This Is For Fantasy Keeps

Here are my fantasy forward, defense, and goalie for Saturday.

Forward: Zach Parise

Defense: Andrei Markov

Goaltender: Martin Brodeur


This just seems like a plan that will work. We will see what happens.

Tonight's Picks With Odds And Ends...

Apparently it is said that you need to eat your meat before you can have any pudding. Well same premise goes for the odds and ends of the league. You have to make tonight's picks or you will get no odds and ends.


Tonight's Picks

Chicago

Anaheim


Odds And Ends:

Jared Boll suspended for 1 game (instigator in last minute)

Sidney Crosby (ribs) day to day

Alexander Ovechkin (personal reasons) should be back Monday.


That is all for now...a light night with two games but I wanted to thank Ryan for letting me have the keys for a few days. I can only imagine what my fantasy picks will do against his tomorrow night. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Tonight's picks....

Yes here we go....some Thursday Night Picks.....these are Ryan's by the way.

Buffalo
Ny Rangers
Philiadelphia
Ottawa
Edmonton
Montreal
St. Louis
Colorado
Boston
Pittsburgh
Los Angeles
San Jose

I do not know how many he will be right on but there are some interesting picks in there. Enjoy the hockey!!!

Shanny No Score For Rangers...

Shanny will not be signing a deal with the New York Rangers. He is tired of waiting. Basically he has asked his agents to inquire about other teams. This was a deal the Rangers should have made but at 9-2-1, Glen Sather feels that Shanahan just isn't worth it for the team.

Now where is he going to end up? That is a big question. There have been several teams in the running for some time but the Devils are one of the few that have enough cap room to actually pull it off. Problem is how much would Shanny actually take. He will not get 3 million and probably will get less than 2 now but we will see. Stranger things have happened in the NHL.

Remember that Sather made his bed here with Shanahan. Clearly Shanny wanted to play for the Rangers but that wasn't going to happen. Sather wanted most of the aging guys gone and now he has what he wants. Question is now where will Shanahan end up. I will consider a team like Carolina a darkhorse right now but time will tell...stay tuned folks. This could get interesting and quick.

Morning Skate: Wednesday, 10/29

Tonight’s Slate:
Maple Leafs @ Devils, 7:30 ET
Wild @ Stars, 8:30
Red Wings @ Ducks, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Detroit Red Wings (7-1-1) @ Anaheim Ducks (5-5-0)
10:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
DET- Brian Rafalski
The veteran d-man needs to have a good 2-way game tonight.
ANA- Corey Perry
Perry is starting to get hot with a great road trip.

Projected Goaltenders:
DET- Chris Osgood (08-09 stats: 4-1-1, 3.12 GAA)
ANA- Jean-Sebastien Giguere (08-09 stats: 4-4-0, 2.86 GAA)

Injury Report:
DET- Johan Franzen (knee, out), Chris Chelios (leg, out)
ANA- Brad Larsen (sports hernia, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Ducks 4, Red Wings 3 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Devils over Maple Leafs
Wild over Stars

Fantasy stud: Martin Brodeur, NJ
Fantasy dud: Brad Richards, DAL

Nightly Roundup: 10/28

Tonight's Results:
Capitals 4, Predators 3 (SO)
Flyers 7, Thrashers 0
Canadiens 3, Hurricanes 2 (SO)
Lightning 3, Maple Leafs 2
Flames 3, Avalanche 0
Bruins 1, Canucks 0
Sharks 2, Penguins 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Tim Thomas, BOS
31 Saves, Shutout... Big props to Thomas as he picks up his 2nd shutout in as many nights.
2. Simon Gagne, PHI
2 Goals, 2 Assists, +3... Gagne's 4 points fueled Philly's 7-0 pounding in Atlanta.
3. Vincent Lecavalier, TB
2 Goals... Vinny led his Bolts to victory in Toronto with his pair of goals.
Honorable Mention: M. Kiprusoff, CGY; A. Semin, WSH; A. Niittymaki, PHI; J. Arnott, NSH; J. Lupul, PHI; M. Knuble, PHI; J. Dumont, NSH; M. Smith, TB; C. Price, MTL; R. Bourque, CGY; G. Metropolit, PHI; D. Boyle, SJ; D. Sabourin, PIT; R. Luongo, VAN; M. Ryder, BOS

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 5-2
Fantasy Stud: Paul Stastny, COL (0 pts.)
Fantasy Dud: Dan Ellis, NSH (3 GA, OTL)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Red Wings @ Ducks

Power Rankings (Week of 10/28)

1. New York Rangers (LW: 2)
Blueshirts seem to be finding new ways to win every night.
2. Detroit Red Wings (LW: 4)
Offense is finally clicking… just think how good they’ll be once the defense gets rolling.
3. Montreal Canadiens (LW: 1)
One bad loss to the Ducks doesn’t hurt them much here.
4. Minnesota Wild (LW: 10)
Minny proving themselves without the oft-injured Gaborik.
5. San Jose Sharks (LW: 3)
Very scary team when on their A-game.
6. Buffalo Sabres (LW: 6)
Bad loss to Ottawa keeps them from reaching the Top 5.
7. New Jersey Devils (LW: 5)
Brodeur & co. swept in home-and-home with the Flyers over the weekend.
8. Pittsburgh Penguins (LW: 8)
Team looks to be jelling earlier than expected… look out Eastern Conference!
9. Carolina Hurricanes (LW: 11)
Sitting on top of the Southeast through 7 games.
10. Washington Capitals (LW: 7)
Two close losses out west don’t affect their ranking too much.
11. Colorado Avalanche (LW: 19)
5 consecutive wins as Budaj is looking more and more like a #1.
12. Anaheim Ducks (LW: 24)
12-spot leap for the Ducks as they go 4-0 on road trip.
13. Boston Bruins (LW: 16)
‘Team Intangibles’ had a solid week (2-1-1)… even with incorrect faceoff dots!
14. Chicago Blackhawks (LW: 18)
‘Hawks getting better each game under the direction of Mr. Quenneville.
15. St. Louis Blues (LW: 13)
What do they do in goal now!?
16. Philadelphia Flyers (LW: 20)
Flyers finally broke into win column with 2-game sweep of Devils.
17. Calgary Flames (LW: 25)
Starting to turn things around after 3-0 week.
18. Nashville Predators (LW: 14)
Defense can’t keep letting Dan Ellis down.
19. Dallas Stars (LW: 12)
Turco & co. continue to struggle in Big D.
20. Toronto Maple Leafs (LW: 26)
Hard-working Leafs will cause problems in the East with Wilson behind the bench.
21. Vancouver Canucks (LW: 21)
Demitra’s injury is another setback for this defensively-minded club.
22. Edmonton Oilers (LW: 9)
Wha, wha, what happened?? Oil lose 4 straight after 4-0 start.
23. Phoenix Coyotes (LW: 15)
Coyotes’ defense is atrocious… do they want a trade back for Ballard & Boynton?
24. Florida Panthers (LW: 28)
Team is improving behind Stillman & Vokoun.
25. Los Angeles Kings (LW: 27)
Could Terry Murray really be the answer??
26. Ottawa Senators (LW: 17)
I’m sorry… this team is awful with no goaltending.
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (LW: 23)
Losing this many close games is either a good or bad sign for this young team.
28. Atlanta Thrashers (LW: 22)
Fading back to reality after average start!
29. Tampa Bay Lightning (LW: 29)
The Melrose experiment isn’t going as planned in Tampa.
30. New York Islanders (LW: 30)
Easily the worst team in hockey right now.

Morning Skate: Tuesday, 10/28

Tonight’s Slate:
Predators @ Capitals, 7:00 ET
Flyers @ Thrashers, 7:00
Lightning @ Maple Leafs, 7:30
Hurricanes @ Canadiens, 7:30
Avalanche @ Flames, 9:30
Bruins @ Canucks, 10:00
Penguins @ Sharks, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Pittsburgh Penguins (5-2-2) @ San Jose Sharks (7-2-0)
8:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
PIT- Miroslav Satan
Pens will need secondary scoring to win at the Tank.
SJ- Joe Pavelski
The sparkplug forward has 4 points in his last 4 games.

