NHL IN 30/2016: PART 6 (STL, TOR, VAN, WAS, WPG) primepucks.com Wed 10/12/16 11:27 AM

St. Louis: The emergence of d-man Colton Parayko gives the blue line much needed top-heavy depth but the question remains whether Jake Allen can carry the sole burden of manning the crease with Brian Elliott now in Calgary. The balanced offensive attack should continue to provide enough firepower, but it should be time for Vladimir Tarasenko to enter elite territory as a sniping forward. What will the Nail Yakupov addition do for the team? If he can finally fulfill his potential, look out. Playoffs: Another deep run Tampa Bay: Absolutely our odds-on favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the Cup Finals. The Bolts are stacked on offense with Steven Stamkos back healthy and Nikita Kucherov on the verge of being signed. Look for new coaching assistant Todd Richards to bolster the power-play by heavily riding the top guns. A surplus of riches in goal can yield huge dividends if Ben Bishop is traded during the season. Playoffs: Cup bound Toronto: Auston Matthews will be a legit superstar before you know it, but the rebuilding Leafs are far from playoff contention. Federik Andersen will bring some skill and stability to the goal while Morgan Rielly will be the defensive cornerstone for years to come. Pre-Mike Babcock holdovers JVR and Nazem Kadri need to take the next step in their offensive development while the youngsters continue to gel. Easier said than done. Playoffs: No chance Washington: A disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Penguins should not take away from what a tremendous team coach Trotz leads into the season. Elite in all areas from forwards(Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov), defense (John Carlson) to goaltending(Brayden Holtby). The addition of Lars Eller helps the bottom-six depth while Justin Williams' intangibles bodes well for playoff success. Playoffs: Deep run but will Lightning strike? Winnipeg: The young Jets will be exciting to watch with the rookie Laine and 2nd-year Ehlers wowing their fans with their sublime offensive ability. Add Mark Scheifele breaking out and you have the looks of a massively improved scoring attack. Dustin Byfuglien will lead the D while a goaltending competition lessened a bit with the waiving of Ondrej Pavelec. Adios to the most overrated goaltender around. Many bright spots but a postseason berth not a lock. Playoffs: maybe 

DAILY ROTO LINEUP - 10/15/2015 primepucks.com Thu 10/15/15 2:06 PM

A lot of good matchups tonight with some struggling teams in Pittsburgh and Edmonton looking for their first wins while Montreal & Nashville look to remain unbeaten with games against the NY teams. We all know that the Penguins are ready to burst out in a big way with the amount of offensive talent they have but can they break thorugh against red-hot Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson?  Ottawa did play last night in Columbus and scored 7 goals.  That usally results in a lack of production the next game, so we shall see.  Dallas-Tampa Bay can be very explosive as well with both teams sporting some high octane talent up front.  RAY'S PICKS G: Roberto Luongo-FLA ($8,400) D: Alex Pietrangelo-STL ($5,500) D: Colton Parayko-STL ($3,000) LW: Jonathan Huberdeau-FLA ($5,000) LW: Jonathan Drouin-TB ($4,600) RW: Vladimir Tarasenko-STL ($8,200) RW: Phil Kessel-PIT ($7,900) C; Steven Stamkos-TB ($8,500) C: Teuvo Teravainen-CHI ($3,800)  

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF PREVIEW primepucks.com Tue 4/14/15 8:14 PM

PRIMEPUCKS™ 2015 FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF REVIEW The 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs are beginning shortly and PrimePucks™ is taking a look at what they predict will happen in the first round and beyond. MINNESOTA vs. ST. LOUIS St. Louis is my pick to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals, but they will have their hands full with the resurgent Minnesota Wild. "Left for dead" midway through the season, the acquisition of veteran goalie Devan Dubnyk proved to be the main catalyst behind their surge into the playoffs. Since becoming the starter, the Wild went 28-9-3 while allowing two or less goals in 29 of 39 games. A staunch defense led by Ryan Suter will make it tough for the formidable Blues' offense to score consistently. Premier snipers Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek will lead the Wild scoring party, but do they have enough to match the highly balanced firepower of St Louis which went down the stretch without Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Steen but still managed to finish the regular season on fire. Speaking of Tarasenko, he is the ultimate x-factor in this opening series, given that his game changing talent unleashed is the a weapon that the team has lacked in recent years. Combined with the development of future star Jaden Schwartz and the trade for Paul Stastny, these guys will be tough to beat. Jake Allen will probably get the nod for Brian Elliott in goal but he should be able to ride his hot offense and elite D to a hard fought series win. It's looking like 7 games, this will serve the Blues well as they possibly face Chicago in the next round. Load up on your Blues as they are my pick to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Your premium picks are Vladimir Tarasenko, David Backes, Kevin shattenkirk, and Alex Pietrangelo. I would gamble on Jake Allen as a late widcard goalie pick. Just keep in mind that one bad outing and Brian Elliott can be right back in goal. Taking a late flier on Zach Parise or Thomas Vanek might prove to be a shrewd move, given that if the Wild squeaks by, they could make some serious noise.   ANAHEIM vs. WINNIPEG After getting bounced out by the LA Kings last season in the playoffs, the Ducks look more equipped for a long postseason run with the acquisition of center Ryan Kesler. The former Vancouver center makes the Anaheim forward lines more potent and balanced, giving them more pop up the middle and a better second line to complement the Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry top unit. The bigger question for the Ducks is ...

