Okposo missed Monday's game because of the birth of his child. He will reenter the lineup and Peter Regin likely comes out. Okposo is having a great season alongside John Tavares, he has posted 42 points (16G / 26A) in 43 games.

The Islanders will miss Okposo and his 42 points, but the return of Josh Bailey should ease some of that loss. Okposo could be back in the lineup tomorrow night vs. the Maple Leafs.

Monitor Okposo's status at 6:30 pm EST when the Islanders hit the ice for pre-game warmups. If Okposo takes warmups he will be in the lineup. Josh Bailey (shoulder) returns to the lineup tonight, which would help ease some of Okposo's possible loss.

Although he had a fairly easy night against an anemic Calgary offensive attack, Ben Bishop posted a 19-save shutout in the Lightning's 2-0 road win over the Flames. His omission from the United States Olympic squad is quite glaring, considering his staggering numbers of 22-5-3, 1.83 GAA and a .936 SP are among the best in the NHL. Bishop fantasy owners have hit the "jackpot" with this mid-late round pick in most fantasy drafts, but this gift will continue giving as Tampa Bay superstar Steven Stamkos is on the verge of returning to the line-up. Given probable more goal support in the second half and the motivation of being snubbed by Team USA, there is no reason to suggest that Bishop will not remain an elite fantasy goalie option for the rest of the season.Despite the absence of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the Pittsburgh Penguins keep rolling on offense with a 5-2 beat-down on the New York Rangers. All eyes have been on Sidney Crosby (1G/2A) and James Neal (1A), but their quiet star by association Chris Kunitz keeps putting up elite fantasy numbers. With 2 goals and 1 assist, the underrated winger has collected 46 points in 43 games, good for fourth in the NHL. Not a sexy name by any means in fantasy circles, Kunitz have followed up his marvelous 52-point performance in '12-13 with another big year so far. As long as the top-line forward continues to get primary power-play time, he will keep producing at a high level. The perpetual injury bug that has been hampering the Pen's skaters has also lend a hand in keeping Kunitz high up the "food chain" in Pittsburgh. Keep riding him!If you are a Patrick Sharp fantasy owner, you can be a little thankful that Team Canada has yet to announce it's Olympic roster. The high-scoring winger was initially thought to have just an outside chance of making the team, but his recent stretch of incredible scoring and undeniable chemistry with Chicago captain Jonathan Toews is making him hard to ignore. You can bet your bottom dollar that his recent scoring surge, where he has scored 2 "hat tricks" and 9 overall points in the last five games, is at least partially a result of Sharp proving that he belongs in the Sochi games. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out as two streaking USA forwards, Bobby Ryan and Kyle Okposo, were snubbed despite great numbers. Big advantage for Sharp- TOEWS. Enough said. Keep scoring Patrick!Devil's defenseman Marek Zidlicky has been on a point binge lately, scoring two goals last night ...

Undoubtedly the fantasy performer of the night was Montreal winger Max Pacioretty, who collected four points (2G/2A) in the 6-4 road win over Dallas. With 25 points in 33 games, the talented forward is on the cusp of being considered an upper-tier fantasy option but needs to be less streaky and more consistent. Perhaps, the emergence of David Desharnais in the recent weeks will help lead to more reliable offensive production from "Mad Max". Coming off a three-assist game, the diminutive center added a goal and an assist to raise his totals to 5 points in the last 2 contests. If both forwards can get each other going, fantasy owners will reap huge rewards in the second half. Desharnais is plenty available in most leagues, so he is well worth a waiver pick-up at this point. Also, do not underestimate the effect of being selected to the American Olympic team for Pacioretty, who responded to the news with arguably his best performance of the season. More Fantasy Notes: In a battle featuring rookie gooltenders Boston beat Nashville in OT 3-2. Swedish goaltender Niklas Svedberg got his first NHL win in his first NHL game. Nice to see that.  Predators goaltender Marek Mazanec took the loss, and after a fast start his record is now only 7-8-2 with a .906 save percentage. Brad Marchand got the game winner, and while he has only 20 points on the season, he does have a knack for scoring important goals. Boston forward Jarome Iginla had a goal and after a slow start this year he has 28 points and has scored in each of his last 6 games.  Nashville defenseman Shea Weber had a good game with a goal and an assist, and he has 10 goals and 24 points on the season. His -12 is a bit disconncerting though... The New York Islanders continued their mini-hot stear beating the Blachawks in OT.  The Islanders have won 4 of their last 5 games, and 3 of them were against quality teams; Chicago Boston and Detroit.  New York forward Kyle Okposo scored the game winner and he had an assist as well. Last night Okposo seemed determined to demonstrate to the US Olympic Committee that they made a mistake in not choosing him for the team.  He has 42 points in 42 games this year.  Well its good news for poolies who own him, as he will have a little extra motivition the rest of this year. Corey Crawford looked sharp in goal for Chicago after missing more than 3 weeks with an injury as he had 31 saves, but Evgeni Nabokov was better with 39 saves. Lets see if the Islanders can keep this going....

