Ottawa marches on, Rangers & Red Wings in epic battle, and it's all about the goalies The Ottawa Senators are storming their way up the standings with an eye on that last wild card spot.  They are just 2 points behind Florida and 4 behind wild card spot holder Boston.  With a red-hot rookie goaltender in Andrew Hammond, the Senators shook off the prior night’s shootout loss to Minnesota with a sound 3-1 win over Winnipeg.  Hammond is now 6-0-1 and is probably the hottest goalie in the NHL along with the NY Rangers’ Cam Talbot and the Minnesota Wild’s Devan Dubnyk.  Ride the rookie as I am sure the Senators will do the same….Ottawa is getting contributions from up and down the lineup with Kyle Turris getting a goal and an assist last night to lead the way… Speaking of Cam Talbot, he did all he could in a battle of NHL Titans as the Detroit Red Wings eked one out against the Rangers 2-1 in Hockeytown.  There were plenty of chances for both clubs but Talbot and Jimmy Howard stood their ground.  This was a good outing for Howard who didn’t fare so well since his return from injury.  Perhaps this will jumpstart his performance going forward… Anaheim took over the NHL lead in points with a solid win over the Montreal Canadiens who are finding it hard to score on the West Coast, losing both games so far by a score of 7-1.  Ducks Goalie John Gibson was back in net after Frederik Andersen played the night before and came through with a 37-save effort in the 3-1 win.  Expect a platoon system for the Ducks the rest of the way…. Colorado is clinging to their playoff hopes with a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins as G Semyon Varlamov turned aside 27 of 28 SOG for the win.  As you can see from the 4 games tonight, goaltending plays a huge part at this time of the fantasy season as teams start to tighten up their defense in preparation for the upcoming playoffs….Avalanche LWer Gabriel Landeskog seems to be waking up from his season-long slumber as he had a goal and 2 assists in the contest, starting off March on the right foot after scoring 10 points in 13 February games.  Get the talented youngster in your lineup as the Avalanche are battling for that last wild card spot.

Ottawa rookie goalie on fire; Dubnyk prevails over Rinne; Price remains right; and more... Every so often, a goalie comes out of the woodworks and changes the course of action for that luck NHL team, and in our case, fantasy squads starving for a clutch backstopper. Well, Ottawa's Andrew Hammond surely qualifies as he posted his second straight road shutout, this time against the Stanley Cup champs who had won eight straight. The Bowling Green product is currently living a dream during his call-up, collecting four straight wins with a 1.15 GAA and a .962 SP. With Craig Anderson basically already to go, you can be certain that Ottawa will ride Hammond as long as he remains unbeatable. So should you. Pick him up ASAP.. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens played a tidy game against the Columbus Blue Jackets winning 5-2.  Defense was the offense with P.K. Subban (G, 2A) and Andrei Markov (G, A) contributing to the road win.  The Habs will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time…. Buffalo’s Michal Neuvirth is 3-1-2 in his last six starts and was the recipient of 6 goals in the win over Vancouver last night.  Neuvirth is a decent number 2 goalie with the team playing better hockey of late…Chris Stewart, with a goal and an assist, is rumored to be on his way out, most likely to rival Boston.  It will be an interesting weekend with the trade deadline on Monday… The New York Ranger’s beat the Arizona Coyotes with 2 pair against the Yotes 1.  Both Chris Kreider (2 PPG) and Lee Stempniak (2G) were enough to get by Arizona who got two power play goals of their own from Sam Gagner.  This one wasn’t easy for the Blueshirts as Goalie Cam Talbot continues to play brilliantly in place of the injured Henrik Lundqvist…Kreider shows glimpses of what is to come but hasn’t been able to provide the consistency just yet but his future looks bright…. While struggling at home lately, the St. Louis Blues continued their winning ways on the road with the 2-1 shootout win over Winnipeg. Not much to say here other than it seems no more Ondrej Pavelec in the Jet's goal for now. Thank gosh... The Monnesota Wild deliver a huge road win, 4-2 in Nashville, to further bolster their playoff chances. Don't worry about Pekka Rinne but remain thrilled about what Devan Dubnyk has done for the Wild goalie situation...

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 ...

