ALL GOALIES CONFIRMED UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED AT TIME OF PRINT Everyone in the pool! Well, almost everyone as there are 11 games on the NHL slate tonight.  Tonight we have Henrik Lundqvist taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets, who will be starting Curtis McElhinney with Sergei Bobrovsky recovering. Since his 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres the day after signing a 7-year contract extension, the King has been playing more like a Prince, losing three straight and giving up 4 goals in each of those losses.  On the other hand, McElhinney, who would be lucky to get a 7-weeek extension, has filled in nicely with a 2-1 record and only giving up 2 goals in the loss to Pittsburgh.  It's McElhinney who is playing more like a King but the real "King" will snap out of it tonight....With the Flyers getting pasted last night in Chicago, Steve Mason has a tall task on his hands as he will try and stop the bleeding against the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs will have Carey Price in net, and taking out that outlier game against LA last time out, should get back on track with a win over the tired Philadelphia squad...Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres head to Ottawa to take on Craig Anderson and the Sens. Anderson has really struggled with his game, so it is a surprise to see him get the start here.  Miller has been playing well but his team has struggled since the beginning of the year.  Something is telling me that the Sabres will get their second 2-game winning streak of the season tonight....The Monster, Jonas Gustavsson, heads to Tampa Bay in what should be a very spirited game between the Lightning and the Detroit Red Wings. Ex-Red Wing Steve Yzerman's team is sure to be at their finest as they take on his old team.  Both net minders have been playing well this year, with Ben Bishop taking the reins in TB while Gustavsson is starting to grab some more playing time from inconsistent starter Jimmy Howard. Tough call.....Kevin Poulin will try to make it two wins in a row for the NY Islanders as they finish up a 5-game road trip in Phoenix. The Coyotes will have Mike Smith back in net after about with the flu have been floundering around the .500 mark over the past 6 weeks but should prevail over a weaker Eastern Conference team....Colorado have lost 3 of their last 4 after starting out 19-6-0. Semyon Varlamov looks to halt the mini 2-game losing streak against Ondrej Pavelec and the Winnipeg Jets. Pavelec has been playing better of late although they haven't resulted ...

The injury to Howard is not believed to be serious, but it is serious enough that the Red Wings recalled Petr Mrazek. Howard looked good last night after what has been a dreadful start to the season, but he was still on the wrong end of a 3-2 shootout final. Monitor his status prior to Saturday's home game vs. the Penguins.

After two weekend defeats at the hands of New Jersey and Washington, the Ranger's Henrik Lundqvist will get a shot to start justifying his new long-term contract against the offensively inept Nashville Predators. After a hot start, Marek Mazanec has struggled mightily so the Preds will turn back to Carter Hutton in goal. Yes, the one with the 3.28 GAA and a.892 SP on the road. Great start tonight for the "King" as he looks to get back on track, even though the loss of defenseman Marc Staal to possibly another concussion does not help.. All you need to know for Boston's road matchup against Calgary is that former Flame's captain Jarome Iginla returns to his long-time home after leaving via free agency last season and the "Killer B's" should play their heart out for him. With Reto Berra in the crease for Calgary, the task shold get easier for Tuukka Rask and company. Score one for "Iggy" and the Bruins..The return of Pavel Datsyuk should accomplish two things tonight for Detroit: 1) Help Jimmy Howard restore some legitimacy to his game and pick up the "duke" and 2) don't suffer the embarrassment of losing to Florida two straight. Goals accomplished, as Howard should prevail... San Jose has been falling short lately in the win column and now they get to face the New York Islanders, losers of 10 straight games. A perfect recipe for success, as Antti Niemi has a huge edge in this matchup. FANTASY MUST-STARTS Henrik Lundqvist, NYR vs. Nashville Antti Niemi, San Jose vs. NYI Tuukka Rask, Boston @ Calgary Jimmy Howard, Detroit @Florida SLEEPER ALERT Cam Ward, Carolina @ Edmonton , DAILY GOALIE PICKS Steve: (38-27) Lundqvist Ray: (35-29) Brodeur Mike: (33-27) Rask

Howard allowed five goals on 33 shots in a loss to the Flyers on Thursday. Howie has seen his workload cut drastically due to some sloppy play - he has started just three of the last nine games. He draws a strong matchup and gets Pavel Datsyuk back in front of him on Tuesday in Florida.

