ADD’EM 1/8/2017 CALL OF THE WILD PENGUINS? Here we are at the midpoint of the season, so it’s all downhill from here.  And we all know what happens when we reach the crest that is the halfway mark?  The season starts to pick up speed as we near the playoffs, with teams fighting harder, playing harder and faster to earn a right to play in the dance come April.  And what players usually pick up their game?  Mostly veterans who have been there before and knows what it takes to get there.  You can sprinkle in a few rookies who may be given the opportunity to play on the same line as the team’s superstar, but chemistry has to be explosive from the start. So who does PrimePucks™ think you should focus on for the upcoming period?  Let’s take a look and see who’s available.  Teams that have played the most games through Saturday, January 7th are the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, NY Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets with 42.  There are 5 teams with the least amount of games played with 38 and they are Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators and the NY Islanders. Taking a look at the 5 teams with the least amount of games played, Pittsburgh (3.5 goals per game) and Columbus (3.42 GPG) have scored the most amount of goals with 133 & 130 respectively.  Minnesota (3.18 GPG) has 121 goals and rounds out the 3 teams who have been very productive in the least amount of games played.  Ottawa is the least productive of the 5 with a 2.47 GPG average. We spoke about Columbus in last week’s article, so let’s look at the Pittsburgh Penguins.  We all know how explosive the Penguins can be and there are a few forwards available.  Conor Sheary, last year’s playoff sensation, is owned by just 33.0% even though he plays on a line with Sid the Kid.  Chris Kunitz is getting up there in age and is only owned by 23.6% and can be that veteran who gets his second wind and gets his motor running with the playoffs coming into view. Defensively, Ian Cole (26.3%) and Trevor Daley (27.2%), although not offensive stalwarts, can provide some intermittent production along with good +/- numbers. Minnesota has a well-rounded scoring offense but there are some pretty good options still available.  Mikael Granlund has been pretty productive of late with 11 points in past 8 games and is owned by just 63.3%.  Looking for a player with more experience, then Mikko Koivu, at 68.6% owned, could be your man.  Jason Pominville is ...

Ryan Spooner, Boston Third line center for the "B's" is not a plus but playing on arguably the best top PP unit in NHL definitely is. The kid has some serious upside which would be realized quicker when he moved up to top six. Take a flier on him as it could pay off in the form of 60+ points in '15-16.   Jeff Skinner, Carolina Nine goals in last 8 games qualifies the former Calder Trophy winner as red-hot but be wary of his insane streakiness. Coming off two games with no points and just 17 on the year, he could already be heading toward a cold spell. Pick him up and watch.    Marcus Johansson, Washington Another big night for the Caps offense and MJ was one of the main beneficiaries, collecting three points. As long as he stays on the top pp unit and plays with Kuznetsov on 2nd line, he will remain fantasy relevant. That first elusive 60-point season is coming sooner than we think.    Trevor Daley, Pittsburgh-  Speaking of landing in a more ripe fantasy situation, the veteran defender will gobble up top pp minutes while Kris Letang sits out. A more favorable scenario would have new coach Mike Sullivan looking to get the power play going by playing both defenders on the no. 1 unit when both are healthy. There is decent upside here but we are not quite there yet.    Karri Ramo, Calgary Despite losing two straight, Ramo has backstopped the Flames into playoff contention with five wins in December already. If he is available in your leagues, he bears watching as he basically starts every game for a suddenly relevant Flames squad.

Ottawa stays close, looking at Columbus’ future, Dubnyk loses and some hot Flames. Boston has done well to keep some distance between them and the two teams chasing them for the last wild card spot in the East but Ottawa is keeping the pressure on as they have gone 8-1-1 and are just 5 points behind with 15 games left in the regular season.  Ottawa beat a tough Islanders team by a score of 2-1 with Andrew Hammond providing stellar goaltending one more.  They need to continue to ride the hot hand of Hammond until they are eliminated as they are winning with him in net…. Believe it or not, Dallas still has a shot in the West at a wild card spot and with Tyler Seguin back, if they can go on a bi of a hot streak, they just might be able to sneak in.  They now have won 5 of their last 6 by beating the Washington Capitals last night by a score of 4-2.  Seguin just makes that Stars team so much better and he ended up with the game-winning power play goal in the 2nd period….With defensemen John Klingberg and Trevor Daley still out due to injury, Alex Goligoski (PPA) is getting a boatload of time so continue to put Gogo in your fantasy lineup…. Poolies got a good look at the future of the Columbus blue Jackets last night as they beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 in a shootout.  Rookies Mark Dano (G, A) and Alex Wennberg (2A) had two point nights and should be counted on more heading into next season.  They should complement rising stars Nick Foligno and Ryan Johansen to make this team a playoff contender if goalie Sergei Bobrovsky can remain healthy for a season.  Bobrovsky didn’t have one of his better games but he was playing on back-to-back night….One of the hottest players in the NHL right now is Oiler Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who had another 2 assists last night to give him 11 points in past 8 games.  I hope he isn’t the type of player who plays better when things aren’t on the line because he is loaded with talent….Jordan Eberle is another Oiler who has been on fire of late with a goal and an assists last night giving him 8 points in last 4 games and 31 total points in 31 games since the turn of the calendar. The Flames keep rising and have gone 6-3-1 in past ten games.  Last night they beat a sinking Toronto Maple Leaf team 6-3 with Sean Monahan & Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau having –point nights each.  Monahan has really raised the level of his game of late with 9 points in past 6 games after a 10-point February.  Get him in your starting lineup as he is becoming one ...