Projected Goaltenders:
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (Career vs. SJ: 0-1, 3.06 GAA)
SJ- Evgeni Nabokov (Career vs. PIT: 6-1, 1.96 GAA)

Injury Report:
PIT- Ryan Whitney (foot, out), Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Hal Gill (undisclosed injury, questionable)
SJ- Torrey Mitchell (leg, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Sharks 4, Penguins 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Capitals over Predators
Flyers over Thrashers
Maple Leafs over Lightning
Canadiens over Hurricanes
Avalanche over Flames
Bruins over Canucks

Fantasy stud: Paul Stastny, COL
Fantasy dud: Dan Ellis, NSH

Nightly Roundup: 10/27

Tonight's Results:
Ducks 3, Blue Jackets 2
Rangers 4, Islanders 2
Sabres 5, Sabres 2
Wild 3, Blackhawks 2
Bruins 1, Oilers 0 (OT)
Red Wings 4, Kings 3 (SO)

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Jason Spezza, OTT
2 Goals, 1 Assist, +2
2. Mikko Koivu, MIN
3 Assists, +1
3. Tim Thomas, BOS
27 Saves, Shutout

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-1-1
Fantasy Stud: Marian Hossa, DET (PPG, -1)
Fantasy Dud: Patrick Sharp, CHI (1 G, +1)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Penguins @ Sharks

Morning Skate: Monday, 10/27

Tonight’s Slate:
Senators @ Sabres, 7:00 ET
Rangers @ Islanders, 7:00
Ducks @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Blackhawks @ Wild, 8:00
Bruins @ Oilers, 9:00
Red Wings @ Kings, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Chicago Blackhawks (3-2-3) @ Minnesota Wild (5-0-1)
8:00 ET… TV: VERSUS, TSN2

Players to watch:
CHI- Duncan Keith
I look for Keith to continue his early-season success from the blue line.
MIN- Mikko Koivu
Koivu needs to step up offensively with the Gaborik injury.

Projected Goaltenders:
CHI- Cristobal Huet (08-09 stats: 1-1-1, 2.60 GAA)
MIN- Niklas Backstrom (08-09 stats: 5-0-1, 1.97 GAA)

Injury Report:
CHI- James Wisniewski (knee, out)
MIN- Marian Gaborik (lower body, out), Kurtis Foster (leg, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Wild 3, Blackhawks 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Sabres over Senators
Rangers over Islanders
Ducks over Blue Jackets
Oilers over Bruins
Red Wings over Kings

Fantasy stud: Henrik Zetterberg, DET
Fantasy dud: Patrick Sharp, CHI

Around the NHL

Ducks turn season around north of the border
Just when you thought the Ducks were dead in the water at 1-5, they pull off a major feat this week. Anaheim traveled to Eastern Canada this past week, and won all 3 games. It started with a solid win in Toronto, then a much more impressive win at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. But the cherry on top turned out to be a wild 6-4 win over the Canadiens. It seems pretty clear to me that Randy Carlyle has gotten his boys back on track, and the Ducks are back in the west.

A big factor in this sudden turnaround is the play of their big guns up front (Getzlaf, Perry, and Selanne). In the first six games of the season, they combined for an awful stat line of 1 G, 2 A, -13. In the three games in Eastern Canada, the big three put up 4 G, 6 A, +5 combined. That’s a huge difference as they are the backbone to Anaheim’s success. And if the Ducks can cap off the road trip with a victory in Columbus, they’ll carry that momentum into a big home-stand at the Honda Center (9 of 10 at home).

Rangers keep rolling
I think Rangers fans want their team to play every other day if they could… because they keep winning! New York’s good team has played the most games in this young season (11), and they’ve done it in a 21-day span. The Rangers boast a league-best 8-2-1 record (17 points), and the newcomers have had a big affect in the Big Apple. The comeback win over Pittsburgh was very impressive, as Naslund and Zherdev scored in the 3rd to tie the game. The trio of Naslund, Zherdev, and Voros has combined to score 12 goals, which accounts for 41% of the Rangers’ 29 goals thus far. It won’t be until December for the schedule to stretch out, so look for New York to rack up more points as November comes and goes.

‘Super Saturday’ was… well, super!
Yesterday was the only time this season that all 30 teams played on the same day, and it lived up to expectations! A grand total of 96 goals were scored throughout the night, which averages to 6.4 goals per game. Crazy games included the Caps/Stars, Pens/Rangers, Wings/’Hawks, and Ducks/Habs. Milan Lucic had a great night (hat trick), and Cam Ward made 57 saves… yes, you read that correctly. I believe the NHL should do this often throughout the season (maybe one each month?). It creates excitement for Saturdays, and could help the sales of NHL Center Ice.

Injury bug biting teams in the behind
As if there weren’t enough injuries already across the league, three teams have recently suffered big blows to their lineups. Philly’s Daniel Briere is expected to miss the next 3-4 weeks with an abdomen injury. In Minnesota, Gaborik has been placed on IR once again, as he’ll miss some time with a lower body injury. And now in Detroit (announced today), the Mule – Johan Franzen – will also miss 3-4 weeks with a sprained knee. Those are 3 big players to their respective teams, and it’ll be interesting to see how those teams will do without them in the lineup.

New rules for next season discussed
There was an interesting story in today’s Boston Globe. It was about the possible rule changes for next year. Among things discussed at the recent GM Meetings, two new proposals stand out. To take a direct quote from the paper… “Montreal's Bob Gainey introduced the idea of not allowing players in the defensive zone to leave their feet for the purpose of either 1. blocking a shot or 2. snuffing out passes. The second offering, by Blues boss Larry Pleau, would bring a significant alteration to delayed penalties. Pleau's plan would mandate that the team about to be shorthanded no longer would get a whistle simply by gaining possession of the puck. The offending team would not gain relief (read: whistle), until 1. clearing the puck out its zone or 2. neutralizing the puck in the form of a faceoff or save by the goaltender. In many cases, a team about to go on a power play thus would have the advantage of skating six-on-five for a prolonged stretch, prior to being officially awarded the five-on-four.” I honestly don’t mind the first change proposed by Gainey, but I would not like the prolonged power play. I think the NHL already did teams a favor by sending the puck into the PK team’s defensive zone for the faceoff.

Nightly Roundup: 10/25

Tonight's Results:
Flyers 3, Devils 2 (OT)
Bruins 5, Thrashers 4
Maple Leafs 3, Senators 2
Ducks 6, Canadiens 4
Hurricanes 4, Islanders 3
Rangers 3, Penguins 2 (SO)
Sharks 3, Lightning 0
Predators 5, Kings 4
Wild 2, Blue Jackets 1
Capitals 6, Stars 5 (OT)
Blues 4, Panthers 0
Red Wings 6, Blackhawks 5 (SO)
Avalanche 2, Sabres 1 (SO)
Canucks 6, Oilers 3
Flames 4, Coyotes 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Milan Lucic, BOS
3 Goals, 1 Assist... Not only did Lucic record a hat trick, but he tied the game and won it in the 3rd for the Bruins.
2. Cam Ward, CAR
57 Saves, 3 GA... I don't care who Ward was facing; if you make 57 saves and get the 'W', you will be recognized.
3. Corey Perry, ANA
1 Goal, 2 Assists +2... Perry had a great game for the Ducks who got a huge win in Montreal.
Honorable Mention: B. Boucher, SJ; A. Semin, WSH; N. Backstrom, MIN; J. Hudler, DET; N. Kronwall, DET; S. Fedorov, WSH; R. Getzlaf, ANA; A. McDonald, STL; J. Iginla, CGY; M. Raymond, VAN; J. Hansen, VAN; M. Modano, DAL; C. LaRose, CAR; M. Naslund, NYR; A. Tanguay, MTL; J. Carter, PHI; O. Nolan, MIN; B. Boyes, STL; P. Budaj, COL; M. Kiprusoff, CGY; P. Hornqvist, NSH

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 11-3-1
Fantasy Stud: Joe Thornton, SJ (1 A, +1)
Fantasy Dud: Mathieu Garon, EDM (5 GA, Loss)
Monday's Game of the Night: Blackhawks @ Wild (No games Sunday)

'Saturday Fantasy' Recap
Chris' Picks
F- Jason Pominville, BUF (0 pts., +1)
D- Andrei Markov, MTL (1 A, -2, 1 PPP)
G- Niklas Backstrom, MIN (1 GA, Win)
Ryan's Picks
F- Joe Thornton, SJ (1 A, +1)
D- Ed Jovanovski, PHX (0 pts., -2)
G- Dan Ellis, NSH (4 GA, Win)

Saturday Fantasy #3

Here is our third installment of 'Saturday Fantasy'! In case you're new to the RLD, Chris (from The Program) and I will select 3 players each Saturday to have a good day fantasy-wise. We will pick a forward, defenseman, and goalie each time, and I will keep up with the stats on the right-hand side of this page. The current standings are on the right-hand side of the page... I (Ryan) am currently leading 7-1-1. Time for Chris to turn it around!!!

