SMC-10/11/2015 Always love this time of year when the leaves start turning colors, Mallomars hit the grocery store shelves and NHL hockey comes back for another season! We at PrimePucks™ expected a big bounce back season from Nathan MacKinnon (77 pts.) and he sure hasn’t disappointed so far in the early going with 5 points in the first two games. Ranger rookie C Oscar Lindberg is surely fitting in just nicely with 3 goals and 4 points in the first three games of the season.  May be too early to go out and grab this kid, but you never know. The PrimePucks™ Rankings are up for your perusal.  The first BETWEEN THE PIPES article is up a few days early as we couldn’t wait to pour it on you.  Our DAILY ROTO LINEUPS have been up since Day 1 and last night was a successful one for yours truly. I didn’t expect Columbus to start out 0-2-0 but they did face the unbeaten NY Rangers in those 2 matches.  They have company in Pittsburgh who started their two games on the road.  Buy low people!  LOL! If Jaroslav Halak battles injuries this season, the Isles will be hard-pressed to repeat last season’s effort. No hangover for these Chicago Blackhawks.  They, instead of the Rangers, could be 3-0 if not for the heroics of Henrik Lundqvist on opening night. The Flyers look just like last year’s version.  Didn’t they get a new coach and new attitude for this season? Detroit may be winning because of other teams being in shock that they have so many young players in pertinent roles which was never the case before.  Or they are just that good of an organization.  I’ll go with the latter. Edmonton played two tough teams to open the season and the schedule doesn’t get any easier any time soon. Artemi Panarin looks like he’s been playing in the NHL for years with the poise he has displayed.  I’d take a chance on him if he’s still available, but I doubt he is. If you are looking for action-packed, high-scoring and any other hyphenated descriptions, watch any Colorado Avalanche game this season.  10 goals in 2 games….Who says global warming is here? Did you know that Buffalo is outscoring Pittsburgh, Anaheim & Edmonton so far?  Useless stat I know, but fun for the moment. Antti Niemi comes in to start his first game for Dallas as part of a so-called platoon and shuts out the Mighty Pittsburgh Penguins.  Then let’s in 6 goals against Colorado in the next start.  Oh boy. Happy for Jimmy Howard to get a shutout in Detroit’s opener.  Been hit with injuries the past two seasons so to ...

#10 NEW YORK ISLANDERS The Islanders are looking to make it 3 out of 4 years of making the playoffs as they begin their new life in Brooklyn USA.  The Isles missed the playoffs the 5 prior seasons but now have their franchise player reaching his prime in John Tavares.  JT, with a career high 86 points, finished 1-point behind Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Been.  JT’s wingers will be enjoying career seasons as well.  The younger talent is starting to filter in and the team is looking to improve on last season so they were able to ship Michael Grabner off to Toronto to clear some room.  Just who takes advantage of the opportunity will be seen.  Jaroslav Halak has been a steadying influence since signing a free agent deal last summer.  Look for that to continue.  The defense was solidified when Snow brought in Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk just prior to the season in deals with teams looking to create cap space.  Free agent signing of Marek Zidlicky should help with the power play. GOALIES It was pretty much status quo in the goalie department expect the team improved their backup position by signing Thomas Greiss to a 2-year deal. Halak should amass another 60 starts and give similar performance as last season.  The team is improving in front of him so as long as he remains consistent, there shouldn’t be a problem.  He needs to improve his GAA a little, as you can see from the table below, but they just need him to be the rock he was last year. 2014-2015                      GP      GAA       W        L        OTL       SP Jaroslav Halak             59         2.43       38       17         4         .914   DEFENSE The signing of Zidlicky could be a godsend and just be the spark that could make the Islander power play click.  Even at 38, he still has a knack for scoring and being an asset oh the power play. A lot of people are believing that Leddy will be the main focus on the blue line and well he should be.  At 24 and a year under his belt as an Islander look for the young d-man to better his career high of 37 points accomplished twice.  Last year and his second year with the Blackhawks. When Boychuk started with the Islanders, he came out of the shoot like a house on fire but settled in after that hot start.  He does have a scoring touch but don’t expect anything more than mid-30’s and that may be a stretch with the arrival of Zidlicky.  Travis Hamonic has shown glimpses but is lower on the depth chart while Thomas Hickey and Calvin de Haan round out ...

