I think the Philadelphia Flyers will be happy ‘not' to see NY Rangers' backup goalie Cam Talbot (26 SV) after they lost twice by shutout to the Ranger backup goaltender in the past 9 days. However, they will be facing a fresh Henrik Lundqvist on the back end of a home-and-home series, which is not a good way to snap out of a team slump where the Flyers have lost 7 of their last 8....Derek Stepan assisted on all three Ranger goals and with 7 points in last 5 games, it is safe to say that he is on fire right now....Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist giving him 1,000 points in his 1,082 game career. Congratulations Marty!...After getting injured in his first game as a New York Ranger, D Dan Boyle has shown just how dynamic he can be for the Ranger power play as he scored his 2nd pp goal in past 2 games. There had been concerns about Boyle's age and his play diminishing, but I think he is answering those....Speaking of Ranger D-men, Ryan McDonagh returned to the lineup after leaving the Nov. 1st game against the Winnipeg Jets. It may take a few games to get back into rhythm, but it shouldn't take long..... Patrick Kane scored twice against the Anaheim Ducks as the Chicago Blackhawks took it to the Ducks early and never let them into the game....Kris Versteeg has been on fire lately as he notched 2 assists giving him 9 points in last 6 games. If in need of forward depth or a back end starter, grab Versteeg on a high-powered offensive team like the Blackhawks.... After a slow start with his new team, D Matt Niskanen had 3 assists against the NY Islanders making it points in three consecutive games and 10 points in 22 games. If available, pick him up as it appears that Niskanen is starting to heat up.... Ryan Miller is loving life in Vancouver as he blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-0 for his second consecutive shutout and his 15th victory, tying him with Pekka Rinne of Nashville for the league lead in wins. Miller has been nothing less than spectacular since signing as a free agent over the summer and taking the reins as the Canucks no. 1 in net....Nick Bonino had 3 assists in the game and now has 19 points in 22 games. He has been the model of consistency with points in 14 of those 22 games.  Good depth forward for your fantasy team.... The Carolina Hurricanes finished their 5-game road trip with an improbable win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh 4-2. Jiri Tlusty was the catalyst on offense for the Canes and there is speculation that Mr. Tlusty may ...

*** PRIME 120+ RANKINGS have been updated. Take a look at your favorite players and see where they are ranked in our RANKINGS Section in the right hand side of your home page. .*Ranger's goalie Henrik Lundqvist was the fantasy star of the night in MSG, snapping a three game skid with his 21-save shutout in 5-0 win over Montreal. Although his peripheral numbers are not what they used to be-2.51 GAA/ .914 SP- he can still be dominant in long stretches and is a solid no 1 fantasy option. It just seems other goalies have caught up.. Martin St. Louis led the offense with a goal and an assist, extending his point streak to four games. With 11 points in his last ten contests, he should be starting in all formats. *Jannik Hansen provided the bulk of Vancouvers offense in the 5-1 victory over Chicago, collecting a "hat trick". Not much fantasy value here, but goalie Ryan Miller continued to stake to claim to elite honors with another impressive effort, winning three of his last four starts. *For St. Louis, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo chipped on with two more assists, giving him four in last 2 games. He earned that he could heat up in a hurry, so target him I'm trade talks if you can. We think he is still getting to the 50.. *Ryan Kesler assisted on both goals in Anaheim's 2-1 win over Arizona, while goalie Federik Andersen was only beaten once in 26 shots. Mike Smith performed amirably in the Arizona crease, but the trend continues- Smith Keeps losing and Devan Dubnyk keeps winning. Something has to give here.. WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT Featured every week i nthe right margin======> Who's Hot as of 11/23 PLAYER               GP   G  A  +/-  PIM  SOG Steven Stamkos   8     6   4    3     4      21 Kris Versteeg       7      4   5    3     9      21 Jori Lehtera         7      4    5    5     0      19 Jaden Schwartz 7      2    7    4     0      16 Marian Hossa      7      1    8    2     0      18 Patrick Kane       7      4    5     1     0      22   Nick Bjugstad     6      5    3     5     0      19 Who's Not as of 11/23 PLAYER             GP   G   A    +/-   PIM  SOG Kris Letang         6      0   1    -2       6       22 Thomas Vanek   6     0    2    -2       0        9  Tomas Fleischmann 6 1 0     -1       0       8 Henrik Zetterberg 6   0   1    -4        0     20 Bryan Little         7      1   0     -2       0       9 Nail Yalupov       7      1   0     -4       0      17 Scott Hartnell     6     0    0     -3       6      16