Chris
F- Jason Pominville, BUF
D- Andrei Markov, MTL
G- Niklas Backstrom, MIN
Ryan
F- Joe Thornton, SJ
D- Ed Jovanovski, PHX
G- Dan Ellis, NSH

Morning Skate: Saturday, 10/25

Tonight’s Slate:
Devils @ Flyers, 4:00 ET
Thrashers @ Bruins, 7:00
Senators @ Maple Leafs, 7:00
Ducks @ Canadiens, 7:00
Hurricanes @ Islanders, 7:00
Penguins @ Rangers, 7:00
Sharks @ Lightning, 7:30
Kings @ Predators, 8:00
Blue Jackets @ Wild, 8:00
Capitals @ Stars, 8:00
Red Wings @ Blackhawks, 8:30
Panthers @ Blues, 8:30
Sabres @ Avalanche, 9:00
Oilers @ Canucks, 10:00
Flames @ Coyotes, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Washington Capitals (3-3-1) @ Dallas Stars (3-4-1)
8:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
WSH- Alexander Ovechkin
Zero goals in the last 5 games!? Psh… that drought ends in Big D tonight.
DAL- Mike Ribeiro
He’s coming off a 5 point night on Long Island.

Projected Goaltenders:
WSH- Jose Theodore (Thursday: 32 saves, 2 GA)
DAL- Marty Turco (Thursday: 24 saves, 3 GA)

Injury Report:
WSH- Tom Poti (groin, probable), Brian Pothier (concussion, out)
DAL- Steve Ott (undisclosed injury, questionable), Doug Janik (face, questionable), Sergei Zubov (hip, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Capitals 5, Stars 4 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Flyers over Devils
Bruins over Thrashers
Maple Leafs over Senators
Ducks over Canadiens
Islanders over Hurricanes
Rangers over Penguins
Sharks over Lightning
Predators over Kings
Wild over Blue Jackets
Blackhawks over Red Wings
Panthers over Blues
Avalanche over Sabres
Canucks over Oilers
Coyotes over Flames

Fantasy stud: Joe Thornton, SJ
Fantasy dud: Mathieu Garon, EDM

Nightly Roundup: 10/24

Tonight's Results:
Ducks 4, Senators 3
Flyers 6, Devils 3
Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 1
Panthers 4, Sharks 3
Red Wings 5, Thrashers 3
Kings 4, Blues 0

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Cory Stillman, FLA
2 Goals, 1 Assist, +2
2. Marian Hossa, DET
2 Goals, 1 Assist +3
3. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR
25 Saves, 1 GA
Honorable Mention: M. Richards, PHI; T. Vokoun, FLA; N. Zherdev, NYR; Z. Parise, NJ; H. Zetterberg, DET; D. Brown, LA; J. LaBarbera, LA; D. Heatley, OTT; R. Getzlaf, ANA

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-2
Fantasy Stud: Paul Kariya, STL (0 pts., -1)
Fantasy Dud: Chris Pronger, ANA (0 pts.)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Capitals @ Stars*
*Caps/Stars wins the tiebreaker of the Fan's Vote just based on my opinion...

Morning Skate: Friday, 10/24

Tonight’s Slate:
Ducks @ Senators, 7:00 ET
Flyers @ Devils, 7:00
Rangers @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Sharks @ Panthers, 7:30
Thrashers @ Red Wings, 7:30
Kings @ Blues, 8:30

Game of the Night:
New York Rangers (6-2-1) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (3-3-0)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
NYR- Chris Drury
1 assist and a -5 rating for the captain this season? Look for him to turn it around tonight…
CLB- Rick Nash
Nash has 5 goals in 5 career games against New York.

Projected Goaltenders:
NYR- Stephen Valiquette (08-09 stats: 2-0-0, 1.44 GAA)
CLB- Pascal Leclaire (08-09 stats: 3-2-0, 3.58 GAA)

Injury Report:
NYR- None
CLB- Fredrik Modin (hip, out), Jared Boll (neck, out), Raffi Torres (shoulder, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Rangers 4, Blue Jackets 3
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Senators over Ducks
Devils over Flyers
Panthers over Sharks
Red Wings over Thrashers
Blues over Kings

Fantasy stud: Paul Kariya, STL
Fantasy dud: Chris Pronger, ANA

Nightly Roundup: 10/23

Tonight's Results:
Maple Leafs 4, Bruins 2
Stars 5, Islanders 3
Penguins 4, Hurricanes 1
Flames 5, Predators 3
Sabres 4, Wild 3 (OT)
Avalanche 4, Oilers 1
Coyotes 2, Capitals 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Mike Ribeiro, DAL
1 Goal, 4 Assists, +3
2. Jarome Iginla, CGY
3 Goals, +3
3. Mikael Tellqvist, PHX
31 Saves, 1 GA

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-2-1
Fantasy Stud: J.P. Dumont, NSH (1 A, -2)
Fantasy Dud: Joni Pitkanen, CAR (0 pts., -2)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Rangers @ Blue Jackets

Lucic slams Van Ryn through the glass!!

You gotta see this...

Around the NHL

Hawks starting to sizzle, about to explode!
To be honest, I didn’t like the ‘Hawks’ move to fire Denis Savard just four games into the season. But now, with three games under Joel Quenneville’s belt, I know why and agree with the decision. Quenneville brings that experience and knowledge behind the bench that Savard just didn’t have. And JQ is doing something right in the locker room, too, because since his arrival, Chicago looks like a different team.

Under Savard, the Blackhawks went 1-2-1 to start the season, and the super sophomores were sputtering (as expected). With JQ behind the bench, Chicago is 2-0-1. And you know what!? It’s only going to get better. Seven of their next nine games are at the United Center, which has actually turned into “home-ice” for the 'Hawks with Chicago going nuts about hockey again. Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp both have 6 points in the last 3 games. Martin Havlat and Brian Campbell have been solid, and should start to pick it up fairly soon. Also, they’ve finally found their #1 goaltender… except, it’s not who they thought it would be.

Nikolai Khabibulin was waived, cleared waivers, was brought back up, and then he contemplated going to Russia for the season. Now look where he stands… the ‘Bulin Wall picked up a shutout last night against the high-flying Oilers, and is 2-1-1 on the season (with a 1.97 GAA). I could honestly see them trading Huet instead of Khabibulin deeper into the season (if Khabi can keep it up). And that seems so hard to imagine, considering Huet and Campbell were brought in together this summer to take this team to the next level.

Chicagoans, get ready… snatch up those tickets (if there any) and support your team! This season is going to be a fun one in the Windy City.

Is Minnesota the real deal?
That’s the question I ask myself every time I think about them. I want to move them high up on my Power Rankings, but it’s hard to do with the injuries they’ve suffered, along with the up-in-the-air status of Marian Gaborik. There are two guarantees with this team…

1. Gaborik will get traded… And they better do it quick. He’s already suffered his first injury of the season (a lower body injury), so they need to get max value on the potential free agent. I would not look to Montreal as his destination, though. It's been highly publicized lately, but the Habs were rumored to be the front-runners for Marian Hossa last February, but didn’t pull the trigger because they didn’t want to mess with the chemistry. I don’t see GM Bob Gainey changing his mind on that subject. 'Gabby' is too much of an injury risk for Montreal to trade away Higgins and draft picks. Look for Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and maybe Washington to jump in on the Gaborik sweepstakes.

