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 ...

Lights out for Chicago, Anaheim explodes, Updated Rankings coming and Skinner continues. Boston came away with a much needed 2 points against New Jersey as they cling to that last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.  Ryan Spooner scored his first NHL goal in overtime as he has been entrusted with a little more responsibility with the injury to David Krejci.  Don’t expect a lot from Spooner as he only has a total of 35 NHL game experience under his belt, but what a good time to score his first as the Bruins hold a 4-poiont lead over the Florida Panthers in the East…. The Islanders just keep on winning and now lead the Rangers by two points in the Metropolitan Division but the Rangers have three games in hand on the Isles.  Islanders Goalie Jaroslav Halak continues to improve upon his career year on the Island.  Kudos to those who took a chance on the sometimes underwhelming Halak…. Carolina’s Jeff Skinner scored again and now has 6 goals in last 8 games as the Hurricanes blanked the Washington Capitals 3-0 behind the 28-save effort from Anton Khudobin.  Look for the Canes to platoon their two goalies from here on out as they are out of the playoff race and are preparing for next season.  Skinner in the meantime can drive you bonkers as a fantasy owner because of his tremendous potential but also his propensity to get injured at the most inopportune times.  Ride him while he’s on fire…. Tampa’s Ben Bishop posted just his second shutout on the season but his 31st win by stopping all 28 SOG against the Blackhawks.  Ever since the Lightning acquired Bishop and installed him as the number 1, he has given fantasy owners a solid goaltender since day 1…With 2 goals, Steven Stamkos is rising quickly and is just 5 behind NHL leader in goals scored Alex Ovechkin.  With 20+ games to go in the season, SS could reach 50…. Colorado clings to playoff hopes as they beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a shootout.  Stars’ Cody Eakin (2G, A) was the offensive star in the losing effort but doesn’t hold much fantasy value I hate to say…. Anaheim awoke from their slumber after being shut out the previous game against Ottawa with a 4-goal outburst to beat their neighbors, the Los Angeles Kings 4-2.  Corey Perry was the hero scoring two late goals, the game-winner with just under 30 seconds remaining in regulation. Rookie John Gibson was the benefactor is now 7-5-0 on the season.  

Mid-winter morning with a nice cup of hot coffee. Mmmmmmm! Speaking of hot, Carey Price posting 2 shutouts of 1-0 in a row is insane! The Eastern Conference playoffs are shaping up to what should be a doozy of a spring. Detroit is back to being Detroit. It's amazing how the Red Wings go from Yzerman/Fedorov to Datsyuk/Zetterberg and now are just about ready for the Nyquist/Tatar era. The Isles lose Okposo for a while but get back Visnovsky which should help ease the sting of the loss of Okposo. Is this the start of the Islanders slump? Is Mike Smith this bad? And how did he get so bad so quickly? Boston is red-hot. It just took a little longer than normal. Will LA just do enough to squeak into the playoffs and then have the Western Conference nervous about playing them? Philadelphia and New Jersey dug themselves too big of a hole but they are still playing like they have a shot at the playoffs. Credit to the head coaches, ALL 4 of them! The New York Rangers took care of the Carolina Hurricanes like they were supposed to do. Almost lost Henrik Lundqvist there with a scare with him getting hit in the throat by a puck, Winnipeg has lost 3 in a row and is not the time for them to start slumping with them playing a league high 51 games and battling for a playoff spot. I love to see players come out of nowhere and make an impact as is the case of Dallas D John Klingberg. Enjoy the ride this season! One player I would like to see regain his former self is Winnipeg D Tobias Enstrom. Steven Stamkos is having a good season but perhaps we were all expecting greater things this season. I guess winning is better than spectacular stats. Go Flames go! Nashville is biting at the bit as they wait for Pekka Rinne to return. His absence solidifies that he is the best in the NHL right now, although Price of Montreal is right there at the top. The All-Star looked like a lot of fun for the players. Glad they were laughing and smiling! Can't believe it's been three years since they one with the Olympics last year and the Lockout the season before. It just goes to show you how much the ASG is not missed. Have a great week and may all your fantasies come true!

