Web Site: http://www.puckingawesome.com
Posts by Eric Sutter:
The Hat Trick: Who Is Passing Out Valentines
February 14th, 2011
Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, but no so much in the NHL these days.
After a fight filled week of Bruins-Canadiens, Islanders-Penguins and Wild-Blues, suspensions, tempers and emotions are running at a high in the NHL. Even one of the greats of the league is not happy at what is happening around the league.
Penguin’s owner Mario Lemieux was outspoken about the leagues handling of the big Penguins-Islanders brawl and even hinted he would want “out” if the league continued in this manner.
So in the spirit of love being all around, except in the NHL, let’s give out some Valentine’s in this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick.
THE NHL TO ITS TEAMS:
I can understand Super Mario’s frustration as his team continues to struggle and loss some more players due to injury in the big melee with the Islanders. I can also see how the NHL has tried to send a message to organizations and teams that this kind of behavior is not going to be tolerated.
The NHL player is bigger, faster and stronger with the respect between players seems to disappear. The NHL needs to send a Valentine to all of its teams saying the following:
Dear My Precious Teams of the NHL,
Times have been tough for us these past few days.
We have seen fights, anger and melees.
But please remember we are a sum of our parts
And what we decide comes from our hearts
BRUINS TO TIM THOMAS:
Tim Thomas has been one of the best stories of the NHL this season.
The former Vezina Trophy winner was an afterthought as it had seemed the future was now for Tuukka Rask. Then came eight straight victories to start out the season and his seven shutouts, which is already a career-high.
Now, the 36 year old netminder is making believers out of his doubters as the Bruins sit atop the Northeast Division.
The Bruins need to send a Valentine to their MVP that would go like this:
Dear Tim the Tank,
You have been our knight in shining armor
With the media you are such a charmer
On a nightly basis you stand on your head
Without you our chances for a division crown would be dead.
GAME OF THE WEEK:
For the last Valentine, it is for the viewers of the NHL. NBC is set to broadcast Hockey Day in America on Sunday with the following matchups: Flyers vs Rangers, Capitals vs Sabres, Penguins vs Blackhawks and Red Wings vs Wild.
That same afternoon the NHL Heritage Classic between the Canadiens and Flames will be played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
This will be a great day for hockey fans to just sit down and relax and enjoy an excited day in hockey.
With that all said, the game of the week happens earlier on Tuesday when the top two teams of the Eastern Conference square off.
The Lightning are currently on a ridiculous 11-game home stand and with a 5-2 record, thus far have proven they are going to be a team to beat in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers are the team rights ahead of them in the standings are 13-3 since the calendar flipped to 2011.
One of those losses was to the Lightning on February 1st; in fact, the Flyers are 0-3 vs the Ning this season. This game will go a long way if these two teams square off in the playoffs.
For the Lightning, it will be a mentality of sweeping the season series and for the Flyers, one that reminds them they can beat this team.
NHL Hat Trick: A Look at the NHL with an NFL Viewpoint on Super Bowl Sunday
February 6th, 2011On this Super Bowl Sunday, as the nation sits down to celebrate the ending of the National Football League season, it is a time to eat, drink and be merry. In the spirit of the end of the NFL season, in this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick we will take a look at the National Hockey League in an NFL style.
Historic Franchises
The two teams that are matched up in Super Bowl XLV have combined for 18 NFL Championships and 11 Super Bowl appearances. With that in mind for the NHL, the Stanley Cup Final this season would match up Montreal vs Detroit. The Canadiens have made the Stanley Cup Final 34 times, winning 24 of them, although Les Habitants last made the Cup in 1993 when Patrick Roy took down Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings.
The Western Conference representative Red Wings have made 24 appearances in the Cup Final, winning 11 of them. Red Wings fans, unlike the Canadiens fans, have not had to wait patiently for a Final, as they made back-to-back appearances in 2008 and 2009. Although in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys tied with Pittsburgh with eight Super Bowl appearances. You get the idea of two historic franchises with tons of winning history squaring off to decide the ultimate championship.
Challenge on the Play
In 1999, the NFL changed their instant replay rules allowing coaches to “challenge” a call on the field. The NHL is getting close to allowing replays as well. On Friday night two close off-side calls resulted in two big goals as both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks scored goals that on further review should have been called off-sides.
This has seemed to be a weekly, if not daily, occurrence in the NHL. The game is faster and television coverage has improved—why not use these to your advantage to make the game better? The GM’s rejected a Dale Tallon proposal back in November, but when they reconvene in March, they should take time out of talking head shots and discuss this much needed rule change.
Game of the Week
The NHL on NBC has returned and in the spirit of the flexible schedule that is given to NFL on NBC, the game I would flex this week would be the Boston Bruins vs the Montreal Canadiens. With all due respect with the games that NBC chose for their Sunday lineup this week (Bruins vs Red Wings), this Northeast Division rivalry will be more fun to watch.
The 708 lifetime games between these teams are the second most of any two NHL opponents. They come in second only to Detroit and Chicago, with their original six matchup games of over 712. This season the series has been lopsided, with the Canadiens winning the first three matchups. All three matchups have been close, as the Canadiens have outscored the Bruins by the combined score of 10-6, including a miracle overtime comeback victory in their last matchup on January 8th. I expect fireworks in this matchup of division foes so close in the standings.
The Hat Trick: What Should You Watch for in the Second Half of the NHL Season
January 31st, 2011The unofficial second half of hockey begins on Tuesday night with 13 games. First before we look ahead in this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick, let’s look back at the first half and hand out some hardware. In the ever tight race for first half MVP it came down to three players in my opinion.The sharp shooting Steve Stamkos, all-around superstar Sidney Crosby and goaltender Tim Thomas.
First, I ruled out the Bruins goaltender, mostly because he is my pick for goalie of the first half, and wanted to spread out my awards.
Then I ruled out Stamkos only for the fact that his season can also be pointed to the fact that his line mate Martin St. Louis is also having a superb season thus taking some of my personal votes away for the player currently leading the league in both goals (38) and points (67). So my first half MVP is none other than Sidney Crosby. Let’s not forget that before Sid the Kid missed the last nine games due to a concussion he had a 25-game point streak, the longest in the NHL in 18 years. The center still sits second to Stamkos in both goals (32) and points (66) and his second in command Evgeni Malkin is having a down year statistically.
I have already named my goalie of the first half. Tim Thomas, the player responsible for the Bruins lead in the Northeast Division and current leader in both save percentage (.945) and goals against average (1.81), was an easy choice.
