIES The Ducks appear to be in good hands in the crease with 2nd-year goalies Andersen and Gibson but fantasy owners won't have it as easy. After a standout regular rookie season where he posted a 20-5 record with a 2.29 GAA and .923 SP, he is technically penciled in as the starter. However, American standout Gibson has been developing quicker than expected and can steal the starting job just like he did in the playoffs. He has won at every level so expect him to make a huge NHL splash soon. With Jason LaBarbera also on roster, it's entirely possible that Gibson starts the year in the AHL to get more seasoning. Any way you look at it, the goaltending situation in Anaheim is very fluid so you should grab both goalies if you are interested. DEFENSE Cam Fowler is clearly the Ducks best fantasy option on the blue line, given that he is firmly entrenched on the top pairing and as quarterback on the primary power play unit. He burst on the scene with 40 points as a rookie, but his game had taken a step back the next two seasons. However, he rediscovered his game last season with 36 points in 70 games while becoming a more complete two-way defender. He is currently day to day with an undisclosed injury but should be ready to go by the opener. View Fowler as a solid 2-3 fantasy defenseman. The other guy to watch is Sami Vatanen, who has the high upside to dominate in the NHL. The defensive game is not there yet, but he should flourish soon with more power play time. 30-35 points should be in the cards for the talented Finn. Young Hampus Lindholm is developing into...

It didn't take long for Detroit to possibly suffer a key injury, as Pavel Datsyuk injured his shoulder during their 2-1 pre-season win over Pittsburgh. He will be re-evaulated today, but the severity of the injury is not clear. A few note-worthy stat lines to consider from yesteday's games: Marian Gaborik 2G; Patrick Berglund 1G,1A; Mark Streit 1G,3A; Dany Heatley 1G. Note: Keep your eye on Heatley during camp as the Ducks will give him an extended look on a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. The underachieving winger has been on a sownward spiral since an 80-pt season with San Jose, but this could be his last chance to hit NHL paydirt.