There was much to get excited about in New York last spring as the Rangers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals against LA where their dream playoff run ended in a hard-fought battle in which the Kings hoisted their 2nd Cup in 3 seasons. Even though the series ended 4- in games, the matchup could have gone either way with a few different bounces going New York's way.  Gone are some vital components of that run in Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman, but for the most part, the main nucleus has been maintained and fans are expecting great things again this season. GOALIE When you have one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, not only are the chances of you making the playoffs increased, but the possibility of getting to the Stanley Cup Finals are just as good, as long as you get a few of the lucky breaks that go along with making it so far in such a grueling stretch. Henrik Lundqvist has earned the nickname "The King" as he has played spectacular as the NY Ranger net minder. Lundqvist gives the Rangers an excellent chance of returning to the Finals, even if he was drafted in the 7th round of the 2000 draft. Be assured that The King will do everything in his power to get back to the Cup Finals once again.  Cam Talbot showed that he is more than a capable backup and will resume the same role again this year. DEFENSE As the Rangers made their way through last year's playoffs, there was one glaring need. That was a true power play quarterback.  As the free agent period approached, I kept saying that they needed someone like a Dan Boyle to run the point as Brad Richards couldn't hit the net half the time during the playoffs. Sure enough, the Rangers signed Boyle to a 2-year deal. Boyle will supplement the solid defensive corps already in place.  Dan Girardi is the rock and Ryan McDonagh is just starting to come into his own and will develop into a world class leader soon. Marc Staal, Kevin Klein and John Moore round out the unit and all possess the ability to not only play sound defense, but can contribute here and there, but expect most of the scoring to come from Boyle and McDonagh. FORWARDS Acquiring Martin St. Louis at the trade deadline for Ranger favorite Ryan Callahan was something that the team needed. The Blueshirts needed that veteran with the playoff experience to show them what it takes to hoist the coveted Cup.  St. Louis struggled upon his arrival, but he sure made up for it in the playoffs.  St. Louis was in the top 5 in NHL Scoring at...

That's why they play the games! The San Jose Sharks imploded after taking a 3-0 series lead.  I wonder if they will shake things up out there? The Chicago Blackhawks look determined to make it back to the big dance in June, don't they? If you're like me, you forgot that the Montreal Canadiens were still in the playoffs. They have had 10 days off since sweeping the Lightning out.  It's almost like starting the season all over again. It's not odd that the NY Rangers ousted the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games. It's just odd that they beat the Flyers in all the odd games.  Odd. The Flyers have to be ecstatic that it looks like they have a franchise goalie after a long hiatus. I'm sure that deep down inside very one of us, there was a glimmer of hope that the Columbus Blue Jackets would have beaten the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1. Except for Penguins' fans of course. Congratulations to Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche on a successful season even though they didn't advance. They will be tough to play against for a long while. Matt Niskanen is having some season, eh? He is tied for the playoff lead in points for a defenseman with Paul Martin.  I know Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty will have something to say about the two Pens atop the point charts. Nathan MacKinnon is to be feared. This is why Martin St. Louis was acquired at the trade deadline. Forget his regular season drought with the Rangers.  It's playoff time. I betcha Tampa Bay wishes they had Marty back now. Montreal is still in this, right? I'm always afraid when the Boston Bruins get a few extra days to rest up. I think I will root for a NY-Montreal Conference Finals matchup. Just like old times. Battle of Los Angeles starts this weekend with LA going against Anaheim. Perhaps I'll watch the movie first to get an idea of how explosive this series can be. What are the St. Louis Blues going to do now? Is Ryan Miller not the answer? Was the Miller the answer?  Will they move some pieces around? Congratulations to "Iron Mike" Keenan who won the KHL Gagarin Cup with the Metallurg Magnitogorsk becoming the first coach to win both the Stanley Cup and the Gagarin Cup. He will now be known as "Behind the Iron Curtain Mike" Keenan. Rask and Price, Kopitar and Toews, Niskanen and Keith. Tops at their positions for the playoffs so far. Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Anton Stralman and Marc Staal had done an amazing job shutting down Claude Giroux. The Rangers won the series without Rick Nash potting a ...

Staal says that his back is feeling good, but head coach Alain Vigneault says he is still day-to-day and a decision on whether he plays tomorrow will be made tomorrow.

Staal has a goal and three assists with a plus-6 rating in his last three games. He has totalled 10 points (3G / 7A) in 46 games this season.

