Stamkos left last night's game after taking a knee to the head. Good news that the Lightning captain will be back for Game 4 with this team down 3-0 in the series.

MONTREAL vs. TAMPA BAY Must-Starts Tampa Bay: Steven Stamkos, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, Valterri Filppula, Victor Hedman Montreal: Thomas Vanek, David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty, P. K. Subban, Andrei Markov, Carey Price Sleepers Tampa Bay: Matt Carle, Sami Salo, Teddy Purcell, Anders Lindback Montreal: Brenden Gallagher, Daniel Briere, Alex Galchenyuk, Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Lars Eller Notes: The Lightning actually have won 3 of 4 in the season series, 2 of those were in extended time. Their only loss was by a shootout so this should be a nail-biter of a series only if Ben Bishop were manning the nets for the Lightning.  Now the Bolts will have to go against the Canadiens without their number 1 net minder, Bishop (3-0-1 in series), who is possibly out until the second round with an upper body injury (UBI); that's if Tampa can get past the Habs.   Can Montreal goaltender Carey Price display the magic he flashed in the gold medal game in Sochi?  Can the Canadiens keep Steven Stamkos in check?  Stamkos should be well rested after missing a good chunk of the season with a leg injury. The Tampa Bay Lightning will need their veterans to take on bigger roles and be more involved if they want to get past Montreal. Their veteran presence on defense in the likes of Salo, Carle and Eric Brewer will need to be at their best while forwards Ryan Malone, Filppula and Purcell need to support their star Stamkos.  Lindback has shown flashes of brilliance especially filling in when Bishop got hurt in the last week of the regular season by going 3-0-0 with 2 shutouts but has been mostly inconsistent when counted on during the season. The Canadiens' roster packs an abundance of forward depth that has lots of playoff experience in Briere, Gionta, and Plekanec. The defense is solid 1-6 with Markov and Subban leading the charge and then there is Price in net.  Despite a minor injury right after the Olympic break, the 26-year old was 8-3-0 once he returned to the lineup and ended the regular season on a high note with a 1-0 overtime blanking of the New York Rangers. PRIME PREDICTION: Montreal in 6 On paper, the Montreal Canadiens seem to have the depth and experience to get past a team that is based mainly on two players, Stamkos and Bishop. Bishop has been the sole reason for the Lightning's success this season and without him, the Bolts will be hard-pressed to duplicate their season success in these playoffs.  Lindback has minimal playoff experience to boot.  The ...

MONTREAL vs. TAMPA BAY Must-Starts Tampa Bay: Steven Stamkos, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, Valterri Filppula, Victor Hedman Montreal: Thomas Vanek, David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty, P. K. Subban, Andrei Markov, Carey Price Sleepers Tampa Bay: Matt Carle, Sami Salo, Teddy Purcell, Anders Lindback Montreal: Brenden Gallagher, Daniel Briere, Alex Galchenyuk, Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Lars Eller Notes: The Lightning actually have won 3 of 4 in the season series, 2 of those were in extended time. Their only loss was by a shootout so this should be a nail-biter of a series only if Ben Bishop were manning the nets for the Lightning.  Now the Bolts will have to go against the Canadiens without their number 1 net minder, Bishop (3-0-1 in series), who is possibly out until the second round with an upper body injury (UBI); that's if Tampa can get past the Habs.   Can Montreal goaltender Carey Price display the magic he flashed in the gold medal game in Sochi?  Can the Canadiens keep Steven Stamkos in check?  Stamkos should be well rested after missing a good chunk of the season with a leg injury. The Tampa Bay Lightning will need their veterans to take on bigger roles and be more involved if they want to get past Montreal. Their veteran presence on defense in the likes of Salo, Carle and Eric Brewer will need to be at their best while forwards Ryan Malone, Filppula and Purcell need to support their star Stamkos.  Lindback has shown flashes of brilliance especially filling in when Bishop got hurt in the last week of the regular season by going 3-0-0 with 2 shutouts but has been mostly inconsistent when counted on during the season. The Canadiens' roster packs an abundance of forward depth that has lots of playoff experience in Briere, Gionta, and Plekanec. The defense is solid 1-6 with Markov and Subban leading the charge and then there is Price in net.  Despite a minor injury right after the Olympic break, the 26-year old was 8-3-0 once he returned to the lineup and ended the regular season on a high note with a 1-0 overtime blanking of the New York Rangers. PRIME PREDICTION: Montreal in 6 On paper, the Montreal Canadiens seem to have the depth and experience to get past a team that is based mainly on two players, Stamkos and Bishop. Bishop has been the sole reason for the Lightning's success this season and without him, the Bolts will be hard-pressed to duplicate their season success in these playoffs.  Lindback has minimal playoff experience to boot.  The ...

