Tim Thomas, making his first start for the Dallas Stars, stifled the mighty St. Louis Blues by turning aside 28 of 30 shots in the 3-2 OT win. I told you guys to grab him a few days back as the former Stanley Cup winner should be rejuvenated for another possible playoff hunt with Kari Lehtonen out with a concussion. He should get the bulk of the starts moving forward in Lehtonen's absence. However, there is one caveat to consider: Thomas is proven and playoff-tested, while Lehtonen is not. If he can pull together a string of impressive wins like the one last night in St. Louis, it won't be easy for Lehtonen to reclaim his job upon his return. Mark that down. Our fantasy star performer of the night was Joe Pavelski, who helped the Sharks batter the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 2-goal,one-assist performance. With 34 goals and 65 points in 66 games, he has consistently been one of the upper-tier fantasy options amongst the forwards throughout the season. Don't expect much of a dropoff over the final stretch of games, as "Little Joe" has been the biggest Shark of all. Recently-acquired Tuomo Ruutu for New Jersey had a hand in both goals with 2 assists in their 2-1 win over Philadelphia. Since being united on a line with Jaromir Jagr (who continues to defy Father Time with another game-winning goal) and Travis Zajac(he's looking good too!), the 31-year old has collected 5 points in 2 games. I am loving this guy for a short-term sneaky pickup, as he has been notoriously streaky throught his NHL career and his recent trade could have re-invigorated him. Another interesting situation is playing out in Jersey as Cory Schneider has been struggling in the crease, while future HOFer Martin Brodeur has been the more effective Devil's goaltender since the Olympic break. Yesterday, Brodeur was called upon for the start in a critical matchup with the Flyers and responded with 30 saves on 32 shots in the huge 2-1 road victory. Fantasy owners could safely roll with the proven Stanley Cup winner while he keeps the Devils in playoff contention. Who would have thought Brodeur and Thomas could possibly have huge fantasy value during the final quarter of the season? So which Staal should be starting in all fantasy lineups at this moment? The numbers say Jordan, as he clicked big-time with Alex Semin and Jiri Tlusty on Carolina's supposed second line, collecting 5 points in the last three games. All he did in the Hurricane's upset win over the Blueshirts is score 2 huge goals. He may be worth a look. Super effort put forth by Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, stopping 39 of 40 shots in the win over Detroit with huge playoff implications. The reigning Vezina winner has been stellar in March, winning 5 of 6 starts with a 1.99 GAA and .935 SP. Start the Russian with confidence. You want the ultimate fantasy high-riser by association? Journeyman Lee Stempniak should be worth a waiver wire grab, given that he has been playing on a line with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby over the last 2 games. While Marin Gaborik has failed to collect a point since being traded to Los Angeles, Stempniak already has collected 3 helpers on the Penguin's top line. So who do you think is the better fantasy pickup in the short-term?