RINNE ROLLS ON & JOHNNY B. 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.

With Marian Gaborik returning to the lineup, Anze Kopitar has woken up. I think LA is ready to go on some sort of streak. Gaborik has 6 goals in last 4 games. As streaky as they come and as injury-prone as they come. Colorado played Buffalo last. A very uncharacteristic game for both clubs as the Avalanche won 5-1. Jarome Iginla did his Kopitar imitation and had 3 assists last night as well. Did you know that Jeff Carter has 9 goals and 16 assists so far this season? Usually it's the other way around.  You know what that means. Jakub Voracek had 4 assists last night to take over the NHL point lead. His team mate Claude Giroux and Dallas Star Tyler Seguin (does Boston feel that pain yet?) are 3 points behind. Not a positive nigh for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their 7-4 loss to Philadelphia. Pekka Rinne was irregular last night against Minnesota but still won 6-5 in overtime. I think Alex Galchenyuk is loving the new responsibilities of centering the top line. He has 6 points in last 3 games.  Ottawa is going to have one of those years where they seem like they can't move one way or another. Tampa Bay is 3-5-2 in last team. You can breathe Lightning fan.  They will be alright, trust me. The last year on Long Island is turning out to be a special one. Brooklyn is awaiting. Every Florida Panther had a SOG except Derek MacKenzie so you know they were trying in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. See Derek, you made the SMC! Steve Downie had a great night with 2 assists and 17 PIMs. I am very disappointed in the Pittsburgh Penguins for scratching Robert Klinkhammer from the lineup on a Saturday night. I may have to call Bettman. I just don't know if the New Jersey Devils are this bad. They have a lot of home games coming up so maybe they can get back in the thick of things.  Or, they may be looking at a new head coach pretty soon. Nicklas Backstrom is becoming a scoring machine lately notching his 9th and 10th goals on the season. The Rangers are streaking. Martin St. Louis needs to start scoring a little bit more methinks. Even with going 8-1-1 in last 10, Columbus still finds themselves 7 points behind a playoff spot. Keep plugging away boys. Minny G Niklas Backstrom has started the last 3 and last 4 of 6 games. He had to relieve Darcy Kuemper in last night's game. What has happened to Kuemper? Calgary is really going through a tough stretch right now. They face LA and Edmonton twice in the next four games.  So there is hope in two of those games.  The Christmas/...

The hard luck loser award goes to Tampa Bay rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was unpenetrable for most of the game against the Isles with 45 saves but gave up three goals over the last four minutes. Ben Bishop is close to returning, but the youngster has made a strong case for backup duties over the struggling Evgeni Nabokov... Calvin Pickard has performed well above expectations in the Colorado crease while subbing for the injured Semyon Varlamov, turning aside 28 of 29 Buffalo shots for his 5th win of the season. With a 2.16 GAA and .936 SP, the youngster should have little difficulty in maintaining back-up status when 'Varly returns... Don't look now, but a fantasy star is quickly taking center stage for the Montreal Canadiens as Alex Galchenyuk is making the most of his opportunity of centering the top line. Another goal and assist gives him 7 points in his last five games, raising his overall numbers to 24 points in 34 games. The third-year pivot could still be available in many leagues so snatch him ASAP before it's too late... I would hesitate to write that a veteran forward not named Jarome Iginla is Colorado's most consistent fantasy option on offense these days, but Alex Tanguay has been real solid with 22 points in 30 games. He led the way last night with two goals and an assist. Maybe worth a flier as a borderline starter... Here is to stating the obvious, but Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek are the best fantasy tandem in NHL. With a combined 8 points in the 7-4 win over the Leafs, these two have kept many fantasy squads afloat with no end in sight. Expect the good times to continue much longer... With 34 points in 32 games, Nicklas Backstrom has been the far superior fantasy asset over Alex Ovechkin for Washington. Another 3-point night gives him 9 points in his last 6 games. As undercover a superstar as one can be in today's NHL. Perenially a lock for a PPG clip... Maybe it's time to buy low on Chicago winger Patrick Sharp as he is slowly shaking off his early season rust with two goals in the last three games. Coming off a career-high 78 points in 2013-14, he could be in line for a huge second half. I know many fantasy owners who have soured on him... Watch out for Thomas Vanek in Minny, as the struggling winger has begin to hit his offensive stride while riding shotgun to Zach Parise on the top line. His goal and an assist in the loss to Nashville gives him 9 points in the last ten games. With Parise streaking with 26 points in 26 games, I...