My defense-man of the first half was probable the hardest decision as not one candidate has been outstanding in every category that determines what makes a defense-man above the rest. I went with the former forward/defenseman/forward/back to defense-man in Dustin Byfuglien. Big Buff leads defenders in goals (16) and more importantly already has six game winning goals, as the Thrashers have put themselves into playoff contention.
Now that we took two steps back, let’s take one step forward and this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick, or the top three story lines I am watching for in the second half.
Trade Deadline Sweapstakes
In none of the other four major sports does the trade deadline matter so much than in the NHL. We sit four weeks away from the day that can decide the fates of so many franchises. In those four weeks teams will have to decide what piece they are away from winning the Cup and how much they are willing to give up to get that piece.
The tightness of the race in the Western Conference has been well documented but do not be surprised if a good amount of those team’s show their real identity in the weeks to come. As we grow closer and closer to that date check those twitter feeds and TSN trade center as teams step up or punk out. Sometimes it is those deals that are not made in a panic mode at the deadline are what are best for the organizations. February 28th will be an interesting day for hockey writers, fans and general managers.
I am Feeling Dizzy
As the games arguable best player had to sit out the leagues weekend to showcase their talents, the commissioner dropped the knowledge that concussions are up this season. This after an off-season that showed them implement rule 48 to eliminate blind side hits to the head. The commissioner also informed us that blind side hits are down this season and that more of the concussions are happening due to area of accidental or inadvertent situations. I will be watching to see if the number continues to grow and to whom it could cost a run at the Stanley Cup.
I am almost certain that hockey fans will be forced fed some more information pertaining concussions when all 30 GM meet in Boca Raton for their meetings March 14th through the 16th. Concussions are a hot topic among the sporting world as more and more cases are showing their ugly head of how it affects the athlete after their playing days are done. The tricky job of the GM’s will be how you protect the player while protecting the natural physical nature of the game.
Award Season
In the spirit of the movie industry having their award season and how I documented earlier, the race for some of the top awards in the NHL are up for grabs. It will be an intriguing fight for the Art Ross and Hart Trophies. Henrik Sedin put an emphatic stamp on his candidacy for the Hart last season with 32 points in the last 21 games last season. How will Sidney Crosby come back from the concussion? Can Tim Thomas really keep up the pace he is on right now? Will any goalie stop Steve Stamkos from scoring goals? What will the Sedin twins have to say when it is all over? Will anyone please step up and win the Norris?
Those are some of the questions that need to be answer and will have an impact on which player takes home the hardware and more importantly lead their team to a good position to win the hardware that matters the most.
Fantasy Focus: Weekend Warriors
January 20th, 2011The defenseman is the most underrated fantasy stud an owner could have. They are important in those swing categories like power play points and plus/minus. Let’s break down some of the Weekend Warriors of could be fantasy studs to watch out for.
Teams with 2 games this weekend: Thrashers, Sabres, Flames, Blackhawks, Panthers, Canadiens, Devils, Islanders, Flyers, Lightning.
Defenseman To Watch:
Dennis Wideman, Panthers: A player that has been traded for offensive talents like Brad Boyes and Nathan Horton has finally found his scoring tough with his latest team. The 27-year-old has six points in his last eight games including five of them coming on the power play. If you are looking for a plus player to win that category this weekend, do not look this kid’s way, as he is a -13 this season. With games this weekend verses the Lightning and Devils Wideman has a chance to put up some points as both of those teams rank near the bottom of the league in goals against.
Trevor Daley, Stars: Start believing folks, the Stars are for real, and thus a real fantasy gold mind. The latest gem to come out of Big D is Trevor Daley. The 27-year-old has five points in his last six games with three of them coming on the man advantage. In his sixth NHL season Daley has entrenched himself into the Stars top four defenders playing 23:00 minutes a game, second only to top d-man Stephane Robidas. The Stars have already shown their trust in this talented player and locked him into a six-year extension in late December and the same should be for your fantasy squad.
Andy Greene, Devils: As the Devils continue their slide let’s not forget their fantasy value and their top defender has been producing lately. Andy Greene took advantage of his added ice time last season and rewarded the team with a career-high 37 points, with 15 on the power play. This season, like most of the Devils, he has taken a step backwards in his production. Though lately that has not been the case with five points in his last six games, and even more important he has moved his plus/minus from a horrendous -25 to moderately respectable -19. The 28-year-old is second on the team in ice time per game (22:02) and with the recent injury to Matt Taormina, you can expect his power play time to expand since the Devils have been employing a one defender top power play all season.
NHL Hat Trick: Holiday Shopping For Some NHL Teams
December 6th, 2010Holiday shopping has begun and as mall parking lots become a hazard zone people search high and low for that perfect gift for their special someone. So in the spirit of the holiday shopping in this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick we will take a look at what is on some teams wish lists. The Capitals must celebrate Chanukah as they acquired the hard nose defender they sought in Scott Hannon for Tomas Fleischmann and all signs are pointing to the Kings receiving a winger they desperately need in acquiring Marco Sturm from the Bruins, when he is deemed healthy enough to play.
SHOOTOUT VICTORY
The following teams are shopping this holiday for a shootout victory this season. As Wild, Oilers and Bruins are 0-3 this season and the Canucks and Islanders are 0-2. The Wild wish there was a power play on the shootout as they have only scored 3 goals in their 3 shootouts.
The offensively challenged Oilers and Bruins are worst off as both teams have only 2 goals in their 3 shootout losses. The top two picks of the 2010 NHL Draft have been successful for those teams as Taylor Hall is one for one and Tyler Seguin has the only two goals for the Bruins in three attempts.
Though only in two shootouts each the Canucks only have two goals and the Islanders have none. The goalies of those two teams have not done any better as Roberto Luongo has given up five goals on all five shots this season. Dwayne Roloson has only stopped one of his three shots faced but ironically Ricky DiPietro has given up only one goal on his three attempts faced.
The goalies of the three shootout losses teams have been atrocious also. Niklas Backstrom has given up six goals on the 11 shots faced, that is not going to give any team a chance to win. Early season favorite for the Vezina Tim Thomas has stopped six of the nine attempts he faced, so that goes on the offense to have someone other than Seguin to score. His counterpart Tuukka Rask gave up two shootout goals on the two shots he faced. The Oilers were glad to see Nikolai Khabibulin return as he at least stopped one of the two shots he faced, while Devan Dubnyk was awful giving up five goals on seven shots.