Hartnell's hattie, Ducks struggle on road trip, Isles & Wild battle The Anaheim Ducks have struggled at the beginning of their 5-game road trip with their second straight loss, this time losing 5-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Ducks managed to get off to a 2-0 lead but the Jackets battled back with Scott Hartnell getting a hat trick.  Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist in the victory and the duo reminds me when Hartnell had that career season playing alongside Claude Giroux when in Philadelphia.  Perhaps Hartnell will continue his productive play until the end of the season…. The St. Louis Blues beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime as they managed to keep Sidney Crosby off the score sheet.  The Pens have been struggling of late in the scoring department but have the guns once everyone is in full health.  So expect the scoring to return when the likes of Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist return to the lineup….. Jonathan Quick (34/36 Sv) and the Los Angeles Kings took control of the game after Mats Zuccarello scored just 51 seconds into the match, never letting the Rangers get back into the match.  Quick was excellent in the win that pitted last season’s Stanley Cup finalists against one another.  LA is battling to gain a playoff position while the Rangers are looking to perhaps have a shot at the President’s Cup… The Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders fought to a 2-1 shootout win by the Wild as both goaltenders, Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk, continued on with their career years.  Kudos to both net minders on a remarkable season… Roberto Luongo not so sharp in Florida's pivotal match-up with Tampa Bay as rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy outplayed the veteran, turning aside 36 shots in the 4-3 win... No Pavel Datsyuk, no win for the Red Wings as they suffered the ultimate let-down game, dropping a 5-4 home decision to Arizona.. After being a lock for Calder Trophy honors for most of the season, Nashville's Filip Forsberg has not enjoyed a prolific month of March: four points in 11 games. Perhaps last night's overtime winner against the Hab's gets him going again. His fantasy value is far more certain for next season, where he could easily rank amongst the top15-20 fantasy forwards. Love him for 2015-16 and beyond... For those who drafted Radim Vrbata on the speculation that playing with the Sedin twins has it's perks, it's all coming together late in the season. His three points in the 5-2 triumph over Winnipeg improved his numbers to ...

The Minnesota Wild roll by the St. Louis Blues 6-3, as Brian Elliott was pulled after giving up four goals. Thomas Vanek scored a goal, extending his point streak to seven games. His late season scoring surge is good enough reason to get him in your starting lineups... Is there a better line going in the NHL than the Gaudreau-Hudler- Monahan unit for the Calgary Flames? In another big spot, the trio have combined for five points but the team fell short in overtime after Rene Bourque buried the game-winner. Start all three as thay are providing the bulk of Calgary's offense during their hot streak... Carey Price for MVP? It's looking more and more likely as he keeps churning out suberb efforts in the crease, this gtime posting his second straight shutout and blanking the San Jose Sharks...   Jonathan Quick kept the Los Angeles Kings in the match with 36 saves, but Radim Vrbata spearheaded the Canuck's offense with the go-ahead goal in the third period plus an assist. He has been heating up so give him an extended look as Vancouver pushes hard for a playoff spot.  Boston blows another opportunity to extend their point lead over Florida as Roberto Luongo outlasted Tuukka Rask in the shootout to give the panthers the 2-1 win. In two games back, "Bobby Lou" looks every bit the solid fantasy goalie that he was during his peak years in Vancouver...  Jaroslav Halak is back starting for the Islanders after missing two games and his presence along with the return of defenseman Nick Leddy helped lead them to a 3-0 win over New Jersey. Kyle Okposo scored his 16th goal of the season, slowly shaking off his injury rust and getting ready for a strong finish. Get him in your starting lineups..   Kyle Turris continued his hot play with the game winning goal and Andrew Hammond won his sixth straight start for Ottawa as the Senators defeated their provinciakl rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3. Defenseman Erik Karlsson finished the match with a goal and an assist. He is definitely paying fantasy dividends now for those owners who drafted him in the early rounds.. The goaltending enigma known as Kari Lehtonen was spectacular in net after he posted his fifth shutout of the season in the 4-0 drubbing of Chicago. Jason Spezza picked up a goal and  an assist while Alex Goligoski notched two helpers. Give "Gogo" the starting nod this upcoming week if you own him as he is on a serious scoring roll to finish the season.. What a return for Taylor Hall as he assisted on ...

