Quiet night for fantasy owners as some of the biggest names in the NHL were shut down by some top-notch goaltending. Antti Niemi silenced the Detroit Red Wings on the road with a 24-save shutout performance in the 1-0 SO win. Jimmy Howard did the same, but Sharks prevailed in the shoot-out thanks to an insane stop by Niemi on Todd Bertuzzi's last attempt. Last year's Vezina finalist is unquestionably among the fantasy elite, having gone 8-0-1 with a 1.64 and a .930 SP so far. Owners should continue to start the Finn workhorse with confidence. Meanwhile, Colorado backup J.S. Giguere helped the Avalanche take the battle of 7-1 teams in Pittsburgh with a 34-save shutout. One goal decided this "barnburner", as Av's captain Gabriel Landeskog notched the game-winner, his third of the season. Giguere's numbers now stand at 3-0, .067 GAA and .981 SP. The veteran is off to a fantastic start, but the starting job in Colorado belongs to Semyon Varlamov.
"Cammy" returns for Calgary: All of a sudden, the Calgary Flames have fantasy options galore as they continue to amaze with their surprising hot start. Last night's victims, the Los Angeles Kings, were foiled by a late T.J. Brodie power-play game-winner in the 3-2 Flame's win. Winger Mike Cammalleri scored a goal and an assist in his season debut, while Jiri Hudler, with 2 assists and 11 points overall in eight games, is on a eight-game point streak. These two forwards are worth snapping off the waiver-wire, as they will play a huge role on the offense, especially with the man-advantage. Rookie sensation Sean Monahan can still be sent down after 10 games, but his eye-popping numbers (6G/3A in 8GP) will make that decision extremely difficult. And what about Mark Giordano? After falling off the fantasy map last season, the new Calgary captain leads the blueline with nine points in seven games. A real fantasy sleeper could be goalie Karri Ramo, who has plenty of untapped upside but had a few shaky starts before his solid win over the Kings last night. Just know this- if the Flames are to shock the hockey world this year, either Ramo or Joey MacDonald needs to step up. Pittsburgh forward center Sidney Crosby finally had a game where he did not score a point. Crosby has 17 points in 9 games, and he will almost assuredly win the NHL scoring title if he stays healthy.
DAILY PRIME TODAY: NIEMI AND GIGUERE STEAL THE SHOW primepucks.comTue 10/22/13 5:44 AM