Senators' goalie Craig Anderson looks poised to have a good season as he shutout the Sabres last night with 35 saves. Anderson was terrific all night long, positioning himself perfectly and not giving up too many rebounds. Anderson had an amazing 1.69 goals against average in the regular season and a great .941 save percentage, although it was in only 24 games. At 32 years old he should be in his goaltending prime. Expect him to have a big year, and he is a solid number one fantasy goalie. Defenseman Erik Karlsson scored the game winner for Ottawa with only over a minute left in the game. We view Karlsson as the premier fantasy defenseman in the NHL. Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller was the subject of numerous trade rumors during the offseason, but has remained with the Sabres. He was simply outstanding last night as well with 45 saves. Buffalo should struggle to score goals this year, but this is a promising start for Miller to get back to the player he was a few years ago.
Which Kane Are We Talking About?: In the Bible it states that "Cain slew Able and went off to the land of Nod east of Eden". Well Evander Kane was the slewer last night, as he had a goal and two assists in Winnipeg's victory over the Los Angeles Kings. At this point we have to wonder which Kane is the better fantasy option, Patrick or Evander. Both are looking like top fantasy forward picks. But Patrick is a well established star while many fantasy players may not be aware of Evander's potential. This guy is only 22 years old, but he has been in the NHL for four years. He could have a real breakout year this season. Don't forget about him.
Other Fantasy Game Notes: Rookie forward Nathan MacKinnon continues to impress the Colorado management. The 18 year old has 3 assists in the first two games, and he is playing on a line with P.A. Parenteau and Jamie McGinn. He is getting top quality ice time as evidenced by his 4:42 minutes on the power play. He may hit a wall later in the season, but the kid looks like a great keeper...Pekka Rinne continues to struggle in net for Nashville as he allowed 3 goals last night to Colorado. At least he lasted the whole game and had 33 saves. The Predators offense looks mediocre at best, so Rinne could struggle for wins this year...Michael Grabner had a big night for the New York Islanders as he had two goals and an assist in last night's win over the Devils. Grabner has tremendous speed, and he once scored 34 goals in the NHL, but he is very inconsistent. If he gets on a hot streak, grab him and then try to sell him high. Damien Brunner had two goals for New Jersey, but don't expect that to happen a lot. With Kovalchuk gone that team is not going to score that much...Red Wing forward Stephen Weiss scored the game winner in overtime as Detroit beat Carolina last night 3-2. Weiss appears to be fitting right in in Detroit playing on a line with veteran Daniel Alfredsson and Johan Franzen, but don't overestimate him. He is a later round pick at best.
DAILY PRIME OCTOBER 5, 2013: CRAIG ANDERSON LOOKS PRIMED FOR A BIG ... primepucks.comSat 10/5/13 9:51 AM