A good place to start with your Draft Kings lineup tonight is with the Dallas Stars and its most prolific scoring forward Tyler Seguin. The potential Art Ross winner hasn't gone off yet but facing Edmonton's back up goalie at home could easily jumpstart a hot scoring streak. For another bargain in big D, add winger Ales Hemsky at a low price. Top six status and still healthy. Well worth it. Am loving the Blues to give Jonas Hiller a real thrill ride tonight at the Saddledome... Vladdy Tarasenko is unlike any forward they have seen in both games against the Canucks... The Rangers have been coasting and could score some goals against a Winnipeg team already onto their fourth road game. Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello could easily have double digit point totals. For the sleeper goalie pick, let's take Eddie Lack in his first Carolina start. Rivalling a Florida team coming off a tough 1-0 defeat at Philly last night, we see the Canes picking up their first win of the season.       Steve's Picks C Tyler Seguin, Dallas C Derek Stepan, NYR W Vladimir Tarasenko St. Louis W Mats Zuccarello, NYR W Ales Hemsky, Dallas D Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis D Seth Jones, Nashville G Eddie Lack, Carolina U Tomas Plekanec, Montreal   RAY'S PICKS   G: Pekka Rinne D: Ryan Ellis D: Alex Martinez C: Tyler Seguin C: Mike Ribeiro RW: Jaromir Jagr RW: Justin Abdelkader LW: Jamie Benn LW: Filip Forsberg

PRIMEPUCKS™ 2015 SECOND ROUND PLAYOFF REVIEW (Part 1) NEW YORK RANGERS vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS:  These two are no strangers when it comes to playoff hockey against each other and lately it’s been the Rangers with the upper hand recently winning 2 of the last three playoff meetings.  The two teams have met 5 times over the past 7 seasons and this should be a hard fought battle as well.  The Rangers got some rest disposing of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 5 games but will be without the services of Mats Zuccarello who suffered an upper-body injury, which we believe to be a concussion.  However they will return defenseman Kevin Klein who missed the end of the season with a broken bone in his leg. The Rangers had some balanced scoring with Derick Brassard leading the way with 3 goals and 4 points, tying him for the team lead in points with Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh.  Who knows how the absence of Zuccarello will affect the forward lines but the Blueshirts possess enough depth scoring to make up for the loss.  Look for the New York defense to stymie Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals offense as the Rangers have won 3 of four meetings this season.  Starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is well rested after missing about 6 weeks of the regular season and should be the difference in this matchup. The Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders battled throughout the series before the Caps prevailed in 7 games.  We all know where the Caps get the bulk of their scoring from in Alex Ovechkin (5 pts) and Nicklas Backstrom (6 pts) but Evgeny Kuznetsov showed what he is capable of with 3 goals and an assist.  Beyond that, the Capitals don’t possess the offensive depth that the Rangers have and it just may come down to if starting goaltender Braden Holtby can steal this series.  With a 1.63 GAA And a .943 SP, that kind of performance will give the Rangers fits. The Caps showed that they can play the tight playoff style with 3 of the 7 games against the Islanders decided by a 2-1 score but it appears the Rangers are relatively healthy and well rested that the Capitals, although they may give them a bit of trouble, should be able to outlast the Capitals. Continue to start all your favorite Rangers except for Zuccarello and the top Capitals as that is where they will get the majority of their scoring. MONTREAL CANADIENS vs. TAPMA BAY-DETROIT WINNER: COMING SOON!

PRIMEPUCKS™ 2015 FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF REVIEW The 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs are beginning shortly and PrimePucks™ is taking a look at what they predict will happen in the first round and beyond. NEW YORK RANGERS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS:  After last season’s improbable run at the Stanley Cup only to fall short by losing to a more determined Los Angeles Kings team, the New York Rangers are back in the dance but this time with a more focused outlook.  It appears the Rangers got a very good taste and were thisclose to hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup that they locked down the home ice advantage throughout by winning the President’s Cup with a very solid second half. The Rangers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins who seem to be a team in disarray especially after losing their best defenseman in Kris Letang for the remainder of this season with a concussion. The team with all this talent up front seemed to have trouble finding their offensive game with the loss of Letang.  The Rangers on the other hand seemed to be getting better with every passing game.  Expect the Rangers to win this in no more than 6 games as they forge ahead to another Finals appearance.  Those of you in playoff pools should definitely start all the major Blueshirts like Rick Nash, Henrik Lundqvist, Keith Yandle, Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan McDonagh, Martin St. Louis and company as this team has their eyes set on the silver trophy. MONTREAL CANADIENS vs. OTTAWA SENATORS:  The Rangers likely opponent in the Conference Finals, the Canadiens, should dispose of the surprising Ottawa Senators fairly easy behind MVP Candidate Carey Price.  The Senators had an amazing climb in the standings to reach the playoffs but will run into a team that has some motivation of their own to exact revenge on the Rangers, who they may have beaten in last year’s Conference Finals if it weren’t for Chris Kreider knocking Price out of the series with a collision in the first game of their match. For the Canadiens, it all starts with Price. And in front of Price there is a defensive core that packs a punch both in the scoring department and defensively as well.  P.K. Subban leads the charge on both those ends with veteran Andrei Markov supplying steady support. The rest of the defense will give other teams fits to round out the Montreal defense.  On the forward front, Max Pacioretty leads the charge with Tomas Plekanec, Alex Galchenyuk, David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher rounding out the scorers but don’t expect ...

