SMC 11/19/2017 Glad to be back on somewhat of a routine again!  Looks like RW Sebastian Aho from Carolina, not to be mistaken for the defenseman Sebastian Aho from the NY Islanders-although he may be a good one someday, seems to be heating up.  Kudos to those sticking with him through his rather slow start.  Grab him if he’s available.  The Carolina player, not the Islander one. Chicago’s Brandon Saad has really crashed and burned since his hot start.  I believe he will start to score more consistently going forward. Auston Matthews is back and he made his return with a ‘statement’.  That Statement being 2 goals.  Wow. Half as good as his NHL debut.  Mitch Marner was appreciative assisting on both AM’s goals. What is up with Luke Witkowski?  And shouldn’t Matthew Tkachuk get more than the 1-game suspension and Witkowski get less than the 10-games?  I mean, he slashed the back of Witkowski’s leg kind of instigating that melee. Break out the champagne!  The Arizona Coyotes won 2 in a row for the first time this season.  Of course the champagne will have to be a dry one. Need a goal scorer badly.  If Anthony Duclair is available, perhaps he will be the goal scorer everyone has been waiting for.  He did have a hattie on Saturday. Sean Monahan also had a hattie against Philadelphia, all coming in the second period. Wooohoo! Is that all we get from the Edmonton Oilers?  One good season and a playoff berth and now a return to mediocrity?  Oh wait, they’ve been worse than mediocrity for a long time before last season’s 2 playoff rounds. If Jason Spezza is available, pick him up, store him on your bench, and then he will either get on a roll, or get traded and really get on a roll. I believe you are about to see the Division standings start to look like they are supposed to with maybe one or two surprises in there like we have every year. That Devan Dubnyk sure went on a roll, didn’t he?  Three straight shutouts!  Plus one guy in m one of my fantasy leagues had him.  But he also had Sergei Bobrovsky who shutout the Rangers on Friday night.  What a week! Looks like Bobrovsky is finally over his injury-prone stage. The Winnipeg Jets are coming together thanks to Conor Hellebuyck’s play this season.  Sorry Steve Mason. LA’s Darcy Kuemper must’ve been watching ex-teammate Devan Dubnyk recent performance as he too posted a shutout on Saturday, just not three in a row.  That would be difficult to do with Jonathan Quick in net for the Kings. Does anyone else feel like ...

SMC 2/26/20017 QUICK RETURNS AT TAX TIME! Goooooooooood morning Hockeynam!  Got my coffee and ready to go!  My apologies for not writing last week as I was away with the family on a ski weekend. Back now with about 6 weeks remaining the regular season. Jonathan Quick is back and that means the LA Kings should be rolling on all cylinders to gain a playoff spot, barring any key injuries of course. Tyler Toffoli took a few games but lit the lamp twice in Saturday’s tilt against crosstown rivals, the Anaheim Ducks. Don’t worry Duck fans, if John Gibson is out longer than expected, they are in capable hands of Jonathan Bernier. 7-11 is Tanner Pearson’s lucky number with 11 points in past 7 games.  Breaking out!  He had the assist hat trick against the Ducks. It was that LA 70’s Show with Jeff Carter, Toffoli and Pearson amassing 7 points appropriately enough. With 5 points in last 3 games it appears that New Jersey Devil Kyle Palmieri is turning around his dreadful fantasy season.  Well, dreadful compared to last season. The NY Rangers are one of the hottest teams in the NHL at the moment with an 8-1-1 record over the past 10.  They are getting scoring from all 4 lines again just like early in the season. The Nashville Predators are a strange team to figure out this season.  They should make the playoffs but it feels like they shouldn’t because of their inconsistent play this season. Speaking of the inconsistency and the Preds, will they rely on Juuse Saros more next season in the slow transition to their #1? Viktor Arvidsson is having the type of season fantasy owners love to predict as their dark horse before the season and take him in one of the last rounds of the draft and puff out their chest when things work out.  I don’t think many had Arvidsson in their sights though. The Columbus Blue Jackets seem well rested in their return from that NHL mandatory break and blew the NY Islanders out of the water with a 7-0 cannon blast. Did Alex Ovechkin not record a shot on goal against Nashville on Saturday?  Has this ever happened before?  I’m stunned. John Carlson was the hog with 10 SOG though….maybe OV was deferring to JC’s accuracy. Seth Jones didn’t record a single point in that 7-0 win over the Islanders. Toronto and Montreal had a tightly fought contest for Hockey Night in Canada with the Habs prevailing in OT 3-2. The battle of Pennsylvania went to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 as Matt Murray helped the Pens keep pace in the Metropolitan division. It will ...