So in the month of December all these teams are asking for is a victory in a shootout to give them a chance in the standings as we have seen in the last couple of the seasons the shootout can be the difference in making or missing the playoffs.
POWER OUTAGE
Some of the top teams are having a difficult time scoring with the man advantage this season and will be shopping around on ways to improve what could be a deadly weapon. Philadelphia, Montreal and Pittsburgh are seeded 2nd, 3rd and 4th right now in the Eastern Conference but ranked 16th, 11th and 12th respectively on the power play. All those teams have dangerous offensive talents and normally ranked in the top five in power play percentages.
Out West the Los Angeles Kings had the seventh ranked power play last season and have the 23rd ranked one this season. The surprise Dallas Stars, who lead the Pacific Division, have the 17th ranked power play and the upstart St. Louis Blues who sit in a playoff spot now in the West are ranked 26th in power play percentage.
All of these teams mentioned have offensive talent just have not found the right combination on the man advantage. For most of these teams finding that right combination can be the difference in being a good team and a great team and for some being a playoff team and playing golf in the spring.
FIRST GOAL FRENZY
Scoring the first goal in a game is important in many levels and shown that all 30 NHL teams have a winning percentage of .500 or higher when scoring first. That being said some teams have horrible winning percentages when they give up the first goal and will be shopping this holiday season for the all important first goal.
The New York Islanders have had a tough time to start the season, not to mention a 14-game losing streak and a coach firing, they are 0-13-2 when they give up the first goal. The Devils have had a tough time scoring goals, NHL worst 1.81 goals per game, as they are 2-12 when trailing early. The Canucks are 12-1-1 when they score the first goal of the game and conversely 2-7-2 when they don’t. Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators are fringe playoff teams and both only have two wins when they give up the first goal.
Look at the top of the standings with teams like Washington (9 wins when giving up first goal), Pittsburgh (7 wins), Philadelphia (6 wins) and Detroit (4 wins) shows that good teams that can bounce back from giving up the first goal of the game. But these teams would like for the holiday some games where they do not have to bounce back and take the early lead.
The Hat Trick: We Are Going Streaking!
November 22nd, 2010This week we said goodbye to a hockey legend as Pat Burns finally lost his battle to cancer at the age of 58.
The three-time NHL coach of the year and Stanley Cup winner with the Devils in 2003 touched the lives of many owners, coaches and players of today.
He will be missed by everyone, and a special hats off in this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick for Coach Burns.
NOT SO STRONG ISLAND
The mess on Long Island has gone from bad to worse. Last week we had the inaugural NHL firing, as Scott Gordon was sent packing and Jack Capuano was named interim head coach. But that did not stop the bleeding, as the Islanders keep losing; 12 in a row now, and even their announcers do not want to watch them play.
So if the guy paid to watch them does not want to do that, how can Charles Wang expect fans to want to pay to see this club? Surprisingly, they have the second worst attendance, averaging 11,058 fans in their seven early home games. They can thank Phoenix and their ownership problems for not having the worst attendance; the Coyotes have averaged 10,265 fans in their eight early games.
You can look at the early injuries to top defenseman Mark Streit and scoring forward Kyle Okposo as signs that this season was going to be a tough one. Now the attention shifts to Capuano and whether this team can win a game.
I will be watching their games this week on Wednesday vs. the surprise Blue Jackets and Friday vs. the also struggling Devils and look for them to stop this extended and embarrassing losing streak.
WE ARE GOING STREAKING THE OTHER WAY
As the Islanders are going streaking backwards, their brethren at the bottom of the attendance rankings, the Phoenix Coyotes, have won six in a row. They have taken down the Blackhawks, Flames, Blues, Flames again, Oilers in a shootout and the Canucks.
They have made the streak interesting, as four of the games have been one-goal games. Ilya Bryzgalov has been standing tall for the Yotes, as he has five of those wins and a .924 save percentage during this streak.
Offensively, they have been winning without captain Shane Doan, who just returned Sunday from his lower body injury. Their big offseason acquisition Ray Whitney has been on fire with nine points during the streak.
With home games this week vs. the lowly Oilers on Tuesday and Friday with the Ducks, I will not only be looking to see if the Coyotes can keep this winning streak going, but I will also be looking to see if anyone will show up. This team proved the impossible last year as they fought for a playoff berth and will continue to do the same this year. Let’s just hope people in Glendale start caring.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
We have not gotten to do this feature in the Hat Trick yet this season because there has been so much to talk about, but this week we have a home series that I will be paying attention to. The Western Conference-leading Detroit Red Wings face the surprise Columbus Blue Jackets Friday in Columbus and then Sunday in the Motor City.
The Red Wings offense has been sizzling this year, as they lead the NHL with 3.67 goals per game. The Wings are being paced by the regulars of Pavel Datsyuk (22 points) and Henrik Zetterberg (20 points), but also some surprises like Dan Cleary’s nine goals and the good health of Johan Franzen (13 points in 17 games).
The hottest player in the NHL and this week’s NHL First Star of the Week is the Blue Jackets’ Rick Nash. The power forward had six goals this week, including two game-winning goals as Columbus won three straight on the West Coast. They gave the Kings their first home loss of the season and swept a three-game Pacific Coast road trip for the first time in franchise history.
I am sure these two hot teams and division opponents will produce two much-anticipated games this week. The Red Wings have dominated the series, winning 45 games, including five wins in six games last season, but with Columbus playing some of their best hockey, I will be watching to see if they can reverse that trend.
Fantasy Focus: The Second Line Of Duty
November 16th, 2010The second line is sometimes the forgotten line on fantasy teams. First line players always are drafted and own in most leagues but you can’t ignore those players that take advantage of the less ice time to be productive fantasy options. In this week’s Pucking Awesome Fantasy Focus we will look at some teams and their second line options.
ANAHEIM DUCKS
One of the most dynamic fantasy lines is the combination of Ryan Getzlaf- Corey Perry-Bobby Ryan but this season the veteran second line of Saku Koivu-Teemu Selanne-Jason Blake are showing they are fantasy options also.
The line combines for 41 years of NHL service, 1,023 career NHL goals and 2,432 career NHL points. This season they have proven that they still have some scoring left in them. The Finish Flash paces this line with seven goals and 19 points followed by his countryman Koivu with seven goals and 11 points, lastly Blake has three goals and seven points.