A New York classic, crippled Jets and Sens, and streaking vets In what was arguably the most exciting game of the season, the New York Rangers stormed back from a 3-goal deficit to defeat the Islanders 6-5 on a late tally from defenseman Kevin Klein. When both squads eclipse the 40-shot mark, you should expect plenty of fireworks and this one did not disappoint. Ryan McDonagh was the most dominant player on the ice, leading the way for the Blueshirts with a goal and an assist. His recent point surge includes seven in his last nine games. Start him with confidence down the stretch. On the other side. Travis Hamonic continues to be the most valuable fantasy Islander defender over the last month as he collected two more helpers. Despite scoring a goal, Johnny Boychuk has been in a major funk while Lubomir Visnovsky has been an inconsistent point-getter at best. For now, roll with Hamonic if you need help on "D".. The biggest news from the Carolina-Ottawa tilt was a pair of key injuries for the Senators as both goalie Robin Lehner and Clarke MacArthur left the game after colliding with each olther. If Lehner misses time, there will be a goaltending panic in Ottawa given that Craig Anderson is not ready to return yet. Next up- Andrew Hammond. Good luck. Safe to say, do not pick him up.. The Winnipeg Jets are fresh off a huge trade but an injury-plagued game with the Oilers could necessitate more moves. Forwards Mathieu Perrault and newly-acquired Drew Stafford were both injured but details regarding their severity are not clear yet. In the case of Stafford, he was promoted to the top unit for the game and considering how streaky he gets, he would be a great fantasy sleeper for the short-term... Tobias Enstrom picked up a couple of helpers and could start resembling at least his 40-point former self. Snag him off the waiver wire if available... Carey Price was beyond inpenetrable in the Montreal crease last night as the Red Wings were dangerous all game long but could not beat him. Of course," Mr. Game Winner" Max Pacioretty set up the first goal and the Hab's held on 2-0. Jimmy Howard looked more sharp in his second start back from injury and should be back to top form very soon.. After a hot start to the season and then a somewhat cool January, Calgary d-man Mark Giordano looks to be heating up once again with 5 points in 7 February games that includes a 3-point effort against Boston in the Flames 4-3 win.  He tied his career high in points of 47 set last ...

The season is getting into the home-stretch and nothing like a good cup of coffee to get things started. As we said a few weeks back, the Boston Bruins are rising quickly in the East. We mentioned in last week's SMC that perhaps the Islanders were starting to slump. They have now lost 4 of their last 5 after losing to Boston yesterday 2-1. Losing your starting goalie for any period of time is devastating but the Predators survived Pekka Rinne being out and the Rangers will be alright with Cam Talbot over the next three weeks without Henrik Lundqvist. Nashville lost Colin Wilson in yesterday's tilt against the Rangers to an upper-body injury. Hope it's not a concussion because they can't afford to lose Wilson, who is having a breakout season, for any length of time. It seems like Rick Nash scores in just about every game. If you haven't noticed, Detroit is at the top of the Eastern Conference and is about to challenge for the President's Cup trophy. This LA Kings team is scary to play against because one day they look lost and the next they play like Stanley Cup Champions. I think every team in the Western Conference is hoping they finally miss a post-season. Is the key to beating the Tampa Bay Lightning keeping Tyler Johnson at bay or Steven Stamkos? The Buffalo Sabres are definitely a Jekyll & Hyde team this year, but more like Mr. Hyde than Dr. Jekyll. Chris Stewart is heating up just in time for the trade deadline with 9 points in last 8 games. Dallas lost to Buffalo last night and there were three Tylers who scored in the game; Seguin, Ennis & Myers. Maybe Tyler Johnson should have been in that game? Dallas D-man John Klingberg has been a very pleasant surprise this season as he has sprung out of nowhere and is having a memorable season. With 2 assists in last night's game, he now has 14 points in 11 games & 27 in 38 games. Wow! Toronto ended their 11-game losing streak but it was against Edmonton. The Oilers managed to score a goal and because it was Saturday and Colonel Klinkhammer was in the game, he scored an assist on that lone goal. He also had 7 PIMS. P. K. Subban is rising quickly up the scoring chart for NHL defensemen. With 3 points last night, he is now just 7 points behind leader Mark Giordano. I think Giordano had 40 of those points in the first 20 games.  Or that what it seemed like. If the Red Wings don't suffer a major injury from here on out, you have got to like their chances especially if G Jimmy Howard returns the way he was ...

