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 Almost time to put the razors away my friends... and allow those chins (and in some very disturbing instances... armpits) to become the fertile ground on which playoff beards can blossom!
The 2007-2008 NHL season is roughly a dozen games per club from completion, and for most of us (at least the lucky ones.... or skilled depending on your perspective) it is already playoff time in our Fantasy Leagues.
The Bosher has performed much better this year than in season's past, and is entering the post-season in 3 out of his 4 leagues, including the official Playoff Beard.com Fantasy Hockey League. Here are the regular season standings:
1. Lobstrosities 148-93-35
2. ShedDawg 136-95-45
3. The Lone Wolf 137-98-41
4. Simon Loves Hollweg 134-100-42
5. Captain Bosh 135-102-39
6. omega supreme 134-107-35
My buddy and hetero-lifemate Stache invited me to join a Reality Fantasy Hockey League this season as part of an experiment. The rules were pretty simple. Pick a team, and enjoy. The results of which were very interesting... perhaps moreso than we expected. Here are the final regular season standings:
*1. Detroit Red Wings 178-89-55
*2. Duck!!! 164-119-39
*3. les canadiens 154-113-55
*4. Senator Bosh 153-130-39
*5. BLUELAND 133-137-52
*6. Flames 133-138-51
7. New Jersey Steamers 131-142-49
8. Shark Attack 130-144-48
9. Rangers 129-146-47
10. Avalanche Bitches! 116-151-55
11. Virtual Hurricanes 109-161-52
12. BlackHawks 111-171-40
Here are the categories we played for in head to head competition:
G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SHP, GWG, SOG, FW, W, GAA, SV, SV%, SHO
Two stand outs for me. The St. Louis Blues made the playoffs, and the Sharks don't? The Devils have always been a stingy defensive team, but they are often just as stingy with their offense so that wasn't much of a shock. The Rangers couldn't buy a goal at the beginning of the year, so seeing them on the outside isn't much of a surprise. The Montreal Canadiens? Who saw them doing what they've done this year?
All in all this league was more interesting than fun and entertaining. For the most part, aside from a few trades, there was little reason to adjust your lineup for the year. This league was more like playing video hockey in manager mode. Still the results to bring good conversation.
Good luck with the playoffs!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The New York Rangers scored on their first shot of the season last night. Rangers defenceman Michal Rozsival scored just 37 seconds into the match against the Florida Panthers.
The Rangers followed that goal by allowing the Florida Panthers to dictate play for the next two periods, and eventually surrendering the lead in the second period on a pair of goals by Panther's Brett McLean, and Nathan Horton (who looked pretty sharp, and should be on your fantasy watch list is he's not already been scooped up).
Seven minutes into the third, the Rangers found their legs again thanks to a goal by forward Petr Prucha, which tied the game at 2 a piece, and minutes later Chris Drury collected a Jagr rebound to pot the eventual game winner. Sophomore Ryan Callahan (although he may still technically be a rookie since he only played a handful of games late last season) scored 12 seconds later, and forward Martin Straka capped the scoring to give the Rangers a 5-2 win.
New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist kept his team in the game by turning aside 27 shots in the game, many coming in the first two periods. The Rangers were actually being outshot 16-6 midway through the second.
Chris Drury had a great debut at the Garden. He scored the game winner and also setup two other scores. The youngsters looked pretty good last night, considering the stage they were on, but for first timers, I would say Brandon Dubinsky, and Marc Staal played well, and with good energy.
 Quick Shave:
If you have Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley or Jason Spezza on your fantasy roster this season, you are going to have a great year. Alfredsson, and Heatley both scored (actually Alfie scored two including the game winner) to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 for the second night in a row. Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala was just as successful as his predecessor from the evening before in Andrew Raycroft. Neither could find an answer to stop the Ottawa Senators high powered first line. Vincent Lecavalier started right were he left off last season by scoring two for the Tampa Bay Lightning to help his team defeat the New Jersey Devils 3-1 in their home opener last night. Jason Arnott was also a two goal scorer last night potting a pair in the Nashville Predators 4-0 romp over the Colorado Avalanche last night.
Game of the Night
San Jose at Vancouver 10:00 PM
A couple of Stanley Cup favorites square off tonight. Are the Sharks worth the press that's been written about them all pre-season? Is EA Games right?
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Playoff Beard .com Fantasy League kicked off with a very exciting 16 team draft late last night (except for our West Coasters). Here are the results of Round 1:
1. Sidney Crosby
2.Dany Heatley
3. Alexander Ovechkin
4. Roberto Luongo
5. Martin Brodeur
6. Joe Thornton
7. Jarome Iginla
8. Miikka Kiprusoff
9. Jaromir Jagr
10. Evgeni Malkin
11. Marian Hossa
12. Jason Spezza
13. Daniel Alfredsson
14. Vincent Lecavalier
15. Henrik Zetterberg
16. Ilya Kovalchuk
Pittsburgh Penguin's forward Sidney Crosby, and Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley are probably going 1 and 2 in just about every draft this season. Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin recieved the love over Roberto Luongo who is this season's most popular third pick.
The biggest challenge last night was in the later rounds as many of us discovered that most of the name players were already taken. 16 teams clear the board pretty quickly, and midway through the draft lesser known players and rookies were front and center. Great job last night gang!
Quick Shave:
Goaltender Sean Burke joined the growing list of players who have chosen retirement over playing another season (some not by choice) this week. Burke played for just about every team in the NHL and posted a 324-341-110 record and 38 shutouts.
Last night's scores:
Montreal 1 NY Islanders 3 F
Dallas 3 Tampa Bay 4 F (OT)
Columbus 4 Chicago 3 F
Toronto 3 Phoenix 2 F
Los Angeles 3 Colorado 6 F
San Jose 1 Anaheim 0 F
Calgary 0 Vancouver 4 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Yeah! This is what I'm talking about! Training Camps are open, Fantasy League managers are loading up their rosters, and Captain Bosh is back.... and slightly less hairy than he was in May (which really isn't that much).
The 2007-2008 NHL season drops the puck across the pond in England with a pair of home and home games at the end of September, and then kicks into high gear for the rest of the league October 3rd. The Pre-Season is in full swing already with a nice sampling of games (for those of you who live up North, you will more than likely get to check out many of these games, and for those of us here in the United States.... well not so much).
Looking for some great reading? TSN.ca has put together a spectacular NHL Preview that breaksdown every team and division. You can find it here.
Fantasy Hockey
As I said before, with the NHL getting ready to go, that means Fantasy Hockey is off and running. I myself have already drafted one team ( a spectacular collection of the NHL's elite that will most assuredly destroy everyone within that league) and look to drop my expertise on a few more teams before the start of the season. Here's a few players I'd keep an eye on:
 Dany Heatley - Ottawa Senators
This one is probably pretty obvious, but if you are drafting in an early spot grab this guy. Two reasons. First, he's had back to back 50 goal seasons the past two years. Second, this is a contract year. If the Ottawa Senators don't re-sign prior to the end of this season, he will command $10 million a season at least next year. This year I expect Heatley to put up ridiculous numbers. By the way, Marion Hossa, Heatley's trade counterpart from several seasons ago is also headed for UFA waters this summer, his season should mirror Heatleys, and if the Thrasher's aren't headed for the post season, expect him to be dealt at the trade deadline.
Michael Nylander - Washington Capitals
While it was sad to see this gentleman leave the Blueshirts fold, he would be more than welcome on any of my Fantasy rosters. Nylander was a terrific setup man for Jagr and vice versa, the only downside to this pair, is that both are playmakers first, and shooters second. Thus they would both pass the puck back and forth down the ice, until they closed off any scoring opportunity. In Washington, Nylander will thrive big time. He will be setting up young super star Alexander Ovechkin, and Nylander's pass first style, should mesh perfectly with Ovechkin's shoot first mentality. Look for both players to put up big numbers (Assists for Nylander, and Goals for the other fella).
