To our dear faithful, I am struggling with the flu so here are some random fantasy thoughts from last night's games: In his second straight start for Minnesota, Ilya Bryzgalov turned out an expected "stinker" against the New Jersey Devils. For those fantasy owners who actually scooped him up, he will break your hearts. The Wild will go back to Darcy Kuemper for their next game. In his first game back to Jersey since his trade to the Wild, Zach Parise notched a goal and fired 6 shots. With 9 points in the last 10 games, he is playing inspired hockey right now. You gotta love Adam Henrique, who has come back to life for the Devils with three more assists last night, giving him 14 points in the last 11 games. Plenty of fantasy value at the moment. Buffalo's Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford are not going away quietly. They each picked up a point last night in Buffalo's 3-1 road win over Edmonton, giving them close to point-per-game numbers over the last 20 or so games. Pretty decent sample size, so why are both available in my Super Terrific fantasy hockey league? Gustav Nyquist won't quit scoring for Detroit, piling up more points last night with a goal and an assist. With 37 points in 44 games, the talented Swede should be breaking out in a big way next season. Don't let him slip too far in your drafts. Where have you been Ales Hemsky?? Invisible for several years in Edmonton, the talented winger is making quite a mark in Ottawa with 8 points in 7 games. His line-mates are also clicking, as Jason Spezza has 11 and Milan Michalek has 6 over that span. Poor "Timmy T".. After a promising start, goaltender Tim Thomas has lost three straight starts for Dallas. The Stars need Kari Lehtonen back to stellar form in a big way. Keep a "look-out" for Washington's Evgeni Kuznetsov, who has been playing on a second line with Nicklas Backstrom and has accrued 5 assists in 6 games. Minimal power-play time for now, but we see this kid's fantasy stock ready to explode if he clicks with his countryman Alex Ovechkin. Fantasy gold in keeper leagues Two helpers for Pittsburgh's James Neal, which is more of what we expect from the high-scoring left winger. He looks fully recovered from his concussion, so make sure he is starting ASAP.

To our dear faithful, I am struggling with the flu so here are some random fantasy thoughts from last night's games: In his second straight start for Minnesota, Ilya Bryzgalov turned out an expected "stinker" against the New Jersey Devils. For those fantasy owners who actually scooped him up, he will break your hearts. The Wild will go back to Darcy Kuemper for their next game. In his first game back to Jersey since his trade to the Wild, Zach Parise notched a goal and fired 6 shots. With 9 points in the last 10 games, he is playing inspired hockey right now. You gotta love Adam Henrique, who has come back to life for the Devils with three more assists last night, giving him 14 points in the last 11 games. Plenty of fantasy value at the moment. Buffalo's Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford are not going away quietly. They each picked up a point last night in Buffalo's 3-1 road win over Edmonton, giving them close to point-per-game numbers over the last 20 or so games. Pretty decent sample size, so why are both available in my Super Terrific fantasy hockey league? Gustav Nyquist won't quit scoring for Detroit, piling up more points last night with a goal and an assist. With 37 points in 44 games, the talented Swede should be breaking out in a big way next season. Don't let him slip too far in your drafts. Where have you been Ales Hemsky?? Invisible for several years in Edmonton, the talented winger is making quite a mark in Ottawa with 8 points in 7 games. His line-mates are also clicking, as Jason Spezza has 11 and Milan Michalek has 6 over that span. Poor "Timmy T".. After a promising start, goaltender Tim Thomas has lost three straight starts for Dallas. The Stars need Kari Lehtonen back to stellar form in a big way. Keep a "look-out" for Washington's Evgeni Kuznetsov, who has been playing on a second line with Nicklas Backstrom and has accrued 5 assists in 6 games. Minimal power-play time for now, but we see this kid's fantasy stock ready to explode if he clicks with his countryman Alex Ovechkin. Fantasy gold in keeper leagues Two helpers for Pittsburgh's James Neal, which is more of what we expect from the high-scoring left winger. He looks fully recovered from his concussion, so make sure he is starting ASAP.