Busy schedule in the NHL yesterday with 11 games played.  The Bruins took care of Carolina 4-2 as Boston right wing Jarome Iginla scored 2 goals. While he doesn't score like he used to, Iginla has been hot lately, and with 30 goals and 30 assists on the season he has had a good year.  Young Bruin center Carl Soderberg had a big game with a goal and 2 assists. He has only 45 points on the season, but he has a lot of potential. Colorado beat San Jose 3-2 as Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov had a huge game with 47 saves. With a 37-14-5 record with a .926 save percentage, he is one of the premier fantasy goaltenders in the NHL.  Tampa Bay won over the hapless Buffalo Sabres 4-3.  Lightning center Steve Stamkos was all over the ice last night and he had 2 goals and an assist. He has 23 goals and 36 points on the season, but in only 29 games played as he was hurt.  That's the only knock against him, injuries.  When healthy he is one of the top forwards in the game. The Red Wings topped the Maple Leafs, as young center Darren Helm got his first career hat trick. Helm was used on the top line, something to keep an eye on.  He has only 16 points in 36 games played, but he might have some value if he stays on the first line. The Wings have a lot of injury issues.  Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard finally won a game, only number 18 on the year. The Canadiens took it to Florida 4-1 as Montreal left wing, "Mad Max" Pacioretty had a big night with 2 goals and an assist. Pacioretty has 54 points in 67 games played, so don't expect this to happen a lot. Montreal left wing, Thomas Vanek had a goal and an assist, and with 64 points he is a solid fantasy forward. The Islanders beat New Jersey in a shootout 2-1. Not much to say about this game. Anders Nilsson got the win in goal for New York, but it is only his 5th of the year, and he has a .885 save percentage. Young center Ryan Johansen got the power play game winning goal for Columbus, and we like this kid a lot. He has30 goals and 55 points on the season. Look for him next year.  Defenseman James Wisniewski had an assist, and he is a very dependable fantasy player with 45 points on the season. Left wing Alexander Steen seems to be heating up again for the St Louis Blues as he had 2 goals last night. Steen started the year on fire, then he cooled down, but now he seems to be heating up again. He has 60 points on the year. Nice game for Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen as he got the win with 33 saves. Win number 29 on ...

