Very busy schedule in the NHL yesterday as the league frontloaded games yesterday so as to not compete against the Super Bowl. Boston started things off with a matinee game and they whitwashed the Oilers 4-0, with backup Chad Johnson getting the shutout with 22 saves. Johnson has played well when needed as his 9-3 record would indicate, but Tuukka Rask is the guy in goal for the Bruins. Defenseman Zdeno Chara had 2 assists for Boston, but he has only 25 points on the season, and at his age he doesn't score like he used to. Tampa Bay edged Montreal 2-1 as center Nate Thompson had 2 goals for the Lightning. He has only 11 points on the season, so don't get too excited.  Defenseman Victor Hedman had 2 assists for Tampa, and he is someone to get excited about. After struggling his first 4 years in the league, the former 2nd pick in the 2009 draft is finally getting the NHL game.  He has 11 goals and 36 points this season in 48 games played.  Get this guy next year if you can.  Big potential.  Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop had another outstanding game with 28 saves. With 27 wins on the year a 1.98 GAA and a .933 SP, it's hard to believe he is not on the US Olympic team.  Colorado just buried the hapless Sabres 7-1.  Joe Sakic is beginning to look like a genius for drafting Nathan MacKinnon number one. The kid had a goal and 2 assists yesterday, and with 40 points on the season he leads all rookie scorers.  Defenseman Erik Johnson had 3 assists for the Avs, but with 24 points on the year he continues to be a disappointment. Great things were expected from him. Colorado goaltender Semyon Varlamov continued his terrific season with a 28 save effort.  With 28 wins this year he is a top goalie option.   Philly fillet: The Flyers shutout the Kings 2-0 as Philadelphia goaltender Steve Mason had a great game with 35 saves. Los Angeles really carried the play as their goaltender, Jonathan Quick, had to make only 11 saves. But Mason was too good in this one.  Right wing Wayne Simmonds had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, and with 40 points on the season, he is worth a look as a 6th forward option. Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist as well for Philadelphia, and after a miserable start to the season he has quietly climbed back to close to a point per game player with 52 points on the year. Killer Kessel: Toronto beat Ottawa 6-3, and the Maple Leafs center Phil Kessel had a monster game with 3 goals and an assist. Kessel has 61 points on the season, including ...

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

Nathan Horton- Columbus Blue Jackets, RW(Owned in 33.5% of ESPN leagues) The word is that the talented forward is almost fully recovered from shoulder surgery and could be making his season debut with Columbus this week. With Marian Gaborik out indefinitely, Horton will take over the top RW spot and get plenty of power-play time as well. More known as an elite playoff performer, he should be plenty motivated to jump out to a fast start with his new team. The Blue Jackets have been lacking a true power forward for years, so Horton should make an instant fantasy impact. Wayne Simmonds- Philadelphia Flyers, RW (Owned in 88.5% of ESPN leagues) With three straight two-goal efforts, the 25-year old winger has 24 points (12G/12A) in 38 games. As hot as anyone at the moment, the streaky Simmonds has been a beneficiary of a scorching Flyer's power-play, where he been playing on the primary unit with Giroux and Voracek. Also, he adds extra value in multi-category leagues, where he brings a decent amount of PIM's to the table. Tyler Bozak- Toronto Maple Leafs, C (Owned in 34.9% of ESPN leagues) The Leaf's top center returned to action last night, recording three assists and injecting some life into Phil Kessel, who responded with two goals. With 14 points in 17 games, Bozak needs to be activated in all fantasy leagues immediately, as he and Kessel share undeniable offensive chemistry on the ice. David Desharnais-Montreal Devils, C (Owned in 3.6% of ESPN leagues) Mostly disappointing after his 60-point season in '11-12, the fifth-year center has been showing signs of breaking out with 14 points in his last 18 games. After collecting just one point in 13 October games, Desharnais has been steadily improving each month and has been flashing that past chemistry with Max Pacioretty. It might worth it to stash him away on your bench and hope for a torrid second half. Philipp Grubauer- Washington Capitals, G (owned in 22.5 % of ESPN leagues) The fantasy goalie to own in Washington now, as the 22-year old is making the most of his opportunity while incumbent starter Braden Holtby has been struggling mightily. With a 5-1-2 record and a 2.02 GAA, the Caps have been riding his hot hand in the crease. It's tough to predict how much longer his stint as the top goalie will last, but he should be starting in all fantasy leagues while he is hot.

SImmonds has no points and is a minus-2 through three games. A move to the top-line with the playmaking Giroux should help him get into the goal column.

Simmonds, who was one of Philly's bright spots in an otherwise disappointing 2013 campaign, projects to open on the second line as Lecavalier's winger, along with Brayden Schenn. It's a nice fit for Lecavalier, a noted table-setter. Simmonds, who has scored at a 0.34 goals-per-game clip in each of the last two seasons, should be pushing for his first 30-goal campaign with Lecavalier in the middle.

Simmonds wore a non-contact jersey in practice yesterday but has switched to a regular jersey today, which would indicate he is likely good to go for tomorrow. Monitor his status prior to game-time (1:00 P.M. EST)

Simmonds has missed the Flyers last two games with a concussion and isn't expected to be back for the weekend. Tye McGinn has taken his spot on the Flyers top line.