Hot coffee on a cold day.....let's go! I think Christian Ehrhoff took the task to hand yesterday with 7 SOG and the game-winning goal in the third period. Finally earning that paycheck... No Kunitz. No Dupuis. No Hornqvist.  No Bennett.  No Letang.  No problem for the Penguins as long as they have both Crosby, Malkin and Fleury leading the way.... The Islanders had the Blues, leading 3-0 after 1 period, but Marty was the inspiration taking over for Jake Allen.... Both top defensemen for the St. Louis Blues had a combined 15 SOG, Shattenkirk 8 & Pietrangelo 7..... Vladimir Tarasenko is slowing down, but not much as he potted his 17th goal to seal the deal on Long Island. You knew Jaroslav Halak had to lose after winning 11 in a row and Steve Mason had to win eventually. It was just odd that the Flyers would beat the Kings in LA after going 1-8-2 in last 11 games.... Has anyone seen Anze Kopitar this season? Two teams you gotta believe in this year are the NY Islanders and the Calgary Flames.... If Florida can string together a few wins, then they would be my surprise team of the season so far... And Columbus would be my surprise team going the other way but with the way Sergei Bobrovsky has been playing in his last few games, I think the Blue Jackets are ready to make a run.... I mean, the Jackets did beat the Tampa Bay Lightning on their own ice 3-1 as they have everyone back in their lineup.... Buffalo's Matt Moulson had 7 SOG but I'm sure he daydreams about his days playing alongside John Tavares on Long Island.... Roberto Luongo must be loving life playing in Florida again, getting away from last year's circus in Vancouver.... You just gotta love what this kid Aaron Ekblad is bringing to, not only the Florida Panthers, but the NHL as well.   3 more assists last night brings him up to 17 points in 25 games.  Impressive indeed... Remember how it was the end of the world for Leaf fans when they took a 9-2 shellacking from the Tampa Bay Lightning? They have gone 5-1-1 since that game.  Sometimes you need a little smack on the behind to get you going... With 7 points in last 4 games, Joffrey Lupul seems to be getting into one of his zones that he is famous for. The other thing that Lupul is famous for is getting injured... Every single Canuck had a SOG in yesterday's contest against Toronto.... Tyler Seguin with his 3 points leapfrogged over Crosby and Voracek for the NHL lead in points. Plus he leads with 21 goals.  Boston?  Do you see what is ...

Hooray to the great Martin Brodeur for picking up his first win For St. Louis, after stopping 14 of 16 shots in relief of an ineffective Jake Allen. Somewhere way inside me, I have a feeling he can push Allen for playing time given his tremendous future HOF pedigree but am not sure how it would play out when Brian Elliott returns. I would say that if you any room on your bench, stashing him for now might not be the worst idea.. To stay on this game, Kevin Shattenkirk's three points has vaulted him to second amongst NHL defensemen in scoring with 22 points. For fantasy formats that reward power-play points, he actually leads all d-men in power-play assists with 14. As elite as they come.. Up-and-coming Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad is making quite the rookie impact with three more assists, giving him 17 points in 26 games. While its unreasonable to expect the youngster to maintain that level of production, I could easily see him pull off a "Tyler Myers"... Chicago's other great line came up huge for the second straight match, as Marian Hossa scored two goals in the 3-1 win over Nashville. Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg have been dynamite on the second line, but the impending return of Patrick Sharp to the top unit might give them the edge going forward. Nonetheless, plenty of goals to go around as the Blackhawks are explosive.. While Sidney Crosby and Jakub Voracek have been battling for the NHL scoring lead seemingly all season long, studly Tyler Seguin roared past the two with a three-point effort and now also leads in goals scored with 21. There is a subtle "change of the fantasy guard" going on here, as the Dallas center making a bold statement for universal top-three selection in next year's fantasy drafts... Maybe it's time to change Mark Giordano's first name to "Norris" as the Calgary defenseman continues to prove that his breakout season of 2013-14 was no fluke. With his goal last night, he now leads all defensemen with 28 points. His point-per-game production last year-.73- ranked third only behind Erik Karlsson and Duncan Keith, so he keep your faith in this guy. He's legit elite and not worth trading under most circumstances... Shades of heavy-duty Vezina form for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky lately, as he turned aside 33 shots in the improbable victory in Tampa. He has now won three straight for an injury-plagued Columbus squad and should only get better as the team gets healthier. Your "buy-low" window is closing rapidly... MORE COMING..

