Just as Boston was heating up, not only has the winter storms cooled them off, but Dallas beat the Bruins 5-3 making it 3 losses in the last 4 games for the B’s.  The only saving grace was that even though Tuukka Rask was pinned with the loss, he came on in relief for starter Niklas Svedberg who was pulled after letting in 3 goals in the first period.  Look for Rask and the Bruins to get back on track even though they are embarking on a 5-game road trip….. Ottawa beat Buffalo 2-1 in what basically is a “who cares?’ game….. Jaroslav Halak and the NY Islanders are getting back to their winning ways again with the team winning 3 of their last 4 with Halak in net for the 3 wins.  What to take out of the Islanders 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers is that Jordan Eberle continued his hot hand with a power play assist giving him 7 points in 6 games… To tell you what a fabulous year the Florida Panthers are having this season, they have beaten the Anaheim Ducks in both their meetings by identical scores of 6-2.  Too bad they don’t play the Ducks more often…. The dreaded "three-point" game came into fruition as Winnipeg ended the Minnesota Wild's six-game winning streak thanks to a Dustin Byfuglien overtime goal. Despite the loss, Devan Dubnyk put forth another fantasy-worthy effort between the pipes, stopping 32 of 34 shots. in 11 games for the Wild, he has gone 9-1-1. Keep playing him. On the other side, Michael Hutchinson's superb performance provided further proof that Ondrej Pavelec needs to stay on the bench more often. At some point, look for Paul Maurice to go with "Hutch" full-time as the playoff chase gets tighter and tighter.. Rick Nash added three assists to his already impressive goal-heavy point total in the 5-4 "Blueshirt" win over the Leafs. An obvious must start option in Nash, but don't overlook linemate Mat Zuccarello who has been scorching with eight points over the last five games.. The battle of the best teams in their respective conferences did not disappoint, as Nashville withstood a furious Tampa Bay rally in the third and eke out an overtime win. James Neal was the hero of the night, but his overall numbers have been rather pedestrian. While the Predators boast the most potent offense in the NHL, it's tough for fantasy owners to predict which forwards will be hot from "week to week". Their scoring depth will be crucial for their playoff success but not optimal for fantasy purposes... Nikita Kucherov scored a goal in his fourth straight ...

The injury to James Wisniewski opens up some important playing time and David Savard looks to take advantage of it.  The Columbus D-man now has 4 points in last 5 games.  One day Savard will be a mainstay on the Blue Jackets power play, but for the time being ride the young defensemen while he is hot… Jeff Carter is as streaky as they come but for some reason he hasn’t put together one of those amazing scoring streaks.  Is it time to take a risk and pick him up?  He did have a goal and an assist against Columbus, so it could be the start of something big…. Methinks Jordan Eberle has come alive of late.  With 2 assists against New Jersey, he now has three 2-point games in the last 5 games.  Poolies have been patiently waiting Mr. Eberle… More to come...

The New York Rangers keep plugging along and now sit just 3 points behind Division leader New York Islanders with a game in hand and just 6 points off Conference leader Tampa Bay with 3 games in hand. It should be a good race to the end especially if Rick Nash continues his tremendous season. Nash notched his 30th and 31st goals on the season and there seems to be no stopping him....Keep an eye on Mats Zuccarello as he had a goal and an assist against Florida last night and could be in store to for a good second half. Zuccarello, at .56 ppg, is currently well behind last season's scoring pace but should regain close to his .76 point-per-game pace he achieved last season.....Ranger D-man Dan Boyle has scored goals in two straight games and could finally be contributing the way the Blueshirts had been hoping for... Are the Edmonton Oilers waking up finally? Jordan Eberle had his best game of the season with 2 goals as the Oil beat the San Jose Sharks 5-4 in a shootout. Like all the Edmonton forwards the talent is there, it's just a matter of time before...BAM!...Edmonton D-man Justin Schultz had a goal and assist but polices have soured on the uber-talented defenseman but he is still only 24 years old, but one day!...Joe Pavelski just keeps heading towards matching last season's career year with 2 goals and an assist giving him 46 in 51 games...Joe Thornton had 3 assists extending his scoring streak to 6 games and has 7 points during that streak.

