SMC 2/5/2017 COFFEE TALK Good morning!  Warming up my hands to a piping hot cup o’ joe! The Caps are rolling right along and there is no stopping this locomotive. Nicklas Backstrom doesn’t always get the credit he deserves.  It feels like he’s been around forever and he’s only 29. Alex Radulov has been a much better fit than I originally thought. Jay Beagle and Alex Ovechkin led the Caps in shots against Montreal on Saturday.  It was a dog day afternoon. The LA-Philly game was a real 1-0 pitcher’s duel.  For an afternoon matinee, I was hoping for some more action. Shayne Gostibehere, aka The Ghost, has really been a bit invisible after last year’s outstanding production. Wow, Colorado won a game this week! So much talk lately of the Avalanche dismantling their team but they have so much good young talent that just hasn’t blossomed yet.  But I guess you can’t wait to long for things to develop. The Maple Leafs are going to make a run for the playoffs and getting any of those top forwards on your fantasy squad will do wonders except for in the plus/minus category.  Willie Nyllie with the hattie against the B’s!  Congrats! Just to show how good Patrice Bergeron is…he comes back after suffering an LBI and puts up 7 SOG, scores a goal and assists on two others and they still lose the game.  How much more can this guy do? Oh, and after a horrendous start to his season, B’s d-man Torey Krug has been on fire lately.  He also had 7 SOG.  And David Pastrnak (2G, A)….breakout season, which PP called by the way.  Along with some other forecasters I suppose. Buffalo shut out Ottawa?  The Sens must’ve have been sightseeing at Niagara Falls. Tampa Bay is in last place of the Eastern Conference?  Is that even possible with all that talent?  I mean, they were thisclose to winning the Stanley Cup just a few short years ago. Two teams desperate to stay in the playoff race, Carolina and Islanders, had a real hard-fought battle on Saturday that saw the Canes get the extra point in OT. I think every team has a shot still to make the playoffs except for the Avs and the Arizona Coyotes. Every Islander had a SOG in that contest. Some of the luster has fallen off the Columbus Blue Jackets hot start to the season, now 4-5-1 in last 10 games, but they are still battling hard every game. Taylor Hall wins the Saturday SOG contest with 8. Kris Letang means so much to that Pittsburgh team.  As much as Crosby I’d say. What’s happening with the St. Louis Blues this season?  So unlike them. Detroit got a big win on Saturday but I still don’t think they will make the playoffs.  L Tyler Seguin has one crazy hot streak coming up I believe. The Minnesota Wild can score some goals this season.  3rd overall. Have a great week and may all your fantasies come true!