QUICK NOTES: Sergei Bobrovsky signed a 4-year extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets solidifying their goaltending as the team start to mature and gain experience. A solid dynasty fantasy league keeper although you would think otherwise as he let in 4 first-period goals after signing the contract....Peter Horachek has been named the Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the remainder of the season.  It was decided that a full-time head coach would be decided on in the off-season.  This feels like it has Mike Babcock written all over it. The New York Islanders have been playing well all season and have been getting a lot of press and even though John Tavares hasn't been written about a lot, he has been quietly putting together a solid season. As the year turned into 2015, Tavares has been lighting it lately, more to the liking of his fantasy faithful.  In 4 January games, JT now has 7 points, including the 3 points in last night's OT victory over the New Jersey Devils.  Jaroslav Halak continues to provide consistent goaltending and picked up his 22nd win on the season. Continue to start with confidence.... The Tampa Bay Lightning managed to squeak by the Buffalo Sabres as Steven Stamkos potted his 22nd of the season with just over 5 minutes remaining in regulation for the win. Ben Bishop picked up his 21st win. The Sabres kept the hot Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat off the score sheet, but it was small consolation as they lost their 7th in a row and 11 of their last 12.... Toronto redeemed themselves after their losing effort against Washington the other night with a 5-2 pasting of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The top three Maple Leafs Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk & Tyler Bozak, were the main catalysts with a combined 7 points in the win. Continue to start with confidence as on any given night.... It wasn't the prettiest of games but the Florida Panthers won in Calgary in a 6-5 shoot'em out at the Saddledome. Jonathan Huberdeau continued his hot streak with a goal and an assist giving him 5 points in past 2 games. The problem is consistency but if he finds that, he can be a great addition to your fantasy forward depth...Flames D-man T.J. Brodie had 2 goals in the contest and now has 28 points in 42 games. Not bad for the young defenseman entering his 4th full season. Kudos to those who drafted the young talent.... Now that was a little bit more like what everyone was expecting from the Edmonton Oilers this season as they defeated the visiting ...

* 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.

Good morning. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a great Boxing Day!  So glad hockey is back! I got a coffee mug warmer stand from my son Derek for Christmas.  It's a Disney version, wonderful! A few weeks back I told you that the Columbus Blue Jackets were about to turn their season around, and Sergei Bobrovsky would be a big part of it, although he didn't start last night's game. The Jackets are the hottest team right now at 8-1-1, even better than the NY Rangers who are 8-2-0. I think you can all guess who the worst team over the last 10 games has been. Who is this Kevin Connauton and why is he acting like Bobby Orr? I thought Marty St. Louis was supposed to be the point-per-game player and not Derek Stepan? What has happened to the Boston Bruins this season? Don't tell me that they miss Jarome Iginla that much. I think the time is right for NY Islander John Tavares to start to really heat up. He's been good so far, but not REAL good. I still don't know if I could have any Buffalo Sabres on my fantasy team yet. This Detroit Red Wing team is pretty dangerous when healthy. Aren't Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk like the classiest players in the NHL? Add Patrice Bergeron to that list too. Dougie Hamilton had 6 SOG and so did Erik Karlsson to lead their respective teams. I'm not comparing these two, just so you know (JSYK). As great as Steve Stamkos is, the Lightning really depend on Ben Bishop, although this kid Andrej Vasilevskiy (learn how to say and spell it because he will be a good one!) looks like a damn, good goalie. What happened to the Carolina Hurricanes scoring? I think that the Devils need a head coach, not a three-ring circus. I hope Lou is not losing it. When is Winnipeg going to give the starting job to Michael Hutchinson? He deserves a long look in my opinion. I have always liked Andrew Ladd for his consistent play but he did have 2 four game stretches without a point. I don't think you'll see that again this season as the Jets are starting to fly high. Minnesota is having goaltending issues this season. I know, hard to believe, right? Washington Capitals G Braden Holtby is on fire. Did you read my BETWEEN THE PIPES article on December 23rd? I'm surprised Pittsburgh lost because they did have Colonel Klinkhammer in the lineup. I'm just kidding, you know that, right? Alex Ovechkin had 10 SOG in the game but was held without a point. Poolies love to see a double digit number under the SOG column. I'm stating the obvious ...