DAILY PRIME - APRIL 12, 2015: 5 FINAL THOUGHTS primepucks.com Sun 4/12/15 9:09 AM

The regular season is finally over but not without it's full share of drama on Saturday. Here is a brief recap plus our fantasy thoughts: *The New York Islanders will be heading to the playoffs, but they lose out twice last night. First, their 5-4 home SO loss guaranteed the Washington Capitals home ice advantage for their first round meeting. Second, John Tavares tallied a goal and an assist to widen his NHL point lead to three but Jamie Benn's 4-point effort later in the evening enabled him to capture the Art Ross Trophy and beat out JT 87-86 on the year. We viewed Benn as a point-per-game forward entering the 2015-16 season, but NOBODY saw this coming. Benn blossomed into an elite scorer when Tyler Seguin went down and continued to pour on the points in April, finishing with 13 points in his last five games. So who would take higher in next season's drafts; Tavares and Benn? Am still leaning toward JT but the Seguin/Benn combo could be the most prolific for many years to come. * The Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins are in the playoffs, while the Boston Bruins fail to make it in after finishing with the President's Trophy in 2013-14. Mark Stone's two goals in the 3-1 win over Philadelphia gives him 26 on the season and makes him one to watch as a potential breakout player next year. Those Ottawa young guns on offense could turn some heads in the playoffs and beyond, so keep serious tabs on them... What to make of the Pen's? Don't overrate them in your playoff pools, given that they are likely one and done against the President Rangers.. What to make of the B's? Major changes possibly coming, with the only certainities of fantasy upper-tier status being Dougie Hamilton, Tuukka Rask, and Patrice Bergeron. * There are goaltending questions heading into the playoffs for Detroit and St. Louis, as veterans Jimmy Howard and Brian Elliott could be be usurped by upstarts Petr Mrazek and Jake Allen. Elliott was rock-solid between the pipes in their regular season finale victory over Minnesota while Mrazek blanked the Carolina Hurricanes to maintain their third place finish. Your guess is as good as mine, but am leaning toward the vets starting both of their respective Game 1's. * No time better than the present to predict the NHL's leading point-getter for the upcoming playoffs. Drum roll, please.. Am going with Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues. His team is poised to make serious noise in the post-season, as "Vladdy" returned after a brief ...

DAILY PRIME - APRIL 6, 2015: SPOILER ALERT primepucks.com Mon 4/6/15 6:01 AM

Toronto and Philly playing spoiler; Caps are in: Plenty of spoiler alerts to go around as the Philadelphia Flyers handed the Pittsburgh Penguins a costly loss, winning 4-1 for their eighth straight time against them. Goalie Steve Mason was a monster in goal, saving 49 of 50 shots. The Penguin's  offense has struggled, but start your key Pens for the final week as all three games will matter and help determine their playoff fate. Evgeni Malkin has returned from injury, so he looks good to go.. Ottawa had a chance to pull within one of the Detroit Red Wings for the last playoff spot with a victory, but could only manage one point in the shootout loss against Toronto. Keep Andrew Hammond in your fantasy crease, as he will likely make all the starts in what amounts to a "win every game" scenario to have a shot for the playoffs. Read today's ADD'EM as we focus on which Ottawa forwards you should consider starting for the final stretch run... Washington clinched a playoff berth after beating the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 and Ottawa losing to the Leafs. Get your key Wings in your fantasy lineups while keep in mind that some key Caps could be rested for a game as they are oficially in the postseason... Jake Allen played a heck of a game as the St. Louis Blues held off Chicago 2-1. Impressive considering no Vladimir Tarasenko or Alex Steen, but fantasy owners need to check their status before considering starting them for the final week. Iffy proposition at best...

