SMC 2-7-2016 Good morning everyone!  We hope everyone enjoyed the All-Star break and the festivities. Got my cup of joe and ready to go! The new All-Star format was a hit with the 3-on-3 competition.  The All-Star play-in games showed the typical All-Star offensive talents like in a typical All-Star game while the Finals game was more true to form of a regular season style of play.  Kudos! The All-Star break hasn’t slowed down Patrick Kane who has points in three straight games since. This is the time of year where the cream rises to the top.  So if there are any players who you think have underperformed so far this season, now is the time to go get them. Don’t forget to look at teams out of the race as they will start to utilize the younger talent in special teams and allot more ice time and a few of those could be a big boost to some fantasy squads. Evgeny Kuznetsov outshot Alex Ovechkin 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.  He’s going to be a big star. The New York Rangers are starting to play a little better of late after that low stretch a few weeks back.  The cream will rise to the top or start to get their act together down the stretch. Boy that Shayne Gostisbehere hasn’t let up since he got his chance once Mark Streit went down to injury.  Another goal and an assist in yesterday’s tilt vs. the Rangers. Even though he has been pinned with the loss in his past three starts, Steve Mason has been playing a lot better of late. Connor McDavid is back for the Oilers from his injury and the team will start to play better, but remember he is still a rookie, although a very talented one at that. Detroit found some offense in that 5-1 blowout of the NY Islanders on Saturday. Travis Hamonic led both teams with 5 SOG.  What happened to all those rumors that Hamonic wanted to be closer to home?  Hmmmmm. Has anyone noticed the play of Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask of late? Too bad Kris Letang gets injured so often, otherwise, when he’s in the lineup, he’s a monster. I still think Pittsburgh needs to tighten up the defense if they are to do any damage come playoff time. Love watching the Florida Panthers this year! The Blues really don’t miss a beat if one of their goaltenders goes down to injury. It looks like Nashville is picking up their game of late. Tampa Bay and Anaheim are their Conference’s hottest teams.  Could they be the Stanley Cup finalists this year? Chicago is sooo tough. I think at some point the Winnipeg Jets will have to go with Hutchinson as their #1....

#10 NEW YORK ISLANDERS The Islanders are looking to make it 3 out of 4 years of making the playoffs as they begin their new life in Brooklyn USA.  The Isles missed the playoffs the 5 prior seasons but now have their franchise player reaching his prime in John Tavares.  JT, with a career high 86 points, finished 1-point behind Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Been.  JT’s wingers will be enjoying career seasons as well.  The younger talent is starting to filter in and the team is looking to improve on last season so they were able to ship Michael Grabner off to Toronto to clear some room.  Just who takes advantage of the opportunity will be seen.  Jaroslav Halak has been a steadying influence since signing a free agent deal last summer.  Look for that to continue.  The defense was solidified when Snow brought in Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk just prior to the season in deals with teams looking to create cap space.  Free agent signing of Marek Zidlicky should help with the power play. GOALIES It was pretty much status quo in the goalie department expect the team improved their backup position by signing Thomas Greiss to a 2-year deal. Halak should amass another 60 starts and give similar performance as last season.  The team is improving in front of him so as long as he remains consistent, there shouldn’t be a problem.  He needs to improve his GAA a little, as you can see from the table below, but they just need him to be the rock he was last year. 2014-2015                      GP      GAA       W        L        OTL       SP Jaroslav Halak             59         2.43       38       17         4         .914   DEFENSE The signing of Zidlicky could be a godsend and just be the spark that could make the Islander power play click.  Even at 38, he still has a knack for scoring and being an asset oh the power play. A lot of people are believing that Leddy will be the main focus on the blue line and well he should be.  At 24 and a year under his belt as an Islander look for the young d-man to better his career high of 37 points accomplished twice.  Last year and his second year with the Blackhawks. When Boychuk started with the Islanders, he came out of the shoot like a house on fire but settled in after that hot start.  He does have a scoring touch but don’t expect anything more than mid-30’s and that may be a stretch with the arrival of Zidlicky.  Travis Hamonic has shown glimpses but is lower on the depth chart while Thomas Hickey and Calvin de Haan round out ...