2. They will make the playoffs… Why, you ask? Look at the schedule! The NHL did the Wild a favor by front-loading home games. Minny will be playing St. Paul for the most of November, December, and February before a tough stretch in March. 14 of their next 21 games are at the friendly confines of Xcel Energy Center. They will be able to rack up some points in that stretch. I have a hunch that the Wild will have a big lead in the Northwest by the All-Star Break, and it’ll be big enough for them to even coast to the finish line and still make the postseason. Another factor into their playoff quest is Niklas Backstrom... he's turning into a Vezina candidate as we speak.

So, going back to the opening question, I don’t think we’ll know the answer until the spring when they actually go over to the eastern time zone for a bit.

Kessel finally budding into a superstar
You knew it was only a matter of time… but Boston’s Phil Kessel is flying out of the gates right now, scoring 6 goals in the first 6 games. Last year, he only collected 37 points in 82 games, and the Bruins fans were wondering if he would pan out. You started to see his potential in last year’s first round series with the Canadiens. He scored 3 goals in the 4 games he played in, and was a hoss in Game 6, and it seems to have carried over into this season. Kessel has a wicked wrister and is blossoming into a natural goal scorer. I know he’s just 21, but he could consistently put up 40-50 goals throughout his career.

Hey Philly… wake up!
I know your baseball team is about to bring home a championship, but your hockey team sucks right now! The offense has been there, but the D is a sieve. Their schedule has been tough so far, but if your going to win a division, you have to win some of those games… and not go 0-3-3! The Flyers will be the last team in the league to capture their first ‘W’ of the season. Their giving up over 4.5 goals a game, and its obvious Biron and Niittymaki aren’t the answer. It’s not going to get any easier as they have a home-and-home with New Jersey this weekend.

The Flyers will turn it around sooner or later, but they may want to look at making some moves. If the net-minding gets worse, maybe acquiring Huet from Chicago would be an option… that would be a start. One question remains on this edition of Around the NHL… will the Flyers win a game in October?? Hmm…

Morning Skate: Thursday, 10/23

Tonight’s Slate:
Maple Leafs @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Stars @ Islanders, 7:00
Hurricanes @ Penguins, 7:30
Flames @ Predators, 8:00
Sabres @ Wild, 8:00
Oilers @ Avalanche, 9:30
Capitals @ Coyotes, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Buffalo Sabres (5-0-1) @ Minnesota Wild (4-0-0)
8:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
BUF- Ryan Miller
Miller needs to continue his early-season success grab a win in St. Paul.
MIN- Brent Burns
Off to a slow start thus far… look for him to find the score-sheet tonight.

Projected Goaltenders:
BUF- Ryan Miller (08-09 stats: 4-0-0, 1.45 GAA)
MIN- Niklas Backstrom (08-09 stats: 4-0-0, 1.72 GAA)

Injury Report:
BUF- Paul Gaustad (thumb, out)
MIN- Pierre-Marc Bouchard (back, out), Marian Gaborik (lower body, questionable), Marek Zidlicky (ankle, out), Kurtis Foster (leg, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Wild 2, Sabres 1
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Bruins over Maple Leafs
Stars over Islanders
Penguins over Hurricanes
Predators over Flames
Avalanche over Oilers
Coyotes over Capitals

Fantasy stud: J.P. Dumont, NSH
Fantasy dud: Joni Pitkanen, CAR

Nightly Roundup: 10/22

Tonight's Results:
Devils 5, Stars 0
Panthers 3, Senators 1
Sharks 7, Flyers 6 (SO)
Red Wings 4, Blues 3
Blackhawks 3, Oilers 0

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Craig Anderson, FLA
41 Saves, 1 GA... Anderson stopped 26 shots... 26!... in the 3rd period (41 overall). That right there is enough to earn the #1 star of the night.
2. Patrick Marleau, SJ
2 Goals, 2 Assists, +2... Captain Marleau was a beast in tonight's crazy game in Philly, as he collected 4 points.
3. Martin Brodeur, NJ
21 Saves, Shutout... Just another goalie proving me wrong as Marty picked up his 98th career shutout.
Honorable Mention: N. Khabibulin, CHI; J. Madden, NJ; J. Pavelski, SJ; J. Lupul, PHI; J. Franzen, DET

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 2-2-1
Fantasy Stud: Nickas Lidstrom, DET (1 G)
Fantasy Dud: Tomas Vokoun, FLA (DNP)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Sabres @ Wild

Morning Skate: Wednesday, 10/22

Tonight’s Slate:
Panthers @ Senators, 7:00 ET
Stars @ Devils, 7:00
Sharks @ Flyers, 7:00
Red Wings @ Blues, 8:30
Oilers @ Blackhawks, 9:00

Game of the Night:
San Jose Sharks (5-1-0) @ Philadelphia Flyers (0-3-2)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
SJ- Dan Boyle
Boyle had a great game Saturday vs. the Flyers, and has solid career numbers against them, too.
PHI- Scott Hartnell
‘Harts’ needs to get back on track and play his tough, rugged game.

Projected Goaltenders:
SJ- Evgeni Nabokov (08-09 stats: 4-1-0, 2.39 GAA)
PHI- Antero Niittymaki (08-09 stats: 0-0-2, 2.84 GAA)

Injury Report:
SJ- Milan Michalek (upper body, questionable), Douglas Murray (upper body, questionable), Torrey Mitchell (leg, out)
PHI- Randy Jones (hip, out), Ryan Parent (shoulder, out), Mike Rathje (back, out), Derian Hatcher (knee, out)

Season Series:
1-0 Sharks

Prediction: Flyers 3, Sharks 2 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Senators over Panthers
Stars over Devils
Red Wings over Blues
Blackhawks over Oilers

Fantasy stud: Nicklas Lidstrom, DET
Fantasy dud: Tomas Vokoun, FLA

Nightly Roundup: 10/21

Tonight's Results:
Sabres 3, Bruins 2 (SO)
Ducks 3, Maple Leafs 2 (SO)
Blue Jackets 4, Canucks 2
Flames 2, Capitals 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY
30 Saves, 1 GA... Kipper must have read the RLD a few days ago because definitely proved me wrong.. great night for Miikka.
2. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, ANA
36 Saves, 2 GA... 'Jiggy' stood on his head in the 3rd as the Leafs outshot the Ducks 13-0 in the period. Giguere was phenominal from the drop of the puck tonight.
3. Ryan Miller, BUF
30 Saves, 2 GA... Miller was some game-saving saves in the 3rd and overtime.
Honorable Mention: N. Antropov, TOR; V. Lecavalier, TB; J. Voracek, CLB

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 3-2
Fantasy Stud: Alexander Semin (0 pts., +1)
Fantasy Dud: Kristian Huselius, CLB (1 G)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Sharks @ Flyers

Morning Skate: Tuesday, 10/21

Tonight’s Slate:
Bruins @ Sabres, 7:00 ET
Ducks @ Maple Leafs, 7:00
Canucks @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Thrashers @ Lightning, 7:30
Capitals @ Flames, 9:30

Game of the Night:
Boston Bruins (2-1-2) @ Buffalo Sabres (4-0-1)
7:00 ET… TV: VERSUS, TSN2

Players to watch:
BOS- Phil Kessel
Kessel has been a force so far, scoring 5 goals in 5 games.
BUF- Thomas Vanek
Vanek has outdone Kessel by netting 7 goals in 5 games.

