A few miscellaneous notes about some NHL goaltenders who have surprised so far, both good and bad - SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE style. Ryan Miller has certainly been a pleasant surprise so far as he leads the NHL with 10 wins. Good for Vancouver as they have recovered nicely from last year's Tortorella debacle. It is no surprise that Pekka Rinne is at the top of the win category as he is definitely recovered from last year's hip surgery/infection fiasco. His save percentage could be a tad better, but give the guy a break, he is sporting a sparkling 1.81 GAA. Probably the biggest surprise, to me at least, is the performance by Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec. He has started every game but one and his numbers back up that decision with a 1.98 GAA and .928 SP.  I never thought he would put up those kind of numbers.  I always wished he would when I had him on my fantasy teams, but it took him a few years I guess. Darcy Kuemper would have topped Pavelec especially after his 3 shutouts in his first 4 games of the season, but the bloom has fallen off that rose as he has given up 4 goals in each of the past 2 starts. Josh Harding has returned to practice after his team suspension for breaking his foot in the off-season. Harding may be a few weeks away from wrestling the starting job back. It took a few years, and a few teams, but Ben Bishop has finally landed in the right spot as Tampa Bay's no. 1. Since taking over the starter's job last year, Bishop has been nothing less than terrific.  37 wins last year and will probably reach 40+ this season. Cam Ward was left for dead after last season but one bad season, especially an injury-riddled one, should not be the reason to cast aside an established NHL starter.  After starting out 0-3-1 this season, most of those critics were probably rubbing their hands with satisfaction but true competitors always rise to the occasion.  November started a new month and a new life for Ward as he rattled off 5 wins in a row.  Ward is back as the no. 1 in Carolina. I would've expected better metrics out of Cory Schneider but he does have a 6-5-2 record and has started every game a la Martin Brodeur, so you know you have to stick with him. His numbers, 2.91 GAA and .906, should improve as the season progresses.  His play has been up and down already this season but should flat line soon. You may have recalled that there was a goaltending controversy brewing in San Jose at the beginning of the year about Alex Stalock getting a lot more starts ...

THE WINDS OF CHANGE The Carolina Hurricanes, behind goaltender Cam Ward's 4th straight win, have risen from the bottom of the Eastern Conference by switching places with the team they beat last night in the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2 in overtime, who now share that dubious distinction with the Buffalo Sabres. There was a lot skepticism that Ward would not be able to return to form as Carolina's no. 1 net minder especially after how backup Anton Khudobin filled in during his injury last season. After a rough start to this season, and perhaps needing time to build up his strength, the Hurricane goalkeeper has flashed his past form during this modest 4-game winning streak and claiming the starter's job.  Holy glove save Batman! Ward is back....One Cane that is playing strong of late is C Elias Lindholm who has 6 points in the last 4 games with 3-game winners. He has been getting considerable power play time so he is definitely worth a pickup while he is hot...Columbus has now lost 7 straight after a fabulous pre-season record and a 4-2-0 start to the season.  Look for the Blue Jackets to turn their season around as they start to get players back from injury.... The Edmonton Oilers stopped a 4-game losing streak but it was against the lowly Sabres, but it was a win nonetheless and the Oil needed it badly but changes are probably in the works as their lead scorer Taylor Hall is out for a few weeks with a leg injury. Things have not progressed the way Edmonton would have liked, so there are rumors floating around that big changes are on their way..... Detroit halted their three-game losing streak with a win over the New Jersey Devils as they returned home. Jimmy Howard didn't have to do much as he only faced 17 shots from a Devils team that has been beset by injuries of late.  The Devils have now lost 3 in arrow and G Cory Schneider has looked very human in the past 2 games.....Pavel Datsyuk hurt his grown in practice earlier in the day and did not dress. Expect Datsyuk to miss a few games at the least..... The Washington Capitals scored three late 2nd period goals to wipe out a 2-0 deficit and held on for the 3-2 victory. G Braden Holtby stopped 38 of 40 to raise his record to 4-3-2. The Caps need more games like this from Holtby if they are going to make a run for the playoffs.  Marcus Johansson and Andre Burakovsky were the catalyst on offense along with D Matt Niskanen's 2 assists. Burakovsky holds a lot of promise but the other 2 are mainly support/depth...