It was a busy day in the NHL yesterday with 11 games played. Dallas and Philadelphia kicked it off with a matinee, and it was no contest as the Stars won easily 5-1. Tyler Seguin had a big game for Dallas with 3 goals and an assist. 18 year old Star forward Valeri Nichushkin had a 4 point game as well with a goal and 3 assists. He has 15 points now on the season, and he will be a good fantasy player in a few years.  I watched the whole game, and in my opinion the best player on the ice was Dallas' Jamie Benn. He only had 1 assist, but he was all over the ice.  Flyers goalie Steve Mason deserved a better fate than allowing 4 goals, as he had some tremendous saves, but Philadelphia just did not show up. If he wants to make Team Canada's Olympic team, Claude Giroux is going to have to play a lot better than he did yesterday. He was invisible.  The Flyers line that has been getting so much attention Steve Downie, Matt Read and Sean Couturier did nothing...Nice win by Boston over Pittsburgh who is still without Evgeni Malkin. Bruin d-man Zdeno Chara got the game winner, but he is not the same player he used to be with only 12 points on the season. Boston forward Loui Eriksson left the game with an apparent concussion. 19 year old Alex Galchenyuk scored a goal for Montreal against hapless Buffalo. He has 20 points on the season, and he is going to be a good one. Nice keeper for next year. Anderson struggles continue:  Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson continued his dismal year with a 4-3 loss to Toronto. He has won only 7 games and his goals against is a terrible 3.38 while his save percentage is .897.  Look for Robin Lehner to get a lot more starts in goal for the Senators. James van Riemsdyk had a goal and 2 assists for Toronto. He is having a solid year with 25 points on the season. Superdeau Huberdeau: Jonathan Huberdeau scored the game winning goal in Florida's 2-1 win over Detroit. While Huberdeau has been a disappointment this year with only 14 points so far, we still like him and think he will have a good second half of the season. Jonas Gustavsson suffered his first regulation loss of the season in goal for Detroit, but it was hardly his fault as he had 35 saves. We still think Gustavsson may take over Jimmy Howard's starting position. Grab Grabovski?:  Washington forward Mikhail Grabovski had 2 assists in the Capitals victory over Nashville. With 24 points on the year he is having a career season.  Be a little wary because at 29 years old one ...

It was a busy day in the NHL yesterday with 11 games played. Dallas and Philadelphia kicked it off with a matinee, and it was no contest as the Stars won easily 5-1. Tyler Seguin had a big game for Dallas with 3 goals and an assist. 18 year old Star forward Valeri Nichushkin had a 4 point game as well with a goal and 3 assists. He has 15 points now on the season, and he will be a good fantasy player in a few years.  I watched the whole game, and in my opinion the best player on the ice was Dallas' Jamie Benn. He only had 1 assist, but he was all over the ice.  Flyers goalie Steve Mason deserved a better fate than allowing 4 goals, as he had some tremendous saves, but Philadelphia just did not show up. If he wants to make Team Canada's Olympic team, Claude Giroux is going to have to play a lot better than he did yesterday. He was invisible.  The Flyers line that has been getting so much attention Steve Downie, Matt Read and Sean Couturier did nothing...Nice win by Boston over Pittsburgh who is still without Evgeni Malkin. Bruin d-man Zdeno Chara got the game winner, but he is not the same player he used to be with only 12 points on the season. Boston forward Loui Eriksson left the game with an apparent concussion. 19 year old Alex Galchenyuk scored a goal for Montreal against hapless Buffalo. He has 20 points on the season, and he is going to be a good one. Nice keeper for next year.   Anderson struggles continue:  Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson continued his dismal year with a 4-3 loss to Toronto. He has won only 7 games and his goals against is a terrible 3.38 while his save percentage is .897.  Look for Robin Lehner to get a lot more starts in goal for the Senators. James van Riemsdyk had a goal and 2 assists for Toronto. He is having a solid year with 25 points on the season. Superdeau Huberdeau: Jonathan Huberdeau scored the game winning goal in Florida's 2-1 win over Detroit. While Huberdeau has been a disappointment this year with only 14 points so far, we still like him and think he will have a good second half of the season. Jonas Gustavsson suffered his first regulation loss of the season in goal for Detroit, but it was hardly his fault as he had 35 saves. We still think Gustavsson may take over Jimmy Howard's starting position. Grab Grabovski?:  Washington forward Mikhail Grabovski had 2 assists in the Capitals victory over Nashville. With 24 points on the year he is having a career season.  Be a little wary because at 29 years old one ...