Undoubtedly the fantasy performer of the night was Montreal winger Max Pacioretty, who collected four points (2G/2A) in the 6-4 road win over Dallas. With 25 points in 33 games, the talented forward is on the cusp of being considered an upper-tier fantasy option but needs to be less streaky and more consistent. Perhaps, the emergence of David Desharnais in the recent weeks will help lead to more reliable offensive production from "Mad Max". Coming off a three-assist game, the diminutive center added a goal and an assist to raise his totals to 5 points in the last 2 contests. If both forwards can get each other going, fantasy owners will reap huge rewards in the second half. Desharnais is plenty available in most leagues, so he is well worth a waiver pick-up at this point. Also, do not underestimate the effect of being selected to the American Olympic team for Pacioretty, who responded to the news with arguably his best performance of the season. More Fantasy Notes: In a battle featuring rookie gooltenders Boston beat Nashville in OT 3-2. Swedish goaltender Niklas Svedberg got his first NHL win in his first NHL game. Nice to see that.  Predators goaltender Marek Mazanec took the loss, and after a fast start his record is now only 7-8-2 with a .906 save percentage. Brad Marchand got the game winner, and while he has only 20 points on the season, he does have a knack for scoring important goals. Boston forward Jarome Iginla had a goal and after a slow start this year he has 28 points and has scored in each of his last 6 games.  Nashville defenseman Shea Weber had a good game with a goal and an assist, and he has 10 goals and 24 points on the season. His -12 is a bit disconncerting though... The New York Islanders continued their mini-hot stear beating the Blachawks in OT.  The Islanders have won 4 of their last 5 games, and 3 of them were against quality teams; Chicago Boston and Detroit.  New York forward Kyle Okposo scored the game winner and he had an assist as well. Last night Okposo seemed determined to demonstrate to the US Olympic Committee that they made a mistake in not choosing him for the team.  He has 42 points in 42 games this year.  Well its good news for poolies who own him, as he will have a little extra motivition the rest of this year. Corey Crawford looked sharp in goal for Chicago after missing more than 3 weeks with an injury as he had 31 saves, but Evgeni Nabokov was better with 39 saves. Lets see if the Islanders can keep this going....