Anze Kopitar - Los Angeles Kings
Sophmore slump or breakout season? I'm leaning towards the latter. This kid didn't get much press because he played on the West Coast for a crappy Kings team but he still managed to put up 61 points (20 goals, 41 assists) in his rookie campaign. The Kings have reloaded and playing alongside a very good winger in Alexander Frolov, I think Kopitar could turn out to be a good sleeper pick.
I will throw some more players at you later this week, but now it's time for some predictions from the Bosher:
The San Jose Sharks will have a great regular season once again, but I expect them to fall flat in the playoffs, and become the replacement choke team that was once the Ottawa Senators.
The Colorado Avalanche should find their way back to the playoffs this year, and I would be surprised to see a goaltender other than Peter Budaj and Jose Theodore in net for them by year's end (my money is on Anaheim's Byrzgalov).
Sorry Islanders and Oilers fans. You guys are going to have rough year. I expect both teams to be so bad they will actually make the Phoenix Coyotes look like the Detroit Red Wings. Oilers, look for defenceman Sheldon Souray to set some new defensive records for you this year.... most likely a -50 rating.
The L.A. Kings, and the Philadelphia Flyers both bolstered their lineups this offseason, and should rebound from horrible seasons last year. I expect to see both clubs in the playoffs (before you bash me, remember I said the same thing about the Penguins last summer and who had to kiss my butt in April?).
The Anaheim Ducks will either have the deepest defense in the league.... or struggle to replace the points put up by defenceman Scott Neidermayer, and forwards Teemu Selanne, and Dustin Penner. I think it's going to be choice B.
More to come folks! Welcome back!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Last call folks! We have 8 spots left to be filled in the 2nd annual PlayoffBeard.com Fantasy Hockey League!
In order to join the league, follow this link, click the "Sign Up Now" or "Get Another Team" button and follow the links to "Join a Custom League". When prompted, enter the League ID# and password below.
League ID#: 25500
Password: chucknorris
You will receive a confirmation with further details once you have completed the registration process.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 It's painfully obvious what happened here. The Carolina Hurricanes were looking past their opponents the Philadelphia Flyers last night, figuring on an easy two points. That was perhaps a large error.
Instead of moving into a tie for 8th with the Canadiens and the Lightning, the Hurricanes ran into a wall. Newly acquired, and recently signed Flyers goaltender Martin Biron stopped 23 of the 24 shots the Hurricanes threw at him, and led his team to a 5-1 win. Flyers defenceman Derian Hatcher is on a tear, potting his second goal this month and the game winner last night! Fantasy Owners, take a look at the big guy if you are looking to bolster your playoff rosters!
The Hurricanes have now lost two straight and are dangerously close to becoming part of the unfortunate club of Stanley Cup Championship teams that fail to make the playoffs in the following season. Carolina is tied for 9th place with the Leafs and the Islanders.
Quick Shave:
The one thing that really sucks about Fantasy Hockey is getting excited over a win by your team and then realizing that your goaltender, who should have been playing didn't start and had nothing to do with the victory. That happened to me twice last night. The Florida Panthers captured a shootout win over the Atlanta Thrashers last night on the heels of a 33 save performance by backup netminder Craig Anderson. The Anaheim Ducks stormed the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1, and recieved some solid goaltending from backup Ilya Bryzgalov who made 20 saves. Unfortunately I started J.S. Giguere in place of Bryzy so no love for Bosh. What is really sad is that I did start Cam Ward last night, whom the Carolina Hurricanes thought they should rest in favor of Grahame..... good idea there Laviolette. So much for the Bosher.
I'd also like to welcome our newcomers Teri and Amy to the fold. Good to have you on beard! I mean on board.
Game of the Night:
Toronto at Atlanta 7:00 PM
Calgary at Minnesota 8:00 PM
Detroit at Nashville 8:00 PM
Detroit and Nashville! How sweet is that game going to be? The Hockey Gods are pleased with us! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The game winning goal. Without a doubt one of the most coveted of all stats in fantasy hockey. If one of your roster players pots one, you are almost certain to win the category. Get two, and it's in the bag. As of last night, Vancouver Canucks forward Markus Naslund lifted his club over the Phoenix Coyotes, by putting the game winner past Cujo late in the game......giving me my third game winning goal. Three game winning goals! I should have that column in the bag right?
Well I don't. The bastage I'm playing also has three game winning goals. Now I know that next week, when I need a GWG, no one on my fantasy squad will be able to provide one, because they all gave this week. The crappiest thing is, that we have 6 gwg's combined, and if neither one of us scores another, we get a blank for the category. What a waste. Ahhh....I need to move on.
So the Canucks have righted the ship after being stunned by the Blues the other day, taking on another trade deadline seller in the Phoenix Coyotes. They almost blew this one. Naslund's score late in the third period gave the Canucks the 4-3 win. Daniel Sedin had a pair of goals in the win and new arrivals Brent Sopel, and Bryan Smolinski added assists.
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers cannot close the deal in the third this year. In 1999-2000, my buddy Jeff and I witnessed on many night at the Garden a phenomenon known only as the 'dreaded two goal lead'. On at least 10 different occasions (it very well could have been more....but by mid-season I had to drink my face off just to watch that team...jeff too) we saw the Rangers carry their 2-0 lead into the third, only to blow it, and lose 3-2. More often than not, they lost 6-2. My point to all of this? The Rangers did the same thing again last night, and it appears the dreaded two goal lead has returned. Leading 2-0 going into the third, the Rangers let the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied on a pair of short handed goals, forced OT and stole the game in the shootout thanks in large part to Sidney Crosby (who appears to be getting better at the shootout). What's funnier still. Jeff was at the game last night! Ryan Smyth contributed in his first game with the New York Islanders, by assisting on a beautiful goal to linemate Mike Sillinger.....but it was all for naught. The Isles fell to the St. Louis Blues 3-2 last night in OT. Let's take a moment to give a hand to the Blues, who after selling off their two biggest forwards, have now gone 2-0 against two playoff bound teams in Vancouver and New York. You have to love the heart of this club. Their jerseys are pretty sweet too.
Playoff Beard Note:
I was explaining to my other buddy Jeff why I gave the Beard of the Month to Trent Hunter rather than Zetterberg yesterday. The BOTM award is performance based, but not on hockey performance. Facial hair performance. That is the key. All HZ has to do this month is let the soup catcher grow (not like Savard's....that thing is creepy) and he will earn his accolades! Honestly, with the work Garth Snow did over the last two months as GM of the Islanders I was going to award him the BOTM..... but his chin is clean (as far as I know)...... my runner up for February was Scott Parker of the Colorado Avalanche, formerly of the San Jose Sharks.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Atlanta 7:30 PM
San Jose at Anaheim 10:00 PM
Atlanta needs the game pretty bad, and taking it from the Senators will be no easy task. The Thrashers really are on the ropes, and if they don't put this in drive soon, they will be done. Not just for the season, but perhaps in Atlanta. There really is no reason why this team shouldn't be in the playoffs......but I think I spoke highly of them early in the season and cursed them. Its' the only explanation. San Jose will look to get some revenge on the Ducks after a loss earlier this week, and they will also showcase their new top liner Bill Guerin. Should be a fun game to watch. Enjoy the games my friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Big blow for the Montreal Canadiens playoff hopes yesterday.....or is it?
