It appears that St. Louis Blues Vladimir Tarasenko is back on track as he scored his 27th on the season and his third straight game with a goal after going scoreless in 6. What a breakout season for the talented right winger...Jaden Schwartz now has 4 points in 3 February games. He just might be disappointed that February is the shortest month of the year with the rate his month is going...Ever since the turn of the calendar year, Alexander Steen has been on fire.  21 points in 14 games for the New Year has the LWer just about on pace to eclipse last season's career high of 62 points.... The NY Islanders halted their 3-game losing streak by coming back from a 2 goal deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in a shootout. Isles G Jaroslav Halak was barely tested throughout the game by facing only 16 shots on goal.... Braden Holtby is loving life playing for Washington Capitals Head Coach Barry Trotz as he turned aside 25 of 26 SOG for his 25th win on the season. He is well on his way to a 40-win career year... Roberto Luongo does it again, giving the Florida Panthers a chance to win the game as they battled to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Luongo stopped 29 of 31 SOG and is the main reason the Cats are in playoff contention.  Keep riding Bobby Lu!.... The story coming in was Pekka Rinne back in net for Nashville, but the story coming out was Federik Andersen stopping 44 of 46 shots to lead Anaheim to a 5-2 win over the Predators. The youngster righted the ship after allowing eight goals over his last two starts and now has won nine of his last ten games. Start him with extreme confidence.. So much for the sophomore jinx, as Tyler Johnson scored two late goals to help the Lightning hold off Dallas. There were signs of slippage after a slow ten-game stretch but he is back on a point-per-game-pace with 51 points in 51 games.. With Jimmy Howard close to returning, Petr Mrazek kept the Wings "hot" streak alive by posting a 28-save shutout over the Colorado Avalanche. Regardless of whomever is in the Detroit net, they need to be starting in all fantasy formats. Few teams playing better than the Wings lately... The Sharks crushed the Canucks 5-1 behind a streaking Antti Niemi, while Ryan Miller has been regressing lately. Niemi easily over Miller in fantasy moving forward...

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 ...

*Tyler Johnson- After his two goals last night helped propel the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning past the Montreal Canadiens, the 2nd-year center has now vaulted into third in NHL scoring with 45 points. It's unbelievable how quickly Johnson has ascended into the upper echelon of fantasy forwards, but he is as MUST-START as they come now. Keep rolling Johnson. **Patrik Elias- Kudos to the veteran Czech winger for surpassing the 1,000 point mark in his NHL career with a goal and two assists. I beg you to buy low on Elias who has been a huge fantasy disappointment but has been turning it on with 5 points over the last 5 games. If there is anyone left on the waiver-wire that can notch 30-35 pts in the second half, it's surely him. ***Steve Mason- An extraordinary effort by Mason as he single-handlely provided the Flyers the much-needed win with 40 saves on 41 shots against Ottawa. The victory snapped his personal six-game losing streak and although he was all-world last night, he has a way to go before he earns our confidence as a solid fantasy goalie option. ****David Backes- Wow, a four-goal performance by the superior St. Louis two-way center who is also benefitting from two "HOT" line-mates in TJ Oshie and Alex Steen. The return of Jaden Schwartz will help balance the offense a bit, but I would keep riding Backes and company until they cool off. *****Semyon Varlamov- The Colorado Avalanche have been struggling to keep opposing offenses at bay and last night in Chicago was no different. The Blackhawks fired 53 shots at Varlamov but he was up to the task with the Herculean shutout effort. Just like Mason, I still don't trust Varly as a consistent fantasy netminder, but a few more of these type of games and I'm sure I could be swayed.