Teemu is an obvious ownership in all leagues as he continues to see time on the top power play unit and produces, shown in his already seven power points. The question turns to his centerman and winger if they are viable fantasy options playing on a second line that is sometimes overshadowed by such a dominant top line.
Lost in the Ducks terrible season last year was the production of Koivu in his first year on the west coast. The former lifetime Canadiens had 19 goals and 52 points continuing his great two-way hockey with a +14. He also had 16 power play points, three shorthanded points and six game winning goals. He is only owned in about 66% of leagues, according to ESPN.com, and should be owned in much more. The 35-year-old is continuing to show he still has some fuel left in his tank and still playing over 18 minutes per game.
Jason Blake is only benefiting from playing with two such talented players and should only be owned in an injury fill in or if the Ducks schedule shows them playing more games than another player that week. He is only playing about 14 minutes a game and gets limited ice time on the power play.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Now with sniper Marion Gaborik healthy what has been the Rangers most productive line is now considered their second line. The line of Brandon Dubinsky-Ryan Callahan-Artem Anisimov has been making some noise early and a big reason the Rangers stayed competitive during their leading scorer’s absence. Those three are 1-2-3 in scoring with Dubinsky at the top with 17 points followed by Callahan’s 16 points and Anisimov’s 14 points.
We have seen this before from the 24-year-old Dubinsky who has his most career points in the month of October with 31. The difference this year is we have not seen the dominance that the former 2nd round pick has shown in all situations. He leads the team with six power play points and three short handed points, and he continues to rack up those important fantasy penalty minutes.
The red hot Ryan Callahan has 12 points in his last 11 games and is now a legit fantasy option. The 25-year-old has had back-to-back good seasons and now seems poised to become a breakout star for the Rangers in his fourth full season. Last season he showed he can produce on the man advantage with 20 points and already has three points early. He also has two shorthanded points and two game winning goals and is really starting to have chemistry with Dubinsky, just watch their game winning goal against the Penguins on Monday.
The 22-year-old Anisimov is the wild card in this threesome. In his rookie year last season the Russian produced a disappointing 12 goals and 28 points. This season the former 2nd round pick is starting to show his offensive capabilities and taking advantage of the extra ice time playing with the talents of Dubinsky and Callahan. Anisimov is second on the team with five power play points and already has half of the points (14) that he had last season. Still owned in only 45% of leagues, according to ESPN.com, you should be picking up this talented player as long as he continues to play with Dubie and Cally.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
When the Capitals made the decision to reunite the All-Star line of Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Alex Semin the fantasy focus shifted on if any other player could be a fantasy option on this offensive talented team.
The immediate attention for owner’s shifts toward Brooks Laich, who is owned in 100% of leagues, according to ESPN.com, and for good reason the power forward has 12 points in the first 18 games. The 27-year-old early on is proving that his 25 goals and 59 points were not a fluke last season. The 6’2’’ forwards obvious worth is his time cleaning up the garbage in front of the power play.
Laich has not had solid linemates this season but one of the most consistent players he plays with is Tomas Fleischmann. The 26-year-old has started out slowly with only eight points in the first 18 games and even saw some time on the fourth line in the Capitals last game. But this could be the motivating factor for the Czech that had 23 goals and 51 points last season. Keeps an eye on Fleischmann if he starts to get regular shifts centering the second line with Laich.
The other wing on the second line has been a revolving door with veteran Mike Knuble getting some time there as well as former first round pick Eric Fehr. Both of those players are fringe fantasy players with Knuble having some more value due to his power play time. The Capitals have the potential to have fantasy studs on both of their top two lines especially when they decide to split up the All-Star line giving some of the mention players a much needed fantasy boost.
NHL Hat Trick: Three Teams Staying Power
November 15th, 2010The NHL season will hit its quarter mark in the next couple of weeks.
Some teams have limped their way into the first stretch while others have sprinted towards that first pole marker. Before I review the three hottest teams out of the gate and break down their staying power, let’s hand out some awards.
MVP is Lightning’s Steven Stamkos, who leads the league in both goals (15) and points (28).
Best goalie is the Bruins’ Tim Thomas who just suffered his first loss of the year in his 10th start (8-1-0) and leads the league in save percentage (.957) and shutouts (3).
Rookie of the year we stay in the nets and give it to Flyers Sergei Bobrovsky who has 10 wins in his first 13 career starts and is near the top of the league in both save percentage (5th) and goals against average (7th).
Now let’s break some hot teams down Pucking Awesome Hat Trick style.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
The Flyers are starting to prove doubters of their amazing Stanley Cup run wrong early on this season. My rookie of the year, Sergei Bobrovsky (22), is responsible for much of their fledgling success. But, they can also attest to the deep crop of forwards they can field each night.
Seven skaters already have double digit points, with more than half of them having 15+ points.
The team as a whole is second in the league in goals per game (3.41), and the once struggling power play has found its stride scoring at 21.9 %, good for seventh in the league. Their penalty kill has not been too shabby either ranked sixth in the league (86.8%). Only the Canucks and Lightning also have both their PP and PK ranked in the top ten like the Flyers. Also, only the Canucks and Kings are ranked in the top ten in both goals for and goals against like the surging Flyers.
The emergence of Claude Giroux as a superstar in the league has also paced the Flyers.
The former first round draft pick has 18 points in 17 games with four power play goals, three shorthanded goals and three game winning goals so far this season. His development along with the continued hot play of the Briere-Leino-Hartnell line has created matchup problems for opposing defenses.
Speaking of defenses, no team in the NHL can match the Flyers top six defenseman as the +20 third pairing of Andrej Meszaros and Sean O’Donnell combined.
The depth of both the defense and offense is the reason why I believe the Flyers have staying power. Yes, they will need to figure out the “problem” of having three healthy goalies by the end of the month, but in my mind isn’t that a good “problem” to have.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px ‘Gill Sans’}
LOS ANGELES KINGS
The Kings have come out of the gate blazing leading the Western Conference with a 12-3-0 record and undefeated in the City of Angels (8-0-0).
This blossoming team has benefited from some solid goaltending as the Kings lead the league in goals against (1.87). Jonathan Quick is 10-1-0 and is third in the league in both GAA (1.52) and save percentage (.944) proving that his time in net is not winding down even with top prospect Jonathan Bernier on the roster. They always say your best penalty killer is your goalie and that is proven true as the Kings have the best penalty kill in the league (92.2%).