DAILY PRIME - APRIL 4, 2015: CAPTAIN TOEWS SUPERHERO primepucks.com Sat 4/4/15 10:34 AM

Captain Toews to the rescue, Shoot’em out in Wild West, Ducks & Habs losing helps Rangers The Buffalo Sabres almost made it 2 in a row by scaring the Chicago Blackhawks until Captain Jonathan Toews rescued the Hawks from a humiliating defeat against the NHL’s worst team by scoring two late goals with less than 2 minutes remaining to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 win.  Toews just shows what a tremendous talent he is by upping his game in the wake of losing Patrick Kane for the last month and a half and carrying the team to within reach of the Central division crown…Brandon Saad added 2 assists and has 6 points in the last six games.  Perhaps the time has come for the young LWer.  With next year being his fourth, you could see a good jump in production from the 50’s level to perhaps a 70-point campaign….For those looking ahead to next season, Buffalo’s defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen may be the main cog on the Sabres’ power play along with Zach Bogosian.  Regardless, Buffalo has a tremendous amount of defensive young talent to build the team up on.  And don’t forget Sam Reinhart…. The New Jersey Devils actually helped their cross-river rivals, the New York Rangers, by beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout, keeping the Mighty Habs from gaining that extra point that is so crucial at this point of the season.  It was a battle of the backups as both teams have or had back-to-back nights… It was a regular ‘shoot-em out in the Old West’ as the St. Louis Blues outlasted the Dallas Stars 7-5 last night in a game atypical at this time of year.  With Vladimir Tarasenko sidelined, Patrik Berglund has stepped up his production of late with 6 points in last 4 games.  Berglund has never lived up to his scoring potential but has come on of late...Jaden Schwartz had a hattie and showed that he can score without the talented Tarasenko giving the Blues a potent duo for years to come…Dallas has their own potent duo in Jamie Benn (2G, A) and Tyler Seguin (G, 2A) as both contributed with 3 points each in the loss.  You can probably expect more matches like this in the upcoming years… The New York Rangers got some more help as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2, keeping the Ducks from expanding their 2-point lead over the Rangers for the President’s Cup.  With 2 assists Avs’ defenseman Tyson Barrie cracked the 50-point plateau, bettering his previous high of 38 set last year.  Barrie has arrived big time and should be high on your draft lists next ...

DAILY PRIME - APRIL 3, 2015: WHAT STOOD OUT primepucks.com Fri 4/3/15 9:03 AM

Columbus stays hot; King Henrik back to normal; Price who? and more; *The New York Islanders blew a two-goal lead in the third period as they fall to a streaking Columbus team, 4-3. Sergei Bobrovsky has been a late-season fantasy stud in goal as Columbus has won eight straight games. Read our IN STEVE'S DEFENSE column later in the day as we focus on two-defensemen from these teams that could be productive fantasy options during the pivotal and final week... *In a head-to-head match-up of arguably the top Hart Trophy contenders, Alex Ovechkin carried the Washington Capitals past Montreal's Carey Price with a superb two-goal effort. Defensemen John Carlson and PK Subban had huge nights with three points apiece... *Huge win for the Ottawa Senators as they outlast the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in OT as Patrice Wiercioch sneaked one past past Ben Bishop late in the extra fame. After a tough start against the Rangers, Ottawa goalie Andrew Hammond is dialed in again, turning aside 29 shots for his second straight win and 16th in 18 starts. Keep him rolling as the Sen's are fighting for a playoff spot.. A late Boston rally thwarted the Detroit Red Wings as the Bruins keep their three point lead over the Senators for the final wildcard spot.. *The 6-1 Florida rout of Carolina included more offensive fireworks from young guns Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov who combined for four points. They have been solid fantasy starting forward options ever  since the Jaromir Jagr trade to Florida... *Even without the great Vladimir Tarasenko, the St. Louis Blues clinched a playoff berth with the 4-1 triumph over Calgary. Jaden Schwartz, Jori Lehtera, and Patrick Berglund (remember him??) all notched two points in what was a true team win over the Flames... *Henrik Lundqvist fantasy owners who are in contention for their fantasy hockey crowns are at least going down the wire with their prized goalie playing back on an elite level after missing time to his injury. The 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild was his second straight super effort after his so-so debut return in the loss to Bolston. Start "King Henrik" with confidence.. Marian Gaborik led the King's offensive explosion in the 8-2 drubbing of Edmonton, snapping a three-game shid with no points with two goals and an assist. The talented Slovakian forward has been a fantasy disappointment for most of the season, but look for a strong finish as "Gabby" could be a playoff beast if the Kings sneak in...