Montreal Canadiens number one goaltender Cristobal Huet will be out for at the very least the remainder of the NHL regular season following surgery to repair his left hamsting. Huet was injured during last weeks game against the New Jersey Devils when he fell akwardly trying to stop a shot. Cristobal Huet hopes to be ready to play for the Habs in the playoffs....if they make it.
In light of his recent injury, backup (or tandem keeper, you decide) David Aebischer was expected to shoulder the load of the starts while receiving support from call up Jaroslav Halak. Well it appears its going to be the other way around.
Halak won his second straight game for the Canadiens last night by helping his club defeat the Washington Capitals 5-3 last night. Coach Carbonneau promised that Halak would be in net for the Habs as they face the Western Conference leading Nashville Predators tomorrow night.
Mr. Huet was a mainstay on two of my Fantasy Rosters so this a big blow to the Bosher. I decided to drop the lad in favor of Nicklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild who appears to be having a solid season in relief of Manny Fernandez (he's out with a knee.... if not its' a groin). Hopefully he will bring me good fortune.
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers can't beat the New Jersey Devils. While the game was spirited (including a little toe to toe action between Sean Avery and Martin Brodeur, I have to face facts. The Devils own the Rangers, and have figured out how to shut them down. Jaromir Jagr was held without a shot last night. If I remember correctly the last time the two teams met, Jagr had one shot late in the third period. The Devils took the game 2-1 on a goal by Zach Parise. Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins shutout the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 last night. The Bruins are fighting to remain in the playoff hunt, and Thomas 44 save performance helped them close the gap between them and the Leafs by 4 points. The Carolina Hurricanes are on playoff life support right now as well, following their 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers last night. The Canes have a 1 point lead on the New York Islanders for the 8th and final spot in the East. Will the Stanley Cup Champions not be at the post season dance to defend their title this year? The Ottawa Senators are a team on the rise, and the team they beat last night 4-3 (shootout win), the Edmonton Oilers are a team on the decline. The Oilers have a lot of ground to make up (8 points) to catch the Calgary Flames who hold the final spot in the West. The Western Conference is really opening up, and the only teams now that have a legitimate shot at the playoff in my opinion are the Colorado Avalanche (8 points out), the Oilers (also 8 points out), and the St. Louis Blues (no I'm not kidding, 9 points out). Given their current position perhaps they may not be sellers by next week and try to make the post season?
Game of the Night:
San Jose at Washington 7:00 PM
Chicago at Detroit 7:30 PM
Only two games on the menu tonight, so I give you them both. I'm a little more interested in the Red Wings vs. Blackhawks game because the Sharks and Caps have really been mailing it in lately. Frankly both teams need to find a way to break out of their slumps. Alexander Ovechkin has 1 goal in last 8 games? Come on bro, let's pick it up! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Calgary Flames welcomed back their star forward Jarome Iginla last night and were rewarded. Iginla had missed the Flames last 11 matches due to a knee injury returned last night to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored a goal and two assists.
The Flames hammered the Blue Jackets 6-2 last night handing them their second loss in a row following a confidence building 4 game winning streak. Craig Conroy recently acquired from the Los Angeles Kings, was reunited with his old linemate and setup Iginla's score in the first period. This is most certainly a taste of things to come as these two are likely to rediscover the chemisty that helped them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004. If Conroy is available in your leagues, you may want to consider picking him up, as he is certainly going to be picking up quite a few assists riding shotgun with Iginla. I've already seen him snatched up in two of my leagues.
Quick Shave:
The only other game on the night (and game of the night) saw the Detroit Red Wings defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Henrik Zetterberg had a fantasy owner's dream evening scoring a goal and three assists, as did Niklas Lidstrom who had three helpers. Dominik Hasek made 24 saves on the night for the win. Rumors are abound in St. Louis, and it appears the Keith Tkachuk may be on the New York Rangers wish list. There are quite a few players in St. Louis who could be wearing the 'rent-a-player' tag if the Blues don't inch closer to the playoffs by the trade deadline at the end of February. Don't be surprised to see Bill Guerin and Martin Rucinsky added to playoff bound rosters.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at New Jersey 7:30 PM
I'm curious to see how the Devils will defend a team as well balanced as the Buffalo Sabres. They seem to always have the answer for one line teams (like the Rangers), but how will they play against the best team in the East? Tune in to find out! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 I am having perhaps the worst week in Fantasy Hockey ever. Actually the last three weeks have been dreadful, but this week my squad is just flatlining, and my management of said roster could not be worst. Last evening was another fraught with game time decisions, who to start, who to sit, who's hot, who's not, and so on. Well Captain Bosh, made all the wrong choices last night. Let's start with my biggest one.
Starting Ilya Bryzgalov. The Anaheim Ducks backup goaltender who was thrust into the starting role after number one keeper Jean Sebastien Giguere went down with a groin injury, has been dreadful. Granted the star rookie from last season's playoffs has had his confidence all but destroyed by the maniacal efforts of Coach Carlyle this season. Earlier in the year, if he allowed a goal, he was yanked. Then he went down with an injury, and now he is playing so tight......that he can't play at all. Brygalov also does not have the benefit of playing behind top defensemen Chris Pronger, or Francois Beauchemin (I probably just murdered his name again), as Giguere did, and the team's play as of late is more than an indication of that.
Ok, off the soap box, and onto the ice. The Ducks carried a 1 goal into the second, and appeared to be comfortably sitting on it, until the Oilers tied it late in the period on a goal by Jason Smith. The wheels were probably already off at this point, but Oilers forward Toby Peterson made sure they stayed off at this point by scoring again less than half a minute later. How many times during this losing stretch have we seen the Ducks totally collapse like this (remember Columbus 2 weeks ago?)? After that, and I know it sounds hokey, but the Oilers never looked back as forward Ryan Smyth scored his 22nd, and 23rd of the season, to give his team the 4-1 victory.
Quick Shave:
My other Fantasy Hockey decision last night was not to start Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet, against a very strong Atlanta Thrashers team. The Habs haven'tt looked great lately, and Huet has taken a beating in his last few games......so I thought there was good reasoning behind my choice. Montreal, and Huet however, decided to turn in one of their finest performances of the season. The Habs defeated the Thrashers 4-1, on a 44 save performance from Huet, and even got a goal from recently benched Sergei Samsonov. The Vancouver Canucks remained one of the hottest teams in the NHL, by edging the Ottawa Senators 2-1. The difference was Roberto Luongo who made 34 of 35 saves on the night. The Canucks only managed 14 shots on net?! And they still won! Near All Star defenceman Rory Fitzpatrick recorded his first goal of the season in the win. The Los Angeles Kings aquired goaltender Sean Burke on re-entry waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday. This is a move of desperation obviously as their starting goalies are pretty much done for a large part, or the entire season, and the rookie call-ups have been described as NHL ready. Burke however has seen little action during his AHL stint, and may not be NHL ready either....but for $350,000 I guess he is worth the gamble. Tampa Bay went on to defeat the New Jersey Devils last night 3-2 in the shootout on a goal by Brad Richards. Richards also scored both goals during regulation, and while not technically a hat trick, I will give him the guy nod. Well done sir.
Game of the Night:
Vancouver at Buffalo 8:00 PM
If the Canucks can defeat the Senators by taking only 14 shots on net, I'd like to see them defeat the Sabres by taking less than 10. Make'm count boys! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Since the 2006-2007 NHL season is heading into the home stretch, it's time to hand out some evaluations on some of the best and worst so far this year.