Lights out for Chicago, Anaheim explodes, Updated Rankings coming and Skinner continues. Boston came away with a much needed 2 points against New Jersey as they cling to that last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.  Ryan Spooner scored his first NHL goal in overtime as he has been entrusted with a little more responsibility with the injury to David Krejci.  Don’t expect a lot from Spooner as he only has a total of 35 NHL game experience under his belt, but what a good time to score his first as the Bruins hold a 4-poiont lead over the Florida Panthers in the East…. The Islanders just keep on winning and now lead the Rangers by two points in the Metropolitan Division but the Rangers have three games in hand on the Isles.  Islanders Goalie Jaroslav Halak continues to improve upon his career year on the Island.  Kudos to those who took a chance on the sometimes underwhelming Halak…. Carolina’s Jeff Skinner scored again and now has 6 goals in last 8 games as the Hurricanes blanked the Washington Capitals 3-0 behind the 28-save effort from Anton Khudobin.  Look for the Canes to platoon their two goalies from here on out as they are out of the playoff race and are preparing for next season.  Skinner in the meantime can drive you bonkers as a fantasy owner because of his tremendous potential but also his propensity to get injured at the most inopportune times.  Ride him while he’s on fire…. Tampa’s Ben Bishop posted just his second shutout on the season but his 31st win by stopping all 28 SOG against the Blackhawks.  Ever since the Lightning acquired Bishop and installed him as the number 1, he has given fantasy owners a solid goaltender since day 1…With 2 goals, Steven Stamkos is rising quickly and is just 5 behind NHL leader in goals scored Alex Ovechkin.  With 20+ games to go in the season, SS could reach 50…. Colorado clings to playoff hopes as they beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a shootout.  Stars’ Cody Eakin (2G, A) was the offensive star in the losing effort but doesn’t hold much fantasy value I hate to say…. Anaheim awoke from their slumber after being shut out the previous game against Ottawa with a 4-goal outburst to beat their neighbors, the Los Angeles Kings 4-2.  Corey Perry was the hero scoring two late goals, the game-winner with just under 30 seconds remaining in regulation. Rookie John Gibson was the benefactor is now 7-5-0 on the season.  

Ever since his emergence in the 2010 NHL playoffs, teams have been waiting for Jaroslav Halak to return to that level.  In the first round of those playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens were down 3 games to 1 against the Washington Capitals but Halak’s brilliant goaltending propelled the Habs into the second round.  Washington had the best overall record in the NHL and were predicted to go deep into the playoffs, so Halak emerged as the unlikely hero noted for his 53-save performance in Game 6.  That display of talent carried over against the potent Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. The Pens are always dangerous with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at the top of their lineup but Halak stood tall and the Canadiens took the series 4-3 and advanced to face the Philadelphia Flyers where the magical run ended in 5 games. The Slovakian goaltender held a lot of promise and had been given a chance in Montreal but with the uber-talented Carey Price waiting in the wings, it was no surprise when the Canadiens elected to trade Halak to the St. Louis Blues and go with Price.  Halak eventually signed a 4-year deal shortly after free agency started.  Halak’s four seasons in St. Louis were marked with hot and cold periods as he battled with Brian Elliott for playing time.  His term was also marred with injuries so he never could find his consistency.  The blues had to make a decision as Jake Allen was waiting in the wings for playing time. With Elliott having signed a three0year deal, the writing was on the wall for Halak.  They eventually traded him to Buffalo who turned around and dealt him to Washington where they were having goaltending issues.  After his brief stint in Washington, the Caps traded him to the New York Islanders in May of 2014 to not lose him for nothing.  Halak signed a 4-year deal a few weeks after being acquired and the Islanders couldn’t be happier.  His 31 wins already have eclipsed his previous high of 27 set with S. Louis in 2010-2011.  His play has added stability to the Islanders goaltending and should easily reach the 40-win plateau.  Not playing under Ken Hitchcock’s defensive scheme, his metrics of 2.48 GAA and .910 SP are average at best, but he has proven that he can carry a team in the playoffs, which is what the Islanders are banking on.  Keep on riding the hot Islander net minder as this is turning into a career year for the 29-year old. POST MARKS:  WATCH IN AWE—Two young and talented net minders with a bright future ...