DAILY PRIME - MARCH 31, 2015: BOLTS YOUNG GUNS primepucks.com Mon 3/30/15 11:11 PM

Tampa's young guns do the scoring, Tarasenko injured, Hossa leads the way for Hawks It was the Tampa Bay youngsters that provided all the offense that Ben Bishop would need, but we do have to say that Bishop helped his own cause with 2 assists on the night.  The regulation win brought the Bolts to within one point of the team they defeated, the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division.  Vladislav Namestnikov had 2 goals and Nikita Kucherov and Jonathan Drouin both had goals as the Lightning edged the Habs 5-3.  The future looks very promising for Tampa Bay as they have a stockpile of young talent to be competitive for years to come…. Vladimir Tarasenko took a mid-ice hit in the third period and left the game against the Vancouver Canucks last night.  He did not return.  Let’s hope for his sake, and the Blues’ that the injury isn’t serious and that the team was just being cautious.  Radim Vrbata scored his 31st and added an assist in the 4-1 road win for the Canucks and he has had himself a great season up in Vancouver.  Playing with the likes of Henrik and Daniel Sedin can do wonders for your confidence and game.  Eddie Lack is now 9-4-2 after taking over for the injured Ryan Miller… Two of the NHL’s powerhouses over the past few years took the ice in Chicago last night with the Blackhawks prevailing over the Los Angeles Kings 4-1.  Marian Hossa (G, A) has been playing well of late and should be able to crack the 60 point mark once again, but his 70+ scoring days are over it seems.  But keep in mind that Hossa is still a clutch playoff performer and a tremendous asset to have down the stretch as he has 11 points in last 13 games. A huge second-period staked the Calgary Flames to a lead that they never relinquished,defeating the Dallas Stars 5-3. Another monster effort by the NHL's hottest scorer in March, Jiri Hudler, who collected a goal and an assist for a lofty total of 23 points in the last 15 games. A mid-season scoring drought resulted in him being dropped by many fantasy teams but the few who kept him are laughing last now. Career highs across the board for Hudler... Not much to say about our other two games of little playoff consequence other than both road dogs, Buffalo and Edmonton, prevailed 4-1 over Arizona and Colorado. Still think the Avalanche could bounce back nicely next season as a top-five fantasy juggernaut but much depends on the growth of Nathan McKinnon in Year 3 and a comeback of sorts for Matt Duchene. Those two fuel the ...

SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE - MARCH 22, 2015 primepucks.com Sun 3/22/15 10:43 AM

SMC 3-22-2015 Spring has sprung and the snow is melting and the coffee is brewing.  Grab a cup and settle in. What an amazing story it will be if the Ottawa Senators manage to get into the playoffs!  Alas, Florida will also have an amazing story to tell this summer but I don’t think they will earn a spot. Come June, can you imagine the Cup Finals pitting one rookie goaltender in John Gibson against another in Andrew Hammond?  That would be mind-blowing! All season long I thought the Winnipeg Jets should have just stuck with Michael Hutchinson in net and sit Ondrej Pavelec as Hutch was the better net minder.  However, Pavelec has re-established himself as a bona fide No. 1 NHL goalkeeper again. There have been a lot of great NHL stories this year as we have mentioned a few above but what about New York Ranger’s Cam Talbot taking over for an injured Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers not missing a beat? Carey Price can definitely lock down the Hart with his spectacular season.  And if it weren’t for Pekka Rinne’s injury and subsequent cold streak, we might have had a battle between them for the MVP. Enough with the goalies, right?  Wait.  One more. Devan Dubnyk, last year’s whipping boy has transformed into an elite NHL goaltender as he now has started 30 straight games and has a 22-6-2 record.  Wow!  That’s wild! LOL Vladimir Tarasenko is a beast as he scored his 35th with an assist and had 8 SOG, 2 PIM.  The Blues will be fun to watch for a few years with Jaden Schwartz and VT teaming up. Some hot lines of late: Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler, Pouliot-RNH-Eberle, Simmonds-Giroux-Voracek, Stafford-Scheifele-Wheeler Watch out for the Columbus Blue Jackets next season as they should be playing close to full health unlike this season. Barring a late surge, and not that they have been eliminated, but it’s not looking good for the LA Kings to defend their crown.  There will be a collective huge sigh of relief from the Western Conference once that becomes official. If you take a look, it appears Vancouver defenseman Alexander Edler may be coming around as he had 8 SOG last night and 3 points in last 3 games.  He does have the talent, but last year messed him up I think. Boston just may be the best team to not make the playoffs this season.  It happens. Patrice Bergeron is probably one of the most under-rated fantasy hockey players around. Ottawa is just driving hard and making that push and it’s coming from every player in their lineup, not just one or two hot players....

DAILY PRIME - MARCH 8, 2015: SUNDAY GAME BITS primepucks.com Sun 3/8/15 9:19 AM

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 ...