Sorry for the brief fantasy notes, but plenty of Christmas shopping to still do!! One quick note- IN STEVE'S DEFENSE will be up for the special holiday date of next Tuesday, December 30. Starting 2015, you can again catch ISD every Thursday afternoon. *Semyon Varlamov returned to the Colorado crease in grand fashion, turning aside all 26 shots in the 5-0 rout of St. Louis. While numbers are way off the pace he had set last season- 3.00 GAA/ 5-6-5 record- you can bet that the recent hot play of backup Calvin Pickard will light a fire under the struggling Russian netminder. A great-buy low candidate for the holidays.. *Tyler Johnson is having a heck of a sophomore campaign for the Lightning, collecting a "hat trick" against the Penguins and in the process, extending his point streak to five games (5G/3A). With 37 points in 35 games, he has exceeded all fantasy expectations so far but should continue to roll on the Steven Stamkos-led prolific offense.. *So much for his 11-game point streak coming to an end as winger Rick Nash continues to show superb form in his monster comeback year by scoring two goals and an assist in the Ranger's 4-2 win over Washington. He is the real deal with 36 points on the season ranking 10th in the NHL scoring race. He might fall short of the 80-point mark, but 40+ goals is a realistic possibility.. * Not many goalies will frustrate fantasy owners with their tremendous "ups and downs" more than Toronto's Jonathan Bernier who stifled Dallas with a 43-save shutout. Just one start before, he gave up 7 to Philly so it's tough to depend on him as a legit starting option but his streaks can help bolster your fantasy teams.. *Boston's Loui Eriksson has yet to realize his offensive potential that he had displayed as a 70-point Dallas Star standout, but he has been trending upward. His two goals gives him six points over the last four games. He hasn't panned out as a top-line replacement to the departed Jarome Iginla, but he could get bumped up if his production continues to improve. Watch him..

It has been a wild ride for fantasy owners early on this season, as many of the elite defensemen have not kicked into high gear yet. While the under-the-radar tandem of Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie are skyrocketing up the ranks, names like Subban, Weber, and Pietrangelo have or almost fallen outside the top ten. With all this uncertainty settling in with some of our better known defensemen, it's easy to forget how truly great Victor Hedman is becoming as a scoring machine and arguably the best fantasy d-man in the NHL. Yes, I said it! Arguably the best, but with an early injury derailing his opportunity to immediately prove that his 55-point 2013-14 was no fluke, he is almost a forgotten man. I received e-mails regarding various trades that Hedman was involved in while he was injured, and to say that I was flabbergasted was an understatement. It's human nature that leads to fantasy owner having a percieved lower value of injured players, only because they are reaping ZERO dividends while sitting on the bench. But let's not forget that he finished fourth last season in d-men scoring for the entire NHL, so to expect him to fall flat in his absolute prime while playing with the likes of Steven Stamkos and an emerging core of talented forwards is irrational. As we stand today, Hedman has collected 13 points in his first 11 games to lead all NHL defensemen with a 1.18 Pts/G and higher than his awesome country-mate Erik Karlsson. Whether he surpasses him or not as a fantasy option is yet to be known, but I could tell you one thing.. elite defensemen should not be tradeable unless it's for way more value. So when I heard that Hedman had been traded for Jaroslav Halak in one of my fantasy leagues, I asked myself if I would ever trade Karlsson for the same deal. My answer is a resounding no, but most fantasy owners wouldn't. The real problem is that Hedman is not universally considered in Karlsson's category yet. The way things are going, that perception will be changing real soon.. Parting Shots: Mike Green will be returning for Washington Thursday night, hoping to get back to what was turning out to a huge bounce-back season. He has recorded 3 goals and 9 assists in his first 19 games. Having been sidelined since Nov. 22, expect some rust early on, but he should be activated immediately... Zdeno Chara will again be paired with Dougie Hamilton when he makes his return tonight. Many signs of steady decline are showing for "Big Z", but he is still a reliable no.3 ...

