Don't look now, but veteran center Mikko Koivu has been a fantasy difference-maker once again with his recent scoring explosion. Reunited with winger Zach Parise on the primary line, the diminutive Finn is currently riding a six-game point streak (2G/7A) highlighted by last's night crucial game-winning goal and also an assist in the 3-2 road win over the Los Angeles Kings. The emergence of young center Mikael Granlund coupled with Koivu's injury issues resulted in him being dropped to the second line with Matt Moulson, drastically lessening his fantasy value. However, Koivu seems to be back in stellar form and Coach Mike Yeo has him back with "Zach". You know what that means? Start him with confidence as the Wild seem destined for the playoffs and the top line should continue rolling. Much-maligned goalie Ilya Bryzgalov back-stopped the Wild to another huge victory last night, running his record with Minnesota to 3-0-2 with a .910 SP and a 2.19 GAA. If you need goalie help, look no further than "Bryz", considering that he is the most viable goaltending option on a probable playoff team. The Wild will need to ride him in the playoffs in wake of Darcy Kuemper's late season collapse. Bryzgalov should see plenty of starts in order to get him ready for the postseason. Marian Gaborik is definitely trending up these days. With another assist, the King's streaky winger is currently on a four-game point streak(1G/4A) and enjoying life playing with the underrated Anze Kopitar. This duo needs to keep building up scoring chemistry for their playoff run, so Gaborik looks to be a strong fantasy start for the remainder of the season. What happened to perennial second-half "fantasy beast" Eric Staal? With Carolina out of playoff contention, the normally reliable center has been a fantasy disappointment to say the least, collecting only 56 points in 72 games. I would be wary of starting him the rest of the way. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the scoring exploits of Travis Zajac (3G/1A) and Jaromir Jagr(1G/3A) as the Devil's duo combined for 8 points against the woeful Florida Panthers. Both would be legit fantasy options if the Devils had a realistic shot of making the playoffs, but obviously that is not the case. SPECIAL NOTE: IN STEVE'S DEFENSE WILL BE FEATURED ON THURSDAY THIS WEEK, FOCUSING ON THE TOP TEN FANTASY DEFENSEMEN OVER THE LAST 15 DAYS.

Tim Thomas, making his first start for the Dallas Stars, stifled the mighty St. Louis Blues by turning aside 28 of 30 shots in the 3-2 OT win. I told you guys to grab him a few days back as the former Stanley Cup winner should be rejuvenated for another possible playoff hunt with Kari Lehtonen out with a concussion. He should get the bulk of the starts moving forward in Lehtonen's absence. However, there is one caveat to consider: Thomas is proven and playoff-tested, while Lehtonen is not. If he can pull together a string of impressive wins like the one last night in St. Louis, it won't be easy for Lehtonen to reclaim his job upon his return. Mark that down. Our fantasy star performer of the night was Joe Pavelski, who helped the Sharks batter the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 2-goal,one-assist performance. With 34 goals and 65 points in 66 games, he has consistently been one of the upper-tier fantasy options amongst the forwards throughout the season. Don't expect much of a dropoff over the final stretch of games, as "Little Joe" has been the biggest Shark of all. Recently-acquired Tuomo Ruutu for New Jersey had a hand in both goals with 2 assists in their 2-1 win over Philadelphia. Since being united on a line with Jaromir Jagr (who continues to defy Father Time with another game-winning goal) and Travis Zajac(he's looking good too!), the 31-year old has collected 5 points in 2 games. I am loving this guy for a short-term sneaky pickup, as he has been notoriously streaky throught his NHL career and his recent trade could have re-invigorated him. Another interesting situation is playing out in Jersey as Cory Schneider has been struggling in the crease, while future HOFer Martin Brodeur has been the more effective Devil's goaltender since the Olympic break. Yesterday, Brodeur was called upon for the start in a critical matchup with the Flyers and responded with 30 saves on 32 shots in the huge 2-1 road victory. Fantasy owners could safely roll with the proven Stanley Cup winner while he keeps the Devils in playoff contention. Who would have thought Brodeur and Thomas could possibly have huge fantasy value during the final quarter of the season? So which Staal should be starting in all fantasy lineups at this moment? The numbers say Jordan, as he clicked big-time with Alex Semin and Jiri Tlusty on Carolina's supposed second line, collecting 5 points in the last three games. All he did in the Hurricane's upset win over the Blueshirts is score 2 huge goals. ...