Two of the top offensive producers from last night's packed slate of games are arguably the most underrated in fantasy circles, as Jeff Skinner and David Perron do not get enough "love". The Carolina winger recorded 2 goals and an assist during the 4-1 romp in Washington, while Perron led the Oiler's offense with two goals in a losing cause. In the case of Skinner, he has been vastly overlooked because of his extensive history with injuries. He simply can't stay on the ice long enough to produce for fantasy teams, but when he does, he scores. In 17 games, he now has 14 points (6G/8A), including 54 SOG. With the injury to Alex Semin, the 21-year old has been put on a line with Eric Staal, with whom he enjoyed most of his success during his Calder Trophy run in '10-11. With Joni Pitkanen out for tthe entire season, Skinner has been utilized at the point on the power-play with Justin Faulk in recent games. If he can stay healthy, expect a huge boost of offense from Skinner.. Perron brings tons of offensive upside to the table, but he gets lost in the shuffle because of his more famous teammates. Let's see.. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, RNH... You get the picture! However, the 25-year old has been their most consistent forward, collecting 22 points (11G/11A) in 25 games. His six seasons in St. Louis never resulted in huge numbers, mainly because the defensive-minded Blues always rely on a scoring-by-committee approach. In Edmonton, being a top-six forward in a potentially explosive offense can pay big dividends in fantasy. Keep him in your lineups, as he has showed little signs of slowing down. More Game Notes: The stars were out tonight, as Sidney Crosby scored two goals in the 3-2 win over the Isles, including a ridiculous OT move with the whole defense draped all over him. Fellow elite fantasy forwards, Evgeni Malkin and John Tavares, finished the contest with two assists apiece. Crosby leads the entire NHL with 37 points, followed by Malkin (34) and Tavares tied for third (32). This trio is surely lighting it up for their fantasy owners. However, Kyle Okposo of the Isles, who scored two goals in the game, has been a rising fantasy forward amidst the team's early struggles. With 25 points in 28 games and a plum assignment on the top line, his offensive contributions cannot be ignored. While his streakiness will drive you nuts, he should shatter his previous career highs in points and remain an above-average fantasy option.. With two goals last night, ...

Another busy night in the NHL as there were 9 games played. A suprising number of them went either to overtime or the shootout, six out of the nine.  It shows how difficult it is to win in the league this day.  Dallas suprised the Bruins with a 3-2 win in a shootout.  Stars left wing Jamie Benn had a goal for the Stars and he has a 5-9-14 record on the year in 15 games played. We view Benn as a point per game player.  Boston defenseman Torey Krug had a goal, and he has 5 goals and 8 points on the season. Krug played 4:35 minutes last night on the power play for Boston, so they love him there.  Pick him up if you can.  Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen was strong in net for Dallas with 34 saves. Now that he is healthy again he is a solid goalie pick...The Capitals are beginning to heat up again like they did last year.  Right wing Alexander Ovechkin returned from missing several games with 2 PP goals and an assist. Get him right back into your lineup. Capitals center Niklas Backstrom had a big night with 3 assists. Backstrom has 19 points on the season in 15 games.  I wish he had scored like this last year when I owned him.  Center Marcus Johansson scored his first goal of the season for Washington, but he does have 11 points this year. He is a good pickup if available in your pool.  New York forwards Kyle Okposo and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist, and Okposo is finally having a breakout year with 19 points and a plus 7. Karlsson the king: In one of the games that were not close Ottawa beat the tumbling Blue Jackets 4-1. Senators' defenseman Erik Karlsson had 2 goals and he is scoring like a forward with 17 points in 15 games. Karlsson is the best fantasy defenseman in the NHL.  Ottawa center Jason Spezza had 2 assists, and as long as he stays healthy he is an elite fantasy forward. He has 16 points in 14 games this year. The interesting player for Ottawa is young forward Kyle Turris. Turris is quietly having a solid season with 15 points in 15 games.  While he has only 2 goals scored, he is quietly racking up assists.  Get him if you can. Steen is still a dream: St. Louis beat Montreal 3-2 in a shootout last night. Blues forward Alexander Steen scored a goal again. He has 13 goals in 13 games played, and 19 points.  It is hard to believe that he will keep this pace going.  St. Louis forward Chris Stewart had a goal and he seems to be waking up a bit. He did have 64 points one season a few years ago.  He has only 5 points on the season, but he ...

