While Marc-Andre Fleury was undoubtedly the fantasy star of Pittsburgh's 3-2 road win in Colorado with 39 saves, an important side story for owners was that both Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz were scratches. Like Boston, the Pens don't have much to play for and will pull out all the stops to enter the playoffs on a healthy note. This truly means that any fantasy owners starting any key Pittsburgh players will be doing so at their own risk. Defenseman Paul Martin could be the possible exception, considering he is working his way back through an injury. In the case of Edmonton, their young players have been performing very well even though the team has been out of playoff contention for seemingly forever. With three home games in the final week, fantasy owners should consider starting their key Oilers. Last night, Taylor Hall collected a goal and 2 assists, giving him 77 points in 72 games on the season. With 9 points in his last 5 games, the youngster is a must-start this week. The same should hold true for Jordan Eberle who has disappointed for much of the campaign but has come back strong lately. He chipped in with a goal and an assist, raising his totals to 8 points in the last 5 games. It's unbelievable that the underachieving Eberle will have a crack at the 70-point mark if he could end the season with 6 points in the last 3 games. I would also like to mention arguably the biggest underachiever of Edmonton's talented young nucleus, d-man Justin Schultz, who scored a goal and an assist, giving him 32 points in 70 games despite being maddenly inconsistent all season. This guy should get 40+ points in his sleep. He might be worth a flier as well, as the young guns in "Oil Town" seem destined to end this debacle of a season on a high note. Columbus grabbed an important 2 points last night as Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside all 31 shots he face for a 4-0 blanking of the NY Islanders. That's 2 shutouts in the past three games for the Blue Jacket goalie, clearly indicating that he is up to the task of carrying the team to the playoffs.  Start him with extreme confidence for this last week, and also for the next few seasons to come. Steve Mason had a fairly easy game in net for the Philadelphia Flyers as they defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Mason was staked to a 4-0 lead heading into the third period and only faced 19 SOG.  Even though the victory didn't clinch the Flyers a playoff position, it would take a total collapse for them not to get in.  The way ...

***TEAM RANKINGS have been updated------> It is safe to say that the King has returned. Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 30 of 31 SOG to improve his record over the last 10 games to 7-2-1 as he bested the NY Islanders 2-1 at Yankee Stadium last night. The Blueshirts are undefeated at The Stadium; having beaten their cross-river rivals, the New Jersey Devils, on Sunday.  Patience has paid off for fantasy owners who were scratching their heads pondering what to do with the elite goalie earlier in the season.  Those who held onto the King are puffing their chests as he is back in form...... More Fantasy Game Notes-The San Jose Sharks have gone 3-7-0 in their last ten games and three of those losses were by shutouts. Recently acquired Edmonton G Ben Scrivens took another bite out of the Sharks with a 3-0 victory on his home ice. Scrivens has been playing well since his acquisition from LA, and he should garner more starts going forward as the play of Ilya Bryzgalov has been suspect at best. The ex-King, and ex- Maple Leaf, turned aside 59 SOG, an average of approximately 20 per period.   A new NHL record for saves in a shutout.  Scrivens is now 2-2-0 for Edmonton.  It appears that the Oil have a more than decent shot of winning with Scrivens in net, as opposed to Bryzgalov....Just like last season, with apparently nothing to play for, the youngsters on Edmonton may feel more relaxed playing with Scrivens and you can expect their scoring to increase modestly.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins & Taylor Hall each had 2 assists, with Hall adding a goal. Jordan Eberle had a power play goal and an assist. They are the three main forward contributors on offense for Edmonton along with Justin Schultz on the back-end who has been suffering from what appears to be a sophomore jinx. Fantasy owners have been frustrated by these and other Oilers for their non-consistent play, but as they mature, they will become elite fantasy scorers, so be patient for those of you in dynasty leagues....As we had mentioned in our SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE this past Sunday, the signings of both Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton may cause a slowdown in scoring from these two forwards. Playing for a contract motivates players to do well to secure their future.  Having signed an extension causes a player to become less motivated, less focused.  We have seen this happen many times before.  Having a player sign an extension in the middle of a season does not bode well for their fantasy owners.  It happens to the ...