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...

~~Is a career year underway for Montreal's Max Pacioretty? His overtime game winner gives him 23 goals and 40 points on the season. He would need 17 goals and 26 points over the last 34 games to establish new career-highs in both offensive categories. He should be starting in all formats, while his new center man Tomas Plekanec might be worth a waiver grab if available. After allowing 16 goals over his last four starts, Goalie Petr Mrazek rebounded yesterday afternoon with a 22-save effort in the win over the a Islanders. However, the promising youngster could be heading back to minors soon with Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard close to returning. The Wings were be much better off having Mrazek play more games in the AHL and continue to develop rather than sitting behind Howard... A bunch of multiple point performers on display during Ottawa's 7-2 romp over Phoenix, including Mark Stone who now has registered points in 8 of last 9 games. He is on the cusp of being starteable in most leagues. Hopefully you heeded our advice during our last ADD'EM installation... So who you rather have starting for your fantasy team- Tuukka Rask or Jonathan Quick? Based on last night alone, the Boston goalie looks to be the better option but let's judge based on January's peripherals- Rask: 1.61 GAA and .949 SP/Quick: 3.18 GAA and .878 SP. Pretty one-sided just in case you hadn't realized... Rookie defenseman John Klingberg need to be picked up ASAP after his dominating 4-point effort in the unfriendly confines of Winnipeg. His 6 points in his last 2 games, the 22-year old has left Dallas defender Alex Goligoski "in the dust". Start him immediately as he doesn't appear to be fading anytime soon... Whats up with Michael Hutchinson? The Winnipeg goalie has given up nine goals over his last two starts. Despite the blip on the radar, he is the superior goalie over Ondrej Pavelec so no need to worry about diminishing fantasy returns.. So how many of you picked up Cam Talbot when "King Henrik" received his huge scare with a puck to the throat? Great thinking, but Lundqvist should be ok to resume his monstrous workload for the Rangers. BTW, Cam Ward was rewarded for his fine effort against the Blues with the start at MSG. Bad move as Anton Khudobin has owned the Blueshirts lately. Expect the Russian in the Carolina crease the next time out.. Michael Del Zotto now has points in six straight games. The 24-year old defender is worth a long fantasy look as he has been logging big ...

First of all, is there a hotter top line in the NHL than Alex Steen-TJ Oshie-David Backes? The trio combined for five points in last night's 3-0 blanking of the Toronto Maple Leafs, improving their point totals to 49 in the last 11 games. Seriously? Proving to all fantasy owners that he is the "real deal" after his breakthrough 2013-14 season, Steen is currently riding point-streaks in goals and points, 5 and 9 respectively... Another shutout for Brian Elliott and another step closer to fantasy elite status. Jake Allen represents the future in the crease for the Blues, but Elliott is clearly the "now". Start him with confidence... Fantasy performer of the night- clearly Tomas Plekanec, who helped roll the Metroplitan Division leading Islanders with a four point effort. A "heart and soul" Hab who can draw some comparison to Boston's Patrice Bergeron mainly because of his superior two-way play, but is no more than a seviceable depth forward option in most fantasy formats. Awesome game nonetheless.. Two more points in a losing cause for John Tavares, giving him five points over the last two games and 13 over the last 10. JT has accelerated the scoring since the beginning of the calendar year, so superstar production seems likely for the second half... Columbus snapped a four-game losing skid with the road win at Boston, but fantasy phenom Ryan Johansen kept a 13-game point streak alive with another goal and an assist. This guy is looking like an early round draft selection come next September as he is downright dynamite... Two great buy-low options to consider at the forward position- Nathan MacKinnon and Jason Spezza. The former was expected to take a huge leap in Year 2 for Colorado, but has fizzled during the first half of the season. However, MacKinnon has shown signs of late including a late 3rd period equalizer last night against the Lightning. The latter continues to plug away as six points over the last eight games is encouraging for his typical second half outburst. Consider this- Spezza centers the second line alongside Erik Cole who is starting to heat up. Plus, he is a mainstay on the top power-play unit with All-World Tyler Seguin and the underrated Jamie Benn. This team will light the lamp plenty in the second half. Love Spezza moving forward... Dubie,Dubie,Dubie-where are you? In Minnesota, that's where! The former Arizona Coyote Devan Dubnyk continues to inject some life into his new team as the goalie led the Wild to a 3-1 win and only has...