Congrats to New York Islander’s goalie Jaroslav Halak who earned his 30th win on the season, as he continues on a career year….Halak was helped by rookie Anders Lee who scored twice to up his goal total to 18 on the season.  No too shabby.  Lee may be worth a shot as a sixth forward on your fantasy squad…. The return of John Gibson to the Anaheim crease went as well as could be expected as he turned aside 35 of 36 SOG for the 2-1 win over Carolina.  Anaheim is blessed with fantastic goaltending for years to come… The Edmonton Oilers have been playing much better of late but of course their season ended around the holidays so they can play a lot looser now.  Jordan Eberle has come alive and has points in 3 straight games and 8 points in past 6 games….Interesting to see that Oiler defenseman Oscar Klefbom has 5 points in the last 6 games and 8 in last 10.  Klefbom is not really noted for his offensive prowess.  Maybe Justin Schultz can take a few pointers…. Pittsburgh was cruising to what seemed like an easy victory being up 3-0 going into the 3rd period but then Ottawa fought back with 4 goals sending the game into overtime and eventually being decided in the shootout….Bobby Ryan returned after missing a game and notched two assists in the loss.  Ryan is heating up as that was his 5th 2-point game in last 8. I was a bit surprised that St. Louis was able to handle the Tampa Bay Lightning so easily, winning by a score of 6-3.  The game was never really close….Alex Steen is probably the hottest player in the NHL right now as he had 3 points in the win giving him 8 points in 7 February games and 25 points since the beginning of 2015…. Tyler Myer's debut for Winnipeg went something like this: 21.23 minutes played, a -1 rating, and a painful stinger after blocking a Shea Weber slapper. Given how fragile he has been, would you be shocked if he missed the next game?...Just in case you haven't noticed, Nashville rookie Filip Forsberg is darn good. No hitting the wall here.. Another win for Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk who stopped 26 of 27 Florida shots for his 9th win in 11 starts for his latest team. Way better than his Arizona days and light years ahead of his Edmonton beginnings. His fantasy stock just keeps improving exponentially..Mikko Koivu is heating up. Two more assists for seven points in his last five contests.. A few multi-point efforts for the Blueshirts, most notably Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh, in their 6-3 road win over Colorado but I am all...

Just as Boston was heating up, not only has the winter storms cooled them off, but Dallas beat the Bruins 5-3 making it 3 losses in the last 4 games for the B’s.  The only saving grace was that even though Tuukka Rask was pinned with the loss, he came on in relief for starter Niklas Svedberg who was pulled after letting in 3 goals in the first period.  Look for Rask and the Bruins to get back on track even though they are embarking on a 5-game road trip….. Ottawa beat Buffalo 2-1 in what basically is a “who cares?’ game….. Jaroslav Halak and the NY Islanders are getting back to their winning ways again with the team winning 3 of their last 4 with Halak in net for the 3 wins.  What to take out of the Islanders 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers is that Jordan Eberle continued his hot hand with a power play assist giving him 7 points in 6 games… To tell you what a fabulous year the Florida Panthers are having this season, they have beaten the Anaheim Ducks in both their meetings by identical scores of 6-2.  Too bad they don’t play the Ducks more often…. The dreaded "three-point" game came into fruition as Winnipeg ended the Minnesota Wild's six-game winning streak thanks to a Dustin Byfuglien overtime goal. Despite the loss, Devan Dubnyk put forth another fantasy-worthy effort between the pipes, stopping 32 of 34 shots. in 11 games for the Wild, he has gone 9-1-1. Keep playing him. On the other side, Michael Hutchinson's superb performance provided further proof that Ondrej Pavelec needs to stay on the bench more often. At some point, look for Paul Maurice to go with "Hutch" full-time as the playoff chase gets tighter and tighter.. Rick Nash added three assists to his already impressive goal-heavy point total in the 5-4 "Blueshirt" win over the Leafs. An obvious must start option in Nash, but don't overlook linemate Mat Zuccarello who has been scorching with eight points over the last five games.. The battle of the best teams in their respective conferences did not disappoint, as Nashville withstood a furious Tampa Bay rally in the third and eke out an overtime win. James Neal was the hero of the night, but his overall numbers have been rather pedestrian. While the Predators boast the most potent offense in the NHL, it's tough for fantasy owners to predict which forwards will be hot from "week to week". Their scoring depth will be crucial for their playoff success but not optimal for fantasy purposes... Nikita Kucherov scored a goal in his fourth straight ...