Starting with the late-night thriller between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, Marc-Andre Fleury withstood a 31-shot barrage to hold on for his ninth shutout of the season. Patrick Hornqvist provided the game-winner in overtime, improving his goal to seven over the last seven games. After a mid-season dip in offensive production, the former Nashville winger has resumed his early-season scoring ways where he was one of the hottest fantasy assets with 25 points in his first 23 games. With all their key forwards healthy for the stretch run, look for Hornqvist to close the season on a point-per-game pace and back to fantasy must-start status.. Speaking of streaking, Vancouver's Radim Vrbata scored two goals to extend his point-streak to four games. Even though fantasy owners rather him play on the top line with the Sedin twins, the winger has delivered a team-leading 25 goals and still gets primary power-play time. If you have him on your bench, it might be time to start him while the Canucks push hard for a playoff spot. With Eddie Lack manning the crease instead of the injured Ryan Miller, there will be a stronger focus on the offense carrying the team.. Let's just re-name John Tavares Art Ross as the Islanders star continues to lead the NHL in scoring with another dominant effort, a goal and two assists in South Florida. With Kyle Okposo nearing a return, there has been plenty of debate on how the top line will look when he gets back. For my money, Anders Lee has more than earned his spot alongside JT so he should stay put. A Tavares-Okposo-Lee unit would reap huge fantasy dividends for all three... Big news in Dallas as Tyler Seguin returned to action last night, not missing a beat with two goals in the 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay. Jason Spezza's fantasy value once again takes a slight hit as he returns back to second-line center duties but he remains a fixture on the no. 1 power-play unit. Breakout defenseman John Kingberg left the contest with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. With Trevor Daley also out, this could be the best and only time to start Alex Goligoski who has been a bitter fantasy disappointment. He could string together a decent stretch of games with those two out. Consider playing him.. The Leafs were beaten down by the St. Louis Blues, as Vladimir Tarasenko plus Jaden Schwartz and TJ Oshie each collected a goal and an assist.One fact remains true- Phil Kessel is definitely unstarteable in all fantasy formats, while Tarasenko has ...

The trade deadline came and went with a few high profile fantasy defenders finding new homes such as Keith Yandle and James Wisniewski. Both are certain to see their fantasy value shoot up as they have joined two elite teams, respectively the New York Rangers and the Anaheim Ducks. But we don't need to tell you that, given how obviously elated their fantasy owners are that their new digs are now more fantasy-friendly, As we move away from the more obvious, let's focus on a couple of under the radar defensemen who are clearly more fantasy relevant now than they were on March 2. The addition of Marek Zidlicky to Detroit gives them a right handed shot from the point which means he should get plenty of power play time moving forward. The 38-year old had his share of offensive struggles for New Jersey this season with 23 points in 63 games, but was a 42-point producer in 2013-14. With 6-plus 40-point campaigns during his career, the Czech rearguard has an extensive scoring pedigree to draw from and has some gas left in the tank. When the Wings rolled out their overtime power-play unit during last night's game, Zidlicky joined Niklas Kronwall with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. The end result was a clutch overtime game winner, courtesy of the newcomer and an encouraging sign that he could be a very vital part of the offensive mix for the Wings during the stretch run. With only 30% ownership across the board in ESPN leagues, Zidlicky is definitely worth a gamble in most formats as he is poised to play a big role for playoff-bound Detroit. On the opposite side of the veteran spectrum, the trade of Wisniewski to Anaheim may have signalled the beginning of the David Savard era in Columbus. While amidst only his second full season, the 24-year old has scored 10 goals and collected 25 points in 63 games. His offensive upside has been marginally tapped as the youngster is now poised to be the main successor on the team's top power-play unit. Jumping on Savard's bandwagon before his numbers become too legit to ignore would be a shrewd move for any fantasy owner, especially in keeper formats. It's also safe to say that Jack Johnson has flat-out fell short of being that no.1 pp quarterback, so it's Savard's opportunity to steal the thunder. And we say he does it.. Parting shots: Speaking of Wisniewski, he will pay huge dividends on the higher-octane Anaheim squad, but injuries might keep him out 1-2 weeks longer. When he returns, look for him to benefit greatly ...