Ales Hemsky, RW Ottawa (Owned in 57.5% of ESPN leagues) Let's keep him on the MUST ADD list, as the injury-prone winger has reaped huge fantasy dividends while playing in his new Canadien home Ottawa. Prior to tonight's matchup, Hemsky had collected 7 points in 3 games on a line with new center Jason Spezza. Hopefully you heeded our advice last week, as he needs to be owned in all fantasy formats. Tyler Ennis, C and Drew Stafford, RW Buffalo (Owned in 52.9% and 23.2% of ESPN league) After the smoke has cleared with Buffalo's fire-sale at the trade deadline, two valuable fantasy assets still don Sabre uniforms: Ennis and Stafford. These two underrated forwards will continue to provide the bulk of the scoring for the goal-starved Sabres, as both are currently on 4-game point streaks. Ennis has 20 points dating back to the last 22 games, while Stafford has 15 in the last 17 games. They can help your fantasy squads, even if there is no sniff of playoff motivation the air. Jordan Staal, C Carolina  (Owned in 52.9 % of ESPN leagues) With 9 points (3G/6A) in the last 6 games, the less fantasy-friendly Staal brother has outperformed his brother Eric in the scoring department. Ever since coach Kirk Muller's line-shifted which resulted in winger Alex Semin being dropped to Jordan's line, the two have performed magic together while Eric Staal has been mired in a huge slump. Coincidence? I don't think so, as both centers have provided optimal scoring returns this season when lining up with Semin. David Desharnais, C Montreal ( Owned in 22.0% of ESPN leagues) This one is easy to figure out, as the diminutive center has reaped the rewards of centering Max Pacioretty to the tune of 8 points in the last 8 games. His last-second tally to sent Montreal into overtime during Saturday night's clash against Ottawa is a perfect example of his increasing confidence and rising fantasy value. Pick him up while he is hot. Kris Letang, D Pittsburgh ( Owned in 43.4% of ESPN leagues) The word is out that Letang will be set to practice fully with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. While the team will probably proceed with caution in regard to his return to the line-up since suffering from a stroke, this new is very encouraging for his fantasy owners. His return date is unclear as so is his level of offensive productivity if indeed he is back before the end of the regular season, but he is worth stashing away with the news of him skating with his team. An obvious elite fantasy...

The Boston Bruins pounded the Hurricanes yesterday afternoon 5-1, and the Lucic, Krejci, Iginla line was all over the ice, and all over the scoreboard. Left wing Milan Lucic had a goal and 2 assists, while center Dave Krejci had 3 assists and right wing Jarome Iginla had 2 goals. This line is on fire and you should grab any one of these guys if you can.  Krejci has 59 points and is a plus 31.  Wow!  Tough game in goal for Cam Ward of Carolina who allowed all 5 goals with 36 saves.  Ward is really struggling to find his game right now after missing so much of the season with injury.  Nice shutout for Steve Mason of Philadelphia as the Flyers beat the suddenly staggering Penguins 4-0. Mason had 25 saves and improved his record to 27-16-6.  Good game for me because I have him in one of my pools.  Right wing Matt Read had 2 goals for Philadelphia, but with only 33 points on the season we can't recommend him.  Pittsburgh center Sydney Crosby had a game to forget with no points and a -3 rating.  Forward Claude Giroux had 2 assists for the Flyers, and after a brutal start to the seasonhe now has 67 points in 66 games. Expect him to have a great finish on the year. Nice game for Montreal defenseman P K Subban as he had 3 assists in the Canadiens 5-4 win over Ottawa in OT. Subban has 48 points on the season, and he is a premier fantasy defenseman pick.  Senators forward Jason Spezza had a goal and an assist, and he is smoking hot right now with 8 points in his last 3 games, and now has 55 points on the year. Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop continued his fantastic season with a 3-0 shutout of New Jersey. Bishop's record is 31-11-6 with a 2.10 GAA and a .929 SP.  Amazing season. The New York Islanders beat the terrible Buffalo Sabres 4-1 as defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky had 3 assists. Good for me because I own him.  He has only 11 points on the season though because he had been hurt.  Islander right wing Kyle Okposo continued his breakout year with a goal and an assist. Okposo has 69 points on the season.  St. Louis beat Nashville 4-1.  Remember when Nashville used to be hard to defeat?  Not any more.  Center Patrik Berglund had 2 goals for the Blues, but he has only 31 points on the season. St Louis center Alexander Steen had a goal and he does have 53 points on the year, but he has cooled off considerably from his hot start. Maybe he will heat up again.  The NHL season is a long grind, and tends to wear players down.  Blues goaltender Ryan Miller had another ...