Good morning all! Christmas is coming! With Zdeno Chara back in the lineup, Boston should be able to get back on track soon enough. I don't know if this particular coaching change will help Ottawa but I do agree that a change was needed. I think you can now consider Buffalo NHL-ready as they have gone 7-3-0 in last ten games separating themselves from the Carolina Hurricanes. The biggest reason in Buffalo is G Jhonas Enroth. He has taken the reins after a somewhat sluggish start.  The Philadelphia Flyers have an upcoming 8-game road trip which will say a lot about their chances for the playoffs. I could see a lot of names changing addresses for the Hurricanes when the trading deadline approaches. It's impressive to see the Florida Panthers in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings with 32 points through 28 games. Nice job! Can you believe Toronto is the hottest team in the NHL right now with an 8-1-1 record over last 10 games? Who would've thought after the 9-2 Tampa catastrophe? The Leafs did it by beating the former hottest team, the Detroit Red Wings, twice in one week. Nazem Kadri is playing well on both sides of the puck and has 7 points in 6 December games and he had 7 total points in all of November. That Sean Couturier is on fire recently if you haven't noticed. He also has 7 points in 6 December games like Kadri. At 6-3-1 in last 10 games, is that considered a slump for Tampa Bay? With Crosby slumping and all their injuries throughout the early season, the Pittsburgh Penguins still sit atop the Eastern Conference. Nicklas Backstrom, the assist machine, had a hat trick against Tampa. Now, with all the firepower in that game, I wouldn't have guessed him to get a hattie. Scott Darling lost against the Islanders 3-2.  He has played well with a 5-2 record and a 1.97 GAA.  Corey Crawford has a 1.87 GAA and Antti Raanta has a 2.02 GAA. What do they feed those Blackhawk goalies? Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets are storming their way back into the playoff picture by rattling off six straight wins. Get on the bandwagon and hitch the cannon up to the back. When Kris Letang is in the lineup, he is lethal. Well, maybe not lethal, but damn good. Frederik Andersen is 7-0-0 in December. I don't think he can get through the month without a loss. Do you? If Edmonton could only score a little bit more each game, Arizona might have been in last place in the Western Conference instead of the Oilers. I think a coaching change may be in order ...

Let's start off with saying "Hat's off to Nick" as the cerebral passing machine known as Nicklas Backstrom collected his first career regular season "hat trick" in Washington's 4-2 win over Tampa Bay. His career high in goals scored was 33 in 2009-10, but he routinely falls in the 15-20 category. Meaning, don't get overly excited over his scoring explosion. His point-per-game ways will continue this season thanks to a healthy dose of assists.. Need to mention our second fantasy star of the night, Kris Letang who has played this season like a man on a mission, scoring another two goals in Pittsburgh's losing effort to Columbus. He has collected points in five straight games, plus goals in three straight. With 21 points on the season and injury-free again, get him in your starting line-ups ASAP.. Should we start to take Buffalo's goalie Jhonas Enroth seriously in all fantasy leagues? The streaking Swede did not enjoy his best night by any means but held on for his eighth win in his last ten starts. The Sabres have been gaining much confidence during this hot stretch and are even scoring some goals. When you see them defeating Florida and Calgary by the score of 4-3, then you know the team is trending upward. I say use Enroth as a solid no. 2 if your goaltending is struggling.. Tyler Seguin is the "man" again, scoring a goal and an assist in the 4-2 Dallas triumph over New Jersey. His 23 goals and 38 points leads the entire NHL, while his robust 118 SOG ranks him second. Superstar status has arrived.. Want to add that Jason Spezza is back on Seguin's line. His two points last night was no coincidence. Start him immediately... The formula is simple for Philly's offensive success- secondary scoring is a must and it's been on display over recent games. Third-line center Sean Couturier scored a goal in their 5-1 win over Carolina, extending his point to six games. Wayne Simmonds is back on one of his famous hot streaks, collecting the game-winner plus a helper so use him while he is on fire. The Flyers have been buzzing on offense as top dogs Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek continue to lead the way.. Where have you been, Mats? Despite sub-par offensive production at the quarter mark, Mr. Zuccarello sparked the 'Blueshirts to a 5-1 win over Vancouver with his two goals. With 13 points in 25 games, he is falling way short of his 59-point pace he set last season, but consider "buying low" on him. He was moved up to the Rick Nash-Derick Brassard line, which would ...

