Kari Lehtonen is dirt cheap and in a great spot tonight against Arizona. Who else should you target in NHL DFS contests on Friday?

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 ...

Tavares stars again; Dubnyk can't lose; Stamkos heating up; and more: The Philadelphia Flyers got a much-needed win against a tough St. Louis Blues as they try to climb up into that last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.  Having goalie Steve Mason back in net surely will help the Flyers cause as he turned aside 28 of 29 shots on goal.  It looks like a four team race for the last spot with Ottawa and Florida all in the hunt for the spot occupied by the Boston Bruins at the moment…. Devan Dubnyk continues on a most unlikely run as he improved to 17-3-2 as the starting Minnesota Wild goalie.  Even in his losses he has played brilliantly.  Last year’s version is long forgotten but probably not in Edmonton…Jason Pominville provided all the offense DD would need as the Wild beat the Ovechkin-less Washington Capitals 2-1. Ovechkin was out with a lower-body injury but look for him to be back in the lineup in the next game…..Zach Parise assisted on both Pommer goals and should be in your starting lineup as he has the talent to get on a run in a hurry…. Boston gained a much needed point as they lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Calgary Flames who are having a fine season as they are in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference.  Flames goalie Karri Ramo has now won 3 of his last five starts and his numbers are impressive during that streak with a 1.80 GAA and a .947 SP.  If available, he could help your fantasy squad as the Flames are riding his hot play….   With Florida down to their third goalie, the Dallas Stars prevailed in the 4-3 shootout win. Kari Lehtonen was yanked early after another inconsistent effort leading to Jhonas Enroth's first win as a Star. The Dallas fantasy goalie situation has been in flux all season, mostly due to Lehtonen's wildly erratic play. Never know what you are getting... Easy game for the Bolt's as Steven Stamkos led the offense with two helpers in the 4-2 victory over the hapless Maple Leafs. Super "Stammer" has come to life after a mid-season slump, holding a current four-game point streak (4G/2A) and having collected 15 points over the last 15 games. Seems like a down year, but he should be 'cooking' down the stretch... The Nashville Predators keep sliding with their fourth straight loss, this time at the hands of the Islanders. John Tavares collected a goal and an assist on the night, improving to an NHL-leading 67 points. Most of us expected a slight drop-off after the Kyle Okposo injury, but JT has actually improved on ...

Holtby is unreal; Pittsburgh scoring woes; St. Louis fantasy relevant again; and more... Braden Holtby and the Washington Capitals had an easy time against Ondrej Pavelec and the Winnipeg Jets, winning 5-1 at home.  Having Barry Trotz behind the bench has done wonders for Holtby while it hasn’t deterred Alex Ovechkin from scoring as he netted his 38th on the year.  Enjoy the ride poolies.…The big question is , “why isn’t Winnipeg going with Michael Hutchinson night in, night out?”  The Jets clearly play better in front of Hutch… Who would have thought that the Pittsburgh Penguins would have trouble scoring?  They lost to Columbus last night, 2-1, making it three games in arrow that they only scored once.  You just know that at some point, with all those offensive weapons that they will bust out in a big way…. The New York Islanders are making a habit of scoring early and putting the pressure on opposing teams as they scored a minute into their game against Nashville and never let up against perhaps the best goaltender in the NHL today in Pekka Rinne.  The Islanders are playing like a juggernaut lately and you would be wise to have a few players in your fantasy lineup…. IT was a very spirited game between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks with the Canucks prevailing in the shootout, 5-4.  The Sedins had 2 points apiece as they continue their comeback season while Martin St. Louis seems to be waking up from his little slumber of late with a goal and an assist in the losing effort.  Keep the veterans in your lineup as they are just too experienced and too good to leave out…. Not much to say about the Philly-Buffalo tilt other than the Flyers dearly miss Steve Mason in the crease and although Jakub Voracek scored a goal, his owners maybe should have "sold high" when he was leading the entire NHL in points. It kinda made sense... Carey Price resembled a mere mortal in the Montreal crease as the Habs continued their season-long tradition of playing down to their opponents at home, losing 3-2 to Florida. However, the Panthers are no slouch and should never be taken lightly. Just ask the Bruins who suddenly have the Cat's breathing down their neck in the playoff race.. San Jose scored a huge road win in Dallas as Antti Niemi thoroughly outplayed the inconsistent Kari Lehtonen in goal. Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza will keep rewarding their fantasy owners as they carry the "O" with Tyler Seguin out. Am so delighted I didn't trade Spezza when I had the...