The Boston Bruins pounded the Hurricanes yesterday afternoon 5-1, and the Lucic, Krejci, Iginla line was all over the ice, and all over the scoreboard. Left wing Milan Lucic had a goal and 2 assists, while center Dave Krejci had 3 assists and right wing Jarome Iginla had 2 goals. This line is on fire and you should grab any one of these guys if you can.  Krejci has 59 points and is a plus 31.  Wow!  Tough game in goal for Cam Ward of Carolina who allowed all 5 goals with 36 saves.  Ward is really struggling to find his game right now after missing so much of the season with injury.  Nice shutout for Steve Mason of Philadelphia as the Flyers beat the suddenly staggering Penguins 4-0. Mason had 25 saves and improved his record to 27-16-6.  Good game for me because I have him in one of my pools.  Right wing Matt Read had 2 goals for Philadelphia, but with only 33 points on the season we can't recommend him.  Pittsburgh center Sydney Crosby had a game to forget with no points and a -3 rating.  Forward Claude Giroux had 2 assists for the Flyers, and after a brutal start to the seasonhe now has 67 points in 66 games. Expect him to have a great finish on the year. Nice game for Montreal defenseman P K Subban as he had 3 assists in the Canadiens 5-4 win over Ottawa in OT. Subban has 48 points on the season, and he is a premier fantasy defenseman pick.  Senators forward Jason Spezza had a goal and an assist, and he is smoking hot right now with 8 points in his last 3 games, and now has 55 points on the year. Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop continued his fantastic season with a 3-0 shutout of New Jersey. Bishop's record is 31-11-6 with a 2.10 GAA and a .929 SP.  Amazing season. The New York Islanders beat the terrible Buffalo Sabres 4-1 as defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky had 3 assists. Good for me because I own him.  He has only 11 points on the season though because he had been hurt.  Islander right wing Kyle Okposo continued his breakout year with a goal and an assist. Okposo has 69 points on the season.  St. Louis beat Nashville 4-1.  Remember when Nashville used to be hard to defeat?  Not any more.  Center Patrik Berglund had 2 goals for the Blues, but he has only 31 points on the season. St Louis center Alexander Steen had a goal and he does have 53 points on the year, but he has cooled off considerably from his hot start. Maybe he will heat up again.  The NHL season is a long grind, and tends to wear players down.  Blues goaltender Ryan Miller had another ...

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dallas Star Forward Rich Peverley who collapsed during the first period of last night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Peverley had suffered from an irregular heartbeat recently and sat out a game last week but no indications that this is related.  Peverley is reported to be stable and during fine.  We pray for a speedy and complete recovery. One of the biggest games of the night pitted the Maple Leafs against the Ducks. Phil Kessel feasted on the Ducks-served-cold factoring in all three Toronto goals in their 3-1 victory, including the game-winner. In two games against the stumbling ducks, Kessel has 4 goals and 2 assists.  Kessel has feasted like a king!  Kessel should always be in your lineup regardless of the amount of games in the period as he is truly a game-changer.  Kessel is 2nd behind Sidney Crosby in League scoring but being 4 points behind will be tough to catch. Kudos for those who selected Kessel early in their drafts this season (wink, wink).  Not to be outdone, Jonathan Bernier turned aside 43 of 44 shots on goal for his 25th win on the season. Bernier has entrenched himself as the bona-fide number 1 goaltender in TO.  Perhaps the trading away of first, Cory Schneider at the 2013 Entry Draft, and then Roberto Luongo at this year's trade deadline were not the most prudent moves the Vancouver Canucks have ever made as Eddie Lack and the team has sort of imploded lately. Without the pressure of carrying the team as a Number 1, Lack impressed with solid performances in  the early stages fo the season while spelling Luongo every few games.  Lack has started the last 7 games since the O-break for the Canucks, going 2-4-1, with some of those starts just before the trade.  Lack needs to find consistency, which is a common problem among rookie goaltenders.  A few nights ago he let in 6 in a loss to Dallas.  He followed that up with a 2-1 win, stopping 22 of 23 shots on goal against Calgary.  Last night, he seemed to be rolling along to a win over the NY Islanders as he headed into the 3rd period with a 3-0 lead. Too bad for Lack the vowel in his name isn't a U as the Islanders poured in 7 3rd period goals to wrest what was sure victory from the young net minder.  So, if you do not have any other goalie options, you will have to put up with the maddening inconsistencies that you will get the rest of the season from Mr. Lack.  The one thing you can take from this game was that the Isles gained momentum ...