Let's start off with saying "Hat's off to Nick" as the cerebral passing machine known as Nicklas Backstrom collected his first career regular season "hat trick" in Washington's 4-2 win over Tampa Bay. His career high in goals scored was 33 in 2009-10, but he routinely falls in the 15-20 category. Meaning, don't get overly excited over his scoring explosion. His point-per-game ways will continue this season thanks to a healthy dose of assists.. Need to mention our second fantasy star of the night, Kris Letang who has played this season like a man on a mission, scoring another two goals in Pittsburgh's losing effort to Columbus. He has collected points in five straight games, plus goals in three straight. With 21 points on the season and injury-free again, get him in your starting line-ups ASAP.. Should we start to take Buffalo's goalie Jhonas Enroth seriously in all fantasy leagues? The streaking Swede did not enjoy his best night by any means but held on for his eighth win in his last ten starts. The Sabres have been gaining much confidence during this hot stretch and are even scoring some goals. When you see them defeating Florida and Calgary by the score of 4-3, then you know the team is trending upward. I say use Enroth as a solid no. 2 if your goaltending is struggling.. Tyler Seguin is the "man" again, scoring a goal and an assist in the 4-2 Dallas triumph over New Jersey. His 23 goals and 38 points leads the entire NHL, while his robust 118 SOG ranks him second. Superstar status has arrived.. Want to add that Jason Spezza is back on Seguin's line. His two points last night was no coincidence. Start him immediately... The formula is simple for Philly's offensive success- secondary scoring is a must and it's been on display over recent games. Third-line center Sean Couturier scored a goal in their 5-1 win over Carolina, extending his point to six games. Wayne Simmonds is back on one of his famous hot streaks, collecting the game-winner plus a helper so use him while he is on fire. The Flyers have been buzzing on offense as top dogs Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek continue to lead the way.. Where have you been, Mats? Despite sub-par offensive production at the quarter mark, Mr. Zuccarello sparked the 'Blueshirts to a 5-1 win over Vancouver with his two goals. With 13 points in 25 games, he is falling way short of his 59-point pace he set last season, but consider "buying low" on him. He was moved up to the Rick Nash-Derick Brassard line, which would ...