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 ...

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 ...

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!

Mike Fisher C, Nashville:Fisher has been scoring quite regularly with the Nashville Predators, but is somehow available in most fantasy leagues. With 21 points over his last 27 games, the center has taken advantage of playing with James Neal and Colin Wilson even-strength while also skating on the top power-play unit. Use him in the short-term, but just know that he could get "cold" in a hurry. Aleksander Barkov C, Florida: Heavy-duty expectations await the talented Barkov, but a slow start had him heading on the sophomore jinx path. However, the 19-year old has surged ahead over the month of January with nine points in his last 10 games. Expect more of the same moving forward as Barkov could add 30-45 points to his totals by season's end. Michael Del Zotto D, Philadelphia: Del Zotto has been regressing over the past few seasons but has begun to show good form for the Flyers. On a current 6-game point streak, the 24-year old has been logging huge minutes. Only drawback has been his minimal power-play time but he could start carving up a bigger role while getting his confidence back. Well worth a flier if you need help on "D". John Klingberg D, Dallas- The 22 year old had racked up six points over last two games, including a four-point outburst in Winnipeg on Saturday. The youngster has driven up to the top of the Star's offensive depth chart on the blue-line, ahead of Alex Goligoski and Trevor Daley. He is definitely starteable while anchoring a potentially explosive Dallas power-play unit. Devan Dubnyk G, Minnesota- All Devan Dubnyk did over the last week for Minnesota was secure a three game road sweep of Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. He will see the bulk of the workload in the crease as suddenly the Wild have life in the playoff chase. The signs were there as "Dubie" played well early for lowly Arizona, but now the games matter more for the surging Wild. Grab him ASAP if you can.

WHAT STOOD OUT The goaltending was in high gear last night between Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist as Price continued his mastery over the Rangers with the 1-0 shutout over the Blueshirts. Look for more performances like this for the remainder of the season from both goaltenders as both teams are favorites to go far in the playoffs.... If you haven't noticed, the Boston Bruins are streaking up the standings of late, winning 7 of their last 9 as Tuukka Rask is rounding into form. Good idea to get Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci in your starting lineups as they will provide most of the offense. Perhaps you can take a chance on Reilly Smith who had a goal and 2 assists in the win and now has a 3-game scoring streak.... In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Winnipeg Center Mathieu Perreault had 2 goals to continue his magical season for the Jets. Since the beginning of November, all Perreault has done is go 13-10-23 in 22 games.  The injury right before the All-Star hasn't slowed him down.  Grab him if he's still available on the waiver wire. Tampa Bay Center Cedric Paquette was a Red Wing killer with a hat trick last night. The Lightning have all sorts of talent to choose from when it comes to scoring but Paquette shouldn't be considered one of them at the moment unless the team sustains some injuries....Also of note was rookie Jonathan Drouin chipping in with 2 assists in the victory. That's 3 points in last 2 games and 7 points in 10 January games. Perhaps he is starting to feel comfortable at the NHL level.  Great things lie ahead for Drouin but it may not come until next season.... Another big night for the Dallas "D" as John Kingberg(1G/1A) and Trevor Daley(1G/2A) combined for five points in the road triumph over Ottawa. While held off the scoreboard, Alex Goligoski rang up five SOG. It's become apparent that the rookie Klingberg has surpassed both on the power-play depth chart but their point totals are almost flat-out even during the month of January.(7 for Klingberg/Daley, 6 for Goligoski). All three share modest fantasy value moving forward, but I would expect for the 22-year old Swede to be the superior offensive contributor amongst the Star's blueline during the second half... Zach Parise's game-winning goal in the 1-0 Minny win over Calgary was his 6th in his last sixth games. After coming up empty in three contests after returning to the Wild line-up, the American sniper is looking fully loaded for a strong finish. Not many ...