Nicklas Backstrom has led the Capitals in the playoffs, and that should continue in Game 6.

Nicklas Backstrom has recorded at least three shots on goal in each game of Washington's series versus Pittsburgh. Which other players should be on your radar for NHL DFS?

SMC 2/5/2017 COFFEE TALK Good morning!  Warming up my hands to a piping hot cup o’ joe! The Caps are rolling right along and there is no stopping this locomotive. Nicklas Backstrom doesn’t always get the credit he deserves.  It feels like he’s been around forever and he’s only 29. Alex Radulov has been a much better fit than I originally thought. Jay Beagle and Alex Ovechkin led the Caps in shots against Montreal on Saturday.  It was a dog day afternoon. The LA-Philly game was a real 1-0 pitcher’s duel.  For an afternoon matinee, I was hoping for some more action. Shayne Gostibehere, aka The Ghost, has really been a bit invisible after last year’s outstanding production. Wow, Colorado won a game this week! So much talk lately of the Avalanche dismantling their team but they have so much good young talent that just hasn’t blossomed yet.  But I guess you can’t wait to long for things to develop. The Maple Leafs are going to make a run for the playoffs and getting any of those top forwards on your fantasy squad will do wonders except for in the plus/minus category.  Willie Nyllie with the hattie against the B’s!  Congrats! Just to show how good Patrice Bergeron is…he comes back after suffering an LBI and puts up 7 SOG, scores a goal and assists on two others and they still lose the game.  How much more can this guy do? Oh, and after a horrendous start to his season, B’s d-man Torey Krug has been on fire lately.  He also had 7 SOG.  And David Pastrnak (2G, A)….breakout season, which PP called by the way.  Along with some other forecasters I suppose. Buffalo shut out Ottawa?  The Sens must’ve have been sightseeing at Niagara Falls. Tampa Bay is in last place of the Eastern Conference?  Is that even possible with all that talent?  I mean, they were thisclose to winning the Stanley Cup just a few short years ago. Two teams desperate to stay in the playoff race, Carolina and Islanders, had a real hard-fought battle on Saturday that saw the Canes get the extra point in OT. I think every team has a shot still to make the playoffs except for the Avs and the Arizona Coyotes. Every Islander had a SOG in that contest. Some of the luster has fallen off the Columbus Blue Jackets hot start to the season, now 4-5-1 in last 10 games, but they are still battling hard every game. Taylor Hall wins the Saturday SOG contest with 8. Kris Letang means so much to that Pittsburgh team.  As much as Crosby I’d say. What’s happening with the St. Louis Blues this season?  So unlike ...

  The Devils had that game against the Pens but Sidney Crosby was being Sid and scored the tying goal with seconds left in the game.  Then the Pens won in a shootout. The Capitals are just going through the motions this season, saving it for the playoffs.  How else do you explain them losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs?  Nothing personal Leaf fans, I’m just saying. Caps’ Nicklas Backstrom is starting to pick up the scoring pace of late. Ovechkin only had 3 SOG against Toronto.  Did he have the night off?  I mean Nazem Kadri had more SOG, 6, then OV had. Ottawa 2, Carolina 1.  That’s about right. Mrazek made some great saves to keep his Red Wings in it against Montreal, but the Canadiens are just too good. The Blue Jackets are 1-1-2 in last four games.  They could be coming back down to Earth. But Cam Atkinson is on fire of late.  As is Michael Cammalleri of the Devils. The Blues have won 5 of their last 6.  This could be because Schwartz seems to be picking up his production of late. Good Chicago-LA battle except that Chicago didn’t get a lot of SOG. Maybe next time. I wonder when Anaheim is going to put together a strong run? David Perron has been on fire of late with a 2-8-10 line in past 7 games.  How long will it last though? Markov is the hottest scoring defenseman right now. I hope everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving holiday weekend! Sorry for the short post today, I’m no feeling so hot today. Hope all your fantasies come true and have a great week!

Justin Williams, Washington- Mr Game 7 is actually having a  fantasy impact early on with his new team as he collected 8 points over the first 10 games. Whether his production is sustainable or not largely depends on whether Nicklas Backstrom remains as his pivot. If he moves back to Ovie's line or Williams is shuffled out of top six, then his fantasy value could plummet.    Marcus Johansson, Washington- This guy has more of a shot to maintain some fantasy relevance as he has been a top six fixture for the Capitals over the last few years. The additions of Oshie and Williams puts a mild dent in his value but off to a decent start with 6-points in 10 games.    Frans Nielsen, New York- that's a four game point streak- 4G/2A- for the Isles second line center who flourished in a unit with Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey . Coming off a 43-point season, there is little reason to believe he can't build on those numbers and surpass the 50-point plateau.    David Pastrnak, Boston- The youngster has been getting big minutes with one of the NHL's most underrated centers in David Krejci. While he possesses true 35-goal upside, he might be a year away. Or if you are lucky, maybe not. Give him a shot of still available.    Darnell Nurse, Edmonton- Dont sleep on this 20-year old who is one of the better defensive prospects out there. Since being recalled from the minors, he had picked up a goal and an assist. This one is simple as he will continue to log more minutes if he keeps producing like an NHLer. Nurse is well worth the risk. 