***TEAM RANKINGS have been updated------> It is safe to say that the King has returned. Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 30 of 31 SOG to improve his record over the last 10 games to 7-2-1 as he bested the NY Islanders 2-1 at Yankee Stadium last night. The Blueshirts are undefeated at The Stadium; having beaten their cross-river rivals, the New Jersey Devils, on Sunday.  Patience has paid off for fantasy owners who were scratching their heads pondering what to do with the elite goalie earlier in the season.  Those who held onto the King are puffing their chests as he is back in form...... More Fantasy Game Notes-The San Jose Sharks have gone 3-7-0 in their last ten games and three of those losses were by shutouts. Recently acquired Edmonton G Ben Scrivens took another bite out of the Sharks with a 3-0 victory on his home ice. Scrivens has been playing well since his acquisition from LA, and he should garner more starts going forward as the play of Ilya Bryzgalov has been suspect at best. The ex-King, and ex- Maple Leaf, turned aside 59 SOG, an average of approximately 20 per period.   A new NHL record for saves in a shutout.  Scrivens is now 2-2-0 for Edmonton.  It appears that the Oil have a more than decent shot of winning with Scrivens in net, as opposed to Bryzgalov....Just like last season, with apparently nothing to play for, the youngsters on Edmonton may feel more relaxed playing with Scrivens and you can expect their scoring to increase modestly.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins & Taylor Hall each had 2 assists, with Hall adding a goal. Jordan Eberle had a power play goal and an assist. They are the three main forward contributors on offense for Edmonton along with Justin Schultz on the back-end who has been suffering from what appears to be a sophomore jinx. Fantasy owners have been frustrated by these and other Oilers for their non-consistent play, but as they mature, they will become elite fantasy scorers, so be patient for those of you in dynasty leagues....As we had mentioned in our SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE this past Sunday, the signings of both Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton may cause a slowdown in scoring from these two forwards. Playing for a contract motivates players to do well to secure their future.  Having signed an extension causes a player to become less motivated, less focused.  We have seen this happen many times before.  Having a player sign an extension in the middle of a season does not bode well for their fantasy owners.  It happens to the ...

It is safe to say that the King has returned. Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 30 of 31 SOG to improve his record over the last 10 games to 7-2-1 as he bested the NY Islanders 2-1 at Yankee Stadium last night. The Blueshirts are undefeated at The Stadium; having beaten the cross-river rivals, the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.  Patience has paid off for fantasy owners who were scratching their heads pondering what to do with the elite goalie earlier in the season.  Those who held onto the King are puffing their chests as he is back to form...... More Fantasy Game Notes-The San Jose Sharks have gone 3-7-0 in their last ten games but the three of those losses were by shutouts. Recently acquired G Ben Scrivens took the bite out of the Sharks with a 3-0 victory on home ice. Scrivens has been playing well since his acquisition and should garner more starts going forward as the play of Ilya Bryzgalov has been suspect at best. The ex-King, and ex- Maple Leaf, turned aside 59 SOG, an average of approximately 20 per period.   Scrivens is now 2-2-0 for Edmonton.  It appears that the Oil have a more than decent shot of winning with Scrivens in net, as opposed to Bryzgalov....Just like last season, with apparently nothing to play for, the youngsters on Edmonton may feel more relaxed playing with Scrivens and you can expect their scoring to increase modestly.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins & Taylor Hall had 2 assists apiece, with Hall adding a goal. Jordan Eberle had a power play goal and an assist. These are the three main contributors on offense for Edmonton along with Justin Schultz on the back-end who has been suffering from what appears to be a sophomore jinx. Fantasy owners have been frustrated by these and other Oilers for their non-consistent play, but as they mature, they will be close to elite fantasy scorers, so be patient for those in dynasty leagues....As we had mentioned in our SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE this past Sunday, the signings of both Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton could cause a slowdown in scoring from the two forwards. Playing for a contract motivates players to do well to secure their future.  Having signed an extension causes a player to become less motivated, less focused.  We have seen this happen many times before.  Having a player sign an extension in the middle of a season does not bode well for fantasy owners.  It happens to the best of them, so beware that if you own these players, you might see a reduction in their production.  San Jose has been ...