Marc Savard - Boston Bruins
I owe this man an apology. Savard was one of the Bruins big free agent acquisitions (the other being Zdeno Chara), that they freely backed the Brinks truck up for. After a solid year in Atlanta riding shotgun to Ilya Kovalchuk, Savard put together a beautiful 97 point season (28 goals, 69 assists), but I deemed him way overrated as he was the beneficiary of playing with one of the most explosive players in the league. Since arriving in Boston, the plan was for him to replace the since traded Joe Thornton and re-ignite the dormant offence of Glen Murray, which he has done and more. Savard has collected 52 points (14 goals, 38 assists) and is tied for 8th with Teemu Selanne in the NHL scoring race.
Markus Naslund - Vancouver Canucks
What happened to Naslund? Just three seasons ago, Naslund was boasting an impressive 104 point season (48 goals, 56 assists), and since then his production has slowly dwindled. This year marks quite possibly the worst of his career, scoring only 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 42 games played. Has the absence of Todd Bertuzzi had that much of an impact on him, or is this just a natural decline for a player of his age? Whatever the case, Naslund hasn't scored a goal since late November, and is currently a shadow of his former self.
 Patrick Elias - New Jersey Devils
Elias started the season off at a horrible pace (as I pointed out earlier in the season), but has since found his game again. In the last month, Elias has 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists), and 3 game winners, and on the season he has collected 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists) in 39 games. He is a big reason why the New Jersey Devils sit atop the Atlantic Division with 50 points and third overall in the Eastern Conference.
 Jose Theodore - Colorado Avalanche
How the mighty have fallen. Jose Theodore, the former Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy winner of 2001-2002 is playing like anything but these days. Traded to the Avs last season at the deadline for David Aebischer, Theodore has not lived up to the high hopes former GM Lacroix had for him. Theodore has all but lost his starting role to backup Peter Budaj, and his future with the club, and in the NHL may be in jeopardy. His salary, and more importantly his play make him all but untradeable. Theodore boasts (well not really) a 9-10-1 record, a .899 save percentage, and 3.10 GAA so far this year.
Jarome Iginla - Calgary Flames
Although he is out for a week with a sprained knee, the Flames star forward is playing his best hockey again. In the last month, Inginla has scored 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists), is a +6, and scored 2 game winners. Inginlas sits 5th (tied with Lecavalier) in NHL scoring with 53 points (23 goals, 30 assists).
Sidney Crosby- Pittsburgh Penguins
The face of the NHL continues to shine, and shine bright. Love him or hate him, Sidney Crosby can play, and at a level that most can't keep up with. The current NHL scoring leader, leads the league with 62 points (19 goals, 43 assists) and is a +16 rating. His +/- rating is particularly impressive, as last year Crosby finished the year a -1, while scoring 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) in his rookie season. Sidney has learned to play some defense and is more than rounding out his game, so well in fact that he has the Penguins playing for a playoff position, currently sitting just outside the final spot by 2 points. Don't be surprised to see Crosby in a playoff beard this April.
Game of the Night:
Detroit at Anaheim 8:00 PM
Rematch from last week, and rebound from Anaheim's disastrous Friday night meltdown against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ilya Bryzgalov will probably have one or two more shots to prove himself to Carlyle before permanently riding the bench this season. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Ottawa Senators continue to own the Buffalo Sabres. Considering the Buffalo Sabres own the rest of the league, this has to be a growing concern for the boys from Western New York. Last night's victory was the fourth time the Senators have beaten the Sabres.
The win was due in large part to the efforts of Senators forward Dany Heatley. Heatley scored three times and successfully joined the NHL Hat Trick club, and also added an assist in the 6-3 victory. Mike Comrie who was acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes earlier in the day arrived in time to be in the lineup made the most of his new opportunity. Comrie contributed two assists in his debut.
Ottawa Senators GM Muckler spoke briefly on his acquisition of Comrie between periods and was happy to land the forward (considering what he gave up for him, I would have to agree) and since they have lost three centers, Comrie could see some considerable ice time, and power play time. If Mike Comrie is available in your fantasy leagues, keep an eye on him.
Quick Shave:
The Vancouver Canucks are really on a roll. Last night they defeated the Dallas Stars 2-1 in a six round shootout. Dallas was the premiere team on the shootout last season, so stealing a win from Turco is impressive. Roberto Luongo made 39 saves for the Canucks. The Los Angeles Kings shutdown the Columbus Blue Jackets last night 3-0. Kings goalie Mathieu Garon made 26 saves for the shutout win. Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux was meeting with Kansas City representatives in an effort to look into the future options for his club. I'm hoping this is just posturing by Lemieux and that the city of Pittsburgh doesn't call his bluff. It would be a shame for the Penguins to leave Pittsburgh, and honestly, I think it would be a bigger shame to see them in Kansas City.
Game of the Night:
Detroit at San Jose 10:30 PM
Do I really need to explain why you should watch this one? Both teams are humming toward the finish line, and this could be a preview to a playoff beard matchup of epic scale in April. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 1, 534 points and counting.
Last night, Colorado Avalanche forward and captain had three assists in a winning effort over the Nashville Predators. The three points pushed Sakic to 27 assists, and a team leading 44 points. Sakic's three helpers also added to his career total moving him past Paul Coffey into 10th place on the NHL's points list.
Sakic was more concerned about breaking the Avalanche out of their three game lead, which they managed to do by defeating the Nashville Predators 5-3. Peter Budaj made 26 saves on the evening and appears to have replaced Jose Theodore as the number one goaltender.
Alexander Radulov of the Nashville Predators scored again last night, and if you are looking for an available RW in your fantasy league who will contribute to your goal totals, he is worth picking up. In 26 games this season, Radulov has 18 points (11 goals, 7 assists) and is a +11.
Quick Shave:
Philadelphia Flyers forward Petr Nedved who has spent more time on the waiver wire this season than actually playing this season is about to be claimed by the Ottawa Senators on re-entry waivers. The Senators are apparently seeking a short term replacement for injured forward Jason Spezza, and Nedved may be able to find his game centering Heatley and Alfredsson......I could find my game playing between those two. Regardless, if he is placed between those guys, he might be an intriguing fantasy pickup. The Ottawa Senators were also burned in overtime last night by the Atlanta Thrashers and their former teammate Marian Hossa who assisted on all of the Thrasher's goals to win the game 3-2. The Toronto Maple Leafs thundered past the Boston Bruins last night 5-1. The victory put them into a 7th place tie with the New York Rangers with 42 points. The Buffalo Sabres proved to be too much for the New York Islanders yesterday. Ted Nolan returned to Buffalo for the first time since being fired almost 10 years ago. The Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller made 29 saves to help his club to a 3-1 win. The Phoenix Coyotes continue to rack up wins. Last night they took their third straight by knocking off the Washington Capitals 3-2. Owen Nolan had 2 points on the evening. Washington Capitals enforcer Donald Brashear was handed a one game suspension for his sucker punch on Aaron Ward of the New York Rangers Saturday Night, his second suspension of the season. Colton Orr was suspended for 5 games for his cross check on Caps star forward Alexander Ovechkin.
Game of the Night:
Anaheim at Detroit 7:30 PM
Vancouver at Calgary 9:00 PM
Even though Anaheim is being struck down by injuries, most recently losing Pronger, the match up with Detroit should still be a fantastic one. Both teams are two of the best in the West. Vancouver took the home and home series last week from Calgary and now go back to visit the Flames for a third helping. The Northwest Division is still the tightest in the league, and Calgary currently has a one point edge on Vancouver. Enjoy the games my friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 If I were to tell you that the Phoenix Coyotes not only beat the San Jose Sharks last night, but scored 8 goals on them, their goaltender Curtis Joseph stopped all 40 shots he faced, and Jeremy Roenick scored 3 of the Phoenix tallies to join the NHL Hat Trick club.....you'd say Bosh, crack open another Labatt Blue. I would of course be happy to do so.