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dallas Star Forward Rich Peverley who collapsed during the first period of last night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Peverley had suffered from an irregular heartbeat recently and sat out a game last week but no indications that this is related.  Peverley is reported to be stable and during fine.  We pray for a speedy and complete recovery. One of the biggest games of the night pitted the Maple Leafs against the Ducks. Phil Kessel feasted on the Ducks-served-cold factoring in all three Toronto goals in their 3-1 victory, including the game-winner. In two games against the stumbling ducks, Kessel has 4 goals and 2 assists.  Kessel has feasted like a king!  Kessel should always be in your lineup regardless of the amount of games in the period as he is truly a game-changer.  Kessel is 2nd behind Sidney Crosby in League scoring but being 4 points behind will be tough to catch. Kudos for those who selected Kessel early in their drafts this season (wink, wink).  Not to be outdone, Jonathan Bernier turned aside 43 of 44 shots on goal for his 25th win on the season. Bernier has entrenched himself as the bona-fide number 1 goaltender in TO.  Perhaps the trading away of first, Cory Schneider at the 2013 Entry Draft, and then Roberto Luongo at this year's trade deadline were not the most prudent moves the Vancouver Canucks have ever made as Eddie Lack and the team has sort of imploded lately. Without the pressure of carrying the team as a Number 1, Lack impressed with solid performances in  the early stages fo the season while spelling Luongo every few games.  Lack has started the last 7 games since the O-break for the Canucks, going 2-4-1, with some of those starts just before the trade.  Lack needs to find consistency, which is a common problem among rookie goaltenders.  A few nights ago he let in 6 in a loss to Dallas.  He followed that up with a 2-1 win, stopping 22 of 23 shots on goal against Calgary.  Last night, he seemed to be rolling along to a win over the NY Islanders as he headed into the 3rd period with a 3-0 lead. Too bad for Lack the vowel in his name isn't a U as the Islanders poured in 7 3rd period goals to wrest what was sure victory from the young net minder.  So, if you do not have any other goalie options, you will have to put up with the maddening inconsistencies that you will get the rest of the season from Mr. Lack.  The one thing you can take from this game was that the Isles gained momentum ...

Ales Hemsky, RW Edmonton (Owned in 7.5% of ESPN leagues) Nobody needed a change of scenery more than the talented Hemsky, who never fit into Edmonton's long-term plans and was always the subject of many trade rumors. Yes, he is super-prone to injuries, but with 20 games left and getting a new lease on life while playing with a rejuvenated Jason Spezza, the winger could be a point-per-game performer over the final stretch. He collected three assists in just his second game with Ottawa in the win over Winnipeg on Saturday. David Legwand, C Detroit (Owned in 60.9% of ESPN league) The underrated former Nashville center has become an instant fantasy target as his trade to Detroit means that he will be centering the top line with Pavel Datsyuk injured. With two "hot" wingers in Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist, Legwand will get his share of points in the short-term. His fantasy value will be somewhat diminished by minimal power-play time on the primary unit, but he should get plenty of helpers. Tyler Myers, D Buffalo  (Owned in 39.9 % of ESPN leagues) Since returning from the Olympic break, the hulking defender has heated up with six points (3G/3A) in the last 6 games. Myers has been the "poster boy" of inconsistency since his stellar Calder trophy rookie season, but he has played well of late even amidst the rampant trade rumors. Now that the deadline has come and gone, look for the 24-year old to take another step in salvaging his promising NHL career. He warrants fantasy consideration as he seems to have taken strongly to new coach Ted Nolan. Eddie Lack, G Vancouver ( Owned in 69.0% of ESPN leagues) Having lost 3 straight, Vancouver's new no. 1 goalie responded with a strong effort in the 2-1 win over Calgary on Saturday. Yes, offensive support will be LACKING (funny, no?) on most nights, but the young Lack is firmly entrenched as the top guy in the Canuck's crease, now that the Roberto Luongo saga has finally been resolved. If you are in need of starting goalie help, give him a shot. Tim Thomas, G Dallas (owned in 42.1% of ESPN leagues) The former Vezina winner, recently acquired in a trade from Florida, is slated to gain some starts for Dallas as Kari Lehtonen has apparently suffered a concussion on Saturday. In coach Lindsey Ruff's own words: "He is not doing well". Translation- all Lehtonen owners need to snag Thomas ASAP, as he could have huge fantasy value if the Swede is out for an extended period of time. Dallas is far superior to his ...