Modest slate of games last night in the NHL as there were only 6 games played. The Red Wings beat the Devils 3-1, as offensively challenged New Jersey could only muster 11 shots on goal against Jonas Gustavsson. There may be a tectonic switch coming in the Detroit net as Gustavsson is clearly outplaying Jimmy Howard. Last night was not a good test, but don't be suprised if Gustavsson gets the next start.  Gustav Nyqvist had an assist for the Red Wings, and he is getting more quality ice time with the big stars out. He does have 7 points in 8 games, and would be a nice pickup right now. Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist, and while the 23 year old has 13 points on the season, we wouldn't chase him. He did not put up impressive numbers in the  minors...But someone who is impressive is 19 year old Elias Lindholm for Carolina. Lindholm had a goal and 2 assists in last night's 5-3 win over the Sharks.  Lindholm was the 5th overall pick in this years draft and he is very talented, but probably a year or two away from fantasy value. Curtis is the man: With Sergei Bobrovsky out for at least a month, Curtis McElhinney will likely get most of the starts in goal for Columbus for a while. While Columbus is not that good, McElhinney may be a good short term pickup if you are hurting in goal. 21 year old forward Ryan Johansen had 2 assists last night for the Blue Jackets and he now has 22 points on the season. If there is any chance that he is still available in your league grab him immediately. Where is Toews?:  Chicago lost to Anaheim in a shootout 3-2.  Jonas Hiller is now up to 10 wins in goal for the Ducks.  He had 23 saves last night, and with Fasth out it looks like Anaheim is going to go with him.  Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf continued his monster year with a goal and an assist. He now has 35 points on the season.  But where has Jonathan Toews gone to? The Chicago star forward has only 1 assist in his last 5 games.  He is far too talented to keep scoring like this. Trade for him if you can.

Modest slate of games last night in the NHL as there were only 6 games played. The Red Wings beat the Devils 3-1, as offensively challenged New Jersey could only muster 11 shots on goal against Jonas Gustavsson. There may be a tectonic switch coming in the Detroit net as Gustavsson is clearly outplaying Jimmy Howard. Last night was not a good test, but don't be suprised if Gustavsson gets the next start.  Gustav Nyqvist had an assist for the Red Wings, and he is getting more quality ice time with the big stars out. He does have 7 points in 8 games, and would be a nice pickup right now. Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist, and while the 23 year old has 13 points on the season, we wouldn't chase him. He did not put up impressive numbers in the  minors...But someone who is impressive is 19 year old Elias Lindholm for Carolina. Lindholm had a goal and 2 assists in last night's 5-3 win over the Sharks.  Lindholm was the 5th overall pick in this years draft and he is very talented, but probably a year or two away from fantasy value. Curtis is the man: With Sergei Bobrovsky out for at least a month, Curtis McElhinney will likely get most of the starts in goal for Columbus for a while. While Columbus is not that good, McElhinney may be a good short term pickup if you are hurting in goal. 21 year old forward Ryan Johansen had 2 assists last night for the Blue Jackets and he now has 22 points on the season. If there is any chance that he is still available in your league grab him immediately. Where is Toews?:  Chicago lost to Anaheim in a shootout 3-2.  Jonas Hiller is now up to 10 wins in goal for the Ducks.  He had 23 saves last night, and with Fasth out it looks like Anaheim is going to go with him.  Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf continued his monster year with a goal and an assist. He now has 35 points on the season.  But where has Jonathan Toews gone to? The Chicago star forward has only 1 assist in his last 5 games.  He is far too talented to keep scoring like this. Trade for him if you can.