The Sharks have now lost four of their last five, and appear to be finding adversity for the first time this season. Adversity delivered a pizza to them last night in the form of the Phoenix Coyotes, and this one came with all the trimmings. Cujo made 40 saves for his 48th career shutout, and tied Jacques Planted for fifth on the all time wins list with his 437th victory.
On any other night, the big story would have been Jeremy Roenick. Demoted to fourth line duty on some nights, and more often that not a healthy scratch, Roenick is spitting distance from retirement. His words not mine:
-from TSN.ca
Asked if he thought he had a hat trick left in him, Roenick said, ''I didn't think I had a goal left in me. 'There were times there when I was wondering if I had many games left. My confidence has been shot for a while. It doesn't help when you're on the fourth line and you're a healthy scratch.''
Perhaps this old dog does have a few new tricks left?
The Coyotes finished the evening 8-0, chasing Sharks keeper Evgeni Nabokov who allowed 3 goals on 6 shots (and the fantasy owner I'm playing this week started him! WOOOHOOO!!!), and Toskala was pounded for 5 more. Phoenix is now only 8 points out of playoff spot, and like their counterparts down under in Columbus and St. Louis, they are beginning to put some wins together and climb in the standings.
 Quick Shave:
The Vancouver Canucks have rediscovered the art of scoring goals, and their most recent victim was the Edmonton Oilers. Daniel Sedin was at it again, scoring two goals and an assist to lift the Canucks to the 6-2 win. Martin Brodeur is still the man. The New Jersey Devils goaltender shutout the New York Islanders 2-0 by making 29 saves. It was Brodeur's 6th shutout of the season, and the 86th of his career. Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro actually had a solid night in net as well making 36 saves on the evening. The New York Rangers fought their way to their first win in 8 games. Literally. Brendan Shanahan dropped the gloves with Donald Brashear in the third period after he got tired of him taking liberties with Jaromir Jagr all game. In a very physical match, the Rangers clawed and scrapped their way to a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Nashville Predators backup goaltender Chris Mason (still covering for the injured Vokoun) shutdown, and shutout the Boston Bruins by stopping all 38 shots he faced. The Predators won the game 5-0. The St. Louis Blues are back! As I mentioned earlier, they, the Jackets and the Yotes are attempting to turn their seasons around, and thus far appear to be doing it. The Blues Manny Legace made 33 saves to shutout the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 last night.
Game of the Night:
Anaheim at Minnesota 6:00 PM
Chicago at Columbus 7:00 PM
Los Angeles at Detroit 7:00 PM
Edmonton at Calgary 8:00 PM
Philadelphia at Carolina 8:00 PM
San Jose at Dallas 8:00 PM
What game prior to a New Year's Bash isn't great? I give you the entire card for the evening, and I'll let you decide which ones to watch for the final day of 2006.....although if you need any help deciding....Edmonton vs. Calgary looks juicy to me. Have a great New Years Eve folks! Thanks for an amazing year!
Oh and Forsberg will net 3 and become the final HTC member of the year.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Isn't it terrific when you spend hours sweating over your fantasy roster, weighing your options and finally deciding who you should start, and who should ride the virtual pine.....and then see it all blow up in your face? So last night, I made the decision to sit New Jersey Devils center Scott Gomez, in favor of Anaheim's Andy McDonald, and New York's Michael Nylander......and I am still kicking myself.
Gomez had a gem of a game last night for the Devils, and for fantasy owners (fantasy owners who didn't bench him that is), as he scored two goals, an assist, had a +3 rating, and even kicked it for 2 minutes in the penalty box. Elias also added a goal and 2 assists, and Brodeur did the usual making 32 stops as the Devils defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3. The Devils have now defeated the Caps for the sixth straight time, and have won 11 of their last 13 meetings.
Great job Bosh.
Quick Shave:
The Pittsburgh Penguins jumped off their 5 game losing streak by jumping all over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night 4-1. Sidney Crosby assisted on three of the scores and now continues to lead the NHL in scoring with 58 points. 58 points in 34 games! Crosby is something special. The New York Rangers however are far from special. Their losing streak hit 7 games last night with a 1-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers have not been able to find the back of the net in two games. Ray Emery recorded his second straight shutout for the Senators. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the injury riddled Anaheim Ducks last night 4-2. Cam Ward made 25 saves and Rod Brind'Amour had a goal and an assist (Brind'Amour was honored prior to the match for achieving the 1000 point milestone earlier this season). Eddie Belfour appears to be getting more starts in Florida and he is playing big in net for the Panthers. Belfour made 32 saves last night to help the Florida Panthers beat the red hot Montreal Canadies 3-1. The St. Louis Blues won again! Martin Rucinsky potted 2 past the Colorado Avalanche's new number one goalie Peter Budaj to help his team to the 4-2 win.
Game of the Night:
Atlanta at Buffalo 7:00 PM
New Jersey at NY Islanders 7:00 PM
The top two teams in the East face off as the Thrashers visit the Sabres, and a little closer to home (to mine anyway), the top two teams in the Atlantic go head to head out on Long Island. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Is there any doubt in the power of the playoff beard? Joe Thornton started the season on a down note....then he grew a playoff beard. Joe now has 40 points (9 goals, 31 assists) on the season and once again has his San Jose Sharks sitting among the elite in the West, if not the NHL.
Across the country, in an arena built on top of what was originally land fill, Rick DiPietro, goaltender for the New York Islanders, has grown himself a fine playoff beard over the past month, and has been harvesting wins for his club ever since.
DiPietro shutdown the New York Rangers last night by stopping all 28 shots they threw at him for the 2-0 win. The victory was the third win in a row at Nassau Coliseum by way of shutout. The shutout was his fourth of the season, and 10th of his career. DiPietro has not allowed a goal at home in over 185 minutes of play now. Can you say playoff beard? We can. That is why we congratulate Rick DiPietro on being the Playoff Beard of the Month for December. Congratulations Rick!
Quick Shave:
Across the Hudson, and I guess the East River, and parts of Staten Island in New Jersey, goaltender Martin Brodeur was making noise of his own by shutting down the high flying Pittsburgh Penguins. Broduer made 26 saves for the New Jersey Devils for the 3-0 shutout win, the 85th of his career. The Anaheim Ducks had a scare last night as star goaltender Jean Sebastien Giguere was felled by a leg injury late in the second period against the San Jose Sharks. Rookie Mike Wall stepped in for Giguere and needed to make only 4 saves to preserve the 4-3 win for the Ducks. Fantasy owners of Giguere may want to consider picking up Wall if he is out for an extended period as Bryzgalov is currently on the IR with a groin injury right now. Expect Wall to get a beard load of starts. The Vancouver Canucks stagnant offence came to life last night against the stingy Calgary Flames thanks in large part to the Sedin twins. Daniel Sedin scored a pair of goals, and brother Henrik offered up twin assists in the 3-1 win. The Carolina Hurricanes have quietly been stockpiling wins recently, and last night took their fifth straight by defeating the Florida Panthers 4-2. Cam Ward made 25 saves and Rod Brind'Amour potted the game winner for the Canes.
Game of the Night:
Atlanta at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
This just looks like it will be a fun one to watch. Speed, speed, speed. Also, at 1pm today, Canada will be playing USA in the World Juniors, and NHL Center Ice will be airing it! Enjoy the games my friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Last night's matchup between Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals was a reunion of sorts for sophomores Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin who battled all of last season for the Calder Trophy, which Ovechkin eventually took home.