Hartnell's hattie, Ducks struggle on road trip, Isles & Wild battle The Anaheim Ducks have struggled at the beginning of their 5-game road trip with their second straight loss, this time losing 5-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Ducks managed to get off to a 2-0 lead but the Jackets battled back with Scott Hartnell getting a hat trick.  Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist in the victory and the duo reminds me when Hartnell had that career season playing alongside Claude Giroux when in Philadelphia.  Perhaps Hartnell will continue his productive play until the end of the season…. The St. Louis Blues beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime as they managed to keep Sidney Crosby off the score sheet.  The Pens have been struggling of late in the scoring department but have the guns once everyone is in full health.  So expect the scoring to return when the likes of Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist return to the lineup….. Jonathan Quick (34/36 Sv) and the Los Angeles Kings took control of the game after Mats Zuccarello scored just 51 seconds into the match, never letting the Rangers get back into the match.  Quick was excellent in the win that pitted last season’s Stanley Cup finalists against one another.  LA is battling to gain a playoff position while the Rangers are looking to perhaps have a shot at the President’s Cup… The Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders fought to a 2-1 shootout win by the Wild as both goaltenders, Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk, continued on with their career years.  Kudos to both net minders on a remarkable season… Roberto Luongo not so sharp in Florida's pivotal match-up with Tampa Bay as rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy outplayed the veteran, turning aside 36 shots in the 4-3 win... No Pavel Datsyuk, no win for the Red Wings as they suffered the ultimate let-down game, dropping a 5-4 home decision to Arizona.. After being a lock for Calder Trophy honors for most of the season, Nashville's Filip Forsberg has not enjoyed a prolific month of March: four points in 11 games. Perhaps last night's overtime winner against the Hab's gets him going again. His fantasy value is far more certain for next season, where he could easily rank amongst the top15-20 fantasy forwards. Love him for 2015-16 and beyond... For those who drafted Radim Vrbata on the speculation that playing with the Sedin twins has it's perks, it's all coming together late in the season. His three points in the 5-2 triumph over Winnipeg improved his numbers to ...

Rangers rocking on Broadway, Toews shows leadership, Habs blanked in San Jose The New York Rangers keep rolling along even without their star net minder Henrik Lundqvist who is still recovering from a neck injury as they manhandled the Western Conference leading Nashville Predators 4-1.  Cam Talbot is playing brilliantly in Lundqvist’s absence as the Rangers now sit atop the Metropolitan Division and have gone 12-2-2 in last sixteen games, giving the Rangers all the time they need to get the ‘King” back to full health….Mats Zuccarello, fresh off a contract extension signing, added 2 assists in the contest and must be relieved that he is staying in New York where he has a huge following…Newcomer defenseman Keith Yandle didn’t figure in the scoring but once he gets comfortable, you will love what he brings offensively to the back end…. Captain Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks made sure his team got off on the right foot without the services of Patrick Kane for the remainder of the season by scoring the first two goals of the game to set the tempo against the Carolina Hurricanes in their 5-2 victory.  Toews is a pure captain and brings the leadership that most teams envy.  Look for the Captain to step up his game for the remainder of the season….Newcomer Antoine Vermette was used sparingly in his debut with the Blackhawks but should build on that ice time as he familiarizes himself with the Chicago style…. In a bit of a surprise, the San Jose Sharks blanked the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 behind Alex Stalock’s 20-save effort.  The Sharks are fighting for a playoff spot in the West, so look for their game to improve over the next few weeks…Not much action against the Shark backup as Montreal either was road-weary or couldn’t find their game with newcomers Jeff Petry and Devante Smith-Pelly in the lineup for the first time.  Look for Montreal to rebound in their next game.