Offensively, they have benefited from having two lines that can score at anytime. The top line that features Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Scott Parse has 31 points combined. While, the second line of Jarret Stoll, Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams has 39 points between them all. Justin Williams needs to stay healthy for this team to have staying power. The 29-year-old has not played more than 50 games in a season since 2006-07 and in that year had 30 goals. When healthy, the former first round pick of the Flyers is a dangerous goal scorer to have on your second line.
The team has been dealing with some injuries on defense, including losing superstar Drew Doughty for six games due to a concussion and lost veteran defenseman Willie Mitchell to a fractured left wrist. But, with their hot goalie play and the return of both Doughty and hard hitting Matt Greene they seem to be ok on the backline. The Jonathan goalie tandem is the main reason I feel that the Kings have staying power. The one thing you have to worry about is their offensive depth. As they are depending on frequently injured forwards like Williams and Smyth. They have already lost Alexei Ponikarovsky to injury.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
Like the Flyers, the Montreal Canadiens are trying to prove that their run to the Eastern Conference finals was not a fluke. So far, they are not disappointing and even more impressive is they are doing it without playoff hero Jaroslav Halak.
The trade of Halak to the Blues this off-season was a highly debated topic around the league as once again golden boy Carey Price was given back his starting job. Price was even booed in his first pre-season start in Montreal as fans and experts alike continued to question the move.
Price, the only goaltender in hockey history to be named CHL Goaltender of the Year, World Junior Championship’s tournament MVP and win the AHL Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, all in the same year, has responded. The 23-year-old is 10-5-1 with a .923 save percentage and 2.18 GAA and has two shutouts already this season. The former fifth overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft will be the key to this team having staying power for the entire season.
The usual dominant power play has been dormant while the usual dormant penalty kill has been dominant. The Canadiens rank second in the league on the PK (88.9%) but rank 20th on the PP (14.5%). Much of the non-success of the power play has to be pointed toward the injury of Andrei Markov. The veteran has only played in seven games this season and injured his knee again. Not good to have the player that has 194 career power play points not in the lineup.
I think this team has limited staying power and like I said will depend a lot on Price, now even more so with the injury to Markov. Another important key to them having staying power is to get more production out of their other playoff hero Michael Cammalleri, who only has four goals in the first 16 games.
The Hat Trick: Answering The Goalie Question
November 8th, 2010The goaltender is the most talked about position in the NHL today. More and more teams are relying on a tandem or an unproven commodity to lead them to victory.
Right now there are only six goalies who have started 12 or more games and most teams are not having their goaltender play more than 60 percent of the time. In this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick I examine the three goaltending situations that are at the forefront of all hockey fans’ minds.
No one has had a more revolving door in the crease than the defending President Trophy winners. Picked by most to repeat that feet this year the Capitals turned to two unproven 22-year-olds this offseason in Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth.
Varlamov, the playoff goalie the last two springs, suffered a groin injury early and started the season on IR. Paving the way for the two-time Calder Cup champion Neuvirth who went out and won four of his first five games played. All seemed well as Varly was set to return from the injury but after his first start was back on the shelf with the same groin injury.
The Czech goalie continued his hot play winning eight of the first 13 games played in filling in for Varlamov, with a 2.41 GAA and .914 save percentage. Then came Friday night vs. the Bruins, a game which the 22-year-old gave up three goals on 14 shots and was pulled giving way for former third-round pick Braden Holtby.
The 21-year-old finished the game strong in a Capitals comeback win and then was given his first NHL start against the red-hot and first-place Flyers. The 6’1” goalie responded with his second win in his second game and now has fans in Washington really confused on who should be their netminder.
I think the organization has given Semyon Varlamov every chance to become the full-fledged No. 1 option and will be given that opportunity back when completely healthy. The Russian already has the playoff experience that the Capitals feel they need in a goalie but I am sure they are pleased in how both Neuvirth and Holtby have played just in case Varlamov does not stay healthy.
The no-angle goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final and flat out bad goaltending play brought to the forefront what every media outlet has covered for decades—the Flyers have not had a franchise goalie since Ron Hextall retired.
With that in mind and some money to spend GM Paul Holmgren made the calls to the likes of Evgeni Nabokov, Dan Ellis and Marty Turco but they all went to other organizations or even leagues.
Thus the Flyers seemed to be left with the tandem that they magically rode to a Stanley Cup Final appearance: waiver wire hero Michael Leighton and good locker room veteran Brian Boucher. Little did they know that a signing that happened during the playoff run would be so important to their run to the top of the East this season.
Sergei Bobrovsky played the last three seasons as the starting goalie for Metallurg, two of them in the KHL, putting up good numbers despite the bad team. The 22-year-old undrafted free agent came into Flyers camp hoping for a starting spot on the AHL team but due to hot preseason play and back surgery to Leighton was named the opening-night goalie for the Flyers.
Bob’s has been spectacular with an 8-2-1 record and ranked ninth in the league in both GAA (2.19) and save percentage (.926). He even was one win short of the franchise record of seven consecutive wins for a rookie netminder.
Now, with Leighton rehabbing his back and set for an end-of-month return, begs the question of who will be the No. 1 for this top Eastern Conference team?
I think the team will carry three goalies until it is proven that Leighton is completely healthy. The team has four back-to-back game nights in the next month and a half and will have plenty of opportunities to get at least two goalies some action. Once they are forced to (salary cap reasons or not getting one goalie enough playing time) they will make the tough decision of who to take off the active roster.
What complicates things more is the goalie playing the best right now is the only one with options to be sent down without going through waivers. A lot has to be played out before they have to make their decision, but today I would say Brian Boucher better get ready for some long bus trips or a new address.
One of the more surprising top teams this year has been the Tampa Bay Lightning, though it has been mostly because their offense is pretty sick. They have been getting decent goaltending out of both Mike Smith and Dan Ellis.
The have split the starts in the first 13 games this season with Ellis having the better numbers: 2.45 GAA to Smith’s 3.43 GAA and .911 save percentage to .881 percent. But the player who they received in the big Brad Richards trade to Dallas has been winning with a 4-2 record. While the offseason free-agent acquisition also has a winning record of 3-2-2.
I must give new general manager Steve Yzerman some credit in teaming up two goalies with not a lot of recent success to be the No. 1 goalie. He seems to have found a great pair that will not complain for more ice time as the other plays.
For this team to have continued success I think they will have to keep the formula of splitting time to keep these talented goalies fresh and away from injury. I think if they needed to rely on one of them that would be a recipe for disaster.