Most eyes were on Martin Brodeur's first career start on a team other than New Jersey, and the end-results were mixed. He surrendered four goals on 24 shots in the 4-3 St. Louis loss to Nashville, but looked on his game early on after making several splendid saves. As a die-hard NHL fan, it's great to see Marty back manning the crease but as a fantasy owner, I won't be running to scoop him up soon. He will get a few starts to alleviate Jake Allen's workload while Brian Elliott recovers from injury, so don't get caught up in the hype. Brodeur's elite fantasy days are long over.. A heavy dose of reality for Jhonas Enroth and his Buffalo mates, as they got slammed by Tampa Bay 5-0 in the second game of a home-and-home set. You didn't think that the suddenly streaking Sabres would hand the Lightning a second straight loss, did you? Even though Enroth gave up 5 goals on 35 shots and had his three-game winning streak snapped, he has played extremely well lately and should be considered a depth spot on most fantasy squads. With a very manageable three-home game week coming up, I am seriously considering starting Enroth over the struggling Kari Lehtonen.. The injuries to Pittsburgh's forward corps keep piling up, as Patric Hornqvist was not out there for the third period of the 3-0 loss to Vancouver. Apparently, he suffered the injury after taking a big hit from Ryan Stanton, but there hasn't been a confirmation yet. The ex-Predator has been a fantasy revelation on the Pens, collecting 25 points in 25 games, so a serious injury would be a massive blow to his fantasy owners.. Sergei Bobrovsky's 52 saves paced the Blue Jackets in a much-needed 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers and ending his personal five-game win-less skid.With a 6-8-1 record and a less than elite 2.89 GAA, the young Russian goaltender is off his normal slow start, but just like his 2013 Vezina winning year, he could heat up in a hurry. I am saying huge "buy-low" opportunity here, so inquire what it would take to get him on the moderate cheap.. Eleven straight and counting for Jaroslav Halak, as he continued his lengthy winning streak with his 20-save effort in New York's 2-1 road win over Ottawa. His numbers speak for themselves, with his .926 SP and 2.05 GAA ranking him amongst the fantasy elite. Keep riding him in the crease as the Islanders have shown no signs of any slippage soon.. Great news for Logan Couture fantasy owners, as he passed all concussion protocol and played last night in...

With 7 points in the past 4 games and 15 points in past 9, it is safe to say that Chicago's Patrick Kane is on fire. Kane's 2 goals paced the way in the Blackhawk's win over Jake Allen (29/33 SV) and the St. Louis Blues. ...Allen didn't have his best game and new Blue Martin Brodeur will make his debut tonight against the Nashville Predators....Antti Raanta turned aside 40 shots on goal to earn the win in his first start since October 25th. Raanta should see most of the action over the next few weeks as starter Corey Crawford recovers from a lower-body injury... Kris Versteeg has shown no signs of slowing down as he pitched in with a goal and 2 assists giving him 7 points in last 3 games. Versteeg es en fuego!  He now has 21 points in 21 games played this season.  Grab him as he is for real.... Minnesota's Darcy Kuemper (18/19 SV) came within a minute of pitching a shutout against the Montreal Canadiens but Alex Galchenyuk spoiled that bid. Kuemper is solidifying his hold on the starter's role but things can change if and when Josh Harding is ready to return to NHL action. The Wild will need to address their soon to crowded goaltending core..... Will the Edmonton Oilers ever win another game this season? That's 11 straight losses with 4 of those losses in overtime so they did manage to grab 4 points out of this ordeal.  Big deal, right?  Something will have to give for these poor Oiler fans who have suffered long enough.... The Philadelphia Flyers are just a touch above the Edmonton Oilers as they have now lost 10 of their last 11 with a 5-4 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks last night....Wayne Simmonds scored twice and, with 7 SOG, may be on the verge of breaking out of his slump. The Flyers are in a desperate state and something big may be lurking just around the corner.  He does have 17 points in 25 games but more was expected of the RWer....

Hoping to have one last chance at hoisting the Stanley Cup, Martin Brodeur signed a 1-year deal with the St. Louis Blues. The Blues were in a bind when starter Brian Elliott went down with a lower-body injury and will be sidelined for a few weeks at least, leaving them with just Jake Allen with any NHL experience. Perhaps the injury to Elliott is more than the Blues are letting on.   In many ways, this was a prudent signing by St. Louis as they keep him away from their competition as well as providing a mentor for young Allen who they hope can be their undisputed no. 1 someday. Brodeur had only played with one team before signing with St. Louis and set many goaltending records while with the New Jersey Devils, including such marks as most shutouts in a season, most career wins by a goaltending in the regular season, and so on. At 42, the Devils decided to make a change and go with Cory Schneider as their starter. Schneider was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for their 1st round pick. Brodeur most recently led the Devils to the 2011-12 Stanley Cup Finals against the Los Angeles Kings but lost in 6 games. The experience that Brodeur brings to the table is priceless and tutoring Allen in net while Elliott recovers will only be beneficial to the young net minder.  The owner of 3 Stanley Cups is just what the doctor ordered as the Blues are devoid of any players who have won the coveted Cup, or have the amount of playoff experience that Brodeur brings.  Having a goalie of Brodeur's stature will surely have players paying attention to any advice that he can give them.  He will spell Allen and if Elliott's injury proves to be more serious than originally thought, having Brodeur around can only be a good thing. All-in-all, a very good move by the Blues who are on the threshold of competing not only as a regular season dynamo, but as a team, with a little bit more playoff experience, could make a run for Lord Stanley's Cup. POST MARKS: BACK-TO-BACK??--Rumor has it that he Dallas Stars are looking for a more experienced net minder to back up starter Kari Lehtonen in case of injury. They believe their team can compete for the Cup this year and having depth at goaltender is critical to their chances.  Not too happy with Anders Lindback, perhaps Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom will become available once Josh Harding works himself back into shape and creates a logjam in the crease for the Wild. Keep an eye on this as the ...

