Hammond finally loses a game; Devils hang on in playoff race; Florida goalie trouble; and much more: The New Jersey Devils are hanging on to a sliver of playoff hope as they continue to push for a berth.  They may be too far behind but there is no giving up in Jersey.  Goalie Cory Schneider has been on top of his game of late and is the main reason why they are still alive, although barely.  The Devils took advantage of a Nashville Predator team that played the night before against the NY Rangers by scoring twice in the first 4 minutes and making them stand up as they won 3-1…Mike Cammalleri, with points in 6 straight games, and perhaps d-man Adam Larsson, 6 points in past 6 games, could be useful on your fantasy squad…. Calgary and Philadelphia are battling for their playoff lives and each did not disappoint last night with the Flames edging the Flyers 3-2 in overtime.   Calgary is holding on to the third playoff spot in the Pacific Division while the Flyers are trying to catch the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is better with Steve Mason back in net, but they need every point they can get and not getting the extra point may come back to haunt them in the end…. Sergei Bobrovsky was back in net for the Columbus Blue Jackets but Braden Holtby (27/30 SV) and the Washington Capitals were too much for him in his return.  Alex Ovechkin continues to pour them in with 2 goals giving him 43 on the year as he has not be hindered by Head Coach Barry Trotz’ defensive style...   Steven Stamkos' eighth goal in the last games was all the Lightning needed to defeat the rebuilding Buffalo sabres 3-0. Ben Bishop fantasy owners were bummed out when learning of the last-minute news that Andre Vasilevskiy was starting and probably getting the easy win that were you were counting on. Well, he did one better by posting the shut-out so it was a bad break for Bishop's boys... It was double trouble in Florida as the Panthers lost both their goalies during the game against the hapless Leafs, who ended a 16-game road losing streak in the 3-2 win. Thankfully for Roberto Luongo owners, he was able to return in the third period but the Panthers lost a crucial two points in their playoff run.. Here's hoping that Phil Kessel's lengthy rant in defense of the much-maligned Dion Phaneuf(which I thought was sooo appropriate!) gets him going a bit after a long scoring slide. A power=play assist last night is a good ...

Vermette traded to Chicago; Hammond wins again; Jagr's South Florida debut; and more... In the wake of Patrick Kane's long-term injury, the Blackhawks have traded for former Arizona center Antoine Vermette. While this represents a super solid move for the team in their quest for another Stanley Cup, his fantasy value will largely depend on how he is utilized. You can bet Vermette will get a shot at centering the second line but his power play time should be relegated to the secondary unit. He is worth an add though on an explosive Chicago team looking to make up for Kane's offensive absence... The Florida Panthers got some veteran leadership the other day by acquiring Jaromir Jagr from the New Jersey Devils and his guidance helped pave the way for the Cats to come back against the Buffalo Sabres after being down 2-0 after one period of play.  Although he didn’t figure in the scoring, the Panthers scored 5 goals with Jussi Jokinen leading the way with a goal and 2 assists.  Perhaps Jokinen would be a good pickup for the remainder of the season as he clearly seems to benefit from Jagr being on the team.  Others who may also benefit are Brian Campbell and Brad Boyes as the Panthers may lean on the veterans to try and make the playoffs…. Putting a bit of a damper on Florida’s comeback win was the fact that Boston manhandled the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 shortly thereafter keeping the panthers 4 points behind.  Patrice Bergeron should be the main contributing factor now that David Krejci is out due to injury.  Bergeron’s goal and assist was matched by Zdeno Chara, Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand with goalie Tuukka Rask turning aside 32 of 33 shots on goal.  The Bruins will battle the rest of the way and it may be a good idea to get some of these big, bad B’s on your fantasy squad… New Jersey’s Cory Schneider probably deserves a better record but continues to play strong even though the Devils are practically out of the playoff hunt.  Schneider shutout the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0, it was his 4th shutout on the season and 2nd of the week…. It was a classic battle between old Western Conference rivals Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings that saw the latter edge the Preds 4-3.  The once invincible Predators have now lost 4 of their last 6 but should right the ship.  Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne has been a little pedestrian of late but he also will turn things around… If you haven’t noticed, the Carolina Hurricanes have won 3 straight and 5 of their last 7 as the...