Busy schedule in the NHL yesterday with 11 games played.  The Bruins took care of Carolina 4-2 as Boston right wing Jarome Iginla scored 2 goals. While he doesn't score like he used to, Iginla has been hot lately, and with 30 goals and 30 assists on the season he has had a good year.  Young Bruin center Carl Soderberg had a big game with a goal and 2 assists. He has only 45 points on the season, but he has a lot of potential. Colorado beat San Jose 3-2 as Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov had a huge game with 47 saves. With a 37-14-5 record with a .926 save percentage, he is one of the premier fantasy goaltenders in the NHL.  Tampa Bay won over the hapless Buffalo Sabres 4-3.  Lightning center Steve Stamkos was all over the ice last night and he had 2 goals and an assist. He has 23 goals and 36 points on the season, but in only 29 games played as he was hurt.  That's the only knock against him, injuries.  When healthy he is one of the top forwards in the game. The Red Wings topped the Maple Leafs, as young center Darren Helm got his first career hat trick. Helm was used on the top line, something to keep an eye on.  He has only 16 points in 36 games played, but he might have some value if he stays on the first line. The Wings have a lot of injury issues.  Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard finally won a game, only number 18 on the year. The Canadiens took it to Florida 4-1 as Montreal left wing, "Mad Max" Pacioretty had a big night with 2 goals and an assist. Pacioretty has 54 points in 67 games played, so don't expect this to happen a lot. Montreal left wing, Thomas Vanek had a goal and an assist, and with 64 points he is a solid fantasy forward. The Islanders beat New Jersey in a shootout 2-1. Not much to say about this game. Anders Nilsson got the win in goal for New York, but it is only his 5th of the year, and he has a .885 save percentage. Young center Ryan Johansen got the power play game winning goal for Columbus, and we like this kid a lot. He has30 goals and 55 points on the season. Look for him next year.  Defenseman James Wisniewski had an assist, and he is a very dependable fantasy player with 45 points on the season. Left wing Alexander Steen seems to be heating up again for the St Louis Blues as he had 2 goals last night. Steen started the year on fire, then he cooled down, but now he seems to be heating up again. He has 60 points on the year. Nice game for Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen as he got the win with 33 saves. Win number 29 on ...

Teddy Purcell, RW Tampa Bay (Owned in 60.5% of ESPN leagues) The underachieving winger found himself on a new line with a "hot" Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson on Thursday, subsequently responding with two goals. A very mediocre season for the normally reliable fantasy asset, but playing with the league's best pure scorer should boost his production in the short-term. Remember, he was close to a point-per-game producer when he was clicking with the now-departed Vincent Lecavalier. Mikael Backlund, C Calgary (Owned in 52.2% of ESPN league) The 5th year center was in the midst of breaking out when the Olympic break derailed his scoring "mojo". However, he looks to be back on track with 9 points (4G/5A) in the last 7 games. The whole squad has been playing inspired hockey as late season spoilers, so adding Backlund could be a wise move. Curtis Glencross, LW Calgary  (Owned in 0.9 % of ESPN leagues) This streaky winger has been flying under the radar due to missing 3 months to a severe ankle sprain, but he has been coming on recently for the up-start Flames. In his 6 games since returning to the lineup, he has amassed 6 points including a "hat trick" on Saturday. Known for scoring in bunches, take advantage of a possible "hot" streak in progress for Glencross. David Desharnais, C Montreal ( Owned in 26.0% of ESPN leagues) Let's keep the underrated fantasy pivot on this list, given that he is still widely available in most leagues despite collecting 12 points in his last 13 contests. With Thomas Vanek promoted to his line, the potential for scoring production has increased for the Hab's primary offensive trio. Desharnais is mostly an assist guy, which explains his relative obscurity in most fantasy formats. Hampus Lindholm, D Anaheim ( Owned in 41.4% of ESPN leagues) The 20-year old rearguard has been scoring at a good pace with 4 points in the last 5 games, giving him 26 points on his rookie season. Our recommendation is more based on Cam Fowler's injury which has resulted in Lindholm getting extended minutes, including quarterbacking the top power-play unit. Expect an up-tick in the young Swede's production with Fowler on the shelf.