Lots of action in the NHL yesterday with 10 games played. Ottawa and Winnipeg played an afternoon game with the Senators prevailing 5-3.  Both Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza had 3 assists for Ottawa. Hemsky is having a disappointing season with only 29 points in 57 games.  Spezza is doing a lot better with 50 points in 59 games played, but I would have expected him to be a point per game player.  Craig Anderson was terrific in goal with 46 saves as the Jets really carried the play. Unfortunately for fantasy players he has not that way for most of the season as his 3.08 GAA and .908 SP would indicate.  Well now he is 4-0 as the goaltender for the St. Louis Blues.  It's Miller time!  26 saves for Ryan as the Blues beat Colorado 2-1.  Miller has a 1.50 GAA and a .933 SP for the Blues.  Talk about being rejuvenated, Miller is now on fire in St. Louis.  He will be one of the top fantasy goalies for the rest of the season.  Toronto beat Philadelphia 4-3 as right wing Joffrey Lupul had a goal and an assist, but with only 38 points on the season has been a disappointment. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen doubled his goal production on the year with 2 goals. With 26 points on the season he is at best a marginal 6th forward.  Defenseman Johnny Boychuk had a good night for Boston with a goal and an assist in their 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. We once thought that Boychuk would be more of a scorer, but he has settled into more of a defensive defenseman with only 19 points on the year. Center Carl Soderberg had a goal and an assist as well for the Bruins, but with only 35 points on the season he is not worth looking at. Tuukka Rask got his 24th win, but he only made 17 saves. Still a win is a win!  The Devils outlasted Carolina 5-4 as a bevy of disappointing players finally had good nights.  Devils forward Travis Zajac had a goal and 2 assists, but he has only 34 points on the year. Adam Henrique had 2 goals for New Jersey, but with 38 points in 65 games played he has not stepped his game up this season. Finally, Alexander Semin had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, but again he has only 35 points on the year. Jaroslav Halak had 31 saves and looked sharp in goal in his debut performance with Washington after his trade from St. Louis, as the Capitals beat Phoenix 3-2. We will have to wait and see how the Capitals goaltending situation settles out. Defenseman Keith Yandle had 2 assists for Phoenix, and this guy is fantasy money in the bank with 7 goals and 43 points on the ...

Lots of action in the NHL yesterday with 10 games played. Ottawa and Winnipeg played an afternoon game with the Senators prevailing 5-3.  Both Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza had 3 assists for Ottawa. Hemsky is having a disappointing season with only 29 points in 57 games.  Spezza is doing a lot better with 50 points in 59 games played, but I would have expected him to be a point per game player.  Craig Anderson was terrific in goal with 46 saves as the Jets really carried the play. Unfortunately for fantasy players he has not that way for most of the season as his 3.08 GAA and .908 SP would indicate.  Well now he is 4-0 as the goaltender for the St. Louis Blues.  It's Miller time!  26 saves for Ryan as the Blues beat Colorado 2-1.  Miller has a 1.50 GAA and a .933 SP for the Blues.  Talk about being rejuvenated, Miller is now on fire in St. Louis.  He will be one of the top fantasy goalies for the rest of the season.  Toronto beat Philadelphia 4-3 as right wing Joffrey Lupul had a goal and an assist, but with only 38 points on the season has been a disappointment. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen doubled his goal production on the year with 2 goals. With 26 points on the season he is at best a marginal 6th forward.  Defenseman Johnny Boychuk had a good night for Boston with a goal and an assist in their 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. We once thought that Boychuk would be more of a scorer, but he has settled into more of a defensive defenseman with only 19 points on the year. Center Carl Soderberg had a goal and an assist as well for the Bruins, but with only 35 points on the season he is not worth looking at. Tuukka Rask got his 24th win, but he only made 17 saves. Still a win is a win!  The Devils outlasted Carolina 5-4 as a bevy of disappointing players finally had good nights.  Devils forward Travis Zajac had a goal and 2 assists, but he has only 34 points on the year. Adam Henrique had 2 goals for New Jersey, but with 38 points in 65 games played he has not stepped his game up this season. Finally, Alexander Semin had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, but again he has only 35 points on the year. Jaroslav Halak had 31 saves and looked sharp in goal in his debut performance with Washington after his trade from St. Louis, as the Capitals beat Phoenix 3-2. We will have to wait and see how the Capitals goaltending situation settles out. Defenseman Keith Yandle had 2 assists for Phoenix, and this guy is fantasy money in the bank with 7 goals and 43 points on the ...