Prior to the coaching shakeup in Winnipeg, one of former coach Claude Noel's final moves to ignite his struggling team was moving All-Star defenseman Dustin Byfuglien to forward. The reasoning behind the move made some practical hockey sense as the bulky skater played wing during Chicago's 2010 playoff run with impressive results. His conditioning issues led to Noel wanting to limit his minutes. By shifting his position, he hoped that playing him on the top line with Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little would maximize his elite offensive skills with less "wear and tear" to his game. Coach Paul Maurice utilized him at the forward spot in his debut game behind the Winnipeg bench, a 5-1 win over Phoenix. What does it mean for fantasy owners? Having dual eligibility at both D and F enhances Byfuglien's overall fantasy value, but playing on the Jet's primary scoring line could even boost his already impressive numbers. At this moment, he is the third rated fantasy d-man and has been "on fire" with 11 points (4G/7A) in his last 10 games. A few factors including the Team USA snub, extended rest during the Olympic break, and less minutes played if he stays at forward should contribute to a strong finish. "Big Buff" is looking like a strong top 3-5 fantasy option on defense the rest of the way, even if he has played his last game on "D" for the season. Parting Shots: After Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson left last night's game with a back injury, it was young Tyson Barrie who "stole the show" with two goals, including the game-winner in overtime against the mighty Blackhawks. Barrie's fantasy value will receive a huge boost if Johnson is out for an extended period of time, but his offensive production has been rising with his recent 3-game point streak. The talented 22-year old is well worth a waiver-wire grab if available.. After a "down" sophomore season so far, Edmonton's Justin Schultz is getting hot lately with 7 points (2G/5A) in his last 10 games. With the young Edmonton offensive guns staying home through the Sochi games, Schultz could have a huge rebound in the second half.. With 25 points in 47 games, veteran Marek Zidlicky has given the New Jersey Devils a huge scoring jolt with 8 points in the last 10 games. The Czech defender might fade a bit but should be a lock for 40 points. A solid 3rd defensive option in all fantasy formats.. Maybe take a flier on youngster Calvin de Haan, who has collected 7 points in 5 games since his AHL promotion to the Islanders....

Good morning all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas & Boxing Day and that Santa brought you everything that you wanted. I can see Patrice Bergeron having a much better second half. The Senators got a much needed win over the Bruins. Jarome Iginla is heating up with 11 points in past 12 games. What a great matchup between Bishop and Price last night! Now that both Zetterberg and Datsyuk are back in the Detroit lineup, things should return to normal for the Red Wings. Every Panther had a shot on goal except Scott Gomez and Mike Weaver. It's been a long road for Gomez since his glory days with the Devils. New Jersey is beginning to win close low-scoring games and some with 4 or 5 goals scored. Interesting. It just goes to show you that you need more than 1 or 2 high-level players on your team to truly compete in the NHL. Look at the Islanders, who have been on such a downward spiral their last 25 games. Huge battle in St. Louis last night with the Blues and Blackhawks. 6-5 Blues win in a shootout.  10 different goal scorers in regulation.  Amazing. Exciting finish to last night's LA-Nashville tilt.   Kings tied it with 37 seconds remaining but Preds win just 10 seconds later.  Mike Fisher had a night to sing about with 2 goals, the game winner, and an assist. Colonel Klinkhammer didn't get on the board last night. What do you expect when you only get 6 seconds of power play time? Claude Giroux rescued the Flyers last night against former team mate Ilya Bryzgalov and the Edmonton Oilers. Justin Schultz had an assist and could be poised for a huge second half. Get him while he's cheap. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and exciting New Year! Be careful out there!