Tampa Bay seems unbeatable now that they have D-man Victor Hedman (3A) back in the lineup. I'm sure the NY Rangers are glad that they don't have to face the Lightning anymore after losing all three matchups against the Bolts, the latest a 6-3 drubbing on home ice.  The Lightning broke open a 3-3 game with 3 in the 3rd period showcasing their well-rounded talent up and down the lineup. This team isn't all about Steven Stamkos and Ben Bishop as evidenced by their young talent producing lately. Brett Connolly scored two goals, including the game-winner, and Tyler Johnson also scored twice and added an assist. Johnson is a must-start while Connolly may be worth a shot in deeper leagues as the 2 points were the RWer's first points in past 7 games.....Bishop has now won 8 straight against the Blueshirts to remain unbeaten against them.... The Columbus Blue Jackets may be happy that November has ended as they started off December with a solid 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers halting a six-game losing streak. Sergei Bobrovsky had his best game in a while stopping 24 of 25 SOG for the win after losing 5 straight. The Jackets go as Bobrovsky goes, and while the team may have been stricken with a lot of injuries early on, if Bobber gets going, this team can be dangerous.... P.K. Subban helped Montreal keep pace with the Tampa Bay Lightning atop the Eastern Conference as he scored a goal and added an assist in defeating Patrick Roy's Colorado Avalanche. Fantasy fans are waiting for the talented defenseman to step up his game as he has been producing below expectations.  With the start of a new month, perhaps his game will start to click... Edmonton continues to flounder at the bottom of the Western Conference, and like the Philadelphia Flyers, change is coming. Arizona's Mike Smith returned to the net for the Coyotes and played as solid game to pick up his first win after 7 straight losses. He will need to string together a few good games to regain confidence among poolies with beating the Oilers a step in the right direction....Someone named Tobias Rieder scored 2 shorthanded goals at the start of the 2nd period to turn the game around. No need to rush to pick Rieder up as he sees limited action, but Rieder has shown the ability to score in the minors but you can find more reliable forward depth out there..... Anaheim G Frederik Andersen (32/34 SV) snapped a modest 2-game losing streak with a solid performance against the Boston Bruins allowing the Ducks to ...

Pavel Datsyuk returned to the lineup after missing some time due to a nuisance groin problem that has plagued him since the beginning of the season. Datsyuk proved just how valuable he is not only to the Detroit Red Wings, but fantasy owners alike by scoring twice including the power play game-winner.  He's a definite start, but he has shown some brittleness of late....If you are looking for forward help, take a shot on Stephen Weiss who added a goal and an assist after scoring twice in the last game after being out of the lineup for the entire start of the season.....How much can we say about G Jimmy Howard's performance this year? Just stick him as your starter and concentrate on other areas of your team.... Jaroslav Halak and New York Islanders win again, making it 6 in a row and 11 of their last 12 games for the team from Long Island. That's 9 wins in a row for Halak who has clearly added stability to the Isles crease.... Pittsburgh's Blake Comeau had been given the opportunity to play alongside Sidney Crosby earlier in the week but with no luck but came away with a hat trick last night playing on Crosby's line and also Evgeni Malkin's line. Another potential candidate for a top-six spot but Comeau saw minimal power play time.  With Beau Bennett out for 2 weeks, Comeau should breathe easier for a little while anyways....D Kris Letang with 2 assists now has 4 points in last 2 games.... The New York rangers played the Tampa Bay lightning a little tougher than last week's 5-1 loss at the Garden but still came away on the wrong end of a 4-3 game. Ex-Ranger Captain Ryan Callahan scored twice against his former team and added an assist, giving him 5 points in two games against his former team. Playing alongside a superstar talent like Steven Stamkos will do that to you...Alex Killorn was slotted on the left wing on the Stamkos-Callahan line so that needs to be monitored to see if Killorn sticks.... Florida beat Carolina 1-0 as Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya combined for the shutout with Luongo leaving the game with an upper-body injury. No further news at this time. ...Nick Bjugstad scored 21 seconds into the game and the Panther duo made it hold up for the victory. That's 9 points in past 6 games for Bjugstad making him a must-start as a key Florida offensive weapon, although the Cats don't score a whole lot.... It was Martin Jones (28 SV) and not Jonathan Quick that posted a 4-0 shutout over the Minnesota Wild, chasing Darcy Kuemper (4 GA) from the game ...