What I've noticed of late is how defenseman Seth Jones has become more involved in the scoring for the Nashville Predators. He has a 4-game point streak and has 9 points in last 12 games.  Pretty impressive stats I must say... Chicago Blackhawk Marian Hossa has been quiet of late but scored twice against St. Louis. His first points in 6 games.  Veteran players like Hossa know when to raise the level of their game and with the season coming to the stretch run.... Philadelphia Flyer Claude Giroux has been relatively quiet of late but had 2 assists against Washington in a big win for Philly as they cling to playoff expectations. A player like Giroux can go off in a hurry so leave him in your lineup regardless....G Steve Mason had to leave the game with an apparent knee injury. Seems like he could be on the shelf for a while so if you expect a lot from the Flyers, pick up and start Ray Emery as you await further word on Mason's injury.... Not much to say about the Buffalo-Islanders tilt other than Jaroslav Halak won the game by making just eight saves during an entire match. Really? That has to be a record. Anyway, his owners will gladly take it.. The Lightning steamrolled the Ducks despite the return of Ryan Getzlaf, getting a huge three-point effort from Valtteri Fillpula(7 points in last 10 gms).Anaheim goalie Federik Andersen left the match after getting hit by a tilted net. Let's hope that the injury is not serious given that Ilya Bryzgalov would be a less than adequate handcuff for Andersen owners.. Jason Spezza has been more of a dominant offensive performer lately, collecting a goal and two assists improve his numbers to 11 points over the last ten games. A point-per-game pace or close to it should be expected for the perennial second-half stud.. Kari Lehtonen's amazing 34-save effort in the win justs adds to the craziness of owning him and not knowing what to expect from start to start. I had all but decided to sit him for the upcoming week but now have second thoughts. So should you.. Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien get the Winnipeg Jets back in the winning column with three points apiece. "Big Buff" has been moved back to forward but as long he maintains eligibility on the blueline, keep starting him on defense.. Behind Carey Price's 34 saves, the Habs completed the season sweep of the Boston Bruins in a low-scoring affair. Tuuka played well but Carey was just a tad better..

It appears that St. Louis Blues Vladimir Tarasenko is back on track as he scored his 27th on the season and his third straight game with a goal after going scoreless in 6. What a breakout season for the talented right winger...Jaden Schwartz now has 4 points in 3 February games. He just might be disappointed that February is the shortest month of the year with the rate his month is going...Ever since the turn of the calendar year, Alexander Steen has been on fire.  21 points in 14 games for the New Year has the LWer just about on pace to eclipse last season's career high of 62 points.... The NY Islanders halted their 3-game losing streak by coming back from a 2 goal deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in a shootout. Isles G Jaroslav Halak was barely tested throughout the game by facing only 16 shots on goal.... Braden Holtby is loving life playing for Washington Capitals Head Coach Barry Trotz as he turned aside 25 of 26 SOG for his 25th win on the season. He is well on his way to a 40-win career year... Roberto Luongo does it again, giving the Florida Panthers a chance to win the game as they battled to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Luongo stopped 29 of 31 SOG and is the main reason the Cats are in playoff contention.  Keep riding Bobby Lu!.... The story coming in was Pekka Rinne back in net for Nashville, but the story coming out was Federik Andersen stopping 44 of 46 shots to lead Anaheim to a 5-2 win over the Predators. The youngster righted the ship after allowing eight goals over his last two starts and now has won nine of his last ten games. Start him with extreme confidence.. So much for the sophomore jinx, as Tyler Johnson scored two late goals to help the Lightning hold off Dallas. There were signs of slippage after a slow ten-game stretch but he is back on a point-per-game-pace with 51 points in 51 games.. With Jimmy Howard close to returning, Petr Mrazek kept the Wings "hot" streak alive by posting a 28-save shutout over the Colorado Avalanche. Regardless of whomever is in the Detroit net, they need to be starting in all fantasy formats. Few teams playing better than the Wings lately... The Sharks crushed the Canucks 5-1 behind a streaking Antti Niemi, while Ryan Miller has been regressing lately. Niemi easily over Miller in fantasy moving forward...