MAY I HELP YOU? As the regular season turns into the home stretch, many teams are striving to reach the playoffs and others are trying to better their positions.  The latter ones are all but set in the crease going forward but some of the former teams need to either fix what is wrong or improve on their situation. Let's take a look at who can help your fantasy team down the stretch in your quest for the championship. EDDIE LACK: With Vancouver’s Ryan Miller suffering an injury due to a collision the other night, it appears the 2nd year goaltender will assume starting duty for the next 4-6 weeks as Miller recovers.  Expect Lack, who saw considerable time last year when Roberto Luongo was traded, to provide consistent goaltending as the Canucks battle for a playoff spot.  Probably not available on the waiver wire anymore, but if he is, grab him… ANDREW HAMMOND: Another situation where the starring goalie is out due to an injury, as is the case with Craig Anderson.  However, the backup goalie in Ottawa is also out, with Robin Lehner out with a concussion after colliding with team mate Clarke MacArthur.  Hammond was pressed into action and he has done remarkably well by winning his first two starts.  He may have a rougher time this week with 3 away games against the three California teams so temper your expectations.  His NHL starting experience may be short-lived as Anderson is close to returning as he is travelling with the team. MICHAL NEUVIRTH: You wouldn’t expect a recommendation of a Buffalo Sabre player especially with the season they are having but ever since Jhonas Enroth was traded away to Dallas, Neuvirth has settled in as the undisputed starter with 6 starts in a row and has posted decent numbers during that span, although only going 2-2-2.  If you are in multi-category leagues, Neuvirth may be helpful in all statistical categories except wins.  MICHAEL HUTCHINSON:  It may not be obvious to all but the Winnipeg Jets seem to play better when Hutchinson is in net as he has gone 5-3-2 in last 10 starts while Ondrej Pavelec has gone just 3-5-2.  With the Jets trying to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since their return to Winnipeg, expect the team to rely more on Hutchinson and break away from the alternating starter system they have employed since the All-Star break. POST MARKS: RETURN OF THE KING—With Cam Talbot and the NY Rangers winning without their star net minder, it appears the Blueshirts can take their time getting Lundqvist ...

Good morning everyone!  Coffee time on a wonderful lazy Sunday morning. A shout out to an old friend, George K, Happy Birthday old buddy! You always have to wonder how superstars can go games without scoring any points.  Stars like Phil Kessel, Claude Giroux, Pavel Datsyuk, Shea Weber, Mark Streit etc.  I just named almost my whole fantasy squad. I am awaiting a slump from the Islanders but it doesn’t seem to be coming. Who would have thought Travis Hamonic would be the defenseman to own in Long Island?  We had high hopes for the young defenseman a few years ago but those dreams faded.  They’re back now! Keep an eye on who is on John Tavares’ line as he is heating up in a big way.  Anders Lee is benefitting right now. Has anyone noticed Philadelphia’s performance lately?  They are 5-1-4 and that’s without Steve Mason in net and Claude Raines, I mean Giroux, not contributing. I’ve been on a Marillion kick of late and I know they are playing a weekend convention up in Montreal at the end of April.  The first two nights they play an album in its entirety and then Sunday it’s a mix. Should be a blast for any marillion fan. Back to hockey.  It’s clear that the coaching change in Toronto didn’t have the effect they wanted as the team has fallen from playoff competition.  However, it seems they have a plan to make the Leafs competitive for years to come.  When you get frustrated, just play Guns’n Roses’ Patience, it’ll help get you through those difficult times. You just gotta love ‘Mad’ Max Pacioretty when he gets going on one of his scoring streaks.  Ottawa is still in this race!  With a few games in hand, they could make things interesting.  Is Goalie Andrew Hammond the catalyst?  He is 2-0 in his two starts. All Senators had a shot on goal in last night’s game. Looks like Cory Schneider will be starting every game for the remainder of the Devils season.  Keith Kinkaid appears to have suffered a lower-body injury in yesterday’s game. I like Jeff Skinner but would never draft him for my fantasy team as he always seems to get injured just when he gets going.  Very frustrating, but one year he will be lights out. The Anaheim Ducks had a total of 4 seconds of power play time against the Edmonton Oilers and you know what?  They scored! You couldn’t take your eyes off that Detroit-Dallas game last night as there were wild swings throughout the game.  The Stars scored three times in 3 minutes.  The Red Wings scored twice in under a minute. The Wings are 2-0-0 at ...