Lots of activity in the NHL yesterday with 11 games played, so we have a lot to go through. The Flyers and St. Louis kicked things off with Philadelphia winning 4-1.  Steve Mason was very solid in goal for the Flyers with 32 saves. His record on the year is now 30-16-6 with a 2.52 GA and a .918 SP.  Not a bad season!  Left wing Scott Hartnell had a goal and an assist, and he has been hot lately with 5 points in his last 3 games. Still he has only 46 points on the year.  Young Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz scored their only goal, and he now has 52 points. Look for him next season, as this kid is only going to get better.  The Penguins topped Tampa Bay 4-3, and the big guns were all over the scoreboard.  Evgeni Malkin had a big game with 2 goals and 2 assists for Pittsburgh, while Sydney Crosby had a goal and 2 assists. Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. The Red Wings beat Minnesota 3-2, as defenseman Brendan Smith had a goal and an assist. Smith has only 17 points on the season so don't go after him. Dave Leqwand, also, had a goal and an assist for Detroit, but with only 47 points on the year I would not chase him either. The Stars beat Ottawa 3-1.  Boy Ottawa is having a tough year. Kari Lehtonen had 26 saves for the win in goal, and he has 26 wins on the season. Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson got their only goal, and this guy is a monster with 19 goals and 65 points on the year.   LA shutout Florida 4-0, as goaltender Jonathan Quick had 24 saves. Big night for Quick as he surpassed Rogie Vachon as the winningest goaltender in LA history with win number 172.  Congratulations to him!   Montreal got past Toronto 4-3, as each team's right wings Brian Gionta and Joffrey Lupul had a goal and an assist. Neither is fantasy worthy though.   The Rangers shutout New Jersey 2-0, as goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had a big night with 21 saves, and he surpassed Eddie Giacomin for the franchise record with his 50th shutout. Congratulations to him as well!   Carolina beat Winnipeg 3-2, as goaltender Cam Ward had a good night with 34 saves. Maybe he is coming back to life after a difficult season.  We shall see.  Defenseman Andrej Sekera had 2 assists for the Hurricanes, and he is having a great season withh 11 goals and 44 points. Jarome Iginla may be getting up a bit in age, but it sure isn't affecting his play as he had 2 goals last night in Boston's 4-2 win over Phoenix. Goals number 27 & 28 on the year. Tuukka Rask was sharp in goal for ...

Lots of activity in the NHL yesterday with 11 games played, so we have a lot to go through. The Flyers and St. Louis kicked things off with Philadelphia winning 4-1.  Steve Mason was very solid in goal for the Flyers with 32 saves. His record on the year is now 30-16-6 with a 2.52 GA and a .918 SP.  Not a bad season!  Left wing Scott Hartnell had a goal and an assist, and he has been hot lately with 5 points in his last 3 games. Still he has only 46 points on the year.  Young Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz scored tgeir only goal, and he now has 52 points. Look for him next season, as this kid is only going to get better.  The Penguins topped Tampa Bay 4-3, and the big guns were all over the scoreboard.  Evgeni Malkin had a big game with 2 goals and 2 assists for Pittsburgh, while Sydney Crosby had a goal and 2 assists. Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. The Red Wings beat Minnesota 3-2, as defenseman Brendan Smith had a goal and an assist. Smith has only 17 points on the season so don't go after him. Dave Leqwand, also, had a goal and an assist for Detroit, but with only 47 points on the year I would not chase him either. The Stars beat Ottawa 3-1.  Boy Ottawa is having a tough year. Kari Lehtonen had 26 saves for the win in goal, and he has 26 wins on the season. Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson got their only goal, and this guy is a monster with 19 goals and 65 points on the year.   LA shutout Florida 4-0, as goaltender Jonathan Quick had 24 saves. Big night for Quick as he surpassed Rogie Vachon as the winningest goaltender in LA history with win number 172.  Congratulations to him!   Montreal got past Toronto 4-3, as each team's right wings Brian Gionta and Joffrey Lupul had a goal and an assist. Neither is fantasy worthy though.   The Rangers shutout New Jersey 2-0, as goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had a big night with 21 saves, and he surpassed Eddie Giacomin for the franchise record with his 50th shutout. Congratulation to him as well!   Carolina beat Winnipeg 3-2, as goaltender Cam Ward had a good night with 34 saves. Maybe he is coming back to life after a difficult season.  We shall see.  Defenseman Andrej Sekera had 2 assists for the Hurricanes, and he is having a great season withh 11 goals and 44 points. Jarome Iginla may be getting up a bit in age, but it sure isn't affecting his play as he had 2 goals last night in Boston's 4-2 win over Phoenix. Goals number 27 & 28 on the year. Tuukka Rask was sharp in goal for the...