Projected Goaltenders:
BOS- Manny Fernandez (Saturday: 21 saves, 2 GA)
BUF- Ryan Miller (08-09 stats: 3-0-0, 1.30 GAA)

Injury Report:
BOS- Chuck Kobasew (ankle, out), P.J. Axelsson (upper body, questionable)
BUF- Paul Gaustad (thumb, out)

Prediction: Sabres 5, Bruins 3
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Ducks over Maple Leafs
Canucks over Blue Jackets
Lightning over Thrashers
Capitals over Flames

Fantasy stud: Alexander Semin, WSH
Fantasy dud: Kristian Huselius, CLB

Nightly Roundup: 10/20

Tonight's Results:
Stars 2, Rangers 1
Penguins 2, Bruins 1 (SO)
Canadiens 3, Coyotes 1
Avalanche 4, Kings 3

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Dany Sabourin, PIT
35 Saves, 1 GA... Sabourin was big for the Pens tonight, as he picked up the W in the shootout while collecting 35 saves throughout regulation & OT.
2. Marty Turco, DAL
28 Saves, 1 GA... Turco gave up a semi-bad goal to open the game, but rebounded nicely as the Stars edged the Rangers at MSG.
3. Jaroslav Halak, MTL
35 Saves, 1 GA... Halak made big save after big save to help the Habs hold onto the win.

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 2-1-1
Fantasy Stud: Milan Hejduk, COL (1 G, 1 A, +2)
Fantasy Dud: Marty Turco, DAL (1 GA, Win)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Bruins @ Sabres

Morning Skate: Monday, 10/20

Tonight’s Slate:
Penguins @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Stars @ Rangers, 7:00
Panthers @ Canadiens, 7:30
Avalanche @ Kings, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Pittsburgh Penguins (3-2-1) @ Boston Bruins (2-1-1)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
PIT- Evgeni Malkin
‘Geno has 9 goals in 8 career games against the B’s.
BOS- Zdeno Chara
The 6’9” d-man needs to stand tall against the top line of the Pens.

Projected Goaltenders:
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (Saturday: 26 saves, 1 GA)
BOS- Manny Fernandez (Saturday: 21 saves, 2 GA)

Injury Report:
PIT- Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Ryan Whitney (foot, out), Matt Cooke (ribs, questionable)
BOS- Chuck Kobasew (ankle, out), P.J. Axelsson (upper body, probable)

Prediction: Bruins 4, Penguins 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Rangers over Stars
Canadiens over Panthers
Avalanche over Kings

Fantasy stud: Milan Hejduk, COL
Fantasy dud: Marty Turco, DAL

Nightly Roundup: 10/19

Tonight's Results:
Blackhawks 4, Canucks 2
Hurricanes 3, Ducks 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Patrick Sharp, CHI
2 Goals, 1 Assist
2. Patrick Kane, CHI
1 Goal, 2 Assists
3. Michael Leighton, CAR
32 Saves, 1 GA

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 1-1
Fantasy Stud: Scott Niedermayer, ANA (0 pts.)
Fantasy Dud: Ryan Kesler, VAN (1 A)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Penguins @ Bruins

Morning Skate: Sunday, 10/19

Tonight’s Slate:
Canucks @ Blackhawks, 7:00 ET
Hurricanes @ Ducks, 8:00

Game of the Night:
Vancouver Canucks (3-2-0) @ Chicago Blackhawks (1-2-2)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
VAN- Pavol Demitra
Off to a slow start thus far… needs to turn it around for the Canucks.
CHI- Cristobal Huet
The $22 million man has not been impressive in his first impressions with Chicago.

Projected Goaltenders:
VAN- Roberto Luongo (08-09 stats: 3-1, 3.21 GAA)
CHI- Cristobal Huet (08-09 stats: 0-1-1, 2.90 GAA)

Injury Report:
VAN- Kevin Bieksa (knee, out)
CHI- James Wisniewski (knee, out), Niklas Hjalmarsson (ribs, questionable)

Prediction: Blackhawks 4, Canucks 3 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Ducks over Hurricanes

Fantasy stud: Scott Niedermayer, ANA
Fantasy dud: Ryan Kesler, VAN

It's Showtime!

First off, I'd like to say that tonight's hockey was amazing!!! 8 of the 13 games were 1-goal games, and 6 went at least to overtime. The Sharks/Flyers game was crazy. I was only able to see the 3rd period... but man, what a period it was! Pavelski and Briere both scored great goals, and then Setoguchi tied the game at 4 with a quick toe-drag past Niittymaki. Then, Niittymaki made the save of the year - so far - on Jonathan Cheechoo (video below). Dan Boyle capped off the game with a goal off a nice feed from Big Joe.

And this save reminded me of a Roloson save on Cheechoo from the 2006 playoffs...

If you haven't seen this fight yet, press play now! If you have, watch it anyway. By far the best fight I've seen this season... take a look!

Here, Georges Laraque takes on Boston's Shawn Thornton in his first shift as a Hab...

And here is a good fight from last night's Canucks/Sabres game...

Hope you enjoyed those videos!! Good night everyone...

Nightly Roundup: 10/18

Tonight's Results:
Avalanche 5, Stars 4
Canadiens 4, Coyotes 1
Bruins 4, Senators 2
Penguins 4, Maple Leafs 1
Devils 4, Capitals 3 (SO)
Thrashers 3, Sabres 2 (SO)
Panthers 2, Islanders 0
Red Wings 5, Rangers 4 (OT)
Wild 1, Lightning 0 (SO)
Predators 6, Blue Jackets 3
Blues 4, Blackhawks 3 (SO)
Oilers 3, Flames 2
Sharks 5, Flyers 4 (OT)

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Shea Weber, NSH
1 Goal, 3 Assists +5... I have never seen Weber play like he did tonight. He was a force on the blue line, as he notched 4 points along with a ridiculous +5 rating.
2. Niklas Backstrom, MIN
32 Saves, Shutout... Backstrom was the key to Minny's win tonight... made 32 key saves & stoned the Bolts in the shootout.
3. Sidney Crosby, PIT
1 Goal, 3 Assists +2... Sid the Kid was involved in everything for the Pens as they defeated Toronto 4-1 at the Igloo.
Honorable Mention: P. Kessel, BOS; E. Malkin, PIT; D. Boyle, SJ; T. Vokoun, FLA; S. Koivu, MTL; M. Hejduk, COL; A. Semin, WSH; A. Tanguay, MTL; C. Price, MTL; M. Hossa, DET; P. Kane, CHI; M. Savard, BOS; M. Fleury, PIT; Z. Parise, NJ; M. Samuelsson, DET; K. Lehtonen, ATL; M. Smith, TB; F. Pisani, EDM; E. Moreau, EDM; D. Briere, PHI; M. Erat, NSH

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 10-1-2
Fantasy Stud: Evgeni Malkin, PIT (4 Assists, 2 PPP, +2)
Fantasy Dud: Ryan Smyth, COL (1 Goal, -1)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Canucks @ Blackhawks

'Saturday Fantasy' Recap
Chris' Picks
F- Alexei Kovalev, MTL (0 pts.)
D- Mike Green, WSH (1 Goal)
G- Jose Theodore, WSH (DNP)
Ryan's Picks
F- Evgeni Malkin, PIT (4 Assists, +2)
D- Shea Weber, NSH (1 Goal, 3 Assists, +5)
G- Carey Price, MTL (1 GA, Win)

Saturday Fantasy #2

Here is our second installment of 'Saturday Fantasy'! In case you're new to the RLD, Chris (from The Program) and I will select 3 players each Saturday to have a good day fantasy-wise. We will pick a forward, defenseman, and goalie each time, and I will keep up with the stats on the right-hand side of this page. The current standings are on the right-hand side of the page... I (Ryan) am currently leading 5-3-1.

Chris
F- Alexei Kovalev, MTL
D- Mike Green, WSH
G- Jose Theodore, WSH
Ryan
F- Evgeni Malkin, PIT
D- Shea Weber, NSH
G- Carey Price, MTL

Morning Skate: Saturday, 10/18

Today’s Slate:
Avalanche @ Stars, 2:00 ET
Coyotes @ Canadiens, 7:00
Bruins @ Senators, 7:00
Maple Leafs @ Penguins, 7:00
Devils @ Capitals, 7:00
Sabres @ Thrashers, 7:00
Islanders @ Panthers, 7:00
Rangers @ Red Wings, 7:00
Wild @ Lightning, 7:30
Blue Jackets @ Predators, 8:00
Blackhawks @ Blues, 8:30
Flames @ Oilers, 10:00
Flyers @ Sharks, 10:30

Game of the Day:
New York Rangers (6-1-0) @ Detroit Red Wings (2-1-1)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
NYR- Daniel Girardi
He will be key on the PK… also leads the team in assists (5).
DET- Tomas Holmstrom
Holmstrom will need to cause havoc in front of the net to block Lundqvist’s vision.