Another busy night in the NHL as there were 9 games played. A suprising number of them went either to overtime or the shootout, six out of the nine.  It shows how difficult it is to win in the league this day.  Dallas suprised the Bruins with a 3-2 win in a shootout.  Stars left wing Jamie Benn had a goal for the Stars and he has a 5-9-14 record on the year in 15 games played. We view Benn as a point per game player.  Boston defenseman Torey Krug had a goal, and he has 5 goals and 8 points on the season. Krug played 4:35 minutes last night on the power play for Boston, so they love him there.  Pick him up if you can.  Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen was strong in net for Dallas with 34 saves. Now that he is healthy again he is a solid goalie pick...The Capitals are beginning to heat up again like they did last year.  Right wing Alexander Ovechkin returned from missing several games with 2 PP goals and an assist. Get him right back into your lineup. Capitals center Niklas Backstrom had a big night with 3 assists. Backstrom has 19 points on the season in 15 games.  I wish he had scored like this last year when I owned him.  Center Marcus Johansson scored his first goal of the season for Washington, but he does have 11 points this year. He is a good pickup if available in your pool.  New York forwards Kyle Okposo and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist, and Okposo is finally having a breakout year with 19 points and a plus 7. Karlsson the king: In one of the games that were not close Ottawa beat the tumbling Blue Jackets 4-1. Senators' defenseman Erik Karlsson had 2 goals and he is scoring like a forward with 17 points in 15 games. Karlsson is the best fantasy defenseman in the NHL.  Ottawa center Jason Spezza had 2 assists, and as long as he stays healthy he is an elite fantasy forward. He has 16 points in 14 games this year. The interesting player for Ottawa is young forward Kyle Turris. Turris is quietly having a solid season with 15 points in 15 games.  While he has only 2 goals scored, he is quietly racking up assists.  Get him if you can. Steen is still a dream: St. Louis beat Montreal 3-2 in a shootout last night. Blues forward Alexander Steen scored a goal again. He has 13 goals in 13 games played, and 19 points.  It is hard to believe that he will keep this pace going.  St. Louis forward Chris Stewart had a goal and he seems to be waking up a bit. He did have 64 points one season a few years ago.  He has only 5 points on the season, but he ...

Busy day in the NHL yesterday as there were 13 games played. Chicago and Winnipeg kicked things off with a matinee game in Winnipeg.  Not much of a match as the Blackhawks cruise past the Jets 5-1.  Chicago defenseman Nick Leddy had a good game with a goal and an assist. Leddy now has 8 points in 14 games played, and on this team he is a marginal 4th defenseman option.  Corey Crawford had 26 saves for the win in goal running his record to 8-2-2.  With Chicago's defense Crawford is a top goalie option.  Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec continues to struggle as he allowed 4 goals on only 14 shots and was pulled from the game. With only 4 wins on the season he is not even a decent 2nd goalie option...Go with Getzlaf!  Ryan Getzlaf had a nice game in Anaheim's 6-3 win over the hapless Sabres. Getzlaf had a goal and 2 assists in the game, and he has 16 points in 15 games.  His partner in crime Corey Perry had 2 goals giving him 8 on the season. Both are elite scorers.  Jonas Hiller got the win in goal although he only made 14 saves. With Viktor Fasth still out with a LBI expect Hiller to get a lot of starts in the short term. Buffalo forward Matt Moulson had 2 assists and he is demonstrating that he can play well for any team. He has 13 points this season and he is a solid number 5 forward. Bishop is king: Tampa Bay beat St. Louis last night 4-2 and the star of the game was Lightning goalie Ben Bishop who had 27 saves. Bishop now has a 9-2 record with a 2:15 goals against and a .925 save percentage.  He is the main reason for Tampa's turn around from last season.  Young Tampa forward Alex Killorn had a goal and 2 assists, and he is thriving while playing on a line with Stamkos and St. Louis. He has 12 points in 14 games this season, and playing with those 2 he should be fantasy worthy.  Grab him if you can.  Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo had a power play goal for the Blues, and with 12 points in 12 game he is scoring like a forward. Top defenseman.  Jaroslav Halak gave up all 4 goals on 25 shots, making the Blues goaltending situation even murkier. Look for Brian Elliott to make the next start in goal. Where in the world is Claude Giroux? The Flyers beat the Devils 1-0 in a game matching two teams that struggle to score. Ray Emery got the shutout for Philadelphia, but he only had to make 14 saves. Emery is still the backup to Steve Mason, so don't get too excited about last night's performance. The interesting thing was Flyer forward Claude Giroux had goose eggs...