Holtby is unreal; Pittsburgh scoring woes; St. Louis fantasy relevant again; and more... Braden Holtby and the Washington Capitals had an easy time against Ondrej Pavelec and the Winnipeg Jets, winning 5-1 at home.  Having Barry Trotz behind the bench has done wonders for Holtby while it hasn’t deterred Alex Ovechkin from scoring as he netted his 38th on the year.  Enjoy the ride poolies.…The big question is , “why isn’t Winnipeg going with Michael Hutchinson night in, night out?”  The Jets clearly play better in front of Hutch… Who would have thought that the Pittsburgh Penguins would have trouble scoring?  They lost to Columbus last night, 2-1, making it three games in arrow that they only scored once.  You just know that at some point, with all those offensive weapons that they will bust out in a big way…. The New York Islanders are making a habit of scoring early and putting the pressure on opposing teams as they scored a minute into their game against Nashville and never let up against perhaps the best goaltender in the NHL today in Pekka Rinne.  The Islanders are playing like a juggernaut lately and you would be wise to have a few players in your fantasy lineup…. IT was a very spirited game between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks with the Canucks prevailing in the shootout, 5-4.  The Sedins had 2 points apiece as they continue their comeback season while Martin St. Louis seems to be waking up from his little slumber of late with a goal and an assist in the losing effort.  Keep the veterans in your lineup as they are just too experienced and too good to leave out…. Not much to say about the Philly-Buffalo tilt other than the Flyers dearly miss Steve Mason in the crease and although Jakub Voracek scored a goal, his owners maybe should have "sold high" when he was leading the entire NHL in points. It kinda made sense... Carey Price resembled a mere mortal in the Montreal crease as the Habs continued their season-long tradition of playing down to their opponents at home, losing 3-2 to Florida. However, the Panthers are no slouch and should never be taken lightly. Just ask the Bruins who suddenly have the Cat's breathing down their neck in the playoff race.. San Jose scored a huge road win in Dallas as Antti Niemi thoroughly outplayed the inconsistent Kari Lehtonen in goal. Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza will keep rewarding their fantasy owners as they carry the "O" with Tyler Seguin out. Am so delighted I didn't trade Spezza when I had the...

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 ...