In his return after a brief conditioning stint in the AHL, Anaheim G John Gibson had an easy go of it against the Columbus Blue Jackets, turning aside 16 of 17 SOG for his first win of the season. With the stellar play of Frederik Andersen so far this year, it looks like Gibson will get spot starts unless Andersen begins to falter. Everything looks to be in Andersen's favor, but one never knows how quickly the hand of fate delivers.  Corey Perry continues his torrid start with a goal and an assist but if somehow D Sami Vatanen is still available in your league, snatch him up ASAP as he had a goal and an assist, both on the power play. Cam Fowler seems to be the forgotten offensive d-man in Anaheim although he did also notch an assist on the power play and now has 5 points in 8 games... Edmonton rattled off their third win in a row as they blasted the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 at Rexall Place. It appears there is no fantasy-worthy options in Carolina but as the top talent returns to the lineup, the production should improve.  Jeff Skinner broke the ice in his third game back since opening the season on the injury list, so look for his numbers and the rest of the Canes to get quite better as C Eric Staal is close to returning as well. Without either of those in the lineup, the Canes have been horrible as they have gone winless.  Some good "buy-low" options in Carolina.... Speaking of being lost, Edmonton's Jordan Eberle broke out in a big way last night with 2 goals and an assist, the first goal a thing of beauty as he and Tayler Hall had a nice give-and-go to break Eberle free. Those who were a bit disgruntled can breathe a sigh of relief as Eberle should be a big part of that Oil offense.... You knew sooner or later that the Colorado Avalanche offense was going to break out as they scored 7 goals against the visiting Vancouver Canucks. The return of starter Semyon Varlamov didn't hurt either as the team seemed to play much better with their no. 1 back in the crease. Matt Duchene (G, 2A), Jarome Iginla (2G, A) and Tyson Barrie (3A) all had a 3-point night while Erik Johnson had a goal and an assist. Perhaps the Colorado Rocky air was just the right elixir.  Put your Avs back in the lineup pronto.  Take me home country roads.... The talent of the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially starter Ben Bishop (40/42 SVS), was just too much for the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec was chased after giving up 4 through 2 periods and his numbers are clearly not what the team ...

The highly anticipated NHL debut of Tampa Bay winger Jonathan Drouin took place in Edmonton last night, as Alex Killorn's morning skate injury resulted in his last-minute addition to the line-up. The 2013 third overall pick played over 16 minutes and did register a shot, but the night belonged to Taylor Hall and company, as the Oilers seized their first win of the season with the 3-2 triumph. The star winger scored on a penalty shot and added a helper, while his pivot Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his first goal of the season for the game-winner in the third period. Head coach Dallas Eakins reunited the Hall-Eberle-Hopkins unit, paying off handsomely as they combined for four points while keeping the opposing Steven Stamkos line off the scoresheet. If the trio could stay intact, then you possibly see RNH and Jordan Eberle reach the fantasy level that they are so capable of.. RW Ryan Callahan left the game for the Lightning in the second period and did not return.

Eberle did not skate for the last two days and missed Tuesday's game against the Kings, but skating prior to tonight's game at least leaves hope that he might play. Monitor his status during pre-game warmups.

There was no word on what is ailing Eberle, but he will not play tonight and should be considered questionable for Wednesday. With Eberle out, Teddy Purcell will start the game on the first line.

Eberle did not skate on Monday and is not on the ice this morning. Yesterday was believed to be a "maintenance" day, but his absence today as well likely suggests he won't play tonight vs. the Kings. A full update on Eberle's status should be available upon the completion of the morning skate.