With the new year upon us, it's a great time to look back and review some of our thoughts on 5 key fantasy storylines focusing on defenseman for this season. We will honestly say that even though we pride ourselves in usually giving out accurate advice, we have been very wrong on a few counts: "Sophomore jinx" for Justin Schultz? Scoring 27 points in 48 games as a rookie for Edmonton after leading the entire AHL in points scored should have been proof enough that the young Schultz was ready for the grand stage, but Year 2 has been a struggle. We loved for him to continue his ascent up the scoring charts in '13-14, especially playing with arguably the most talent-laden offensive roster in the West, but he only put up 13 points in 31 games. His combined -33 rating over the last two seasons is a reminder that he clearly needs work in the defensive zone. Until he cleans up his overall two-way game, his minutes will be kept in check. Having said all that, we still view him as a decent "buy-low" option for the second half of the season. Will Michael Del Zotto thrive under Vigneault? This one is tough to figure out, as the ultra-skilled 21-year old needed to desperately escape the contraints imposed on his offensive game by defensive-minded coach John Tortorella. With Alain Vigneault taking over the reins as Rangers head coach, Del Zotto stood the most to benefit and finally respond with a huge season. Unfortunately, the "chateau bow-wow" has become the underachieving d-man's second home, as frequent "healthy scratch" labels and limited minutes have defined his game more than offensive consistency. Dynasty-league owners should consider holding onto him, as MDZ has vast offensive upside with already two seasons of 37 and 41 points amidst all the turmoil. Perhaps a trade will restore him back to fantasy relevance. Debate: Tory Krug or Dougie Hamilton? Yes, Krug was a playoff sensation for Boston last season during the playoff series win against the New York Rangers, but Hamilton has the untapped offensive potential. I have defiantly defended Hamilton as the better fantasy option for this season, but Krug has been the more reliable point producer, scoring 19 points in 37 games including 11 on the power-play. Meanwhile, Hamilton has been a disappointment with only 7 points in 28 games, and also missing time due to a LBI sustained in early December. Krug has somewhat slowed down with three points in the last 10 contests, but he is the obvious better choice in ...

So much for Semyon Varlamov erasing his road struggles this season, as he and the Colorado Avalanche were hammered by the Edmonton Oilers in a 8-2 romp. Leading the way for the offensive explosion was Taylor Hall, who collected a "hat trick" and an assist. With 24 points in 23 games, there isn't much stopping the young phenom from being a top-five fantasy forward, other than his perpetual injury issues. If he can stay healthy, all the key Oiler forwards and defenseman Justin Schultz will improve their scoring production by a wide margin over the second half of the '13-14 season. These boys could be deadly come January. "Skinned" Alive: Speaking of needing to stay healthy, Carolina's Jeff Skinner also recorded a "hat trick" in the Cane's 5-2 road defeat of Nashville. With 17 points in 18 games, he is taking advantage of more top-line ice-time and is equaling his level of play during his Calder Trophy winning season. If this youngster can keep out of the infirmiery, he should easily post a career-high in points, but that is no guarantee. The absence of Alex Semin has propeled Skinner back into the the position of Carolina's second best scoring forward, which is certainly giving his fantasy value a huge boost. Start him with extreme confidence. More Fantasy Game Notes: Fresh off signing his 7-year contract extension, Henrik Lundqvist was nearly impenetrable last night against the Buffalo Sabres. The "King" of Broadway turned aside 27 of 28 SOG for his 9th victory against 11 losses. If there ever was a chance to snare Lundqvist, now may be the time.  Just mention his losing record and how well backup Cam Talbot has been playing to put some doubt in his owner's mind....Toronto came away with a much needed 2 points against the Dallas Stars.  Nazem Kadri woke up by scoring 2 goals in the contest, one on the power play. Kadri has been a bit of a disappointment especially after last year's 44 points in 48-game effort.  They will need Kadri to continue this type of offensive support with Tyler Bozak, Dave Bolland and Joffrey Lupul all out with injuries....Martin St. Louis (2G) & Goalie Ben Bishop (33/34 SV)were the main characters in the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 win over Bishop's former team, the Ottawa Senators. St. Louis never ceases to amaze me with how he can continue to score the way he has as he has gotten older.  He is in the top-20 in NHL scoring and once Steven Stamkos' returns, whenever that is, his numbers should improve greatly. Bishop is showing that ...