SURPRISE 1 SORTA: Well, the first game on the night wasn't much of a surprise as the Montreal Canadiens behind backup Peter Budaj earned the extra point in a shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils and goaltender Cory Schneider. It was Schneider's first loss after winning three in a row but the surprising thing about this match was that 5 of the 6 goals scored in regulation were scored in the 3rd period.  The Habs took both matches of a home-and-home series....David Desharnais has found the confidence since being reunited with Max Pacioretty. DD has points in six of the last 8 games helping the Canadiens win 7 of those 8 games.  It may be your last chance to grab Desharnais from a disgruntled owner but that may have been easier a week ago.  The streak has them in 3rd place of the Eastern Conference with Boston and Pittsburgh ahead of them. They have a chance to move into a tie for first place if they win tonight over the Bruins and the Penguins lose in regulation to the San Jose Sharks.....SURPRISE 2: The Detroit Red Wings, without the services of Pavel Datysuk and Henrik Zetterberg because of injuries, took a 3-1 lead late into the second period before Jimmy Howard let in 5 unanswered goals (4 of those in the 3rd period) by the Philadelphia Flyers, stunning the Joe Louis Arena crowd with the Flyers winning 6-3.  Howard's play has at best erratic this season as he has been counted on to carry this talented Red Wing team.  Backup Jonas Gustavsson has a better record and better numbers so far this season. If you need goaltending help, and want to take a chance that Howard will return to form, then this is your best shot at getting him on the cheap...Philly G Steve Mason continued his superb season by turning aside 32 of 35 SOG, raising his record to 10-8-2. He has been the beneficiary of the resurgent Flyers offense as he has kept them in games even when they started the season off horribly.  Continue to start Mason with extreme confidence.... C Sean Couturier was the offensive star of the game with 2 goals and 2 assists in the contest. With only 14 points in 28 games, he hasn't been what the team hoped he would be, but he does have 10 points in his last 9 games.  Might be worth a, pardon the pun, flier....Matt Read and Scott Hartnell both chipped in with a goal and 2 assists each. Keep an eye on these two as they could get more involved in the Flyer offense....SURPRISE 3: After Coyote D-man Keith Yandle scored early in the first period, it was all ...

Well, the first game on the night wasn't much of a surprise as the Montreal Canadiens behind backup Peter Budaj earned the extra point in a shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils and goaltender Cory Schneider. It was Schneider's first loss after winning three in a row.  The Habs took both matches of a home-and-home series....David Desharnais has found the confidence since being reunited with Max Pacioretty. DD has points in six of the last 8 games helping the Canadiens win 7 of their past 8 games.  It may be your last chance to grab Desharnais from a disgruntled owner but that may have been easier a week ago.  The streak has them in 3rd place of the Eastern Conference with Boston and Pittsburgh ahead of them. They have a chance to move into a tie for first place if they win tonight over the Bruins and the Penguins lose in regulation to the San Jose Sharks.....The Detroit Red Wings, without the services of Pavel Datysuk and Henrik Zetterberg because of injuries, took a 3-1 lead late into the second period before Jimmy Howard let in 5 unanswered goals by the Philadelphia Flyers, stunning the Joe Louis Arena crowd with the Flyers winning 6-3. Howard's play has at best erratic this season as he has been counted on to carry this talented Red Wing team.  Backup Jonas Gustavsson has a better record and better numbers so far this season. If you need goaltending help, and want to take a chance that Howard will return to form, then this is your best shot at getting him on the cheap...Philly G Steve Mason continued his superb season by turning aside 32 of 35 SOG, raising his record to 10-8-2. He has been the beneficiary of the resurgent Flyers offense as he has kept them in games even when they started the season off horribly.  Continue to start Mason with extreme confidence.... C Sean Couturier was the offensive star of the game with 2 goals and 2 assists in the contest. With only 14 points in 28 games, he hasn't been what the team hoped he would be, but he does have 10 points in his last 9 games.  Might be worth a, pardon the pun, flier....Matt Read and Scott Hartnell both chipped in with a goal and 2 assists each. Keep an eye on these two as they could get more involved in the Flyer offense....After Coyote D-man Keith Yandle scored early in the first period, it was all Karri Ramo as he turned aside the other 29 SOG to earn his first victory after 4 straight losses. The surprising number is that Phoenix backup G Thomas Greiss let in 4 goals on only 18 SOG, ...