The first season for the Edmonton Oilers under coach Dallas Eakins did not go as well as planned, finishing dead last in the Pacific Division with a 29-44-9 record. With some of the most promising young forwards in the game- Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Nugent Hopkins- the rebuilding process needs to step up for these Oilers. The management addressed many of the team's glaring needs with a very active off-season. With the additions of Nikita Nikitin and Mark Fayne, both stay-at-home defensemen with the ability to move the puck, the defense should be much improved. On offense, trading away Sam Gagner leaves them thin at center but the addition of another talented winger in Teddy Purcell further solidifies their forward ranks. They paid a "pretty penny" for third-liner Benoit Pouliot, but he should add a combination of grit and skill to the top-nine. In net, the improved tandem of Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth should reap immediate dividends, so the Oilers can soar higher than they have in many years. The question remains whether they can get it together for a legitimate playoff push. Fantasy-wise, there are a plethora of options to choose from, mainly on the offensive end. Goalies Goaltending has always been a major question mark with this team, but the Oiler brass has upgraded the position by adding Scrivens and Fasth. While the Oilers are better off between the pipes, fantasy owners are looking at a dicey situation in net. Scrivens holds a slight edge in the starting goalie competition, but was hardly impressive in his brief stint with Edmonton last season with 9 wins, 3.01 GAA and .916 SP. After leaving Anaheim, Fasth did not fare much better posting a 3-3-1 record, a 2.73 GAA and a .914 SP. Both netminders held considerable more fantasy value on their previous defensive-minded teams, so whichever one emerges as the undisputed no.1 should be viewed as a lower tier no.3 goalie option. Expect both to share starts when the season begins, so we would look elsewhere for goalie help in your leagues. Defense Entering his 3rd season, Justin Schultz should be ready to improve on his 33-point effort in 2013-14 but more worrisome to fantasy owners should be his -22 rating. While he possesses tons of offensive upside, he needs to clean up his defensive zone play. Once he becomes a more complete two-way defender, then the heavy minutes will come. Look for him to rebound and set career-highs in the 40-45 point range as he is the only legitimate scoring ...

The first season for the Edmonton Oilers under coach Dallas Eakins did not go as well as planned, finishing dead last in the Pacific Division with a 29-44-9 record. With some of the most promising young forwards in the game- Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Nugent Hopkins- the rebuilding process needs to step up for these Oilers. The management addressed many of the team's glaring needs with a very active off-season. With the additions of Nikita Nikitin and Mark Fayne, both stay-at-home defensemen with the ability to move the puck, the defense should be much improved. On offense, trading away Sam Gagner leaves them thin at center but the addition of another talented winger in Teddy Purcell further solidifies their forward ranks. They paid a "pretty penny" for third-liner Benoit Pouliot, but he should add a combination of grit and skill to the top-nine. In net, the improved tandem of Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth should reap immediate dividends, so the Oilers can soar higher than they have in many years. The question remains whether they can get it together for a legitimate playoff push. Fantasy-wise, there are a plethora of options to choose from, mainly on the offensive end. Goalies Goaltending has always been a major question mark with this team, but the Oiler brass has upgraded the position by adding Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth. While the Oilers are better off between the pipes, fantasy owners are looking at a dicey situation in net. Scrivens holds a slight edge in the starting goalie competition, but was hardly impressive in his brief stint with Edmonton last season with 9 wins, 3.01 GAA and .916 SP. After leaving Anaheim, Fasth did not fare much better posting a 3-3-1 record, a 2.73 GAA and a .914 SP. Both netminders held considerable more fantasy value on their previous defensive-minded teams, so whichever one emerges as the undisputed no.1 should be viewed as a lower tier no.3 goalie option. Expect both to share starts when the season begins, so we would look elsewhere for goalie help in your leagues. Defense Entering his 3rd season, Justin Schultz should be ready to improve on his 33-point effort in 2013-14 but more worrisome to fantasy owners should be his -22 rating. While he possesses tons of offensive upside, he needs to clean up his defensive zone play. Once he becomes a more complete two-way defender, then the heavy minutes will come. Look for him to rebound and set career-highs in the 40-45 point range as he is the only legitimate ...