Projected Goaltenders:
NYR- Henrik Lundqvist (08-09 stats: 4-1, 1.61 GAA)
DET- Chris Osgood (08-09 stats: 1-1-1, 3.02 GAA)

Injury Report:
NYR- None
DET- Henrik Zetterberg (groin, out), Chris Chelios (leg, out), Darren McCarty (groin, out)

Prediction: Red Wings 2, Rangers 1
The rest of today’s predictions:
Stars over Avalanche
Canadiens over Coyotes
Bruins over Senators
Penguins over Maple Leafs
Capitals over Devils
Sabres over Thrashers
Panthers over Islanders
Wild over Lightning
Predators over Blue Jackets
Blues over Blackhawks
Oilers over Flames
Sharks over Flyers

Fantasy stud: Evgeni Malkin, PIT
Fantasy dud: Ryan Smyth, COL

Around the NHL

Vanek carrying Buffalo out of the gates
Prior to the 07-08 season, Buffalo’s Thomas Vanek received a massive contract as a RFA (7 years, $50+ mil to be exact), one that was matched by Buffalo due to Edmonton’s lucrative offer sheet. Many questioned if Vanek deserved that kind of money, and he suffered a 20-point drop off from 06-07. The Sabres missed the playoffs last year, and some of the blame fell on the Austrian’s shoulders (for good reason).

But Vanek has responded with a bang to start off the 08-09 campaign. Through 4 games, he has 6 goals and 2 assists, along with a +4 rating. And oh yeah, his team is 4-0, sitting atop the Northeast Division for the time-being. He has collected at least one goal in each game as the Sabres are off to their third 4-0 start in franchise history.

And it doesn’t look like this success will slow down for Vanek. Out of the remaining six games in October, the Sabres get to face four of the most defensively challenged teams in the league (ATL, COL, OTT, and TB). It seems to me like this former #5 overall pick is finally living up to the hype!

Defense suddenly a weakness in Nashville
Two weeks ago, it looked like the Preds’ obvious strength would be its blue line. It’s what GM David Poile has built this team around… the youth and potential of the defensive core. But in four games away from the Sommet Center, the Predators’ defense has been atrocious. In those four games, Nashville is allowing 4.5 goals per game… not a recipe for success.

This has been a problem the last couple of years, but Barry Trotz and the gang has been able to make a quick fix. And there’s no reason why this season should be any different, as the Preds will get a chance to breathe a little after a hectic slate to start the season. Also, 5 of their next 6 games are at the friendly confines of the Sommet Center, a place where Weber and company usually play good ‘D’.

But, it's no gimee that this group will suddenly turn it around. They are without Marek Zidlicky (traded to MIN), and Greg de Vries may be ready to call it a career (so what if he scored tonight). You take those two out of the equation, it's a very young defense, and growing pains will occur during the early portion of this season.

Kiprusoff just isn’t the same
Face it, Calgary, Miikka Kiprusoff just is not the same. He’s off to a very sluggish start, recording a 4.69 GAA in the first four games. He’s everywhere in the crease, at times leaving gaping holes for the opposition to shoot at. He was everyone’s darling after the unforgettable Cup run back in 2004. And while he was dominant once again in 05-06, the last 2+ years haven’t been the same. Here are ‘Kipper’s numbers since the lockout:

2005-06: 74 GP, 42-20-10, 2.07 GAA, .923 SV %, 10 SO
2006-07: 74 GP, 40-24-9, 2.46 GAA, .917 SV %, 7 SO
2007-08: 76 GP, 39-26-10, 2.69 GAA, .906 SV %, 2 SO
2008-09: 4 GP, 1-2-1, 4.69 GAA, .843 SV %, 0 SO

I know he usually improves as the season goes on… but I just don’t see it. The numbers don’t lie… they’re deteriorating by the year. I believe he’s been played too much since the lockout, and doesn’t have the body to withstand the daily wear-‘n’-tear on his body for another year. I could be wrong, and Kiprusoff could end up with a sub-2.20 GAA… but I don’t foresee it. IMO, the Flames should consider trading for a solid veteran backup (not Cujo) to give Kipper a breather more often.

Nightly Roundup: 10/17

Tonight's Results:
Senators 6, Coyotes 3
Rangers 1, Maple Leafs 0 (SO)
Blue Jackets 5, Predators 3
Sabres 5, Canucks 2
Oilers 4, Flames 3
Sharks 4, Ducks 0
Kings 4, Hurricanes 3 (OT)

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, ANA
38 Saves, Shutout... J-S got 'giggy' with it as he turned away all 38 shots fire his way by Team Teal. Big props to Giguere...
2. Jason Spezza, OTT
2 Goals, 2 Assists, +3... Spezza and company definitely got back on track with Alfie back in the lineup. Great game for Jason as he tallied 2 goals and 2 assists.
3. Thomas Vanek, BUF
1 Goal, 2 Assists +2... Vanek keeps rolling with a big night against Vancouver.

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-3
Fantasy Stud: Dany Heatley, OTT (1 G, +2)
Fantasy Dud: Rick Nash, CLB (2 G)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Rangers @ Red Wings

Morning Skate: Friday, 10/17

Tonight’s Slate:
Coyotes @ Senators, 7:00 ET
Maple Leafs @ Rangers, 7:00
Predators @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Canucks @ Sabres, 7:30
Oilers @ Flames, 9:00
Sharks @ Ducks, 10:00
Hurricanes @ Kings, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Edmonton Oilers (2-0-0) @ Calgary Flames (1-1-1)
9:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
EDM- Sam Gagner
He is pointless so far, but tallied 6 points against Calgary last season.
CGY- Todd Bertuzzi
Bertuzzi has 3 goals in 3 games… can he keep it up??

Projected Goaltenders:
EDM- Mathieu Garon (Wednesday: 33 Saves, 2 GA)
CGY- Miikka Kiprusoff (08-09 stats: 1-1-1, 4.90 GAA)

Injury Report:
EDM- None
CGY- Rhett Warrener (shoulder, out), Andre Roy (elbow, questionable)

Prediction: Flames 3, Oilers 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Senators over Coyotes
Rangers over Maple Leafs
Predators over Blue Jackets
Sabres over Canucks
Sharks over Ducks
Kings over Hurricanes

Fantasy stud: Dany Heatley, OTT
Fantasy dud: Rick Nash, CLB

Nightly Roundup: 10/16

Today's Results:
Devils 1, Thrashers 0
Capitals 4, Penguins 3
Islanders 4, Lightning 3 (OT)
Wild 6, Panthers 2
Canucks 4, Red Wings 3 (OT)
Blues 6, Stars 1
Avalanche 5, Flyers 2

Today's Three Stars:
1. Mikko Koivu, MIN
1 Goal, 4 Assists, +1
2. Martin Brodeur, NJ
25 Saves, Shutout
3. Trent Hunter, NYI
2 Goals, +1

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 3-2-2
Fantasy Stud: Simon Gagne, PHI (1 G, +1)
Fantasy Dud: Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL (0 pts.)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Oilers @ Flames

Savard Shown The Door!!

Goodbye Denis....

Okay here is the link to the Yahoo article which comes from the Associated Press naturally. The way the press conference was done was pretty standard but when Dale Tallon said the following.....

“This was an extremely hard day for this organization and for me personally,” general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement. “Denis is forever a part of our organization. We made a tough decision that we strongly feel is the right one as we continue to evaluate our team and create a championship caliber organization that can sustain success.”

“Joel brings us a wealth of experience and a winning track record that will have an immediate and lasting impact,” Tallon said.