W.W.O.R.D. (What Would Our Ray Do?) 10/15/2016 The start of the season is upon and for most of us that means our fantasy hockey drafts are complete and our teams are formed.  So what’s to do besides setting in our weekly, or even daily, lineups?  What I do is as soon as my draft is complete, I scour the free agent wire to see what players that warrant consideration to be starters on a lot of fantasy teams and make a short list on a sheet of scrap paper. This way, if something happens like an injury to a key player like Jonathan Quick, or even a standout who wasn’t even mentioned in draft guides or magazines, I am ready to make a decisive move quickly. Now, many of us are in different types of leagues, like a points-only or a dynasty fantasy league, so everyone’s preferences are determined by the fantasy league criteria.  Another thing to do as soon as the draft is over is to make sure your team has enough depth to withstand an injury, be it a minor one, or a major one in the likes of a Jack Eichel or Jonathan Quick being out of the lineup for a few weeks or more.  On your short list place your desired, or watch list, players into position categories, and then rank them according to what matters in your fantasy league.   The good thing about making this short list is that once the season rolls along you don’t need to do much in editing unless there were players that could possibly contribute to your team in the future or add depth to your team.  A strong bench is always a good thing and stockpiling assets can be beneficial when you need or want to make a trade.  Being that I am in 2 dynasty fantasy leagues and 1 points-only league, I can give you some examples.  So let’s start with the points-only league which the draft was completed Tuesday night.  There were some interesting players left on the waiver wire and some were already picked up.  David Backes was left off a lot of teams draft boards as his age and going to a somewhat lesser offensive team than the St. Louis blues, many considered him more a risk than a necessity.  Well, a 2 G, 1 A, a +5 and 3 SOG in one game was enough for someone to jump on the talented Center.  Now, this was a good move in that Dion Phaneuf, now a depth defenseman in fantasy circles, was expendable and Backes added more depth.  The only concern I have is that Patrice Bergeron was out for the game and may miss another, so his maintaining that type of production is bound to drop off considerably.  Not that he won’t put up ...

NHL IN 30/2016: PART 3 (DET, EDM, FLA, LA, MIN) 1. This could be the year that Detroit’s long-running playoff streak ends.  The team is in a transition mode as Zetterberg gets older and Datsyuk departs to play in the KHL.  Nyquist & Tatar have fallen short on the expectations bar but the jury is still out on these youngsters if they can replace the elder statesmen as leaders.  Larkin made a huge impression last year and will need to battle the sophomore jinx if the Wings intend to compete for a playoff berth.  A lot of young faces (Mantha, Pulkkinen, Athanasiou & Sadowy) and some vets like Vanek & Nielsen were brought in to keep a good balance. Mrazek & Howard man the nets and the Winged Wheel should see some improvement from Mrazek this season.  PLAYOFFS-NO. 2. Looking at this team reminds of the love song from Foreigner and fans are still left waiting for the young talent to mold into a contending NHL team.  An off-season shocker by trading Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson may stabilize the back end for years to come.  When you have McDavid leading the offensive troops, I guess someone had to be used as fodder.  The Oil is set down the middle and now need their young wingers to mature, which may take some more seasoning.  Talbot should provide a little more confidence from within the paint as he starts his second year with the team.  Some more growing pains, but positive steps will be taken this season.  PLAYOFFS-NO. 3. The Panthers are starting to round into form now as their creator Dale Tallon has done a magnificent job of transforming the Cats over the past few years. Ageless wonder Jagr along with budding phenoms Huberdeau and Barkov have gained valuable experience and maturity and are now an everyday presence.  Trocheck, Bjugstad & R. Smith need to continue in their development.  Newcomer Yandle brings in some explosive offense from the blue line to complement Ekblad and Luongo is, well, Luongo in net.  PLAYOFFS-YES. 4. The Kings core is as good as any in the NHL and they should continue to be a threat.  Kopitar is still under-rated as far as a top-level NHL center but he is a true leader.  Carter & Toffoli will contribute the most on offense but keep an eye on Pearson with the departure of Lucic should open up valuable ice time.  Doughty, Muzzin & Martinez are as good as any top 3 defensemen in the league and when you have Jonathan Quick manning the crease, well, you know your chances are good night-in and night-out.  PLAYOFFS-YES. 5. The ...