YOUNG GLOVE It is rare that a young goalie, those in their early twenties, can take over the starting goaltender role and have an immediate impact. There are those rare occurrences, like when Cam Ward as a 22-year old rookie with just 28 NHL games experience, backstopped the Carolina Hurricanes to an improbable Stanley Cup championship. Carey Price, much heralded as the next coming, has taken quite a few years since he burst onto the NHL scene in 2007 as a 20-year old phenomenon. Both had decent records in their debut season, but it took a few years until they could be counted on to perform at a consistent level.  There will always be young net minders who are just waiting for that big break, or that opening for them to showcase their abilities to perform as a No. 1.  Three young goaltenders on the cusp of becoming NHL starters are just biding time until that day comes. After backstopping the United States to the gold medal in the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, his name was becoming well-known in fantasy circles as the goaltender to own for years to come. John Gibson got his first start in the NHL when Anaheim starter was injured and made 18 saves for a shutout win over the Vancouver Canucks at the end of last season. Entering the 2014-2015 season, there was much talk about Gibson being the No. 1 even though he had limited NHL experience.  In fact Gibson started the opener but lost 6-4 to the Pittsburgh Penguins and didn't make another start for six games.  Frederik Andersen had won those six games between Gibson starts, but Gibson ended up starting 3 of the next 4 before suffering a LBI (lower body injury). There is no doubt that Gibson has the skills to be a top-notch NHL goaltender someday, but with Andersen (9-2-4, 2.10 GAA & .921 SP) playing well, the Ducks can afford to take their time with Gibson and let him heal properly. There may be stretches during this season when Gibson returns where he will get the bulk of playing time, but expect the Ducks to monitor the number of games played in order to keep both goalies fresh come the playoffs. Jake Allen burst onto the NHL scene with the St. Louis Blues in 2012-13 and went 9-4-0 winning his first 3 starts and 8 of first 9. That was such an impressive debut but with Jaroslav Halak signed to a contract and Brian Elliott showing his ability to being more than just a capable backup the Blues elected to let Allen play regularly in the AHL the following season until they resolved their crowded ...

Allen stopped all 26 shots that he faced in the Blues 1-0 win over the Devils on Tuesday. He has stopped all 50 of the shots that he has faced in his last two starts and should make for a good start tonight as he takes on the Devils again, this time in St. Louis.

Allen stopped all 26 shots that he faced in the Blues 1-0 win over the Devils last night. He was coming off of a 24-save shutout vs. the Ducks on October 30th. He joins Ernie Wakely as the only other Blues rookie to post consecutive shutouts, Wakely did it way back in 1970. The way Allen is playing, he is going to force coach Hitchcock to give him starts. He is only owned in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues.

The Florida Panthers and Roberto Luongo continue to be a tough draw as the Boston Bruins squeaked out a 2-1 win over the Cats. Brad Marchand was the offensive catalyst for the third straight game with a goal and an assist giving him 6 points in those three games. If you are looking for a mid-50 point scorer who could possibly give you a little more, then Marchand might be worth a pickup... The Cam Ward resurgence continues from the weekend as Ward and the Carolina Hurricanes won their third straight with a 4-2 win over Columbus. It is safe to put Ward back in your lineup, or possibly pick him up off waivers if he happens to still be available.... The hottest player in the NHL continues to tear it up as Vladimir Tarasenko scored a game-winning power play goal as the blues beat the New Jersey Devils 1-0. There isn't much more to say than to keep him in your lineup until he somehow cools off.  That's 9 points in his last 5 games.  Torrid!  G Jake Allen pitched the 26-save shutout..... Steve Mason and the Philadelphia Flyers played a solid game at home to start off a 4-game homestand. On player who is giving Tarasenko a run for the "hottest player" honors is Jakub Voracek who had 2 goals, including the game-winner. With 18 points in 12 games, he is right up there with Sidney Crosby for the league lead in points. Like Tarasenko, he also has 9 points in his last 5 games..... If the NHL, or fantasy poolies even, haven't taken the Calgary Flames seriously yet, well you just might have to join the ever increasing believers as the Flames took one from the Washington Capitals with a 4-3 OT victory in DC. The Flames have carried over their solid play from last year and Head Coach Bob Hartley has them playing spirited hockey.  Continue to start T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano on the back end and perhaps Johnny Gaudreau even though he was kept off the score sheet, he does have 5 points in last 4 games. G Jonas Hiller has brought much needed stability in net for the Flames so continue to start him with confidence.... Chicago, behind the 28-save performance by Corey Crawford, blanked the Montreal Canadiens 5-0 at the Bell Centre. Jonathan Toews was the catalyst with a power play goal and an assist as the Habs continue to struggle to score. Their goal differential to date is -14, so someone has to step up or G Carey Price will start to get shell shocked.... Erik Karlsson led the way with a power-play goal that keyed a three-out burst in the third period for the Senators ...