It is not the first part that rings alarms...it is the second part. Now Quenneville indeed brings a winning track record from his previous coaching stints in St. Louis and Colorado but his ability gets lost in the playoffs. In the press conference, it was clear Chicago wanted a guy who could lead the team into the second season and then eventually to a Stanley Cup. Some of the moves that Dale Tallon has made has handcuffed this team and clearly this decision was not his. Why? Well look at that second statement a little more closely. Tallon would not have fired Savard after four games....this clearly came from higher up and is a sign that Tallon's days are likely numbered. I would say right now...that I would not be shocked in the next month or two to see Tallon either removed from the position and moved somewhere else in the organization or just outright fired.

So Denis Savard replaced by Joel Quenneville....a little too soon? Yeah you better believe it! More heads are gonna roll here folks!

Morning Skate: Thursday, 10/16

Tonight’s Slate:
Devils @ Thrashers, 7:00 ET
Capitals @ Penguins, 7:30
Islanders @ Lightning, 7:30
Wild @ Panthers, 7:30
Canucks @ Red Wings, 7:30
Stars @ Blues, 8:30
Flyers @ Avalanche, 9:00

Game of the Night:
Washington Capitals (2-1-0) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1-1)
7:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
WSH- Alexander Semin
Semin has 6 points in the first 3 games of this season.
PIT- Evgeni Malkin
If ‘Geno has a great game, the Pens should win this game.

Projected Goaltenders:
WSH- Jose Theodore (08-09 stats: 1-0, 4.00 GAA)
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (08-09 stats: 2-1-1, 2.37 GAA)

Injury Report:
WSH- Brian Pothier (concussion, out)
PIT- Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Ryan Whitney (foot, out)

Prediction: Capitals 4, Penguins 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Devils over Thrashers
Lightning over Islanders
Panthers over Wild
Red Wings over Canucks
Blues over Stars
Flyers over Avalanche

Fantasy stud: Simon Gagne, PHI
Fantasy dud: Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL

Nightly Roundup: 10/15

Today's Results:
Sabres 3, Rangers 1
Canadiens 4, Bruins 3 (SO)
Blackhawks 4, Coyotes 1
Stars 6, Predators 4
Oilers 3, Ducks 2

Today's Three Stars:
1. Fabian Brunnstrom, DAL
3 Goals, +2... In his first career game, Brunnstrom's hat trick was the difference for the Stars against Nashville... this kid is going to be a special player in this league.
2. Nikolai Khabibulin, CHI
29 Saves... The 'Bulin Wall was on fire tonight by making 29 big saves... he's the reason why the 'Hawks found the win column tonight.
3. Thomas Vanek, BUF
2 Goals... Vanek continued his early season success tonight with 2 special teams goals in New York (PP & SH).

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-1
Fantasy Stud: Brandon Dubinsky, NYR (0 pts.)
Fantasy Dud: Tim Thomas, BOS (3 GA, OT Loss)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Capitals @ Penguins

Morning Skate: Wednesday, 10/15

Tonight’s Slate:
Sabres @ Rangers, 7:00 ET
Bruins @ Canadiens, 7:30
Coyotes @ Blackhawks, 8:30
Predators @ Stars, 8:30
Oilers @ Ducks, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens
7:30 ET… TV: TSN, Local Networks

Players to watch:
BOS- Michael Ryder
Ryder plays his first game in the Bell Centre with the opposition.
MTL- Sergei Kostitsyn
Will the younger Kostitsyn continue his early-season success??

Projected Goaltenders:
BOS- Tim Thomas (08-09 stats: 1-0, 4.00 GAA)
MTL- Carey Price (08-09 stats: 1-0-1, 1.92 GAA)

Injury Report:
BOS- Chuck Kobasew (ankle, out)
MTL- Francis Bouillon (leg, out), Mathieu Carle (head, out), Christopher Higgins (groin, questionable), Georges Laraque (groin, questionable)

Prediction: Canadiens 5, Bruins 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Rangers over Sabres
Blackhawks over Coyotes
Stars over Predators
Oilers over Ducks

Fantasy stud: Brandon Dubinsky, NYR
Fantasy dud: Tim Thomas, BOS

Videos.. Cherepanov and the Isles/Sabres brawl from Monday

Here are some videos I'd like to share with you.
The first one is a sad one... this is a home video taken during the game in which Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov lost his life due to an apparent heart attack on the bench. This video shows the team surrounded around the bench & the medical staff trying to revive Cherepanov. Jaromir Jagr is #68 next to the staff. Why music was playing, I'll never understand...


This next video is the live MSG feed of the Sabres-Islanders melee at center ice from Monday afternoon. "This is a wild & wooly one on Long Island!!!"

Nightly Roundup: 10/14

Today's Results:
Wild 4, Thrashers 2
Penguins 3, Flyers 2 (OT)
Flames 5, Avalanche 4
Sharks 5, Blue Jackets 2
Kings 6, Ducks 3

Today's Three Stars:
1. Todd Bertuzzi, CGY
2 Goals, +1... Bertuzzi seems to be fitting in nicely with the Flames, as he scored 2 big goals in Calgary's 5-4 win vs. Colorado.
2. Antti Miettinen, MIN
2 Goals, 1 Assist... Miettinen scored 2 3rd period goals to propel the Wild to victory over Atlanta.
3. Patrick Marleau, SJ
2 Goals, +2... San Jose's captain was a hoss tonight... He scored 2 goals, with one coming short-handed.
Honorable Mention: E. Nabokov, SJ; J. Iginla, CGY; B. Orpik, PIT; P. Dupuis, PIT; J. Stoll, LA

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 3-2
Fantasy Stud: Jarome Iginla, CGY (1 PP Goal, 1 Assist, 5 PIM)
Fantasy Dud: Niklas Backstrom, MIN (2 GA, Win)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Bruins @ Canadiens

Morning Skate: Tuesday, 10/14

Tonight’s Slate:
Wild @ Thrashers, 7:00 ET
Flyers @ Penguins, 7:30
Avalanche @ Flames, 9:30
Ducks @ Kings, 10:30
Blue Jackets @ Sharks, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins
7:30 ET… TV: VERSUS, TSN2

Players to watch:
PHI- Mike Richards
Richards was a beast against the Pens in last year's playoffs... he'll play a key role tonight.
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury
Fleury may need to stand on his head once again for Pittsburgh to win.

Projected Goaltenders:
PHI- Antero Niittymaki (07-08 stats: 12-9-2, 2.91 GAA)
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (Saturday: OTL, 47 saves, 2 GA)

Injury Report:
PHI- Randy Jones (hip, out), Ryan Parent (shoulder, out), Derian Hatcher (knee, out)
PIT- Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Ryan Whitney (foot, out), Petr Sykora (groin, doubtful)

Prediction: Penguins 4, Flyers 3 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Thrashers over Wild
Flames over Avalanche
Ducks over Kings
Sharks over Blue Jackets

Fantasy stud: Jarome Iginla, CGY
Fantasy dud: Niklas Backstrom, MIN

Nightly Roundup: 10/13

Today's Results:
Blues 5, Maple Leafs 4 (SO)
Sabres 7, Islanders 1
Rangers 4, Devils 1
Canadiens 5, Flyers 3
Capitals 5, Canucks 1
Red Wings 3, Hurricanes 1
Predators 3, Blackhawks 2 (SO)

Today's Three Stars:
1. Aaron Voros, NYR
2 Goals, 1 Assist... Voros continues his surprise success with the Rangers with 2 big goals against the Devils tonight.
2. Michael Nylander, WSH
1 Goal, 2 Assists +2... He had 2 primary assists, along with a penalty shot goal that put the game out of reach.
3. Ty Conklin, DET
27 Saves, 1 GA... Conklin was swarmed in spurts by the 'Canes, and survived for the Wings to hold on in Carolina.

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 3-2-2
Fantasy Stud: Jonathan Toews, CHI (0 pts., -1)
Fantasy Dud: Alexei Kovalev, MTL (1 Assist, +1)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Flyers @ Penguins

Rangers' Cherepanov dies at 19

New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov collapsed on the bench during a game on Monday night in Russia, and died later. He was playing for Omsk of the KHL.