The Barry Trotz era is about to begin and there are so many questions heading into the 2014-2015 campaign. Trotz is known for being the only Head Coach in Nashville Predator history and is more known for his defensive-style system than his offense which becomes a concern to poolies because of players like Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, two major offensive stars in Washington. Then there is the flipside of that in which the major defensemen in Nashville led the way on offense for the Preds. Will that translate in Washington?  Will that transform D Mike Green back to the offensive star that he once was? What should be the most important question is will Braden Holtby be that guy the Caps were hoping he'd be? GOALIES I was never one for the two-headed goaltender system. There needs to be a clear number 1 and a steady backup with the backup clearly knowing his role.  Perhaps with the new coach and the new system, Holtby can be that number 1 goalie the Capitals were counting on last year.  His metrics last season were far from impressive as he took a baby step backward in his development.  With Trotz behind the bench and incoming goalie coach Mitch Korn, Holtby's numbers should improve as he regains his confidence in net.  Korn was the goaltending coach in Nashville for the past 15 years, instructing NHL elite goaltender Pekka Rinne. Now if Holtby can be Rinne........Gone is Michal Neuvirth who was traded to buffalo at the trade deadline last year. Justin Peters signed 1 2-year deal as a free agent to back up Holtby. DEFENSE It will be interesting to see who emerges on defense in the Trotz system. Will it be a return to elite form for Green, or will John Carlson take that next step as a premium fantasy defenseman? Matt Niskanen parlayed his career season (46 pts.) in Pittsburgh into a 7-year deal with the Capitals. At 27, Niskanen is in his prime, but don't expect a return to those numbers unless he benefits this time from an injury to Green or Carlson.  He does have the talent but expect a little drop-off in production in his first year with the Caps.  Karl Alzner, Dmitri Orlov and free agent signing Brooks Orpik are all defense-first D-men so don't expect much in the way of offense. FORWARDS The Capitals offense begins and ends with Ovechkin, aka the Great 8 and Center Backstrom. Some say that it's Backstrom that makes Ovechkin better, but having either on your fantasy is a win-win. The duo were actually tied for the team lead in points ...

The Barry Trotz era is about to begin and there are so many questions heading into the 2014-2015 campaign. Trotz is known for being the only Head Coach in Nashville Predator history and is more known for his defensive-style system than his offense which becomes a concern to poolies because of players like Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, two major offensive stars in Washington. Then there is the flipside of that in which the major defensemen in Nashville led the way on offense for the Preds. Will that translate in Washington?  Will that transform D Mike Green back to the offensive star that he once was? What should be the most important question is will Braden Holtby be that guy the Caps were hoping he'd be? GOALIES I was never one for the two-headed goaltender system. There needs to be a clear number 1 and a steady backup with the backup clearly knowing his role.  Perhaps with the new coach and the new system, Holtby can be hat number 1 goalie the Capitals were counting on last year.  His metrics last season were far from impressive as he took a baby step backward in his development.  With Trotz behind the bench and incoming goalie coach Mitch Korn, Holtby's numbers should improve as he regains his confidence in net.  Korn was the goaltending coach in Nashville for the past 15 years, instructing NHL elite goaltender Pekka Rinne. Now if Holtby can be Rinne........Gone is Michal Neuvirth who was traded to buffalo at the trade deadline last year. Justin Peters signed 1 2-year deal as a free agent to back up Holtby. DEFENSE It will be interesting to see who emerges on defense in the Trotz system. Will it be a return to elite form for Green, or will John Carlson take that next step as a premium fantasy defenseman? Matt Niskanen parlayed his career season (46 pts.) in Pittsburgh into a 7-year deal with the Capitals. At 27, Niskanen is in his prime, but don't expect a return to those numbers unless he benefits again from an injury to Green or Carlson.  He does have the talent but expect a little drop-off in production in his first year with the Caps.  Karl Alzner, Dmitri Orlov and free agent signing Brooks Orpik are all defense-fist D-men so don't expect much in the way of offense. FORWARDS The Capitals offense begins and ends with Ovechkin, aka the Great 8 and Center Backstrom. Some say that it's Backstrom that makes Ovechkin better, but having either on your fantasy is a win-win. The duo were actually tied for the team lead in points with 79....