Huge nights for Benn and Spezza, Ovie dominates in Pitt, the Isles bounce back and deep fantasy sleeper in Detroit...   It was a night of "firsts" for Jamie Benn as the talented forward helped the Stars pull off the improbable road upset in St. Louis by collecting his first career "hat trick". Benn is currently on a four-game point streak where he posted 10 points (6G/4A). With Tyler Seguin out of action, Jason Spezza has moved up to the top line and responded with three assists last night. He also has a decent game point streak going, collecting ten points over his last six games. Offense will be tougher to come by without Seguin, but the off-season Spezza acquisition is starting to look great right now. Start both Dallas forwards as they will be heavily involved in the scoring as the Stars battle for a playoff spot. Also, don't understimate Kari Lehtonen's fantasy worth moving forward as the Star's goalie has won four straight, including three on the road against elite opponents, and has seen his overall numbers improve greatly over that stretch. More than a solid no. 2 fantasy option in goal so play him with confidence... In the Washington-Pittsburgh rivalry match, only one superstar showed up as Alex Ovechkin collected his league-leading 37th goal and an assist in the Capital's 3-1 road win. AO has been on an absolute tear lately, notching 14 points over the last ten games and looks poised to grab fantasy MVP honors if he keeps up his frenetic pace... What else can you say about Braden Holtby? A little belief instilled by coach Barry Trotz and a monster workload has resulted in an elite fantasy campaign for the young netminder... After suffering a brutal loss to the New York Rangers, John Tavares and the Islanders showed plenty of resiliency in defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in an obvious let-down game. JT picked up a goal and an assist, while rookie line-mate Anders Lee continued to impress by scoring his 18th goal. We have seen what Tavares has done for the fantasy value of wingers such as Matt Moulson and more recently, Kyle Okposo, so Lee's rise toward fantasy relevance can't come as completely shocking... A 5-1 score in favor of Nashville over San Jose looks lopsided on paper, but Pekka Rinne had to "stand on his head" to the tune of 42 saves in order to help the Preds secure the win. He continues to dominate more and more with each passing start, so enjoy the ride if you own Rinne.. Plenty of deserving kudos for Florida goalie Roberto ...

The huge news of the night involved the lower-body injury suffered by Tyler Seguin after a low hit by Florida's Dimitry Kulikov. Seguin owners and Dallas fans are holding their breath as he could miss significant time if the MRI reveals major damage. If you want to look ahead, Jason Spezza would stand to be the major fantasy beneficiary during Seguin's potential absence. But let's hope the superstar is ok and misses minimum time.. I found it real funny and somewhat predictable that Kari Lehtonen turned in arguably his strongest performance of the season on the heels of the Stars acquiring goalie Jhonas Enroth in a trade. Lehtonen needed a kick in the butt to get his game going so fantasy owners owe Mr. Enroth a big thank you.. Fantasy star of the night honors belongs to San Jose's Joe Pavelski who collected a hat trick to raise his goal total to 31, good for fourth in the NHL. 'Little Joe" deserves way more fantasy recognition but it's the more famous "Joe"-Mr. Thornton- who has been killing it lately with 14 points over his last ten games. After a few seasons of showing some decline, the veteran center is scoring again at a point-per-game clip. Start him while he pumps out assists at such a high rate.. Marian Hossa is taking a page out of Joe Thornton's book and has turned back the clock lately with another two-point effort, his fourth straight. With seven goals over that span, the Slovakian winger is absolutely on a roll and needs to be starting while he is streaking... The "Wayne Train" is flying express these days, as Wayne Simmonds is heating up again. His two goals and an assist gives him six points over his last five games. Get him in your lineup now but be prepared to pull the plug soon when he goes cold. There is no middle ground with Simmonds. He is either great or not...  