Story via ESPN.com

Cherepanov was only 19, and was the Rangers' 1st round pick in 2007 at #17 overall.

Morning Skate: Monday, 10/13

Today’s Slate:
Blues @ Maple Leafs, 1:00 ET
Sabres @ Islanders, 2:00
Devils @ Rangers, 7:00
Canadiens @ Flyers, 7:00
Canucks @ Capitals, 7:00
Red Wings @ Hurricanes, 7:00
Predators @ Blackhawks, 8:30

Game of the Day:
Vancouver Canucks @ Washington Capitals
7:00 ET… TV: VERSUS

Players to watch:
VAN- Steve Bernier
Bernier has played very well in his first two games with the Canucks.
WSH- Jose Theodore
Which Theodore will show up… the one from Friday or Saturday?

Projected Goaltenders:
VAN- Roberto Luongo (08-09 stats: 2-0, 1.94 GAA)
WSH- Jose Theodore (Saturday: 19 saves, 2 GA)

Injury Report:
VAN- Kevin Bieksa (knee, doubtful), Lawrence Nycholat (back, out)
WSH- Brian Pothier (concussion, out)

Prediction: Capitals 3, Canucks 2
The rest of today’s predictions:
Maple Leafs over Blues
Sabres over Islanders
Rangers over Devils
Flyers over Canadiens
Hurricanes over Red Wings
Blackhawks over Predators

Fantasy stud: Jonathan Toews, CHI
Fantasy dud: Alexei Kovalev, MTL

Around the NHL

Sharks playing Detroit-style hockey
With the new addition of head coach Todd McLellan, don’t the Sharks resemble another team in the league?? With my two eyes… yes (Detroit). Three games into McLellan’s tenure with San Jose, the Sharks look much more fierce and determined than the days of Ron Wilson behind the bench. Why, you ask? McLellan brings that winning mentality to San Jose from his prior coaching job.

The new bench boss in the Bay Area spent three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings before claiming his first head coaching job this summer with the Sharks. Under Wings coach Mike Babcock, McLellan was apart of three successful seasons in the Motor City. And after winning his first Cup ring as a coach, it didn’t take long for the Sharks to hire McLellan.

It’s early on in the season, but so far, it looks like McLellan has implemented that Red Wings’ mentality/system into the heads of Joe Thornton and company. The Sharks have outshot their opponents 101-63 through the first weekend, which is Detroit’s specialty. The Wings are also known for their special teams… and while San Jose’s power play is off to somewhat of a slow start, the PK is 10/11 so far, and Nabokov looks solid between the pipes as usual.

Yes, I know we’re just a few days into the ‘08-‘09 season, but McLellan has his boys playing championship hockey… in October.

Canucks have Calgary’s number already
Entering this season with very low expectations, the Canucks have silenced those doubters right from the get-go. Vancouver’s home-and-home sweep of the Flames was very impressive, putting 11 pucks past Miikka Kiprusoff in the two games. Saturday’s win was especially imposing, as the Canucks were down 3-1 after the 1st period. But Allain Vigneault kept his troops in the game as they squeaked out a big 5-4 overtime win in the Saddledome. Vancouver went 5-3 versus Calgary in last year’s season series, and it looks like that success is carrying over into this campaign.

Rangers’ off-season moves paying dividends
Remember when Rangers GM Glen Sather received much criticism this summer with the personnel decisions he made?… Well who’s laughing now!? The additions of Nikolai Zherdev, Markus Naslund, Wade Redden, and Aaron Voros have already impressed in their first four games in a Rangers uniform.
Here’s the stat line for these four new additions:
Nikolai Zherdev: 2 G, 2 A, +3
Markus Naslund: 1 G, 3 A, +0
Aaron Voros: 1 G, 3 A, +2
Wade Redden: 2 G, 1 A, +1

Nightly Roundup: 10/12

Tonight's Results:
Oilers 3, Avalanche 2
Coyotes 4, Ducks 2
Sharks 1, Kings 0

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Dustin Penner, EDM
2 Goals, +2, GWG... Penner's nifty deflection goal with 6 seconds left gave the Oilers a 3-2 win over Colorado.
2. Shane Doan, PHX
2 Goals, +1... Doan was a force in Anaheim tonight as he notched his first 2 goals of the season.
3. Brian Boucher, SJ
21 Saves, Shutout... "Boosh" wasn't under a whole lot of pressure tonight, but made the key saves when he needed to as he picked up a shutout against LA.

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 2-1
Fantasy Stud: Jonathan Cheechoo, SJ (0 pts.)
Fantasy Dud: Olli Jokinen, PHX (1 Assist)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Canucks @ Capitals

Morning Skate: Sunday, 10/11

Tonight’s Slate:
Coyotes @ Ducks, 8:00 ET
Avalanche @ Oilers, 8:00
Sharks @ Kings, 9:00

Game of the Night:
Phoenix Coyotes @ Anaheim Ducks
8:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
PHX- Daniel Carcillo
Look for Carcillo to shake things up with the likes of Parros and May.
ANA- Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Giguere needs to rebound from a less than stellar performance in San Jose on Thursday.

Projected Goaltenders:
PHX- Ilya Bryzgalov (Yesterday: 28 saves, 1 GA)
ANA- Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Thursday: 37 saves, 4 GA)

Injury Report:
PHX- Daniel Winnik (face, questionable)
ANA- Brad Larsen (sports hernia, out)

Prediction: Ducks 4, Coyotes 1
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Oilers over Avalanche
Sharks over Kings

Fantasy stud: Jonathan Cheechoo, SJ
Fantasy dud: Olli Jokinen, PHX

Nightly Roundup: 10/11

Tonight's Results:
Canadiens 6, Maple Leafs 1
Red Wings 3, Senators 2
Islanders 5, Blues 2
Rangers 4, Flyers 3
Capitals 4, Blackhawks 2
Panthers 3, Thrashers 2 (OT)
Devils 2, Penguins 1 (OT)
Hurricanes 4, Lightning 3 (OT)
Predators 3, Stars 1
Wild 4, Bruins 3
Coyotes 3, Blue Jackets 1
Sharks 3, Kings 1
Canucks 5, Flames 4 (OT)

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Johan Franzen, DET
2 Goals, +2, GWG... Franzen scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the 3rd to lead the Wings' comeback win over Ottawa.
2. Jason Arnott, NSH
2 Goals, 1 Assist, +1... Arnott was a big difference-maker tonight for the Preds, as he scored the GWG along with the 3rd goal to put the game away.
3. Eric Staal, CAR
2 Goals, +2, GWG... Staal tied the game in the 3rd, and won it in OT to lift the 'Canes past the Bolts in comeback fashion.
Honorable Mention: D. Sedin, VAN; S. Kostitsyn, MTL; A. Tanguay, MTL; A. Ovechkin, WSH; D. Booth, FLA; E. Belanger, MIN; I. Bryzgalov, PHX

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 9-2-2
Fantasy Stud: Vincent Lecavalier, TB (1 Goal, -1)
Fantasy Dud: Jason Spezza, OTT (0 pts., -2)
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Coyotes @ Ducks

'Saturday Fantasy' Recap
Chris' Picks
F- Jarome Iginla, CGY (0 pts., -1)
D- Brian Rafalski, DET (1 Assist, +2)
G- Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY (5 GA, OTL)
Ryan's Picks
F- Vincent Lecavalier, TB (1 Goal, -1)
D- Rob Blake, SJ (0 pts., +1)
G- Niklas Backstrom, MIN (3 GA, Win)

Inaugural Saturday Fantasy

I am proud to present you the inaugural Saturday Fantasy! Chris, from The Program, and I will select 3 players each Saturday to have a good day fantasy-wise. We will pick a forward, defenseman, and goalie each time, and I will keep up with the stats on the right-hand side of this page. So, without further ado, here are our inaugural picks...

Chris
F- Jarome Iginla, CGY
D- Brian Rafalski, DET
G- Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY
Ryan
F- Vincent Lecavalier, TB
D- Rob Blake, SJ
G- Niklas Backstrom, MIN