* 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.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!! WISHING THE BEST OF HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND LOTS OF HOCKEY! A lot of games on NYE preceding the Winter Classic today pitting the Chicago Blackhawks against the Washington Capitals at Nationals Park. The game is scheduled to go off at 1:00 pm but expect delays because of sun glare on the ice making it difficult for the players to see.  Some previous games were delayed up to 2 hours, so be prepared.... It was all the Ryan-Strome-Frans Nielsen-Anders Lee last night for the NY Islanders as they defeated the Jets at Winnipeg. The Isles benefitted from playing against the lesser of their goalies in Ondrej Pavelec but the play of the SNL line was on point last night. Strome (G, 3A), Nielsen (2G, A) and Lee (G, A) combined for 9 points in the victory and 13 in last 2 games.  Perhaps you need to get one of these players in your lineup as it looks like there are heating up for the New Year....Jaroslav Halak won his 20th in 26 starts. Islander fans hope this performance carries over to 2015.... After losing their first matchup in Buffalo on December 2nd in a shootout, it has been all Tampa Bay in the next two, winning 5-0 2 days later and then 5-1 last to finish December with a 4-game winning streak. Ondrej Palat-Tyler Johnson-Nikita Kucherov remain hot for the Bolts with the trio combining for 10 points matching the Islanders hot line. Everyone was expecting the Lightning to get bulk of their scoring from the Stamkos line but these youngsters are making a major impression right now.... Don't look now but it looks like the New York Rangers are the hottest team in the NHL right now as they are getting contributions from up and down their entire lineup and it all starts from G Henrik Lundqvist who is in the zone right now. Winners of 9 of their last 10, the Blueshirts have shaken off all doubts from earlier in the season and are looked primed to build for the playoffs.... If you haven't noticed the Dallas Stars are streaking right now going 8-2-0 to climb back into the playoff picture after struggling in the month of November. G Kari Lehtonen has been on a resurgence winning 8 of December starts, capping off 2014 with a 6-0 shutout of the Arizona Coyotes. Lehtonen is a solid number 2 goalie in all fantasy scenarios... SCRAPS San Jose's Antti Niemi posted a 3-0 shutout of the Anaheim Ducks raising his record to 15-8-4. The Sharks lost Joe Thornton to injury in the first period and he did not return to the game. More news on his injury as it ...

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..

Could this be the coming out party for Montreal's Alex Galchenyuk? Moved to the center the top line a few games ago, the ultra-talented Center, with his 3-goal game tonight against the Hurricanes, has 5 points in the three games since being moved.  It's too early to say for sure that he is ready for greater things, but he is capable...Max Pacioretty who knows a few things about hat tricks assisted on all three Galchenyuk goals... Tampa Bay won for just the second time in the past 6 games with rookie G Andrei Vasilevskiy making his NHL debut and turning aside 23 of the 24 Philadelphia SOG for the win. Regular starter Ben Bishop hurt himself the previous night but according to Bishop, he shouldn't be out long...Tyler Johnson had the game-winner and an assist in the game giving him 33 points in 33 games this season. No sophomore jinx for this Johnson....  Toronto continued their winning ways and remain the hottest team in the Eastern Conference with an impressive 6-2 win over Frederik Andersen and the Anaheim Ducks. The top line of Phil Kessel-Tyler Bozak-James van Riemsdyk combined for 7 points in the Leaf victory....G Jonathan Bernier, our latest BETWEEN THE PIPES feature, remained hot with a 40-save effort in notching his 13th win and his 8th win in last 10 decisions. Continue to ride the hot net minder.... Both Sergei Bobrovsky and Jimmy Howard wouldn't budge in their matchup last night and it took a shootout to decide the regulation scoreless tie. Both net minders have been playing excellent goal of late and should continue for the remainder of the season..... The Florida Panthers continue to scratch and claw their way against their opponents to come away with at least a point and last night was just another reminder that the Cats aren't going to be an easy game anymore. Roberto Luongo turned aside 23 of 24 and then saw another 20 attempts in the shootout before Nick Bjugstad put an end to the shootout marathon for the win....   Just when you thought the Los Angeles Kings would continue their recent dominance over St. Louis, their breakout star Vladimir Tarasenko fueled the 5-2 comeback win with a heck of a third period effort- two goals and an assist. He finished with four points on the night to extend his point streak to six games. His overall 36 points is only two behind the NHL lead so treat Tarasenko as an ultra-elite fantasy option and enjoy his monster season. Trading him is not recommended... Not much to say about Arizona's 2-1 overtime win ...

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 ...

It was a sort of homecoming for three ex-Rangers to Madison Square Garden as the Tampa Bay Lightning, behind G Ben Bishop, defeated the New York Rangers 5-1, making Bishop a perfect 6-0-0 lifetime against them with a 0.93 GAA and a .967 SP.  Outstanding!.... Ryan Callahan has been enjoying life playing alongside Steven Stamkos and plated 2 goals last night including what turned out to be the game-winner. If Callahan is in any way available, he should be picked up and inserted in your lineup as long as he remains healthy and on that line. Stamkos had a goal and 2 assists while Valtteri Filppula, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat each chipped in with 2 assists. All of these Lightning players should be in your starting lineup as they are heating up even without the services of D Victor Hedman, who should be back in early December.....The only piece of good news to come from the Rangers side of this outcome was that Martin St. Louis scored his 7th goal on the year, this one on the power play.  St. Louis now has 6 goals and 8 total points in 9 November games. His play has improved as the injured Rangers have returned to the lineup, so keep him in your lineup.

Johnson left Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury and did not return. This is actually positive news for the 24-year-old, who has 18 points (5G / 13A) in 16 games this season. He is questionable for tomorrow's game vs. the Sharks.