Lots of action in the NHL yesterday with 10 games played. Ottawa and Winnipeg played an afternoon game with the Senators prevailing 5-3.  Both Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza had 3 assists for Ottawa. Hemsky is having a disappointing season with only 29 points in 57 games.  Spezza is doing a lot better with 50 points in 59 games played, but I would have expected him to be a point per game player.  Craig Anderson was terrific in goal with 46 saves as the Jets really carried the play. Unfortunately for fantasy players he has not that way for most of the season as his 3.08 GAA and .908 SP would indicate.  Well now he is 4-0 as the goaltender for the St. Louis Blues.  It's Miller time!  26 saves for Ryan as the Blues beat Colorado 2-1.  Miller has a 1.50 GAA and a .933 SP for the Blues.  Talk about being rejuvenated, Miller is now on fire in St. Louis.  He will be one of the top fantasy goalies for the rest of the season.  Toronto beat Philadelphia 4-3 as right wing Joffrey Lupul had a goal and an assist, but with only 38 points on the season has been a disappointment. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen doubled his goal production on the year with 2 goals. With 26 points on the season he is at best a marginal 6th forward.  Defenseman Johnny Boychuk had a good night for Boston with a goal and an assist in their 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. We once thought that Boychuk would be more of a scorer, but he has settled into more of a defensive defenseman with only 19 points on the year. Center Carl Soderberg had a goal and an assist as well for the Bruins, but with only 35 points on the season he is not worth looking at. Tuukka Rask got his 24th win, but he only made 17 saves. Still a win is a win!  The Devils outlasted Carolina 5-4 as a bevy of disappointing players finally had good nights.  Devils forward Travis Zajac had a goal and 2 assists, but he has only 34 points on the year. Adam Henrique had 2 goals for New Jersey, but with 38 points in 65 games played he has not stepped his game up this season. Finally, Alexander Semin had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, but again he has only 35 points on the year. Jaroslav Halak had 31 saves and looked sharp in goal in his debut performance with Washington after his trade from St. Louis, as the Capitals beat Phoenix 3-2. We will have to wait and see how the Capitals goaltending situation settles out. Defenseman Keith Yandle had 2 assists for Phoenix, and this guy is fantasy money in the bank with 7 goals and 43 points on the ...

Lots of action in the NHL yesterday with 10 games played. Ottawa and Winnipeg played an afternoon game with the Senators prevailing 5-3.  Both Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza had 3 assists for Ottawa. Hemsky is having a disappointing season with only 29 points in 57 games.  Spezza is doing a lot better with 50 points in 59 games played, but I would have expected him to be a point per game player.  Craig Anderson was terrific in goal with 46 saves as the Jets really carried the play. Unfortunately for fantasy players he has not that way for most of the season as his 3.08 GAA and .908 SP would indicate.  Well now he is 4-0 as the goaltender for the St. Louis Blues.  It's Miller time!  26 saves for Ryan as the Blues beat Colorado 2-1.  Miller has a 1.50 GAA and a .933 SP for the Blues.  Talk about being rejuvenated, Miller is now on fire in St. Louis.  He will be one of the top fantasy goalies for the rest of the season.  Toronto beat Philadelphia 4-3 as right wing Joffrey Lupul had a goal and an assist, but with only 38 points on the season has been a disappointment. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen doubled his goal production on the year with 2 goals. With 26 points on the season he is at best a marginal 6th forward.  Defenseman Johnny Boychuk had a good night for Boston with a goal and an assist in their 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. We once thought that Boychuk would be more of a scorer, but he has settled into more of a defensive defenseman with only 19 points on the year. Center Carl Soderberg had a goal and an assist as well for the Bruins, but with only 35 points on the season he is not worth looking at. Tuukka Rask got his 24th win, but he only made 17 saves. Still a win is a win!  The Devils outlasted Carolina 5-4 as a bevy of disappointing players finally had good nights.  Devils forward Travis Zajac had a goal and 2 assists, but he has only 34 points on the year. Adam Henrique had 2 goals for New Jersey, but with 38 points in 65 games played he has not stepped his game up this season. Finally, Alexander Semin had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, but again he has only 35 points on the year. Jaroslav Halak had 31 saves and looked sharp in goal in his debut performance with Washington after his trade from St. Louis, as the Capitals beat Phoenix 3-2. We will have to wait and see how the Capitals goaltending situation settles out. Defenseman Keith Yandle had 2 assists for Phoenix, and this guy is fantasy money in the bank with 7 goals and 43 points on the ...