It's up to you New York... New York, New York!!!! Well, you get the idea. Three games in the NHL last night, involving all three New York state teams, and each went into extra time.  First, we head to upstate New York where the Buffalo Sabres earned a point with another tough defensive matchup, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in the shootout 2-1.  We know all about Buffalo's scoring troubles but Montreal has been struggling on the score sheet as well lately with scoring only 6 goals in the last 6 matchups.  This is perhaps a good time to "buy-low" on top Montreal talent while continuing to stay clear of Buffalo players.... Down to Manhattan as the Rangers squeaked out the extra point with Derrick Brassard scoring the game-winning goal on the power play. Brassard, with 7 points in the last 4 games, should continue to put up points until Derek Stepan returns to the lineup. Rick Nash scored his 10th and continues to have a strong season. Martin St. Louis is heating up with another goal and a power play assist making it 4 points in last 2 games. With the impending returns of Stepan and Dan Boyle, St. Louis' production should come more steadily.....The soon-to-be Brooklyn-bound NY Islanders are in the midst of a 5-game Western road trip and came away with a 3-2 OT win over the goalie-depleted Anaheim Ducks. In the course of a weekend, both Frederik Andersen and John Gibson were befallen to injury meaning that Jason LaBarbera was thrust into action. John Tavares started and ended the scoring while Kyle Okposo assisted on both JT goals. Tavares now has 14 points in 12 games and barring any type of setback, should be a lock to reach the 100-point plateau this year.  Although Okposo has the same amount of points as Tavares, he will probably hit a dry patch but can still end up close to a point-per-game pace.

Gibson was scheduled to start Sunday's game, but was a late scratch because he suffered an injury. He was reevaluated on Tuesday and it was determined that he suffered some kind of groin injury that will keep him out for a month and a half. The Ducks have recalled Igor Bobkov to play with Jason LaBarbera while Gibson and Frederik Andersen are sidelined.

Gibson was the Ducks scheduled starter on Sunday night, but he suffered a lower-body injury in warmups and did not dress. Frederik Andersen did not dress either due to 'minor leg tightness' so Jason LaBarbera had to make his third start in three nights (started FRI and SAT in AHL) with goalie consultant Dwayne Roloson serving as his backup. Gibson will be examined on Monday.

Today's narrative begins with the following advice: On some days, you can't predict anything in the NHL. Lower-tier teams Carolina, Buffalo, and Arizona all win while the Kings continue to stagger, Washington still searching for their identity and Detroit just slipped up. Interesting enough, Carolina goalie Cam Ward turned back the clock this weekend by posting two straight vintage efforts to remind us of what he is actually capable of when he is at his best. He has free-falled on all fantasy goalie lists over recent years, but maybe.. just maybe he can give it one more shot to return as a legitimate starter. Keep your eye on him, as the goalie waiver wire is pretty thin these days. The future looks bright in Nashville, as Filip Forsberg sparked the offense with a 3-point effort in the 3-1 road win over Vancouver. With 11 points in 11 games, the rookie now leads all first-year players in points. Expect his offensive production to continue to move northward as he is playing a prominent role in Coach Laviolette's offense. On the rise..Michael Hutchinson was "lights out" in the crease for Winnipeg, as the back-up turned aside all 33 shots in their impressive 1-0 win over Chicago. Ondrej Pavelec is clearly the Jet's top guy, but if he stumbles later on, "Hutch" can easily step in. Monitor this situation as the year goes on.. Alex Ovechkin explodes with a goal and three assists in the 6-5 Washington loss to Arizona, as he continues to transition to coach Trotz's new system. One thing is for sure- I would love to own "Ovie" in the second half... Arizona captain Shane Doan enjoyed a fine night in fantasy, notching two goals and one assist. The 38-year old is never a flashy pick, but he is a lock for 50+ points year-in, year out. He is still fantasy relevant, even as his career is on the down-side.. Flames defenseman TJ Brodie is breaking out before our eyes, collecting another three assists in Calgary's decisive triumph in Montreal. His scoring clip will simmer down, but his best days are way ahead of him. Fantasy gold in keeper leagues.. Don't look now, but Jonas Hiller has put up elite goalie numbers for Calgary so far, going 5-2-1 with a 1.84 GAA. If you do own him, prepare to "sell high' if his hot streak persists. I don't see the Flames carrying this play well beyond the quarter-mark... Albeit in a loss, Nathan McKinnon continues to leave his early-season doldrums behind another solid effort. His goal scored gives him four in the last three games. Watch ...

Gibson has won two of three with a 1.02 GAA and .964 SV% since being recalled, so I think it safe to say he has earned tonight's start. If you were able to buy-low on Gibson last week, give yourself a high-five. He will have Jason LaBarbera as his backup tonight with Frederik Andersen out with "minor league tightness".