What I've noticed of late is how defenseman Seth Jones has become more involved in the scoring for the Nashville Predators. He has a 4-game point streak and has 9 points in last 12 games.  Pretty impressive stats I must say... Chicago Blackhawk Marian Hossa has been quiet of late but scored twice against St. Louis. His first points in 6 games.  Veteran players like Hossa know when to raise the level of their game and with the season coming to the stretch run.... Philadelphia Flyer Claude Giroux has been relatively quiet of late but had 2 assists against Washington in a big win for Philly as they cling to playoff expectations. A player like Giroux can go off in a hurry so leave him in your lineup regardless....G Steve Mason had to leave the game with an apparent knee injury. Seems like he could be on the shelf for a while so if you expect a lot from the Flyers, pick up and start Ray Emery as you await further word on Mason's injury.... Not much to say about the Buffalo-Islanders tilt other than Jaroslav Halak won the game by making just eight saves during an entire match. Really? That has to be a record. Anyway, his owners will gladly take it.. The Lightning steamrolled the Ducks despite the return of Ryan Getzlaf, getting a huge three-point effort from Valtteri Fillpula(7 points in last 10 gms).Anaheim goalie Federik Andersen left the match after getting hit by a tilted net. Let's hope that the injury is not serious given that Ilya Bryzgalov would be a less than adequate handcuff for Andersen owners.. Jason Spezza has been more of a dominant offensive performer lately, collecting a goal and two assists improve his numbers to 11 points over the last ten games. A point-per-game pace or close to it should be expected for the perennial second-half stud.. Kari Lehtonen's amazing 34-save effort in the win justs adds to the craziness of owning him and not knowing what to expect from start to start. I had all but decided to sit him for the upcoming week but now have second thoughts. So should you.. Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien get the Winnipeg Jets back in the winning column with three points apiece. "Big Buff" has been moved back to forward but as long he maintains eligibility on the blueline, keep starting him on defense.. Behind Carey Price's 34 saves, the Habs completed the season sweep of the Boston Bruins in a low-scoring affair. Tuuka played well but Carey was just a tad better..

~~Is a career year underway for Montreal's Max Pacioretty? His overtime game winner gives him 23 goals and 40 points on the season. He would need 17 goals and 26 points over the last 34 games to establish new career-highs in both offensive categories. He should be starting in all formats, while his new center man Tomas Plekanec might be worth a waiver grab if available. After allowing 16 goals over his last four starts, Goalie Petr Mrazek rebounded yesterday afternoon with a 22-save effort in the win over the a Islanders. However, the promising youngster could be heading back to minors soon with Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard close to returning. The Wings were be much better off having Mrazek play more games in the AHL and continue to develop rather than sitting behind Howard... A bunch of multiple point performers on display during Ottawa's 7-2 romp over Phoenix, including Mark Stone who now has registered points in 8 of last 9 games. He is on the cusp of being starteable in most leagues. Hopefully you heeded our advice during our last ADD'EM installation... So who you rather have starting for your fantasy team- Tuukka Rask or Jonathan Quick? Based on last night alone, the Boston goalie looks to be the better option but let's judge based on January's peripherals- Rask: 1.61 GAA and .949 SP/Quick: 3.18 GAA and .878 SP. Pretty one-sided just in case you hadn't realized... Rookie defenseman John Klingberg need to be picked up ASAP after his dominating 4-point effort in the unfriendly confines of Winnipeg. His 6 points in his last 2 games, the 22-year old has left Dallas defender Alex Goligoski "in the dust". Start him immediately as he doesn't appear to be fading anytime soon... Whats up with Michael Hutchinson? The Winnipeg goalie has given up nine goals over his last two starts. Despite the blip on the radar, he is the superior goalie over Ondrej Pavelec so no need to worry about diminishing fantasy returns.. So how many of you picked up Cam Talbot when "King Henrik" received his huge scare with a puck to the throat? Great thinking, but Lundqvist should be ok to resume his monstrous workload for the Rangers. BTW, Cam Ward was rewarded for his fine effort against the Blues with the start at MSG. Bad move as Anton Khudobin has owned the Blueshirts lately. Expect the Russian in the Carolina crease the next time out.. Michael Del Zotto now has points in six straight games. The 24-year old defender is worth a long fantasy look as he has been logging big ...