Both superstar rookies from last season were overshadowed by Ovechkin's Russian Olympic teammate, and this year's rookie phenom, Pittsburgh Penguin Evgeni Malkin. Malkin scored the game tying goal in regulation, and set up Sidney Crosby for another score. The Penguins fought back from a 4 goal defecit to tie the game and force overtime, and the eventual shootout.....a place that has not been friendly to the Penguins this season.
Malking went on to score the game winner in the shootout for the Penguins, and goaltender Marc Andre Fleury stopped the remaining two Cap shooters, after Ovechkin opened the scoring.
After the game, Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin, and Olaf Kolzig both admitted they stopped playing when they recorded the 4 goal lead, and allowed the Penguins the opportunity to fight back into the game. Ovechkin set up Capitals captain Chris Clark for the second and third scores, and had a physical game for his team. Both Crosby and Malkin ended the game with a goal and assist each. Evgeni Malkin now leads all rookies in goals with 15. He has 15 helpers as well for 30 points on the year so far.
Judging by their play last night, and in recent games, it's more than fair to say that the Capitals and Penguins have an opportunity to make the post season this year. The Capitals currently sit in the final playoff spot in the East with 33 points, while the Penguins are in 9th with 31 points (currently tied with Ottawa and Toronto....and Toronto will most likely end the season with 31 points).
Quick Shave:
If you can't stand the heat. Fire the Kitchen. That's the St. Louis Blues motto. The Blues fired head coach Mike Kitchen in favor of former Los Angeles Kings coach Andy Murray, in the hopes that he can revive a team that currently sits dead last in the NHL with 18 points. The Philadelphia Flyers have waived forward Petr Nedved for the second and most certainly the last time this season. Nedved has 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists), and is a -20 rating in 21 games this season. San Jose Sharks goaltender Vesa Toskala stopped 23 shots to lift his club to a 4-0 shutout win over the Phoenix Coyotes. The third shutout for Toskala this season, and the 6th by the Sharks tandem of Nabokala.....or Toskalov. Stache's Fantasy Recommendation, Joe Pavelski scored his 5th goal in 9 games....still worth the pickup if he's in your leagues. Is it possible for the Carolina Hurricanes goalie John Grahame to start a game without letting a goal in the opening minute? Yes. Last night against the Colorado Avalanche were unable to score until the second minute of the game.....good job Johnny! The Hurricanes did eventually grab the lead 2-1 early in the third on a goal by Justin Williams (and assist by Grahame believe it or not!), but did themselves in with too many penalties. The Avalanche converted three power play opportunities to win the game 5-2. Nashville Predators rookie Alex Radulov has officially earned a spot with the big club after scoring 8 goals in his first 16 games. If he is available in your fantasy league he is definitely worth the look.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at New Jersey 7:00 PM
Columbus at Dallas 8:30 PM
Buffalo and Jersey for obvious reasons.....both teams are on top of their games. Game 2, is to see how the Blue Jackets fare against a real team. Ottawa was a big step, but I still think they are flawed.....Dallas has had some injury problems, but Turco has been back on his game, so finding offence will be difficult. Oh, Havlat will join the HTC tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Enjoy the games my friends.....it's so easy a therapist can do it!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Calgary Flames won their ninth straight home game with their 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Flames pounced on the Canucks early who had played the evening prior against the Carolina Hurricanes to take a 4-1 lead.
Jarome Iginla scored his his 16th goal of the season and added two assists on goals by Alex Tanguay and Dion Phaneuf. Kristian Huselius, and Matthew Lombardi also scored. Lombardi who I picked up off of waivers yesterday scored the game winner, which would have been great if I had started him, but sadly I did not.....cuz I suck.
Vancouver did mount a third periord comeback, and drew within one goal, but the Flames weathered the storm and sealed the win on Tanguay's empty netter. Vancouver Canucks goalkeeper Roberto Luongo, who was supposed to be the panacea for the their goaltending woes was lifted after surrendering his fourth goal on 24 shots.
Quick Shave:
Believe it or not, the Columbus Blue Jackets have themselves a bonafide winning streak going, that has now hit three games after last night's 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Backup goaltender, Fredrik Norrena who has started all three games has only surrendered one goal during that span, and appears to have taken command of the starting goalie position over Pascal Leclaire. They face the Ottawa Senators today, so it will be interesting to see how the team responds, and who Hitch leans on in net. The New York Rangers played perhaps their most complete game of the season yesterday as they defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1. The Senators came out physical, which began with a devestating hit by Chris Neil on defencemen Michael Rosizval and the Rangers responded in kind. Henrik Lundqvist was amazing in net, stopping 34 of the 35 shots he face, and Jaromir Jagr netted the game-winner with his patented crossing the circles to wrist shot move that he does so often now.....and scores regularly on. It was the Buffalo Sabres turn to nip the Montreal Canadiens this time, and the Sabres took the 3-2 win by way of shootout. These two teams, are so well matched and provide some of the best hockey I've seen this season. Speed, defense and great goaltending. Habs defenceman Sheldon Souray left the game midway through the third after being hit by Buffalo's Paul Gaustad.....the injury sustained thus far is being labeled an 'upper body' injury. At least it's not a groin. Ok, I think it's time to start ringing the alarms in Toronto (like they haven't been ringing since this summer), the Leafs are going down the toilet fast. Last night the Detroit Red Wings completely outclassed them, and converted 5 powerplay goals to crush the Leafs 5-1. The Toronto Maple Leafs have now lost seven games in a row, and the wheels have really come off this one. The San Jose Sharks Jonatahn Cheechoo almost joined the NHL HTC again last night but fell a goal short. The Sharks went on to defeat the Nashville Predators 3-1. The New York Islanders defeated the Florida Panthers in the shootout to take the win 5-4 last night. Good news out of the Island, is the center Alexei Yashin who's missed the last few weeks with a knee injury has begun skating with the team again and could be back on the ice as early as Friday's match against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Welcome to the Hat Trick Club Mark Parrish! Anyone call that one? The Minnesota Wild forward netted three goals including the game winner in overtime to lift his team over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4. Pavol Demitra returned to the lineup for the Wild and added a goal and two assists. The Pittsburgh Penguins decided to effectively end the game against the Atlanta Thrashers before it got to the shootout....where they haven't been too successful, and did so. Colby Armstrong scored the game winner for the Penguins late in the extra period to give his team the 4-3 win.
I'd just like to send my best out to Montreal's Bob Gainey and his family, whose daughter is currently missing after being washed overboard during a storm on Friday night. I'm sure everyone's thoughts are with you and her, and she returns safely.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Columbus 6:00 PM
Ottawa isn't playing great, but they are playing much better than at the start of the season, and they are more than a fair bench test for the Columbus Blue Jackets. I want to see if this Blue Jackets team is for real....kind of like how I wanted to see if the Capitals were for real last Friday until the Ducks slapped them around for 60 minutes. This is a 'let's see' match...and even though most of you are not 100% in love with my tone right now.....Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Calgary Flames forward Daymond Langkow scored within the first minute of last nights match and effectively ruined the first game of the Carolina Hurricanes roadtrip. Langkow's goal would be all the Flames needed (even though they got two more) as they shutdown, and shutout the Hurricanes 3-0.
Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff made 23 saves to get his fourth shutout of the season. Langkow's goal and assist on Iginla's empty netter later in the game extended his point scoring streak to six games, and the Flames win streak to three games. Daymond Langkow now has 8 goals and 15 assists in 25 games, and is a +2. He is probably still available in most leagues (I've seen him in mine) and is definitely a great roster replacement for that sentimental Jeremy Roenick pick up.....man that stings.