Mikael Backlund- Calgary, C (Owned in 12.5% of ESPN leagues) With four straight two-point efforts (5G/2A), including the overtime game-winner on Saturday night, Backlund is smoking hot for the Flames. Injuries have held him back, but the 24-year old is showing true signs of a breakout season in Year 5. The Olympic break might be coming at the wrong time for Backlund, but expect him to take another step forward as he firmly entrenches himself as Calgary's no.1 center for the near future. Scoop him up. Gustav Nyquist- Detroit , RW (Owned in 60.9% of ESPN league) Coming off his first career hat trick and 2 power-play goals against Washington, the window of opportunity to pick up the streaking Nyquist is quickly slamming shut. The ultra-talented winger has benefited from the myriad of injuries to Detroit's top forwards, posting 8 points in the last five games and 22 in 30 games overall. Mikael Granlund-Minnesota, C (Owned in 26.2% of ESPN leagues) Clicking on a line with Zach Parise and Jason Pominville, the shifty center has been playing well of late with 8 points(2G/6A) in the last 5 games. While he has been plagued by inconsistencies early on in his NHL career, the injury to top center Mikko Koivu has given the 21-year old the opportunity to showcase his skills. He is well worth a waiver-wire addition while he is hot. Travis Zajac- New Jersey, C Owned in 39.9 % of ESPN leagues) The Patrick Elias-Jaromir Jagr-Travis Zajac line has been the primary scoring trio for Jersey in recent weeks, giving the underachieving center a huge fantasy boost moving forward. With 6 points in the last 5 games, Zajac is setting himself up for a nice second half. A great "buy low" option who is readily available in most leagues, the former 60-point producer warrants plenty of fantasy consideration. Dmitry Kulikov-Florida, D (owned in 23.1% of ESPN leagues) It feels like we been waiting forever for the talented Russian defenseman to break out, but he has quietly turned on the offense lately with 4 goals in the last 7 games. Massive upside for this Florida Panther, so maybe take a flier on the 23-year old. A 40+ point season should be in the cards soon.

Mikael Backlund- Calgary, C (Owned in 12.5% of ESPN leagues) With four straight two-point efforts (5G/2A), including the overtime game-winner on Saturday night, Backlund is smoking hot for the Flames. Injuries have held him back, but the 24-year old is showing true signs of a breakout season in Year 5. The Olympic break might be coming at the wrong time for Backlund, but expect him to take another step forward as he firmly entrenches himself as Calgary's no.1 center for the near future. Scoop him up. Gustav Nyquist- Detroit , RW (Owned in 60.9% of ESPN league) Coming off his first career hat trick and 2 power-play goals against Washington, the window of opportunity to pick up the streaking Nyquist is quickly slamming shut. The ultra-talented winger has benefited from the myriad of injuries to Detroit's top forwards, posting 8 points in the last five games and 22 in 30 games overall. Mikael Granlund-Minnesota, C (Owned in 26.2% of ESPN leagues) Clicking on a line with Zach Parise and Jason Pominville, the shifty center has been playing well of late with 8 points(2G/6A) in the last 5 games. While he has been plagued by inconsistencies early on in his NHL career, the injury to top center Mikko Koivu has given the 21-year old the opportunity to showcase his skills. He is well worth a waiver-wire addition while he is hot. Travis Zajac- New Jersey, C Owned in 39.9 % of ESPN leagues) The Patrick Elias-Jaromir Jagr-Travis Zajac line has been the primary scoring trio for Jersey in recent weeks, giving the underachieving center a huge fantasy boost moving forward. With 6 points in the last 5 games, Zajac is setting himself up for a nice second half. A great "buy low" option who is readily available in most leagues, the former 60-point producer warrants plenty of fantasy consideration. Dmitry Kulikov-Florida, D (owned in 23.1% of ESPN leagues) It feels like we been waiting forever for the talented Russian defenseman to break out, but he has quietly turned on the offense lately with 4 goals in the last 7 games. Massive upside for this Florida Panther, so maybe take a flier on the 23-year old. A 40+ point season should be in the cards soon.