ALL THE RANKINGS HAVE BEEN UPDATED. LOOK IN THE RANKINGS SECTION FOR THE LATEST RANKINGS OF ALL THE NHL TEAMS, DEFENSEMEN, GOALIES, ETC. Washington continues to roll and Braden Holtby continues to start, with his 25th in a row. Holtby raised his record to 21-8-7 as the team seems to have fully embraced Head Coach Barry Trotz' system as they defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1.  Don't look for Holtby to slow down any as the team is playing terrific team hockey......Colorado's Semyon Varlamov's return to DC didn't go as well as he wanted but he continued to play well and is the key component in the Avs' hopes of making the playoffs....Alex Tanguay (ppg) and Jarome Iginla (ppa) continue to key the Colorado offense with 28 points apiece in 41 and 43 games played respectively. Iginla, a notorious slow starter now has 10 points in his last 12 games while Tanguay has slowed down as bit with just 4 points in last 10 games..... The Philadelphia Eagles, I mean Flyers, scored 7 goals with 7 different goal-scorers as they blasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-3. Don't worry! Ben Bishop had the night off. D-man Mark Streit had a goal and 2 assists to lead the parade. Streit is having himself a fine year on the Philadelphia back end with 31 points in 43 games.  Playing alongside All-Stars Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux, you are just bound to accumulate points with the productive years they are having....G Rob Zepp earned his 2nd NHL win in just his second NHL start as he fills in for the injured Steve Mason. Zepp will probably get most of the playing time unless he stumbles badly as Ray Emery is having a poor statistical season.... Back-up Martin Jones earned a 19-save shutout for the Kings against the Maple Leafs, snapping a three-game losing skid. Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter led the way with two points apiece, while Marian Gaborik scored his 14th goal of the season. With Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson out for an extended period of time, expect this forward trio to be heavily involved in the bulk of the scoring for the Kings. As for the Leafs, game three under new coach Peter Horachek displayed little momentum leading from the Columbus victory. Still looking for Phil Kessel to gain that elite consistency that his fantasy owners had expected. So far decent but mixed results from Kessel...

Can this be the start of the Bruin resurgence? With the 3-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils, Boston has now won 2 in a row and they are starting to look like their old selves.  It may be time to start stocking up on your beloved B's for the stretch run....Milan Lucic had 2 goals with one on the power play and with David Krejci back to full health, it seems like this duo is ready to light it up.... Buffalo is reeling and Carolina is starting to put together a few wins as Cam Ward turned aside 18 of 20 shots for the 5-2 win. The Canes have won 3 of last 4 and if you haven't noticed, Eric Staal has now scored a goal in last 5 of the last six games. Ward and Staal should be in your starting lineups along with D-man Justin Faulk who had 2 assists in the contest. The time may be right to count on a few Canes to provide decent output..... Braden Holtby started his 23rd straight game for the Capitals and played well in the 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers who breathed a sigh of relief that G Steve Mason was able to tend net. Mason stopped 26 of 28 for the win.  Mason has been playing well lately and the effort earned him his second straight victory.  The Flyers will need a healthy Mason to make a run if they hope to make the playoffs.... In Nashville, defenseman Shea Weber continued his "hot" ways with two goals, including the overtime game-winner to help give the Predators a 3-2 win over Dallas. The gifted defender now has collected ten points over the last ten games and is surging toward a potential top-five finish. If not better...Fellow defender Roman Josi continues his brilliant breakout season with a goal and an assist, improving his numbers to 27 points in 41 games... After a classic 7-0 thumping by St. Louis, Arizona bounced back with a 4-1 win over Winnipeg, largely due to the scoring of Shane Doan (1G/2A) and goaltending by Mike Smith (34/35 saves). The Coyotes have been struggling mightily and besides their two elite d-men- Yandle and OEL- there is little reason for fantasy owners to take any vested interest in this team. Having said that, if you are a firm believer that the Coyotes will turn this sorry season around, then Doan and Smith should have a much stronger second half.. Jarome Iginla gave the Avalanche a much-needed offensive boost, scoring two goals in the 5-2 victory over Ottawa. Don't look now, but the 37-year old has turned it on recently with nine points in his last ten games. While he is clearly on the decline, his famous ...