SMC-10/18/2015   We are just over a week into the NHL season and there are already some interesting developments.  News at 11.  Eleven a.m. that is. What is going on with the Columbus Blue Jackets?  At 0-5-0 there may be no leash left of Head Coach Todd Richards. With Captain Pacioretty at the helm, this Montreal team may never lose a game this season by the looks of them. Is it true?  David Krejci is leading the league in scoring? The team doesn’t look that good otherwise Henrik Zetterberg is right there with Krejci.  Some old salts keeping pace with youngsters like Jamie Benn, last year’s scoring champ. Good starts by Winnipeg will go a long way towards the end of the season when they are fighting for the last few playoff spots. At the bottom of the league, and I know it’s early, but Anaheim doesn’t belong in the group with Edmonton, New Jersey, Boston and Buffalo. The Pittsburgh Penguins offense will be awesome once it gets going, but they need to shore up their defense or it will just be a good show to watch with no substance. Looking at that Jaromir Jagr go!  He doesn’t have far to go now playing in Florida when he indeed decides to retire. Funny how the Sharks got stranded by a team called the Islanders who gave them their first loss. The Capitals, now with Nicklas Backstrom back, should be firing on all cylinders in no time. If the Blue Jackets ever get this, whatever ‘this” is, straightened out, they will be tough to play against. Tyler Ennis had 7 SOG last night against Tampa Bay.  He’s going to be a good fantasy forward this season now that he has some talent surrounding him. I really thought Florida was going to beat Dallas last night but they faltered in the third period.  This young Panthers team still has a bit to learn about winning. Sorry for the short post this weekend.  Not feeling so well today.  May all your fantasies come true this week!

#1 Washington The Capitals under the direction of second year coach Barry Trotz have more of a defensive identity entering the '15-16 season. This bodes well for a team full of offensive firepower. Losing to the Rangers in the playoffs left Washington hungry for more playoff success so the addition of Mr Game 7 Justin Willams will surely help. Add the talented TJ Oshie to the mix and you have the makings of arguably the best top six group of forwards in the NHL. Like Trotz accomplished with Pekka Rinne in Nashville, he had helped Braden Holtby reach that level.    Goalies Seemingly an overnight postseason sensation a few years back, Holtby's development had stalled a bit. That's until Trotz took over. Now BH is coming off a huge season where maintained elite numbers why starting an NHL high 73 games. He didn't slow in the playoffs either. No longer sleeper value here. He has arrived as an premier no.1 fantasy option.    Defense No Mike Green, no problem. Right? John Carlson achieved a career high 55 points in '15-16, having supplanted Green as the top pp QB by seasons end. There are some questions whether he will regress some this upcoming season, but he should come close to repeating last seasons totals. Another under the radar pick is Matt Niskanen who has excelled in brief spots where he was on the top power play. Well worth a late round flier.    Forwards   It all starts with Alex ovechkin  who is the ultimate stat stuffer in every sense of the word. Leading the NHL in goals over the last 3 seasons, including topping 50 in two straight, he always contributes a monster amount of shots and is no longer a liability in formats that reward plus/minus. I take him as number one overall.. Plenty of riches down the middle as Nicklas Backstrom might just miss a few games due to injury and resume his point per game ways before November rolls in. Evgeni Kuznetsov has monster sleeper upside as he will be the top center during Backstroms absence but possibly have a permanent role in that loaded power okay unit. 55-60 points is not out of the question.. Don't forget to get your hands on TJ Oshie as well. The speedy winger should be an ideal compliment to Ovie on the top line and should be a lock for career highs in points if he stays there. Don't overrate justin Williams in fantasy. This is not the playoffs.     Prospects If anything would happen to Holtby, then young Philippe Grubauer would be a very valuable fantasy asset to own. Most of his value resides in him...