Islanders gain critical 2 points, Detroit struggles to win 5-2, Pekka and Preds finally win again The New York Islanders gained a crucial 2 points in their overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs as they try to stave off the charging New York Rangers whom they face tonight on the Island.  A win tonight over their rivals will go a long way in securing their hold on the Metropolitan Division title.  Of course you have to look no further than John Tavares for the Isles offense as he had the OT game-winner and an assist to pad his NHL scoring lead….Islander defenseman Nick Leddy left the game and did not return putting more emphasis on Travis Hamonic to pick up the vacancy that may be created if Leddy is out for any period of time.  Monitor this situation…. Detroit struggled with a clearly inferior Edmonton Oiler team until the 3rd period when they managed to eke out a 5-2 win.  I know it sounds funny to say “eked out a win” especially winning by three goals but two of those were empty-netters that sealed the game late in the 3rd period.  It was the veterans of Henrik Zetterberg (3A) & Pavel Datsyuk (G, A) that provided the offense and leadership as the Red Wings try to close the gap in the Atlantic Division…. Pittsburgh didn’t close out their California string by sweeping the West Coast teams but got the next best thing with a 2-1 overtime loss to San Jose giving them a point, and 5 in three games, in the race for the Metro Division, keeping them 1 point behind the second place Rangers and 4 behind the Islanders with 2 games in hand.  It’s tough to keep the Penguin offense at bay but Antti Niemi had a strong game with 39 saves earning the win.  The Sharks will need lots of strong efforts like this one if they want to get into the playoffs, but it may be a bit too late…. Nashville’s Pekka Rinne finally got a win after losing 5 straight but it was a nail-biter against the Arizona Coyotes and their rookie net minder Louis Domingue, winning by a score of 2-1 in overtime.  The Predators offense has struggled a bit lately but hopefully getting this monkey off their back will lead to better things.  They did pour 40 SOG against the rookie with everyone getting in on that action. So that’s a good sign… Eddie Lack and the Vancouver Canucks got a solid 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks winning 2- 1 in regulation.  The win helps keep some distance between the Canucks and those trying to gain a playoff spot.  Lack has now gone 4-1-1 since Ryan Miller was injured.  Keep...

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 ...

A few unlikely candidates rank amongst the top fifteen fantasy defensemen over thr last month. John Klingberg continues to make a name for himself in Dallas as he had wrested away top pp duties from Alex Goligoski and Trevor Daley. With 12 points over the last 12 games, including 6 on the man advantage, the young Swede had delivered fantasy elite numbers and should be in all starting lineups while he is keeping it up. The rookie of the month for January hasn't slowed a bit in February, collecting 6 points in 8 games. The SEL product looks very polished during his first NHL stint, so his lucky owners should keep reaping plenty of dividends. On Long Island, 24-year old Travis Hamonic has been on quite the scoring tear with points in five of his last seven games. Very few fantasy owners would guess that the hard -nosed defender has been quite that prolific yet available in over 65% of ESPN fantasy leagues. The bottom line- the Islanders score a ton and the other more known offensive blueliners on the team-Visnovsky, Leddy, and Boychuk have underachieved greatly. With 21 points in 48 games, his career-high of 26 points should be blown away soon. I don't think this can last the rest of the season, but Hamonic is at least worth the gamble.  MORE TO COME TOMORROW- CHECK IN THE MORNING!

A New York classic, crippled Jets and Sens, and streaking vets In what was arguably the most exciting game of the season, the New York Rangers stormed back from a 3-goal deficit to defeat the Islanders 6-5 on a late tally from defenseman Kevin Klein. When both squads eclipse the 40-shot mark, you should expect plenty of fireworks and this one did not disappoint. Ryan McDonagh was the most dominant player on the ice, leading the way for the Blueshirts with a goal and an assist. His recent point surge includes seven in his last nine games. Start him with confidence down the stretch. On the other side. Travis Hamonic continues to be the most valuable fantasy Islander defender over the last month as he collected two more helpers. Despite scoring a goal, Johnny Boychuk has been in a major funk while Lubomir Visnovsky has been an inconsistent point-getter at best. For now, roll with Hamonic if you need help on "D".. The biggest news from the Carolina-Ottawa tilt was a pair of key injuries for the Senators as both goalie Robin Lehner and Clarke MacArthur left the game after colliding with each olther. If Lehner misses time, there will be a goaltending panic in Ottawa given that Craig Anderson is not ready to return yet. Next up- Andrew Hammond. Good luck. Safe to say, do not pick him up.. The Winnipeg Jets are fresh off a huge trade but an injury-plagued game with the Oilers could necessitate more moves. Forwards Mathieu Perrault and newly-acquired Drew Stafford were both injured but details regarding their severity are not clear yet. In the case of Stafford, he was promoted to the top unit for the game and considering how streaky he gets, he would be a great fantasy sleeper for the short-term... Tobias Enstrom picked up a couple of helpers and could start resembling at least his 40-point former self. Snag him off the waiver wire if available... Carey Price was beyond inpenetrable in the Montreal crease last night as the Red Wings were dangerous all game long but could not beat him. Of course," Mr. Game Winner" Max Pacioretty set up the first goal and the Hab's held on 2-0. Jimmy Howard looked more sharp in his second start back from injury and should be back to top form very soon.. After a hot start to the season and then a somewhat cool January, Calgary d-man Mark Giordano looks to be heating up once again with 5 points in 7 February games that includes a 3-point effort against Boston in the Flames 4-3 win.  He tied his career high in points of 47 set last ...

Hamonic missed the last four games with an upper-body injury, but will return to the blueline tonight vs. the Sharks. Brian Strait will take a seat with Hamonic coming back.

Hamonic has missed the last three games and was not expected to play tonight, but his availability for the morning skate suggests that he could suit up tonight. Even if he doesn't it is a good sign that he is close.

Hamonic was "real close" to being in the lineup on Thursday said coach Capuano, but he will sit one more game and likely be back on Saturday.

Hamonic was on the ice for the Islanders morning skate but will not play on Tuesday against the Jets. However, he will accompany the team on their west coast road-trip which indicates he is not far from returning to the Isles blueline.