Despite taking part in the optional morning skate and Frederik Andersen sitting out, it looks like the Ducks will roll with Gibson tonight. He has won two of three with a 1.02 GAA and .964 SV% since being recalled, so I think it safe to say he has earned tonight's start. If you were able to buy-low on Gibson last week, give yourself a high-five.

The trio of Pavel Datsyuk (2G, A), Henrik Zetterberg (2A) and Gustav Nyquist (2 PPG, A) proved to be too much for the LA Kings as they combined for 8 points in the 5-2 win. Tomas Tatar also scored showing that the changing of the guard in Detroit is well underway... Jimmy Howard is playing like a man possessed as he is putting last year's off-year behind him, posting a line of 5-1-2 with a 1.97 GAA and .929 SP, making him one of the top goaltenders so far this year. This could be his best year yet.... The injuries are starting to take their toll on the Columbus Blue Jackets as they dropped to 4-6-0 after a 7-1-0 pre-season. Ryan Johansen and Cam Atkinson are their main offensive weapons up front but until players like Sergei Bobrovsky, James Wisniewski, Boone Jenner and Artem Anisimov return to the lineup, it will be tough sledding.... Anaheim's Frederik Andersen raised his record to 7-1-0 with a 2-1 overtime win against Dallas on the road. It was a big win for the Ducks, and especially Andersen who seems to be in a sharing situation with rookie John Gibson even though his numbers are worthy of a no. 1 status. It appears that this will be a platoon situation as they don't want either young goaltender to ride the pine for too long, with both needing to play to get into any rhythm. Calgary 4-Nashville 3:  Some things to bring out of this contest is that Nashville's James Neal is getting comfortable playing alongside Mike Ribeiro & Company as he potted 2 goals last night, giving him 7 on the year....Calgary's T.J. Brodie scored his 4th goal of the year giving him 9 points in 12 games, already matching last year's goal production. Brodie is the real deal....At 4-2-1 with a 1.82. GAA and .941 SP, Jonas Hiller is going to make playing the Flames very tough this year.....Both Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan had a goal and an assist apiece against Nashville showing that Calgary has a bright future in front of them, and if they can just prove to be a bit more consistent, that future can be later this year.

What a difference a year makes for Daniel Sedin, as the 33-year old along with his brother Henrik have re-discovered their scoring touch under new coach Willie Desjardins. Daniel's overtime game-winner off a precise feed from Henrik was a thing of beauty, but something fantasy owners had grown accustomed too over the years. Then, coach Tortorella came into town last season and Daniel's numbers slipped down to levels way below his offensive standards, scoring just 47 points in 73 games. With "Torts" out and "Willie" in, the Sedins are revitalized again and should easily be looking at 70+ point numbers as they get back to what they do best: score. Daniel's goal last night was only his third of the season but he has collected 12 points in 10 games. Look for him to comfortably stay close to that pace, as the brothers are locked in as must-starts again. Two great signs emerged for the Colorado Avalanche in their huge 5-0 romp of the Islanders: First, Nathan McKinnon led the offense with two goals, his first two of the season. Sophomore slumps demoralize many lesser players, but only only temporarily derail the great stars in the making. Such is the case of McKinnon who has only 6 points in 11 games, but looked like one of the NHL's true up-and-coming elite forwards last night. Don't fret fantasy owners; Nathan and company will be scoring in bunches very soon. Also, the "doughnut" put on the board by Semyon Varlamov came in the form of 40 saves, as he keeps excelling in the crease with just three goals allowed over his last three starts. He hasn't been the problem for the Avalanche during their poor start, so get him in your starting line-ups if you haven't already. Colorado faces better times ahead... Huge night for Steven Stamkos as the electrifying Lightning winger scored two goals and added a helper to improve his numbers to 12 points in 10 games. His eight goals on the year put him on a 60-goal pace, which is exactly what we expect from the NHL's best pure goal scorer. Valtteri Filppula also "wowed" the crowd with three assists and is on more of a sustainable pace with seven points in 10 games. Coming off a 58-point campaign for the 'Bolts, this underrated fantasy asset is probably sitting on a few waiver wires. Grab'em if you need offensive help, as he is getting plenty of power-play time alongside Stamkos.. One start after giving up five third-period goals to the Rangers at MSG, Darcy Kuemper was back to his winning ways as he turned aside 25 of 28 ...