 Quick Shave:
Buffalo Sabres forward Daniel Briere joined the NHL HTC for the first time in his career last night. Briere's three goals, helped the Sabres easily put down the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 last evening. Costly win for the Ottawa Senators? The Ottawa Senators are officially back, and starting to win game in bunches (and against quality opponents) and last night took it to the New York Islanders 4-2. Unfortunately, they lost their captain Daniel Alfredsson to a leg injury in the third period. The Toronto Maple Leafs blew a 2-0 lead over the Atlanta Thrashers last night in the third period and lost 5-2. Maple Leaf fans are still booing. Goaltending controversy in Columbus? Backup Fredrik Norrena started his second game in a row over Pascal Leclaire and stopped 42 Colorado Avalanche shots to give the Columbus Blue Jackets the 3-0 shutout victory. His second shutout in two games (he prevented the Oilers from scoring in the Saturday evening 4-0 win).
Game of the Night:
Montreal at New Jersey 7:30 PM
Carolina at Edmonton 9:30 PM
Nashville at Anaheim 10:00 PM
These all look pretty tasty to me. Especially the last two. The Carolina Hurricanes return to Rexall Place for the first time since the Stanley Cup Finals, and the second place Nashville Predators face off agains the first place Anaheim Ducks. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Vancouver Canucks sale to Aquilini Investment Group was approved by the NHL yesterday, which now means the franchise is now entirely locally owned. The sale has done little to improve the Canucks inability to find the back of the net.
The effort was there last night, the Vancouver Canucks posted 36 shots against the Edmonton Oilers last night, but Dwayne Roloson turned everyone of those aside. The Oilers only shot 18 times, but Horcoff, Tjarnqvist, Lupul and Torres made them all count helping Roloson to his 20th career shutout. The Oilers went on to win 4-0.
So what's up with Vancouver? Why can't they score? Do Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison miss Todd Bertuzzi that much? The Canucks were unable to cash in on any of their power play opportunities last night, which the Oilers handed out often. Their powerplay is currently ranked 27th in the league and is an indicator that they miss the big man in front of the crease. The answers will need to come soon, as they are barely hanging on to the last play off spot in the West.
Quick Shave:
The Dallas Stars' Marty Turco got back in the win column last night stopping all 25 shots the San Jose Sharks threw at him, and making Mike Modano's goal stand up for the 1-0 victory. The 26th shutout of Turco's career ended the Sharks 5 game winning streak. The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens decided not to play defense last night and lit up the score board with 11 goals. The Bruins got the extra one, defeating the Habs 6-5. Cristobal Huet let in 4 goals on 16 shots and was pulled in the second for David Aebischer. It looks like Huet may be a little exhausted after taking the bulk of the starts for the Canadiens over the past few weeks. A rest may be in order. The giant in the desert that is the Phoenix Coyotes claimed their latest victim in the Nashville Predators last night. The Coyotes broke a 2-2 tie midway through the third on a Patrick Fischer goal to win the game 3-2. The Carolina Hurricanes activated Cory Stillman and he is expected to be in the lineup against Calgary tonight. If he's still available in your fantasy leagues he's worth picking up. The Salary Cap is on the rise? According to Ted Saskin, the current increase in revenues should give GM's more room to manuever next season (or completely destroy their rosters by overpaying players) as the salary cap could go up to $47.5 million per team.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Carolina at Calgary 9:00 PM
Ottawa and New York should be a great game. It's time to see who's for real. The reigning Cup Champs take a trip out West, and hopefully ice Cory Stillman tonight in Calgary. And for you fans of Brett....
Detroit at St. Louis 8:00 PM
The St. Louis Blues will hang Hull's number 16 from the rafters tonight. The former Blue and Red Wing will be honored and then watch his two former clubs face off. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Chris Pronger returns to Edmonton tonight. Do I really need to say more?
For those of you living under a rock for the past year or so, Pronger was traded to the Oilers from St. Louis prior to the start of last season, and immediately help stabilize the Oilers defense, and lift them to the playoffs. Once there, he and the Oilers, made an unlikely push round after round towards the Stanley Cup, where they fell short by one game. Losing in a game 7 final to the Carolina Hurricanes. Had the Oilers won, Pronger would have certainly been the Conn Smythe Trophy winner (although I still think Roloson deserved it regardless of his game 1 injury), but it was just not to be. Days after the playoff run ended, rumors swirled that Pronger had demanded a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. Regrettably, Oilers GM Kevin Lowe complied and sent him out west to Anaheim for a package of picks, forward Joffrey Lupul, and defenceman Ladislav Smid.
Pronger's reason for requesting the trade has alway been for family reasons, but that has done little to extinguish the rage the Oiler's fans feel towards him....that same rage that will certainly be on dislpay tonight at Rexxal Place. The best revenge for Oilers and their fans? Win the game.
Quick Shave:
The Chicago Blackhawks joined the 'Let's fire our Head Coach' Club yesterday as they sent head coach Trent Yawney packing in favor of Denis Savard. The legendary Blackhawks player is expected to bring a more offensive minded system to the team, and looks to have Havlat back in the lineup by next week. Injuries have been the downfall of this team, not coaching, so it's unfortunate Yawney had to pay the price for the growing IR list.
The Detroit Red Wings took advantage of the Dallas Stars power play units and scored two short handed goals by Draper and Schneider to defeat them 2-1. San Jose Sharks forward Milan Michalek has joined his teammate Jonathan Cheechoo on the IR list this week. Michalek suffered an arm injury during the game against the Anaheim Ducks last week. The New York Islanders got some bad news on the MRI results of Alexei Yashin's knee. Yashin has a knee sprain and will be out of the Isles lineup for 2-4 weeks. Check out this great Fantasy Article from TSN.ca. Some nice gems to consider in there. How good are Los Angeles Kings forwards Kopitar and Frolov! New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur found out last night in the shootout as both young players deked him right out of the net. LA won the game 3-2.
Game of the Night:
Anaheim at Edmonton 9:00 PM
See above. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 With Anaheim's backup netminder Ilya Bryzgalov day to day with a 'lower body injury', and Jean Sebastien Giguere sidelined with a similiarly vague ailment, the Ducks went to the farm for support and called up rookie goaltender Michael Wall.
Wall had a solid first NHL start, but really a rookie keeper couldn't have asked for more favorable conditions. Playing behind one of the best defensive teams in the league, and playing against one of the more limited offensive clubs. Wall only faced 11 shots through the first 40 minutes and finished off the Flames with 19 saves for his first career victory 5-3.
Teemu Selanne made a bid to join the NHL HTC but was denied membership because of the that third elusive goal. Ryan Getzlaf also scored on the powerplay, and if he is available in your Fantasy Leagues, you may want to take a look at him. Getzlaf now has 16 points on the season (9 goals, 7 assists) and is a +5 rating. 8 of his points are from special teams play. Worth the pickup if he is still available.
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers got close again, but still can't beat the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres once again finished off the Rangers in OT, this time on a Chris Drury deflection early in the extra period. Has Marc Denis lost his starting job in Tampa Bay? It looks like it. The Tampa Bay Lightning started 'backup' Johan Holmqvist against the Ottawa Senators yesterday and made 22 stops to help the Lightning win 3-1. The win was his 8th in his last 9 starts. Colorado Avalanche defenceman Jordan Leopold may be back in the lineup soon having recovered from his hernia surgery. Pierre Turgeon has also been practicing faceoffs which indicates his shoulder recovery is coming along nicely and could be back before the holidays. New York Islanders Alexei Yashin will have an MRI on his right knee today to see if there is any long term damage from the knee on knee hit he sustained against Washington Capitals Matt Bradley.