The New York Rangers were considered Stanley Cup contenders at the start of the season, but they stumbled through the beginning of the season and were under .500 at the beginning of January. But they have caught fire since then, and have won 9 of their last 12 games.  Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has reverted back to his old quality self and he was outstanding last night as the Rangers beat the Islanders 4-1. Lundqvist had 38 saves in the win.  Defenseman Marc Staal had 2 assists for New York, but with only 10 points on the season, he has no fantasy value.  The Rangers appear to have adjusted to Coach Alain Vigneault's system...In a bit of a suprise Carolina beat St Louis 3-1.  Hurricane goaltender Anton Khudobin has really been terrific, and he was great last night wth 27 saves. His 11-4-0 record with a 2.24 goals against and a .925 save percentage speak for themselves.  Play him if you can... Detroit managed to squeak out a 4-3 victory over Washington, in a shootout that required 13 attempts before Patrick Eaves finally scored for Detroit.  Young center Gustav Nyquist scored a goal for Red Wings. Ray recently featured Nyquist in his "Under The Raydar" feature. He will be a star one day, and he is really beginning to show his talent with 8 points in his last 7 games. Grab him if you can.  Weber scores: Well the old defenseman "war horse" was on display last night, as Predator's defenseman Shea Weber had 2 goals last night in the their 3-2 win over New Jersey.  Weber's numbers on the year are 15 goals 23 assists and 38 points.  This is for a defenseman!  This guy is amazing, and a top  fantasy pick. Fortunately, I have him in both of my pools.  41 year old Jaromir Jagr had a goal and an assist for the Devils. With 46 points on the season and a +21, Jagr is still a valuable fantasy forward option.  The Jets fly:   The Winnipeg Jets beat the Canucks last night 4-3. Jets right wing Devin Setoguchi had 2 goals in the win, but with only 21 points on the season he is not fantasy worthy. Veteran left wing Andrew Ladd had 2 assists for Winnipeg, and he had 46 points in 48 games last year, but he has been struggling somewhat this year with only 38 points in 56 games. He is only 28 years old, so he should bounce back.  Keep an eye on him, as he could be a great buy low player.

The New York Rangers were considered Stanley Cup contenders at the start of the season, but they stumbled through the beginning of the season and were under .500 at the beginning of January. But they have caught fire since then, and have won 9 of their last 12 games.  Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has reverted back to his old quality self and he was outstanding last night as the Rangers beat the Islanders 4-1. Lundqvist had 38 saves in the win.  Defenseman Marc Staal had 2 assists for New York, but with only 10 points on the season, he has no fantasy value.  The Rangers appear to have adjusted to Coach Alain Vigneault's system...In a bit of a suprise Carolina beat St Louis 3-1.  Hurricane goaltender Anton Khudobin has really been terrific, and he was great last night wth 27 saves. His 11-4-0 record with a 2.24 goals against and a .925 save percentage speak for themselves.  Play him if you can... Detroit managed to squeak out a 4-3 victory over Washington, in a shootout that required 13 attempts before Patrick Eaves finally scored for Detroit.  Young center Gustav Nyquist scored a goal for Red Wings. Ray recently featured Nyquist in his "Under The Radar" feature.  He will be a star one day, and he is really beginning to show his talent with 8 points in his last 7 games.  Grab him if you can.  Weber scores: Well the old defenseman "war horse" was on display last night, as Predator's defenseman Shea Weber had 2 goals last night in the their 3-2 win over New Jersey.  Weber's numbers on the year are 15 goals 23 assists and 38 points.  This is for a defenseman!  This guy is amazing, and a top  fantasy pick. Fortunately, I have him in both of my pools.  41 year old Jaromir Jagr had a goal and an assist for the Devils. With 46 points on the season and a +21, Jagr is still a valuable fantasy forward option.  The Jets fly:   The Winnipeg Jets beat the Canucks last night 4-3. Jets right wing Devin Setoguchi had 2 goals in the win, but with only 21 points on the season he is not fantasy worthy. Veteran left wing Andrew Ladd had 2 assists for Winnipeg, and he had 46 points in 48 games last year, but he has been struggling somewhat this year with only 38 points in 56 games. He is only 28 years old, so he should bounce back.  Keep an eye on him, as he could be a great buy low player.

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

Staal has missed the last 10 games after suffering a concussion on December 7 in New Jersey. Staal is one of the Rangers best defineseman so his return is a huge boost.