Mark Scheifele- Winnipeg Jets, C (Owned in 41.5% of ESPN leagues) The 20-year old rookie has taken the NHL by storm lately, as he is currently on a six-game scoring streak (3G/5A). Playing on a second line with the surging Evander Kane has given him the additional firepower he needed to take off, so Scheifele is definitely on the rise. The former 7th overall pick of the 2011 possesses an elite skill-set with huge upside, which means he merits serious fantasy consideration. Chris Stewart- St. Louis Blues, RW (Owned in 63.9% of ESPN leagues) In his last 6 games, the "sizzling" winger has collected 8 goals and 2 assists for the Blues. As streaky as they come, Stewart is one of the few available free-agent forwards with game-changing fantasy potential. Play him while he is hot, as he puts up elite numbers. In '12-13, he scored 25 points in 26 games during Feb/March. Travis Zajac-New Jersey Devils, C (Owned in 34.6% of ESPN leagues) The 2-time 60-point producer between '08-'10 could be a sneaky fantasy pick off the wire if you need help on offense. Patrick Elias has been the most consistent Devil's forward, but Zajac has been right there with 2G/5A in the last 7 games. Jersey is showing some offensive spark in recent games with a few lines rolling, so he might be worth a shot. Jack Johnson- Columbus Blue Jackets, D (owned in 45.5 % of ESPN leagues) Going 15 games without scoring a single point will get you dropped in most fantasy leagues, but the 26-year old d-man is showing signs of life with 4 assists in the last 6 games. A definitive fantasy bust so far with 9 points in 36 games, Johnson still gets a boat-load of ice-time, including on the top power-play, so maybe you can get your hands on a potential no.2/3 fantasy option on the cheap. Act now if you have room on your bench. Eddie Lack- Vancouver Canucks, G (owned in 13.4% of ESPN fantasy leagues) Simply put, If Roberto Luongo is out for an extended period of time due to his injury last night, the young Lack is fantasy gold. He has delivered great results as the Canuck's back-up netminder, going 6-2 with a 1.93 GAA and a .928 SP.

Good morning all! We have a new overall points leader in the NHL this morning; The Anaheim Ducks. This Martin Jones kid is pretty spectacular, isn't he? I always wondered when Antoine Vermette was going to have that one really good season. Maybe this is the year.  Congrats on his hat trick last night. The Senators really need one of their goaltenders to step up here. The only two players on the Phoenix Coytotes to get less playing time yesterday than Colonel Klinkhammer were Kyle Chipchura and Jordan Szwarz. That was probably due to the fact that it was easier to say, "Hey Klinkhammer!  Get in there!"  Plus it sounds way cooler. Two Colorado Avalanche players woke up this past week: Paul Stastny and Ryan O'Reilly. Is Jarome Iginla waking up at this time of year like he usually does? He 7 points in 9 December games. It's ‘Feast or Famine' with Joffrey Lupul isn't it? The Detroit Red Wings are still scary to play against and I wouldn't want to play them come playoff time. Tampa Bay really hasn't skipped a beat while Steven Stamkos has been out. Just wait when he does get back in the lineup.  Ben Bishop has been phenomenal in net this year which makes you wonder why he was traded around so much so early in his career. HE's everything you ever want in a goaltender.  He's tall, big and can move. The Anaheim Ducks beat down the NY Islanders with a four-goal third period on the Island last night. Ugh-leeeee! Perry and Getzlaf. Getzlaf and Perry.  They are having one amazingly productive year.  I hope it's not another 19 games before Temmu scores again. This Islander team needs to send out an SOS because it looks like they are stranded on Long Island. The New Jersey Devils scored 5 goals last night. They have scored 3 or more goals in 6 of their past 10 games. Jaromir Jagr is leading the way for the Devils. Grab some Devs like Travis Zajac and Andy Greene if available. I saw that the Columbus Blue Jackets scored 6 goals last night and then I read the box score and saw that Marian Gaborik returned to the lineup. If he can stay healthy, they can be a sneaky dangerous team. No amazing comeback for the Flyers in this one against the Blue Jackets. The Canadiens made that game a little tougher than it should've been against the Predators. The Oilers just can't seem to score much lately. During their current 6-game losing streak, they have been shutout 3 times. Chris Stewart is getting hot! Have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day to all. For those who don't ...