What I've noticed of late is how defenseman Seth Jones has become more involved in the scoring for the Nashville Predators. He has a 4-game point streak and has 9 points in last 12 games.  Pretty impressive stats I must say... Chicago Blackhawk Marian Hossa has been quiet of late but scored twice against St. Louis. His first points in 6 games.  Veteran players like Hossa know when to raise the level of their game and with the season coming to the stretch run.... Philadelphia Flyer Claude Giroux has been relatively quiet of late but had 2 assists against Washington in a big win for Philly as they cling to playoff expectations. A player like Giroux can go off in a hurry so leave him in your lineup regardless....G Steve Mason had to leave the game with an apparent knee injury. Seems like he could be on the shelf for a while so if you expect a lot from the Flyers, pick up and start Ray Emery as you await further word on Mason's injury.... Not much to say about the Buffalo-Islanders tilt other than Jaroslav Halak won the game by making just eight saves during an entire match. Really? That has to be a record. Anyway, his owners will gladly take it.. The Lightning steamrolled the Ducks despite the return of Ryan Getzlaf, getting a huge three-point effort from Valtteri Fillpula(7 points in last 10 gms).Anaheim goalie Federik Andersen left the match after getting hit by a tilted net. Let's hope that the injury is not serious given that Ilya Bryzgalov would be a less than adequate handcuff for Andersen owners.. Jason Spezza has been more of a dominant offensive performer lately, collecting a goal and two assists improve his numbers to 11 points over the last ten games. A point-per-game pace or close to it should be expected for the perennial second-half stud.. Kari Lehtonen's amazing 34-save effort in the win justs adds to the craziness of owning him and not knowing what to expect from start to start. I had all but decided to sit him for the upcoming week but now have second thoughts. So should you.. Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien get the Winnipeg Jets back in the winning column with three points apiece. "Big Buff" has been moved back to forward but as long he maintains eligibility on the blueline, keep starting him on defense.. Behind Carey Price's 34 saves, the Habs completed the season sweep of the Boston Bruins in a low-scoring affair. Tuuka played well but Carey was just a tad better..

LEHT'S GET SERIOUS: KARI LEHTONEN There are a number of goalies who are considered elite NHL goaltenders and then there are those who are looking to establish themselves as bona fide starting goalies. Then you have Kari Lehtonen.  Well, perhaps Lehtonen belongs somewhere in between those two groups rather than in a group unto himself.  Lehtonen doesn't get the respect he deserves mainly because while in his early NHL playing days with the Atlanta Thrashers, he always seemed to incur a serious groin injury.  Although he would display periods of outstanding net minding, whenever he would get on a roll, he got himself injured. As a young goalie trying to establish himself in the NHL, nothing can be more harmful than groin injuries that keep prohibiting a player from sustaining any momentum. That history caused the Thrashers, now Winnipeg Jets, to trade their number 1 goalie on February 9, 2010 to Dallas for one-time prospect D-man Ivan Vishnevskiy and a 4th round pick. Neither of those players did anything for the Thrashers/Jets but Lehtonen probably has played his best in net since going to Big D.  The following season after the trade, "Lehts" appeared in 69 games and went 34-24-11 with 3 shutouts, a 2.55 GAA and a .914 SP. He appeared in 59 games the following season and 36 in the 48-game Lockout season so it looked like his injury woes were behind him.  Last season saw perhaps his most solid season with a 33-20-10 record, a 2.41 GAA and .919 SP.  You can see that when he is healthy, he is just on the cusp of being mentioned along with the elite of the NHL.  So far this season, he has appeared in 33 of the 38 games Dallas has played, starting in 12 of the last 14 and going 8-3-1 with 2 shutouts. Make no mistake. Lehtonen should be considered right up there with the elite when he's healthy, but if those injuries start to return, well, he will never get the respect he deserves. You know that Lehtonen is counted on for the Stars to have a chance to make the playoffs, so he will get every possible start from here on out. POST MARKS: OFF THE SCHNEID--After 2 seasons of sporting a 2.11 & 1.97 GAA, you would think that Cory Schneider and the New Jersey Devils would be all set in their post-Marty era. Well, things haven't gone according to plan for the Swamp Rats of New Jersey that they sacked their head coach and now have a three-headed monster behind the bench.  If any goalie can turn things around and quick, it's Schneider.  Having played the most games of ...