Just as Boston was heating up, not only has the winter storms cooled them off, but Dallas beat the Bruins 5-3 making it 3 losses in the last 4 games for the B’s.  The only saving grace was that even though Tuukka Rask was pinned with the loss, he came on in relief for starter Niklas Svedberg who was pulled after letting in 3 goals in the first period.  Look for Rask and the Bruins to get back on track even though they are embarking on a 5-game road trip….. Ottawa beat Buffalo 2-1 in what basically is a “who cares?’ game….. Jaroslav Halak and the NY Islanders are getting back to their winning ways again with the team winning 3 of their last 4 with Halak in net for the 3 wins.  What to take out of the Islanders 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers is that Jordan Eberle continued his hot hand with a power play assist giving him 7 points in 6 games… To tell you what a fabulous year the Florida Panthers are having this season, they have beaten the Anaheim Ducks in both their meetings by identical scores of 6-2.  Too bad they don’t play the Ducks more often…. The dreaded "three-point" game came into fruition as Winnipeg ended the Minnesota Wild's six-game winning streak thanks to a Dustin Byfuglien overtime goal. Despite the loss, Devan Dubnyk put forth another fantasy-worthy effort between the pipes, stopping 32 of 34 shots. in 11 games for the Wild, he has gone 9-1-1. Keep playing him. On the other side, Michael Hutchinson's superb performance provided further proof that Ondrej Pavelec needs to stay on the bench more often. At some point, look for Paul Maurice to go with "Hutch" full-time as the playoff chase gets tighter and tighter.. Rick Nash added three assists to his already impressive goal-heavy point total in the 5-4 "Blueshirt" win over the Leafs. An obvious must start option in Nash, but don't overlook linemate Mat Zuccarello who has been scorching with eight points over the last five games.. The battle of the best teams in their respective conferences did not disappoint, as Nashville withstood a furious Tampa Bay rally in the third and eke out an overtime win. James Neal was the hero of the night, but his overall numbers have been rather pedestrian. While the Predators boast the most potent offense in the NHL, it's tough for fantasy owners to predict which forwards will be hot from "week to week". Their scoring depth will be crucial for their playoff success but not optimal for fantasy purposes... Nikita Kucherov scored a goal in his fourth straight ...

The New York Rangers keep plugging along and now sit just 3 points behind Division leader New York Islanders with a game in hand and just 6 points off Conference leader Tampa Bay with 3 games in hand. It should be a good race to the end especially if Rick Nash continues his tremendous season. Nash notched his 30th and 31st goals on the season and there seems to be no stopping him....Keep an eye on Mats Zuccarello as he had a goal and an assist against Florida last night and could be in store to for a good second half. Zuccarello, at .56 ppg, is currently well behind last season's scoring pace but should regain close to his .76 point-per-game pace he achieved last season.....Ranger D-man Dan Boyle has scored goals in two straight games and could finally be contributing the way the Blueshirts had been hoping for... Are the Edmonton Oilers waking up finally? Jordan Eberle had his best game of the season with 2 goals as the Oil beat the San Jose Sharks 5-4 in a shootout. Like all the Edmonton forwards the talent is there, it's just a matter of time before...BAM!...Edmonton D-man Justin Schultz had a goal and assist but polices have soured on the uber-talented defenseman but he is still only 24 years old, but one day!...Joe Pavelski just keeps heading towards matching last season's career year with 2 goals and an assist giving him 46 in 51 games...Joe Thornton had 3 assists extending his scoring streak to 6 games and has 7 points during that streak.

David Pastrnak RW, Boston: The 18-year old is coming off a sensational game on Saturday where he scored his first two career NHL goals. A diminutive sample size for sure and by this time next week he may be off the David Krejci line, but his play should at least warrant your fantasy attention. Coach Claude Julien has been playing around with the lines in hope of getting some consistent offense out of the "B's" Mikael Backlund C, Calgary: Many of us remember how "hot" Backlund was around this time last year, so when he jumps back into the line-up with five points over three games, fantasy owners will take notice. Monitor his ice-time, as he should continue his streaky ways in January as long as he keeps getting top-six minutes. And when he goes "cold", he is borderline not worthy of a roster spot. Our suggestion-plugin and play if you need an instant dose of offense, but only short-term.. Mat Zuccarello RW, NYR; The crafty winger has been compling points at a much higher rate than early in the season while playing alongside Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. Despite just snapping a nine-game scoring slump, Zuccarello has 11 points over the last 12 games suggesting that a strong finish is in order for him. He will probably fall short of his career-high of 59 points but a .075 point-per-game pace is very likely the rest of the way. Tobias Enstrom D, Winnipeg: The Jets are getting healthier on the blueline, meaning that Enstrom again will be one part of the top defensive pairing with Zach Bogosian. The 30-year old has seen his offensive production steadily decline over the past two seasons but there is no denying his ability to rack up points. The former two-time 50+point producer is presently on the second power-play unit, but don't be surprised by a promotion in the near future. If you are in need of defensive help, you need to pick up Enstrom as he may turn it on during the second half. A decent "buy-low" situation with minimal risk. I love that.. Petr Mrazek G, Detroit: Since Jimmy Howard has been officially diagnosed with only a slight groin tear, perhaps Mrazek's sudden ascension to fantasy relevance may be less short-lived than originally anticipated. However, accurately predicting a time-table for Howard's return could be a bit tricky so expect the young goaltenbder to at least be a solid fantasy stop-gap for a few weeks. Best case scenario- he plays "lights out" and Howard is slowly eased back into action. Anyway you look at it, Mrazek is now a ...