Hat Trick – NHL Players Coming Back From Injury
November 1st, 2010Happy Halloween everyone! Hopefully you got some candy you like and didn’t get scared because there were no NHL games to watch on Sunday night. Some more suspension handed out this week as the NHL continues to take no extracurricular behavior in the games. The NHL is serious about making their sport safer and throwing the book at repeat offenders that just don’t get the clue. With that said, let’s get to the Pucking Awesome Hat Trick and this week I am looking at three big stars that have returned or are returning to the lineups around the NHL.
CANADIENS POWER OUTAGE:
The arrivals started on Saturday with the return of Canadiens top defender Andrei Markov from off-season knee surgery. The 31-year-old played his regular 23 minutes with 4:32 of that coming on the power play. The power play is where Markov will have the most impact since Montreal is tied for last in the league scoring at 7.7%.
Markov has 283 career assist, with 152 of them coming on the man advantage and over half of his 80 career goals come on the power play (41). Needless to say the Russian has become a weapon on the Canadiens usually dangerous power play.
Montreal has shown early that their Cinderella run through the postseason was not all about Halak as they sit atop the Northeast Division with a 7-3-1 record. Mostly it has been the play of Carey Price, but now with the addition of their top defender we know can really see if these Habs are for real.
BLACKHAWKS UP:
Another top defender is expected to make his season debut tonight at Madison Square Garden as Brian Campbell returns to the defending cup champions after missing the first 13 games due to a knee sprain.
This reappearance is good news more for Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook than anyone else. Those two defenders, due to suspensions, injuries and bad play by their teammates have already logged over 715 minutes combined, good for first and second overall in the NHL.
If the Blackhawks are to defend their title they are going to have to cut those workhorses’ minutes down and Brian Campbell should help solidify the second unit and take some special team’s ice time off their tired hands.
CANUCKS AGITATOR:
Lastly, one of the NHL’s biggest surprise is set to return this week as the Canucks agitator Alex Burrows comes back from off-season surgery to his shoulder. This is huge news for Canucks teams that has come out of the gate slow with a 4-3-2 record and have given up as many goals as they have scored (24).
The 29-year-old solidified the Canucks top Sedin line with a career high 35 goals and 67 points and was an amazing +34 and agitated the heck out of opponents with 121 penalty minutes. Last season they combined for 129 points as Henrik won the Hart Trophy and the undrafted free agent Burrows won the Heart Trophy.
The Canucks have used 10 different wingers alongside the talented Sedin twins and it will be nice for Coach Alain Vigneault to have his top line back together so he can figure out the other line combinations. The other positive has been the other players to step up in Burrows absence to show the organizational depth the Canucks have.
Fantasy Focus: Defensive Weekend Warriors
October 29th, 2010The defenseman is the most underrated fantasy stud an owner could have. This weekend the league takes Sunday off to pass out some candy. Let’s break down some of the weekend warriors who could be fantasy studs to watch out for.
Teams with two games this weekend: Ducks, Thrashers, Sabres, Hurricanes, Blackhawks, Canadiens, Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Flyers and Penguins.
Defenseman To Watch
Steve Montador, Sabres. The 30-year-old d-man is on an offensive tear with five points in his last five games. The eight-year veteran tied his career high last season with 23 points and is already on pace to smash that with eight points in his first 10 games this season.
Even more importantly, he ranks near the top of the league with a +8 and has chipped in with 12 penalty minutes. With the Sabres being one of the few teams that have two games this weekend, be ready for this rising defenseman to be owned in more than 32 percent of leagues.
Michal Rozsival, Rangers. The Rangers are still missing their top offensive weapon in Marian Gaborik but Rozsival is picking up some of the scoring slack with four points in his last four games.
With the Rangers making the movement to a more young defense with the likes of Staal, Del Zotto and Girardi, many owners forget about Rozie. The 32-year-old defender leads the young kids in time on ice with 24:32 minutes per game and is still located on the top power play line shown in his three of his six points coming on the power play.
The Blue Shirts have games against the Hurricanes and Maple Leafs and grab him as when Gaborik comes back the power play will continue to blossom.
Matt Taormina, Devils. As the Devils continue their slide let’s not forget their fantasy value and Lou has done it again by finding a diamond in the rough and this time in his old stomping ground.
The undrafted free agent from Providence has been on the top line of the power play playing almost 3:30 a game on the man advantage. It has not produced points yet as the Devils have struggled to score goals but as they start to produce so will this defender. With two games out west this weekend while you are sleeping, Taormina could be producing.
NHL Fantasy Focus: The Goalie Tandem Conundrum
October 26th, 2010The Goalie tandem issue runs every fantasy team. Do I try to own both goalies? If I own one what do I trade to get the other or get back in a trade to an owner who has the other tandem? In this week’s Pucking Awesome Fantasy Focus we will break down the strategy an owner should have with some of the hot goalie tandems out there right now.
Antero Niittymaki: 4 GP (3 GS): 2-0-1, 1.80 GAA, .932 save percentage
Antti Niemi: 4 GS: 1-3-0, 4.49 GAA, .854 save percentage
The Blackhawks Stanley Cup hero is struggling out of the gate with his new team, as the goalie the team originally signed to be their No. 1 has taken the reins. Surprisingly enough you search the waiver wire and it is Niemi who is owned in more leagues than Niittymaki, 80 percent to 40 percent.
My take on this tandem is that Niittymaki is usually good in spurts of action; he has never been able to prove that he is the No. 1 guy. That being said, this is a great spot for him to outperform his countryman and become the best fantasy option on this team. Niitty in the last three years has a GAA of 2.84 and a save percentage of .909, those numbers do not happen unless you are talented.
Let’s not forget Niemi on the other hand only played in 39 games last season and rode a very good team to a Stanley Cup and was hoping do duplicate that in San Jose. In conclusion, the Niemi owners should be banging down the door to acquire Niittymaki by trade or waiver wire pick up. While, the Niittymaki owners should be knocking softly to the Niemi owners to see if they could acquire him only for injury insurance.
Michal Neuvirth: 8 GP (7 GS): 5-2-0, 2.53 GAA, .919 save percentage
Semyon Varlamov: 2 GP (1 GS): 0-1-0, 2.91 GAA, .896 save percentage
This tandem is one of the hardest to pin down as it features two upstart goalies that we do not have a big track record to go on, only that Varlamov is hurt every two weeks or so. Like the Sharks, the Capitals have high hopes of a team that won the President’s Trophy last season, thus making any player that stands between the pipes an instant fantasy start. This is evident when Neuvirth, who has started seven out of the first eight games, ownership went from almost 40 percent to 90 percent from the start of the year.