Shutouts reigned supreme last night in the NHL, but possibly the most significant one for fantasy purposes was the easy 18-save shutout over Buffalo by Devan Dubnyk. Why do I say that? The Wild have starved for a goaltending saviour all season long and the malaise in the crease had spread to overall poor play and dropping out of the playoff race fast. Enter Dubnyk who was brought over by a trade from Arizona and he starts his Wild career with a bang. All of the sudden, seven goals have poured in by a team that have been struggling mightily on the offensive end. Multiple-point performances by Zach Parise, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Mikko Koivu..now that's more like it. All this accomplished without the services of their best defender Ryan Suter who is presently serving a two-game suspension. Before we get too excited abou the Dubnyk effect on the overall fantasy value of Minny's key players, remember this came against lowly Buffalo. Having sid that, sometimes a slumping squad with legitimate potential just needs some hope and it may have arrived in the form of Devan Dubnyk.(I have already picked him up in two of my leagues so I do practice what I preach!) Ryan Miller returned from a virus and laaid a goose-egg on the Philadelphia Flyers who were shutout on consecutive nights. Not great news if you are depending on Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek for your primary scoring. Maybe they are all out of goals after scoring seven on the Lightning prior to their two-game drought. Miller remains sharp in net, having posted a 21-9-1 record with a .916 SP and 2.40 GAA. Another rising fantasy commodity is Mr. Tuukka Rask who has clearly shaken his early season doldrums with another superb effort, a 30-save shutout over the visiting Rangers. That's five wins in the row for Rask and the "B's" who are starting to click on all cylinders. BTW, David Krejci is seemingly in on every key Boston goal lately so make sure he is starting on your team.. Detroit's Petr Mrazek is filling in admirably for the injured Jimmy Howard, stopped 25 of 27 shots in the overtime win over St. Louis. Thats two straight wins this week for the 22-year old who is an excellent short-term fantasy pickup for goalie needy teams... MORE COMING...

David Pastrnak RW, Boston: The 18-year old is coming off a sensational game on Saturday where he scored his first two career NHL goals. A diminutive sample size for sure and by this time next week he may be off the David Krejci line, but his play should at least warrant your fantasy attention. Coach Claude Julien has been playing around with the lines in hope of getting some consistent offense out of the "B's" Mikael Backlund C, Calgary: Many of us remember how "hot" Backlund was around this time last year, so when he jumps back into the line-up with five points over three games, fantasy owners will take notice. Monitor his ice-time, as he should continue his streaky ways in January as long as he keeps getting top-six minutes. And when he goes "cold", he is borderline not worthy of a roster spot. Our suggestion-plugin and play if you need an instant dose of offense, but only short-term.. Mat Zuccarello RW, NYR; The crafty winger has been compling points at a much higher rate than early in the season while playing alongside Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. Despite just snapping a nine-game scoring slump, Zuccarello has 11 points over the last 12 games suggesting that a strong finish is in order for him. He will probably fall short of his career-high of 59 points but a .075 point-per-game pace is very likely the rest of the way. Tobias Enstrom D, Winnipeg: The Jets are getting healthier on the blueline, meaning that Enstrom again will be one part of the top defensive pairing with Zach Bogosian. The 30-year old has seen his offensive production steadily decline over the past two seasons but there is no denying his ability to rack up points. The former two-time 50+point producer is presently on the second power-play unit, but don't be surprised by a promotion in the near future. If you are in need of defensive help, you need to pick up Enstrom as he may turn it on during the second half. A decent "buy-low" situation with minimal risk. I love that.. Petr Mrazek G, Detroit: Since Jimmy Howard has been officially diagnosed with only a slight groin tear, perhaps Mrazek's sudden ascension to fantasy relevance may be less short-lived than originally anticipated. However, accurately predicting a time-table for Howard's return could be a bit tricky so expect the young goaltenbder to at least be a solid fantasy stop-gap for a few weeks. Best case scenario- he plays "lights out" and Howard is slowly eased back into action. Anyway you look at it, Mrazek is now a ...