We all know about Santa's little helpers but recently Washington Capitals Center Nicklas Backstrom is doling out assists like giving away candy canes at Christmas. Last night against the Canes in fact, Backstrom had 4 assists, the second time in December that he had 4 helpers in a game.   Always known more for his assists than goal-scoring but at the rate he is dishing them out lately, he could possibly set a new career high.  His previous high was 68 back in 2009-2010.  The last few years injuries took their toll along with a different system in place, but don't worry, Backstrom is back to his old ways....Caps Goalie Philipp Grubauer got the win to raise his season record to 3-0-1 with a 2.06 GAA and a .937 SP. If he continues at this rate,  Braden Holtby better start bringing his ‘A' game if he wants to keep his starting job. It might be a good idea to grab him off the wire to handcuff your Capital goalie situation.... More Fantasy Game Notes: The desperate Islanders only needed a match against their arch-rival NY Rangers to get the blood boiling again.  Early Ranger sloppiness led to 2 short-handed goals in the 1st, but hey managed to overcome those miscues to take a 3-2 lead before the Isles took the lead back and sealed the game late in the third period. The Blueshirts have been a huge disappointment so far whereas the Islanders were expected to be playoff-worthy but there is a little more leniency because of their youth.  With Evgeni Nabokov back in net for the Isles, peraps this is a good time to grab some Islander players on the cheap before they start to turn it around....I'LL HAVE A ‘Z' PLEASE PAT. If you are looking for a player to somewhat breakout for a good second half run, look no further than the New Jersey Devils' Travis Zajac. Although you can't expect huge scoring from the Devils, Zajac does have 5 points in his past 5 games.  So if you need some consistency on the back end of your forward group, Zajac could be a good fit.  He did have back-to-back seasons of 60+ points from 2008-2010....MAKING HIS MARK. Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele has scored in 5 straight games with 7 points and 8 points in 7 games. Scheifele only has 15 points on the season, so you can see how hot he has gotten.  He seems to be counted more lately and he has responded.  The Jets hanger is crowded, but he can push his way and grab some ice time from some non-producing forwards, he might be worth a shot to help your team down the stretch....NOT ‘LACK'ING. It wasn't the ...

We all know about Santa's little helpers but recently Washington Capitals Center Nicklas Backstrom is doling out assists like giving away candy canes at Christmas. Last night against the Canes in fact, Backstrom had 4 assists, the second time in December that he had 4 helpers in a game.   Always known more for his assists than goal-scoring but at the rate he is dishing them out lately, he could possibly set a new career high.  His previous high was 68 back in 2009-2010.  The last few years injuries took their toll along with a different system in place, but don't worry, Backstrom is back to his old ways....Caps Goalie Philipp Grubauer got the win to raise his season record to 3-0-1 with a 2.06 GAA and a .937 SP. If he continues at this rate,  Braden Holtby better start bringing his ‘A' game if he wants to keep his starting job. It might be a good idea to grab him off the wire to handcuff your Capital goalie situation.... More Fantasy Game Notes: The desperate Islanders only needed a match against their arch-rival NY Rangers to get the blood boiling again.  Early Ranger sloppiness led to 2 short-handed goals in the 1st, but hey managed to overcome those miscues to take a 3-2 lead before the Isles took the lead back and sealed the game late in the third period. The Blueshirts have been a huge disappointment so far whereas the Islanders were expected to be playoff-worthy but there is a little more leniency because of their youth.  With Evgeni Nabokov back in net for the Isles, peraps this is a good time to grab some Islander players on the cheap before they start to turn it around....I'LL HAVE A ‘Z' PLEASE PAT. If you are looking for a player to somewhat breakout for a good second half run, look no further than the New Jersey Devils' Travis Zajac. Although you can't expect huge scoring from the Devils, Zajac does have 5 points in his past 5 games.  So if you need some consistency on the back end of your forward group, Zajac could be a good fit.  He did have back-to-back seasons of 60+ points from 2008-2010....MAKING HIS MARK. Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele has scored in 5 straight games with 7 points and 8 points in 7 games. Scheifele only has 15 points on the season, so you can see how hot he has gotten.  He seems to be counted more lately and he has responded.  The Jets hanger is crowded, but he can push his way and grab some ice time from some non-producing forwards, he might be worth a shot to help your team down the stretch....NOT ‘LACK'ING. It wasn't the ...