Now the news is that the Capitals playoff goalie the last two seasons will not travel with the team this weekend due to a groin injury, the same injury that caused the Russian to spend the first couple of weeks on IR.
This is a perfect case that you should try your best to own both goalies. The organization has made it apparent that they want Varlamov to be the franchise goalie and when healthy expect that to be the case, but the key word is “when.” The constant trips to IR because of a groin injury have to be worrisome for a goalie. With that in mind, Varlamov owners should make every effort to acquire Neuvirth and vice-versa. Neuvirth has backstopped Hershey to back-to-back Calder Cups and has looked decent to start the season.
Marc-Andre Fleury: 4 GS: 1-3-0, 3.25 GAA, .859 save percentage
Brent Johnson: 5 GS: 4-0-1, 1.39 GAA, .951 save percentage
Talk about taking advantage of an opportunity, as the career backup Brent Johnson has busted onto the fantasy scene by starting the season on a tear. The goalie that has not started more than 30 games since his early years in St. Louis all of a sudden has started five of the last seven games.
The biggest question has to be will this trend continue? I believe it will not as this is just the case of the Penguins struggling offensively out of the gate and picking up their play as the season has progressed early. Though, Marc-Andre Fleury owners cannot be happy with how the former first overall pick has responded to such a bad playoff last spring.
Hopefully MAF owners jumped on the BJ bandwagon and picked him up when they started to notice the trend of him getting the starting nod. If not, do not worry as soon enough the flower will have his starting job back and we will watch Johnson’s ownership fall from its peak of 60 percent right now.
The Hat Trick: What Should You Be Watching For This Week in the NHL
October 25th, 2010What a weekend of hockey with six hat tricks in two days. Friday saw Steven Stamkos, Rene Bourque and Daniel Alfredsson light the lamp three times. That was only to be followed Saturday by Alexander Semin, Brad Richardson and John Tavares first hat trick of his NHL career. Alfredsson eight career hat trick also led to his 1,000 NHL point, only the 75th NHL player to reach that milestone. Team of the week has to be the St. Louis Blues
who fought the Blackhawks hard in an OT loss Monday only to come back and beat the defending champions Friday and then shutout the high powered Penguins on Saturday. Player of the Week and maybe of the first couple of weeks in the NHL is the sharp shooting Steven Stamkos.
Not only did he have second career hat trick but the former first overall pick is on a four-game point streak as he paces the league with 15 points and 8 goals. Now onto the Pucking Awesome Hat Trick or the top three storylines I am watching for this week.
Bruins Goalie Drama
The stories coming out of the Hub not only surround the red hot start by Nathan Horton, who has a point in every game he has played for the Bruins but who is winning for the team in net. Tim Thomas was named the 2009 Vezina Trophy winner and during that season was signed to a lucrative four-year deal and seemed to be the goalie of the present and future for the B’s.
The following season the veteran shared time with former Maple Leafs 1st round pick Tuuka Rask to only see his job stolen by the end of the season. Thomas only started nine games after February 1st and Rask was named the playoff goaltender and thus given a two-year contract and presumed to be the Bruins goalie of the present and future.
But the 36-year-old goalie is not ready to just sit and watch that happen as Thomas has started the season 4-0 with a 0.75 GAA and .978 save percentage. On the flip side Rask is 0-2 with a 3.52 GAA and .894 save percentage. Can you say goalie controversy?
All signs point to that Thomas has regained his top spot for now as the second-year pro struggles to find his last season’s top notch form. This will be a great storyline to watch as the Bruins have two division rival games this week. We could be seeing another chapter being written in the fairy tale Tim Thomas story.
Can the Preds Be Stopped?
Quick, can you name the NHL team yet to lose a game in regulation this season? Blackhawks, not even close. Penguins, good guess. Red Wings, close, but no cigar. It is the Nashville Predators, who have started the 2010-11 campaign 5-0-3. The team that took the Blackhawks to the brink in last year’s playoffs have come out of the Chute on fire and have been led by the normal characters.
When starting goalie Pekka Rinne went down early with an injury former 7th round pick Anders Lindback was forced into action and he responded big time. The rookie is 3-0-1 with a 2.55 GAA and .925 save percentage to start his career as the 6-6 goalie has teamed up with the 6-5 Rinne for not only the tallest goalie tandem but a darn good one.
Rinne has returned and is 2-0-2 with a 1.58 GAA and .955 save percentage. Both goalies need to be at their best as the Preds have been giving up 34.9 shots a game, good for 26th in the league and their combined 2.12 GAA is good for fourth best in the league.
Beyond the ageless Steve Sullivan (6 points in 8 games), the names of Cal O’Reilly, Colin Wilson and Cody Franson have paced the team offensively. The former seventh overall pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft Colin Wilson built on his hot finish last season to start with five points in the first eight games.
With the loss of Dam Hamuis this offseason and Ryan Suter to injury early, Cody Franson has picked up the slack with four points and a plus-4 rating. The 23-year-old is proving that his 21 points and plus-15 in 61 games last season was not a fluke.
The biggest surprise to the Predators hot start has to be the play of Cal O’Reilly. The 24-year-old has been playing on the top line and been producing with six points. The former fifth round pick has been playing 17:36 minutes per game and has seen time on the top power play unit already with two power play assists and has one game-winning goal.
With division games against the Blues and equally hot Red Wings this week I will be watching to see if this unbeaten streak will continue.
Contraction Talk
With the news this week that NBA Commissioner David Stern confirmed that contraction could be a possibility, the heads turn to the NHL’s big boss Gary Bettman with the same question. With the Coyotes still searching for an owner, the Islanders still are searching for a stadium deal and the Thrashers and Blue Jackets struggling to sell tickets the thought of contraction has to be thought about.
Those four teams are averaging fewer than 13,000 fans a game to start off this season. One of the three between the Islanders, Thrashers and Coyotes have been the bottom three in attendance the last five years with all three being in those spots the last two.
While the latest collective-bargaining agreement still has two seasons to run its course the buzz word of contraction might come up in the next big discussion. Would this help a league that is booming in many markets but struggling in others?
This is a storyline that will be discuss as we get closer to the CBA deadline and farther away from answers for the Coyotes, Islanders, Thrashers and Blue Jackets to why they are not getting people to care.