The New York Rangers started their 3-game California trip with a solid 4-1 win over the NHL-leading leading Anaheim Ducks. This starts a 6 in 7 game road schedule for the Blueshirts who have won 11 of 12 with G Henrik Lundqvist leading the way. The Rangers are starting to get production from throughout their lineup.  Rick Nash potted his 25th on the season but Derrick Brassard (4 pts in last 3 games) & Mats Zuccarello (7 pts in last 8) are starting to heat up as well, both with goals in the contest. They face the Kings tonight in what should be a very emotional game for the Rangers.... Washington took care of a Toronto Maple Leaf team that looked a bit disorganized under the new Head Coach Peter Horachek, beating the Leafs 6-2 behind 2-goal efforts from Eric Fehr and Marcus Johansson. The issue with the Capitals has always been scoring depth and if they can get consistent production from those two, they will be tough to play against going forward.  Fehr has had some impressive minor league stats but has never been able to carry that effort over to the NHL.  Troy Brouwer had 2 assists. All three Caps are solid fantasy depth forwards, especially if they go on a tear.... Boston managed to finally win an extra time game after losing in 3 three straight. It was none other than Patrice Bergeron who righted the ship for the Bruins with two goals including the overtime game-winner in beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. With an impressive effort from G Tuukka Rask, the return to health of David Krejci, and a surging Bergeron, the Bruins just might be on the verge of going on one of their streaks. They certainly have the makeup....Newly acquired Penguin David Perron had 5 SOG but was held off the score sheet.... The Detroit Red Wings continued on their 6-game road trip with a win in Calgary. The precious night in Edmonton it was Pavel Datsyuk who provided the offense but tonight it was Henrik Zetterberg who had a goal and an assist in the win. The two veteran Wings continue to shine when healthy. Gustav Nyquist had 2 assists in the win....Mikael Backlund returned to the lineup for the Flames and promptly had an assist on the opening goal by Mason Raymond. Backlund also scored a short-handed goal in the third period showing his value.   Backlund's return will be a breath of fresh air for the club at this point in the season.  Give him some time to get into game shape.

Loui Eriksson-LW-Boston: Boston fans have been waiting for Eriksson to contribute to the offense on a consistent basis, especially so since the player they traded away to acquire him will probably lead the NHL in scoring this season.  It appears that the former Dallas Star let winger is heating up with 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 7 games along with a plus 4 and 13 SOG.   Three games on the schedule for the week with a tough matchup at San Jose before two home games with LA and Detroit.  Mats Zuccarello-RW-NY Rangers: When you're hot, you're hot and the Rangers are certainly hot with winning 8 in a row and Zuccarello has been a part of that streak with 2 goals and 5 assists in his last 7 games.  Only owned by 32.5% of ESPN leagues, the diminutive winger will be playing against Dallas and Florida on the road and then home against Buffalo.  Mark Scheifele-C-Winnipeg: Ever since Scheifele was drafted I have been waiting for the young talent to get his opportunity and that time may have arrived.  Scheifele did have a good stretch before getting injured last season and now, with the Jets being decimated on defense forcing them to put Dustin Byfuglien back on D, Scheifele is getting his chance. With 6 points in last 6 games and owned by just 19.3%, those in need of forward depth could do worse than putting this Jets center in their lineup.  The Jets have a favorable schedule for the week with 3 home games against Minnesota, the NY Islanders and Toronto. Kevin Connauton-D-Columbus: If you are seeking a defenseman for the week, take a chance on Columbus Blue Jacket Connauton.  The Jackets are the hottest team in the NHL right now and the unknown D-man has 5 points in last 6 games but has a minus 3 in those 6 games.  He doesn't have a lot of NHL experience but he does seem to have a knack to get involved in the scoring. Connauton is getting good ice time of around 17 minutes in the last 2 games plus and good portion of power play time as well.  # games on the schedule this week with Minnesota at home before heading on the road to Arizona and Colorado. Michael Hutchinson-G-Winnipeg: We already know about the favorable 3-game home stand mentioned above, but Hutch's numbers are spectacular lately, 1.99 GAA and a .936 in last 4 starts, and it's probably just a matter of time before the streaking Winnipeg Jets (6-1-3 in last 10) go with the hotter hand in net.  Owned by just 36.2% but his time is coming and maybe, just maybe, he gets 2 of the three starts this ...