Most likely, Roberto Luongo is not high on most fantasy poolies lists these days being the number 1 net minder for the Florida Panthers. After winning the Southeast division title in 2011-2012, the Cats have missed the playoffs as they continue to rebuild as GM Dale Tallon is masterminding the Florida resurgence that is to come.  Remember that he rebuilt the Chicago Blackhawks team that won the Stanley Cup in 2009-2010 with most of the core players still around for their second Cup win in 2012-2013 When Dale Tallon took over as GM of the Florida Panthers in 2010, you knew the game plan was to restore the Cats to being a more competitive team while stockpiling the cupboards with fine, young talent. After his first season as GM where the Panthers finished last in their division for the second consecutive year, Tallon's patchwork team worked wonders and the hot start of a line consisting Kris Versteeg-Stephen Weiss-Tomas Fleischmann catapulted the Florida Panthers to their first Southeast division title ever, restoring enthusiasm at the rink.  The past two years haven't been so kind to the Panthers but Tallon still held true to his vision and has selected some fine young talent at the entry drafts while continuing to acquire fine young talent wherever possible. What does all this have to do with Luongo? Well, Luongo returns to Florida where his NHL career began so there is familiarity to the team and location.  Secondly, his wife is from the Miami area so there is the serenity of home life that it brings as well.  Although the team is not projected to do very well this season by a lot of critics, there is hope on the horizon.  Just look at what Tallon has done with the defense alone.  At the beginning of the "Dale Talon era", The Florida Panthers chose 3 defensemen in the first round in the past 3 of 5 NHL Entry Drafts and in the other two drafts selected big center men in Jonathan Huberdeau (6'1" 171) and Aleksander Barkov (6'2" 205). Big, hulking defensemen such as 2010 draftee Erik Gudbranson (6'5" 210), 2011 draftee Michael Matheson (6'2" 189), and last year's Number 1 overall pick Aaron Ekblad (6'3" 216) were all brought in to complement Dmitri Kulikov (6'1" 196), drafted in 2009, to form a solid foundation in front of a goalie who had come within one game of winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. The future looks bright in sunny Florida, but what can you expect for this season? At first glance, you would think that Luongo isn't going to be seeing a lot of ...

Versteeg's three week timetable was right on as he returns 20 days after being injured. Versteeg will skate on the Hawks second line with Andrew Shaw and Patrick Kane, which gives him a nice opportunity to produce right away. He had 10 goals and 19 assists (29 points) in 63 games after coming over from the Panthers last season.

Versteeg has missed the first four games of the season, but he was back on the ice this morning and skated with Andrew Shaw and Patrick Kane, which is a good sign that he could make his season debut Tuesday vs. Philadelphia.

Less than a week ago the Blackhawks announced that Versteeg would miss three weeks with a lower-body injury, but if he is back on the ice in the next couple of days, that timetable could be cut a little short.

Versteeg suffered the injury in practice on Tuesday and will be out until November. Ben Smith will fill in for Versteeg on the Blackhawks third line with Brad Richards and Bryan Bickell.

Versteeg left practice early yesterday after suffering a lower-body injury. He is coming off of knee surgery, but it was said on Tuesday that the injury was not related to the surgically repaired knee. Monitor his status on Thursday, but it does not look like he will be in the lineup for the season opener. Expect Jeremy Morin to fill his spot with Brad Richards and Bryan Bickell.

Versteeg suffered a lower-body injury but the Blackhawks say it is not related to his surgically repaired knee. If Versteeg is to play in the season opener, expect to see him on the third line with Brad Richards and Bryan Bickell. He is coming off of a season where he had 12 goals and 24 assists (36 points) in 81 games with the Panthers and Blackhawks.

Finishing next to last was a minor victory considering they finished last in the Eastern Conference the year before, and that was during the Lockout season. When the leading scorer on your team is a rookie who had only 11 games of NHL experience before last season, and he led with all of 38 points, you know you are in for some growing pains.  The veterans brought in were nothing but brittle or, for lack of a better term, non-impactful.  The youth movement is in full swing and it will be interesting to see how the remaining vets respond if the team doesn't get off to a good start. GOALIES In what was mainly a shock at the trade deadline last season, Roberto Luongo returned to South Florida after it seemed like he had put all the differences with Vancouver management behind him and had been playing well for the Canucks. Jacob Markstrom, who did nothing to stake his claim as the Number 1 net minder in Florida, was the main piece in the trade going back the other way.  Needless to say, the trade was a shock to most people, much like the draft day trade of Cory Schneider last June.  Luongo will be very busy as the Cats try to form some semblance of an NHL team.  Luongo's SP and GAA will suffer a little, but then again, maybe he will thrive while back in familiar settings and the extra workload.  His total saves should increase, but that is not necessarily a good thing as his win totals will probably suffer as a result.  Dan Ellis and Al Montoya will battle for backup duties. DEFENSE Brian Campbell leads the young defensive corps and will be counted on for his leadership as well as his offensive production. Campbell fell a point short of the team lead in points by going 7-30-37 in playing all 82 games.  He should be able to climb back into the 40 range, but his +/- takes a hit on a growing team. Erik Gudbranson and Dmitry Kulikov have a few years under their belts now but still need some time to mature.  Gudbranson and Kulikov may develop into more of a stay-at-home defensive types as their scoring hasn't been much to be desired early on in their NHL careers.  Alex Petrovic has some offensive upside but may need more seasoning in the minors.  Dylan Olsen, a Dale Tallon Chicago draft pick, was brought over from Chi town and will start to see more time in the NHL but don't expect much production. FORWARDS The Panthers need their young forward talent to develop quickly as the veterans don't seem to have what it takes to carry the load. Jonathan Huberdeau ...