Zidlicky flourishing in Detroit; The Hamburglar does it again; Talbot on his head; and more: No need for Jimmy Howard to bail out the Wings against the pens as petr mrazek subbed in with a 42-save doozy culminating in the 5-1 drubbing. Marek Zidlicky was the fantasy star of the match, scoring a goal and collecting two assists. Hope you have scooped him off the waiver wire as that window of opportunity should be slammed shut after that effort... Injury alert- Patrick Hornqvist was hurt in the third period and might not be available for this week. Monitor the situation..Cam Talbot continues his stellar goaltending in place of 'King Henrik, stopping  shots in the 2-1 win. One thing to take away from this game is how dangerous the line of Jagr-Barkov-Huberdeau was all night for Florida. The future Hall of Famer has helped the youngsters begin to realize their immense potential so maybe consider playing them down the stretch. Definitely keep them in mind come next year.  A fourth shutout for Jake Allen as the  St. Louis Blues held on for a 3-0 win in Dallas. Alex Pietrangelo dished out two assists to improve his numbers to five points over the last five games. With 38 points in 69 games, another 40+ point season awaits AP. Not bad for a season that many have viewed as a fantasy disappointment. There is no doubt that he took a back sets to Kevin Shattenkirk this year, but expect a huge rebound in 2015-16.  Braden Holtby posted his eight shutout of the season as the Washington Capitals bounced back froma recent slide to defeat the Boston bruins 2-0. Holtby rocks but so does Nicklas Backstrom who finished with two assists in the winning cause.. Andrew Hammond wins again for Ottawa as their drive for a wildcard spot continues. Craig Anderson who? You know what to do.. Great comeback by Anaheim as the Ducks used a four-goal third period to defeat Nashville 4-2. James Wisniewski picked up his first point in his new uniform..

* Andre Burakovsky- The 19-year old paid huge dividends after being promoted to Washington's top line, scoring the game-winning goal in the 4-3 win over Florida. Whenever a talented youngster has the opportunity to strut his stuff alongside Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, he needs to be on all fantasy radars. Monitor this situation as the young Burakovsky could be worth a flier if he can exhibit chemistry with the two superstars. **Brandon Dubinsky- The Columbus center has been very injury prone this season, but his two goals in the win over Colorado gives him nine points in 11 games. A big second half could be coming for a healthy Dubinsky who is more than a capable offensive performer and is essential the heartbeat of this team. If available on the waiver wire, you would be wise to snatch him up. ***Patrick Sharp- After collecting the game-winning goal and an assist during the 6-5 triumph over Dallas, the premier left winger has been flourishing with nine points in his last seven games. The injury rust has been totally shaken off, so fantasy owners should bank on Sharp being an elite fantasy option moving forward. If you can snag him via a trade, I would give it a shot. ****Mike Ribeiro- What a comeback season thus far for the underrated Ribeiro, as he has delivered legitimate first-line center play for the rising Predators. His three assists improves his numbers to seven points in his last five games and 18 in the last 16 overall. Start him if you have him- he has PPG potential the rest of the way. *****Tyler Johnson- 43 points in 40 games- are you kidding me? With two goals in the road win over Ottawa, the second-year center has clearly overshadowed Steven Stamkos but expect a statistical correction during the second half. That being said, Johnson is the real deal and 70-75 points should be a safe bet for arguably the biggest fantasy surprise of the 2014-15 season.

RINNE ROLLS ON & JOHNNY BE GOOD! You may not have noticed but the Washington Capitals have won 3 in a row and 7 of last 9 with Braden Holtby raising his record to 15-7-5 after beating the Ottawa Senators 2-1. Caps C Nicklas Backstrom continued his hot hand with a power play goal that stood up as the game-winner. That's 9 points in last 5 games putting him on the "Niiiiice" list....Continue to start Holtby as the team is getting acclimated to Head Coach Barry Trotz' system.... Nashville stays close to the top of the Western Conference with a pedestrian 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets who have stumbled a little by losing 2 of last 3 but can't blame the Jackets as Pekka Rinne has been the NHL's best goaltender this season. Rinne leads the NHL with 22 wins and he also has a 1.84 GAA and a .934 SP.  Wow!...Craig Smith, one of our sleeper picks in the 2014-2015 PrimePucks™ Fantasy hockey Draft Guide may be heating up as he has 4 points in last 2 games. With just 19 points in 32 games, I may need a little more confirmation that he can be consistent from here on out.... Jimmy Hayes, all through my brain! Hayes helped the Florida Panthers squeak past the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in a shootout with 2 goals.  There are probably better options on the waiver wire but keep an eye on him.  You never know..... The Vancouver Canucks beat up on the Arizona Coyotes 7-1. It was the usual suspects for Vancouver with the Sedin twins getting 2 points each and Alex Burrows netting 2. There had been so much promise for Burrows but he never lived up to the hype but has settled in as a good support forward...Oliver Ekman-Larsson is getting hot with a power play goal, giving him 6 points in 9 December games.... Frederik Andersen and the Anaheim Ducks managed to put an end to the San Jose Sharks 5-game winning streak but it took overtime to do the trick. It was Andersen's 19th win on the year so continue to ride the young Duck net minder... And we saved the best for last as Johnny Gaudreau, aka Johnny Hockey, helped the Calgary Flames beat Los Angeles 4-3 in overtime. With the Flames trailing the LA Kings 3-0 near the end of the 2nd period, Gaudreau kicked it into gear and scored his first NHL hat trick before the Flames capped the comeback with a Mark Giordano game-winner in OT. The Flames scored 4 unanswered goals to end their 8-game losing streak.