So much for Semyon Varlamov erasing his road struggles this season, as he and the Colorado Avalanche were hammered by the Edmonton Oilers in a 8-2 romp. Leading the way for the offensive explosion was Taylor Hall, who collected a "hat trick" and an assist. With 24 points in 23 games, there isn't much stopping the young phenom from being a top-five fantasy forward, other than his perpetual injury issues. If he can stay healthy, all the key Oiler forwards and defenseman Justin Schultz will improve their scoring production by a wide margin over the second half of the '13-14 season. These boys could be deadly come January. "Skinned" Alive: Speaking of needing to stay healthy, Carolina's Jeff Skinner also recorded a "hat trick" in the Cane's 5-2 road defeat of Nashville. With 17 points in 18 games, he is taking advantage of more top-line ice-time and is equaling his level of play during his Calder Trophy winning season. If this youngster can keep out of the infirmiery, he should easily post a career-high in points, but that is no guarantee. The absence of Alex Semin has propeled Skinner back into the the position of Carolina's second best scoring forward, which is certainly giving his fantasy value a huge boost. Start him with extreme confidence. MORE TO COME LATER...

The Edmonton Oiler's 7-0 drubbing of Columbus last night served notice to all fantasy owners that it is way too early to give up on your high-prized Oilers. David Perron led the offense with 2 goals and 2 assists, while his high-profile linemate Nail Yakupov flashed his immense potential with a goal and an assist. I am about to give you the good news on this team regarding it's overall fantasy outlook. Chances are that the team has already hit rock-bottom, considering the Yakupov distractions, the goalie carousel, and injuries to Taylor Hall/Justin Schultz. With Hall back healthy on the first line and Perron thriving on his new team, the top-six looks pretty formidable moving forward. Yakupov will NOT get traded and his minutes will quickly go up. The return of Justin Schultz will pay immediate dividends on the transition game and on the power-play. While this was just one game against a pretty deflated Blue Jacket team, I would consider "buying low" on the key slow-starting Oiler players.. Devan Dubnyk is making things interesting with his second straight win, a 14-save shutout. His overall numbers are still mediocre, but maybe he just needed a kick in the rear to get his game going. The acquisition of Ilya Bryzgalov has certainly done that, but the question remains whether Dubnyk can continue his winning ways. Monitor this situation, because the winner of this goalie sweepstakes could have decent fantasy value down the road. A Big Night For "Mad Max": In Montreal's 6-2 thumping of Minnesota on home ice, Max Pacioretty finally came to life by scoring a "hat trick" and registering 10 shots on goal. If this isn't a huge "buy low" opportunity for a potential point-per-game winger in the second half of the season, I am not sure what is. It's possible that last night's huge effort has closed the window for acquiring him, but you should try anyway. His 7 points in 13 games plus his history of injuries should be your selling point, but astute fantasy owners will be aware that "Mad Max" is about to go off. FYI- keep an eye on David Desharnais, who has been horrible to start the season, but has legit 65+ point potential playing with a "hot" Pacioretty. His minutes might start going up and so will his point production. Goalie bits: Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo said he was "pumped up" for a rematch against Florida netminder Tim Thomas. You may remember there was some animosity between the two in the Stanley Cup Final series in 2011.  Well Luongo should be more...