Winnipeg @ New Jersey                                 NY Rangers @ Columbus Chicago @ NY Islanders                                 Toronto @ Detroit Arizona @ Los Angeles Some interesting matchups this evening with the Winnipeg Jets trying to carry their offensive display they had against Boston over to New Jersey.  The Devils appear to be in a rebuilding stage......The Rangers try to make it to 2-0-0 to start the season with a match against Columbus.  Both teams sport players who once played on the other squad so this carries a bit more sentiment than usual.  The Rangers held on against Chicago on Wednesday, but we will see what the Blue Jackets have in their season opener.....The Isles begin their life at the Barclay Center with the front end of a home-and-home with the Chicago Blackhwaks who will be looking to exact some punishment against their opponent after losing their banner-raising season opener on Wednesday...Toronto-Detroit looks to be a doozy as ex-Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock returns with his humongous Toronto contract to face his ex-team.  Jeff Bashill makes his debut behind the bench for the Red Wings, equipped with many of the players he coached in Grand Rapids.  The Leafs have some learning to do while the Wings will look to impress their old boss.....The nightcap pits the Arizona Coyotes against the Los Angeles Kings.  The Kings look to take out some hosttlity for losing to San Jose in their season opener and this year's NHL doormat, the Coyotes, are just what the doctor ordered to take it out on. RAY'S PICKS G: Jonathan Quick D: Alex Martinez D: Mike Green C: Anze Kopitar C: Jeff Carter LW: Justin Abdelkader LW: Brandon Saad RW: Marian Hossa RW: Patrick Kane

LOS ANGELES The basic theme for this team seems to be to just qualify for the playoffs then make a strong run, winning 2 Stanley Cups in the past 4 years.  After missing the playoffs last season, few minor changes were made with Mike Richards bought out, and Jarret Stoll going the free agent route. Defenseman Slava Voynov, with all his domestic violence issues, will not be back, maybe forever.  So the Kings brought in free agent D-man Christian Ehrhoff to fill Voynov’s minutes while hulking Milan Lucic was acquired in a trade.  Lucic fits the team well standing at 6’4” and 235 lbs. and brings that bruising style of play that the Kings love to dish out. Anze Kopitar in particular is playing for a contract so he can hit pay dirt with a huge season.  World class goaltender Jonathan Quick mans the crease again while all the top players will be back.  Head Coach Darryl Sutter is back for another year behind the bench and he handles the team very well.   GOALIES Every Stanley Cup contender has a steady influence in the crease and Quick brings that every night.  There is no doubt that Quick will see the majority of starts while newly acquired backup Jhonas Enroth is capable of spelling Quick to give him needed rest.  2012-2015                      GP      GAA       W        L        OTL       SP Jonathan Quick             407       2.27     212      139       46         .915 Last season he returned with a 30+ win season posting a 36-22-13 record with solid metrics.  Quick is a big-game player and gets up for the bigger games but is a solid #1 goalkeeper for the regular season.   DEFENSE The Kings’ defense seemed all set with Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Voynov & Alec Martinez rounding out the top four but that was before Voynov had a run-in with the law.  Not that it should’ve mattered with this team but continuity sure was disrupted.  With Voynov gone and the young defensive talent gaining valuable experience, the unit should be solid from the get go with new addition Ehrhoff.  Expect Doughty to lead the way offensively but Muzzin will challenge for that title this season.  Martinez is capable of chipping in but only worth a roster spot it if one of the top 2 lose time to injury.       FORWARDS Kopitar is the leader on offense but had an off year in 2014-2015 where he had the least amount of points in a non-strike or lockout season since his rookie year when he scored 61.  AK is poised to cash in big time if he even remotely has a standard Kopitar season of say...

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 ...

Some hot Oilers, Caps get needed 2 points, Quick stonewalls Coyotes The Washington Capitals got a much needed 2 points as they try to stave off playoff hopefuls Ottawa and Florida.  It took a shootout but regardless the extra point gives them some breathing room. Alex Ovechkin had 9 shots on goal but buffalo managed to keep him off the score sheet.  Defenseman Matt Niskanen showed some signs of life with 2 assists giving him just 23 points on the season which is afar cry from last year’s career season with Pittsburgh. Keep those Caps in your lineup as they try to establish a favorable playoff spot as they are just 2 points behind the Penguins for third in the Metropolitan Division... In what could be a preview for a potential playoff matchup, Tampa Bay controlled the game against thee I treat Canadiens 4-2 which tied the teams atop the Atlantic Division and just 2 points behind Eastern Conference leader the New York Rangers.  Steven Stamkos had 2 goals and an assist giving him 39 goals on the year and with a good hot spurt could reach the 50 mark… In a contest between two sad Canadian teams, the Edmonton Oilers behind red-hot Jordan Eberle (G, 2A) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2A) defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 behind Ben Scrivens 28-save effort. If you missed the first period then you missed all the scoring.  Scrivens had extra incentive as he was playing against his old team.  The Oil may be safe bets to put in your fantasy lineup the rest of the way as they seem to be playing looser with the pressure off… Jonathan Quick was the story against Arizona as the Kings won by a score of 1-0 although Coyote goalie Mike Smith put on a stellar performance stopping 34 SOG.  Smith has been playing a bit better lately but the team is so devoid of offense, he's not getting any help, never mind wins.  

~~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 ...