Fantasy Focus: The Make It Or Break It Weekend Warriors
October 22nd, 2010Do not let fantasy studs pass you by holding onto players that are not producing. This week we look at some players that need a big weekend or should hit the waiver wire soon. So let’s break down the Weekend Warriors of could be fantasy studs to watch out for.
Teams with 2 games this weekend: Thrashers, Sabres, Flames, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Predators, Devils, Rangers, Senators, Blues, Sharks, Lightning
Forwards to watch:
Tim Connolly, Sabres C: The talented but often injured Connolly is coming off a year that saw him play 73 games and become a fantasy start with 17 goals and 65 points. This season the 29-year-old has only three points in the first seven games and it is not because he is not getting the ice time playing 16:19 minutes a game with 3:35 of that coming on the power play. The veteran is owned in 97% of leagues and was benched last week, with two games against the Senators and Devils this weekend if he doesn’t produce should be benched by your fantasy team.
Jamie Langenbrunner, Devils W: The Devils captain has continued his late season slump last season into this season. The 35-year-old is a -4 and has only four assists in the first seven games, which is one goal in his last 19 games played. Langenbrunner is playing on a line with Patrik Elias and Jason Arnott, with those line mates he should be producing as both of those players have nine points combined on a team that is struggling to score. The veteran is owned in 95% of leagues and has games against the Sabres and Rangers, two tough goalies this weekend and needs to start producing or he will start being released.
Simon Gagne, Lightning W: The big off-season acquisition for the Lightning has yet to score a point and is a -8 in his first six games in Tampa. The former 40-goal scorer stock is dropping with the recent injury that has slowed line mates Vincent Lecavalier. With two games against the Thrashers and Predators this weekend, if the scoreless draught continues so will the decline 94% ownership of this talented forward.
Defenseman To Watch:
Jay Bouwmeester, Flames: How is this guy owned in 100% of leagues? I am guessing the answer is because he use to be a fantasy stud in Florida but has a dud in Calgary. In 82 games last season the 27-year-old had only 29 points and was a -4 this season he has no points in six games. The kid plays over 26 minutes a game, which is way too much ice time to not be producing. The Flames face the Blue Jackets and Sharks this weekend and as the slide continues for the team so should the ownership of Bouwmeester.
Erik Karlsson, Senators: The former first round pick burst onto the scene with 26 points in 60 games last season and big things were expected with the addition of Sergei Gonchar. So far the 20-year-old has struggled one point in the first six games and worst off a -4. The 15th overall pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft is still seeing time on the second power play unit and has back-to-back games against division rivals Buffalo and Montreal. Karlsson needs to start producing or his ownership will continue to fall like it has the last couple of weeks from almost 50% to 28%.
Erik Johnson, Blues: The former first overall pick had a career year last season with 10 goals and 39 points but so far has yet to see any production with one assist in the first five games. This is one player who should not worry fantasy owners yet, but with two games against the red hot Blackhawks and Penguins this weekend the scoring draught could continue. The 22-year-old has now been moved to the second power play unit as Carlo Colaiacovo has taken over his top spot and this hurts his fantasy value.
Goalies To Watch:
Antti Niemi, Sharks: With all the controversy this off-season that this Stanley Cup goalie caused it was important for the goalie to come out sharp with his new team. That has not been the case as in his first three starts with the Sharks the 27-year-old has giving up 11 goals and a .879 save percentage. The team has back-to-back games this weekend so expect Niemi to get into a game this weekend and needs to prove his worth as he is owned in 95% of leagues.
Antero Niittymaki, Sharks: The other end of the Sharks tandem has been playing like the number one goalie he was paid to be before Niemi became available. The 30-year-old won in his second start by stopping 29 of 31 shots against Colorado, a good offensive team. The Finnish goalie is only owned in 27% of leagues and again with back-to-back games this weekend against the offensive challenged Oilers and Flames expect Niittymaki’s ownership to sky rocket by next week.
Cory Schneider, Canucks: With the much publicized struggles of Roberto Luongo has brought Cory Schneider name to attention to fantasy owners. The former first round pick and AHL goaltender of the year has a win in his only start this year. With a game against the Wild this weekend, a team that has given Luongo fits, shown in his six goals against last start in Minnesota, expect Schneider to get the nod. Luongo is a top notch fantasy goalie and will be fine this season but keep an eye on Schneider for the team will look to start Bobby Lou less this season and give this capable backup some fantasy value.
Fantasy Focus: Worth It Or Not? Some NHL Waiver Wire Advice After Week 1
October 19th, 2010One week into the season and you are either loving your draft a top the standings or scouring the waiver wire trying to reconfigure a new team to compete. Either way the waiver wire and your current roster is full of hits and misses so lets break the forwards down Pucking Awesome style.
Pick Up Immediately
Tomas Kopecky, Blackhawks W:
The checking line winger had a career high 10 goals last season and is on fire to start the season. His seven assists already are four away from last years total.
The 28-year-old is now primed for a career year playing alongside the hottest player in the NHL, Marian Hossa and either Patrick Sharp or Jonathan Toews. Some high price talent on that line with Kopecky which will help his plus/minus (+5) and he is second on the team with 10 PIM.
The Slovak is only owned in 64.3 percent of leagues and that should increase very soon.
Mark Letestu, Penguins C:
The top of the Penguins scoring leaders are some familiar names but one sticks out like sore thumb, rookie center Mark Letestu.
The 25-year-old has seven points in his first seven games while playing mostly with Evgeni Malkin. The undrafted free agent is playing on the second power play unit and already has two game winning goals.
Only owned in 11 percent of leagues but playing on such a potent offense should make this number rise.
Proceed With Caution
Matt Cullen, Wild C:
Regarded as the big free agent pick up by the Wild this offseason Matt Cullen has been a pleasant surprise.
Playing primarily on the second line and top power play Cullen has six points with five of them coming on the power play. Their lies the problem, no way will he remain that hot on the Wild power play and relying heavily on power play points does not equal a good fantasy player.
Pick up the 33-year-old for a power play boost but proceed with caution.
Josh Bailey, Islanders C:
The Islanders are red hot to start the season and have had some real fantasy options come to the fore front and right at the top of the list is former first round pick Josh Bailey.
The 21-year-old took advantage of the recent injuries to break out with six points in the first six games, with half of them coming on the power play. Proceed with caution for John Taveres is now back healthy and will start taking some of the ice time away from the talented Bailey.
Not to mention Bailey left last game early due to a hip flexor injury. I am not denying that this kid has talent and should be a good NHL player but as the Islanders slump away from this hot start so will some of their early fantasy studs.