Bruins-Flyers battled it out yesterday afternoon in true playoff style with the B's prevailing in the shootout. There is just no slowing down these big, bad Bruins as they are 15-1-1 since March 1st. Simply incredible!  Most of that success is due to the Iginla-Krejci-Lucic line but Patrice Bergeron has been almost as hot with a 7-game goal scoring streak and 18 points in that 17 game stretch. Bergeron is as steady as they come. Even though he has been demoted to the fourth line, Philadelphia Flyer Vincent Lecavalier scored twice and has 3 goals in past two games. Vinny doesn't always bring his ‘A' game but it looks like he has something to prove.  Start him with confidence. Flyer teammate Kimmo Timonen had been given up for dead by most poolies midway through the season but the veteran defenseman has picked up his game of late and scored 13 of his 32 points this season in March alone. The Philly vet had 2 points in yesterday's loss to the Bruins so ride the defenseman to the finish line as he will give you steady production from here on out. Ottawa Senator Kyle Turris continues to put up decent fantasy numbers although much of that has come under the radar. The young Center had 2 goals and an assist in the Sens 6-3 win over Calgary giving him 7 points in last 4 games.  The 3rd overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft has found his play in Ottawa the past few years and should be a lock for 65-70 points next season. It feels like he has been around for so long but he is only 24 years old. If you haven't heard about Detroit Red Wing Gustav Nyquist yet, you will certainly hear a lot of him over the next few years as he has 18 points in 15 March games and 45 points in 50 games played this season. Some will still have a touch of doubt about Nyquist's skills but don't let him slip too far in next year's draft because he is the real deal. And just think what he could do playing alongside Datsyuk or Zetterberg? While on the subject of Red Wings, if David Legwand happens to re-sign with Detroit, it could be possible that this longtime Nashville Predator could score between 55-60 points next season. All the center has done since coming over to Hockeytown is go 3-6-9 in 14 games; definitely worth a late round selection in next year's draft if that resigning does occur. The big news in the Chicago-Pittsburgh game was not Sidney Crosby scoring twice late in the third period to seal the victory for the Pens, but the hit Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews took from ...

Bruins-Flyers battled it out yesterday afternoon in true playoff style with the B's prevailing in the shootout. There is just no slowing down these big, bad Bruins as they are 15-1-1 since March 1st. Simply incredible!  Most of that success is due to the Iginla-Krejci-Lucic line but Patrice Bergeron has been almost as hot with a 7-game goal scoring streak and 18 points in that 17 game stretch. Bergeron is as steady as they come. Even though he has been demoted to the fourth line Philadelphia Flyer Vincent Lecavalier scored twice and has 3 goals in past two games. Vinny doesn't always bring his ‘A' game but it looks like he has something to prove.  Start him with confidence. Flyer teammate Kimmo Timonen had been given up for dead by most poolies midway through the season but the veteran defenseman has picked up his game of late and scored 13 of his 32 points this season in March alone. The Philly vet had 2 points in yesterday's loss to the Bruins so ride the defenseman to the finish line as he will give you steady production from here on out. Ottawa Senator Kyle Turris continues to put up decent fantasy numbers although much of that has come under the radar. The young Center had 2 goals and an assist in the Sens 6-3 win over Calgary giving him 7 points in last 4 games.  The 3rd overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft has found his play in Ottawa the past few years and should be a lock for 65-70 points next season. It feels like he has been around for so long but he is only 24 years old. If you haven't heard about Detroit Red Wing Gustav Nyquist yet, you will certainly hear a lot of him over the next few years as he has 18 points in 15 March games and 45 points in 50 games played this season. Some will still have a touch of doubt about Nyquist's skills but don't let him slip too far in next year's draft because he is the real deal. And just think what he could do playing alongside Datsyuk or Zetterberg? While on the subject of Red Wings, if David Legwand happens to re-sign with Detroit, it could be possible that this longtime Nashville Predator could score between 55-60 points next season. All the center has done since coming over to Hockeytown is go 3-6-9 in 14 games; definitely worth a late round selection in next year's draft if that resigning does occur. The big news in the Chicago-Pittsburgh game was not Sidney Crosby scoring twice late in the third period to seal the victory for the Pens, but the hit Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews took from ...