* TJ Oshie has been a dominant offensive force for the St. Louis Blues since the start of December, so it's time for fantasy owners to take notice. His four-point night, including a "hat trick", helped seal the fate of the San Jose Sharks in the 7-2 rout. He is currently sporting a five-game point streak and has racked up 17 points in the last 16 games. His line, with Alex Steen and David Backes, is rolling, but the return of Jaden Schwartz will also get the Tarasenko unit probably back to their early-season dominant form. Start Oshie now while he is smoking hot... *In his first game donning a Pittsburgh Penguin uniform, David Perron lined up with Sidney Crosby and scored a goal on his first shot. Awesome fairy tale stuff, eh? Well, the Pens got smoked 4-1 by visiting Montreal and should expect a transition period while Perron acclimates to his new high-end teammates. He should get top power-play minutes in the short-term but that could change when Patrick Hornqvist returns in a few weeks. Anyway you slice it, huge boost in fantasy value for the suddenly relevant Perron.. *A wild high-scoring affair in LA, as the Kings rallied for three goals in the dying minutes to sent the game against Nashville into overtime only to lose 7-6 after a goal by defender Roman Josi in the extra frame. Don't worry, both Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick still rock in goal! It was just one of those games.. *In case you have not received the memo, Winnipeg goalie Michael Hutchinson is indeed for real. After allowing six goals over his last two starts, "Hutch" settled down by stopping 20 of 21 Toronto shots in the 5-1 blowout win. I feel confident in saying that the youngster's superb numbers (10-3-2, 1.81 GAA, .937 SP) are not flukish and that he will be the starter over Ondrej Pavelec down the stretch.. *Now for the not so obvious- Sam Gagner is actually playing good hockey for Arizona and might warrant short-term fantasy consideration. The underachieving forward scored twice while adding an assist, improving his numbers to 8 points over the last five games. He has clicked big-time with Martin Hanzal, so he might be worth a starting nod for the next few weeks before he goes ice-cold again... *Huge applause for future HOFer Jaromir Jagr becoming the oldest player in NHL history-42- to collect a "hat trick". Pause. Reality check. 25 points in 40 games. His best fantasy days are behind him, but he will occasionally blow up for a few big offensive outbursts.. *The Dallas Stars are...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!! WISHING THE BEST OF HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND LOTS OF HOCKEY! A lot of games on NYE preceding the Winter Classic today pitting the Chicago Blackhawks against the Washington Capitals at Nationals Park. The game is scheduled to go off at 1:00 pm but expect delays because of sun glare on the ice making it difficult for the players to see.  Some previous games were delayed up to 2 hours, so be prepared.... It was all the Ryan-Strome-Frans Nielsen-Anders Lee last night for the NY Islanders as they defeated the Jets at Winnipeg. The Isles benefitted from playing against the lesser of their goalies in Ondrej Pavelec but the play of the SNL line was on point last night. Strome (G, 3A), Nielsen (2G, A) and Lee (G, A) combined for 9 points in the victory and 13 in last 2 games.  Perhaps you need to get one of these players in your lineup as it looks like there are heating up for the New Year....Jaroslav Halak won his 20th in 26 starts. Islander fans hope this performance carries over to 2015.... After losing their first matchup in Buffalo on December 2nd in a shootout, it has been all Tampa Bay in the next two, winning 5-0 2 days later and then 5-1 last to finish December with a 4-game winning streak. Ondrej Palat-Tyler Johnson-Nikita Kucherov remain hot for the Bolts with the trio combining for 10 points matching the Islanders hot line. Everyone was expecting the Lightning to get bulk of their scoring from the Stamkos line but these youngsters are making a major impression right now.... Don't look now but it looks like the New York Rangers are the hottest team in the NHL right now as they are getting contributions from up and down their entire lineup and it all starts from G Henrik Lundqvist who is in the zone right now. Winners of 9 of their last 10, the Blueshirts have shaken off all doubts from earlier in the season and are looked primed to build for the playoffs.... If you haven't noticed the Dallas Stars are streaking right now going 8-2-0 to climb back into the playoff picture after struggling in the month of November. G Kari Lehtonen has been on a resurgence winning 8 of December starts, capping off 2014 with a 6-0 shutout of the Arizona Coyotes. Lehtonen is a solid number 2 goalie in all fantasy scenarios... SCRAPS San Jose's Antti Niemi posted a 3-0 shutout of the Anaheim Ducks raising his record to 15-8-4. The Sharks lost Joe Thornton to injury in the first period and he did not return to the game. More news on his injury as it ...