ALL GOALIES ARE CONFIRMED UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED AT THE TIME OF PRINT Coming off a 6-0 blanking of the New York Islanders, Ilya Bryzgalov gets his second start in a row for the Minnesota Wild as he takes on the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider gets a turn in net for the Devils who are in desperate need of a win. Schneider looks to get both his team and his personal performance back on the winning track...Tim Thomas (LIKELY) goes for the Dallas Stars against a Philadelphia Flyers' team that has been surging up in the standings ever since their start of the season slump. Steve Mason draws back in net after Ray Emery Gave Mason a rest against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. The Flyers are soaring whereas the shine has been lost from the Stars who have lost 3 in a row.   Flyers should continue to roll...The Montreal Canadiens and Carey Price are coming off a big win against the Colorado Avalanche and look to make it 4 in a row tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky will look to keep the Jackets in playoff position as they are holding onto the 8th spot, tied with Washington in points and Detroit a point behind. Bobber is 3-2-1 in past 6 but Price is rounding into form.  Hot Habs should pull this one out...Robin Lehner got lit up against the New York Rangers for 8 goals in his last start and now will face a surging Tampa Bay Lightning team that has Steven Stamkos back in full swing. The Sens are truly missing Craig Anderson in net as Lehner has lost 3 in a row in his place.  Ben Bishop (LIKELY) will go for the seventh straight game even after starting last night's game. Bolts might be too much for a fragile Lehner....Marc-Andre Fleury gets back in the crease for the Pittsburgh Penguins in tonight's tilt against the Detroit Red Wings after Jeff Zatkoff started the past 2. Jimmy Howard draws in for the Wings who are looking to leapfrog into a playoff spot with a win tonight. Without their superstars in the lineup, Howard needs to come up huge tonight. Tough task as Fleury will look to get back on track after sitting...Matthew Hackett gets his first start of the season tonight as Buffalo heads into Edmonton to face Ben Scrivens and the Oilers. The Oilers seem to have solidified their goaltending with the arrival of Scrivens and Viktor Fasth.  The Oil should beat a spiraling Sabres team that has lost 7 in a row....Roberto Luongo (LIKELY) and the Florida Panthers are coming off a spectacular game against San Jose and looks to keep it going...

Short schedule last night in the NHL with only 4 games played. Tampa Bay took out Toronto 5-3 as Steve Stamkos had a huge game with 3 goals. When he stays healthy Stamkos is one of the best fantasy forwards in the NHL.  He has 19 goals and 30 points for the year in only 24 games played.  Stay healthy Steve.  Young forward Tyler Johnson had a goal and an assist for Tampa as well, and with 44 points on the season, he is developing into fantasy relevance. Keep an eye on him.  Center Tyler Bozak had 2 assists for the Leafs. He has 42 points this season in only 47 games played .  Look for him next year in your draft.  The Blackhawks shut out the Blues 4-0 in a bit of a suprise, as Chicago had been struggling lately.  Great game for goaltender Corey Crawford as he had the shutout with 23 saves. At 27-12-10 on tthe year with a 2.21 GAA and a .919 SP, he has been playing well.   Defenseman Nick Leddy had 2 assists for Chicago, and with 28 points on the season he is a marginal 4th defenseman. Left wing Andrew Ladd had 2 goals for Winnipeg in their 5-4 win over Colorado. I have always liked Ladd who plays hard all the time.  He now has 50 points on the season with 2 goals.  You should pick him up if he is available in your pool.  He is very dependable.   Al Montoya got the win, and he is the man now in goal for the Jets with their injuries. His record is solid at 12-6-3 with a 2.26 GAA and a .921 SP.  Defenseman Tobias Enstrom had 2 assists or Winnipeg, but he has just 26 points on the season. Great game for Eddie Lack in goal for Vancouver as he shutout Nashville in a 2-0 win last night. Lack had 30 saves, and while he does have a losing record at 13-14-4,  he does have decent metrics with a 2.34 GAA and a .915 SP.  Young Danish left wing Nicklas Jensen had a goal for the Canucks, and with 5 points in only 7 games played this year he looks like a good up and comer.