Game of the Night:
Dallas at Detroit 7:00 PM
Marty Turco is probably hoping that this week doesn't start off like last week, when he allowed two goals in on five shots and was yanked.....thus destroying all of his Fantasy Owner's goaltending stats (including the dude I played last week!). Big opportunity for MT to bounce back against the Wings. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The IR bug has hit Nashville hard this week. After recently losing center Jason Arnott with a knee injury for 6 weeks, the Nashville Predators how now lost their starting netminder, Tomas Vokoun as well.
Vokoun was injured in the Predators Thanksgiving Day 6-0 thrashing of the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday evening. Vokoun was lifted in the second period in favor of backup Chris Mason after apparently injuring his hand.
MRI results on the hand were less than favorable. Vokoun has a torn ligament in his left thumb, which will require surgery and keep him out of the Predators lineup for up to six weeks. Backup Chris Mason is expected to shoulder the bulk of the starts in Vokoun's absence (if he is still available in your Fantasy leagues, you may want to add him to your lineup.....I checked my leagues this morning, and he was picked up by all of them, so he is certainly a hot ticket right now), and has been solid for the Preds this year, most recently helping them defeat the Detroit Red Wings by making 30+ saves.
The loss of Vokoun last year to injury derailed the Predators playoff run, but this injury shouldn't hurt them too badly. Mason is a capable backup, and even without Arnott, the Predators have been very productive on the offensive side of the puck, scoring 30 goals in the last 7 games. I expect them to weather the injuries with little difficulty or a dip in the standings.
Quick Shave:
The New York Islanders and the New York Rangers are battling for supremacy in the Atlantic Division? No it's not 1980. Both teams have turned things around and after stringing a few victories together (including wins last night against Washington (for the Isles), and the Pens (the Rangers), the backyard rivals, have knocked their cross-river counterpart New Jersey Devils into second place. Speaking of the New Jersey Devils, the West Coast hasn't been kind to them. Last night they ran into a wall in San Jose Shark's goalie Evgeni Nabokov, who recorded his third victory by way of shutout 2-0. Ken Hitchcock got his first win as the new head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets as they defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-3. Sergei Federov had a 4 point evening (2 goals, 2 assists). The Philadelphia Flyers are fighting to save their season, and now have themselves a 2 game winning streak as they defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Simon Gagne scored 2 goals and assist and Habs keeper David Aebischer seems to have fully solidified his position as a backup after losing his third straight start.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Calgary at Anaheim 8:00 PM
Third times the charm? Hopefully for the Rangers it is. They lost their first two meetings to the Sabres, and once again ride their win streak up against one of the NHL's best. The second game has treat written all over it. Flames! Ducks! Sounds like dinner! Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
We've passed the one month mark in the 2006-2007 NHL season and I think a Fantasy Report Card is in order to mark the occassion. Thus far we've had a few surprises on the club level, but from an individual perspective, the names that are rising to the top aren't really a surprise. The ones falling to the bottom however, do raise a few eyebrows.
Forwards
Marian Hossa ATL - 15 goals, 15 assists, 30 Points +2
Jaromir Jagr NYR - 7 goals, 21 assists, 28 points +7
Ilya Kovalchuk ATL - 14 goals, 12 assists, 26 points even
Vyacheslav Koslov ATL - 9 goals, 17 assists, 26 points +6
Rod Brind'Amour CAR - 7 goals, 18 assists, 25 points +3
Michael Nylander NYR - 7 goals, 18 assists, 25 points +8
Daniel Briere BUF - 7 goals, 18 assists, 25 points +9
 Is there any wonder why the Atlanta Thrashers are off to their best start in franchise history and are the third best team in the NHL with 27 points behind only Buffalo and Anaheim? Three forwards in the top 5 in scoring and a healthy Kari Lehtonen (we'll get to him more in a bit) are a big reason why this team should see their first ever post season action this year. Playoff Beards for everyone here please. While it's taken Jaromir Jagr some time to get the full strength of his shoulder back, his playmaking ability is still top shelf as his league leading 21 assists can confirm. It's also nice to Kovalchuk with an even rating, rather than in the minus column, which may mean that Hartley's efforts to get him to play defense may be getting through.
Defensemen
Tomas Kaberle TOR - 7 goals, 10 assists, 17 points +4
Bryan McCabe TOR - 4 goals, 12 assists, 16 points +6
Scott Niedermayer ANA - 5 goals, 10 assists, 15 points +4
Chris Pronger ANA - 3 goals, 12 assists, 15 points +10
Matthew Carle SJS - 3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points +6
Nicklas Lidstrom DET - 3 goals, 11assists, 14 points +17
Brian Campbell BUF - 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points +11
Andrei Markov MON - 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points +6
The Toronto Maple Leafs blue liners are getting it done big time this year. Bryan McCabe seems to have picked up where he left off last year where he had a career season with 68 points (19 goals, 49 assists) and Tomas Kaberle seems to be doing the same. He posted a career best 67 points (9 goals, 58 assists) last year for the Leafs and is off to another terrific start, and is 4 goals shy of his career best. Anaheim's two towers on defense have been as good as advertised. Scott Neidermayer and Chris Pronger sit in the top 5 of defensemen in scoring, and their efforts have lifted the Ducks to the top of the Western Conference with 30 points. Nicklas Lidstrom is consistently the best. His offensive stats are almost always forward worthy, but it's his +/- rating that always impresses me. Lidstrom is currently a +17 in 16 games played.
Goalies
Jean-Sebastien Giguere ANA - 10 wins, 2 shutouts
Marty Turco DAL - 10 wins, 1 shutout
Martin Brodeur NJD - 10 wins, 3 shutouts
Andrew Raycroft TOR - 9 wins 1 shutout
Ryan Miller BUF - 9 wins, 0 shutouts
Kari Lehtonen ATL - 9 wins, 0 shutouts
Cam Ward CAR - 9 wins, 1 shutout
Manny Fernandez MIN- 9 wins, 1 shutout
Vesa Toskala SJS- 9 wins, 1 shutout
 While I'm still irritated as a Fantasy Owner of Coach Carlyle's handling of Anaheim's Ilya Bryzgalov, but there is no denying the fact that J.S. Giguere has rediscovered his Conn Smythe form of several seasons ago. Although there's no doubt playing behind the Ducks squad in front of him, particularly the defense has been beneficial, Giguere appears to be getting better by the game. Marty Turco has always been superb in the regular season, but he will be falling under a massive microscope come playoff time. If he fails to get it done this year he will be on the 'Manny Legace' train out of Texas. If Niklas Lidstrom played between the pipes, he would be called Martin Brodeur. Brodeur is always solid, and terrific at bouncing back after a rough start ( like tonight's game against the Rangers! WOO HOO). Raycroft has no doubt been a pleasant surprise for the Leafs. The former Calder Trophy winner who fell from grace, and Boston, has rebounded and played solid for Toronto this year. Ryan Miller is the man, and he's a big part of Buffalo's dominance this season. Kari Lehtonen after season's hampered by poor conditioning, and injuries has finally realized his full potential for the Atlanta Thrashers. Some recent weak play saw him benched for a few games watching backup Hedberg rack up a few wins was probably a good wake up call for him. Lehtonen is the key for the Thrashers this year. If he gets hurt, their playoff hopes will diminish rapidly. Cam Ward recovered from a few bad starts to open the season, and aside from being shelled by Buffalo Monday night, he's looked good. Manny Fernandez now the bonafide number one has embraced the role and helped turned the Minnesota Wild into a contender. Vesa Toskala although getting every other start with counterpart Evgeni Nablokov has thrived in the platoon system putting up solid numbers and most importantly wins for the San Jose Sharks.
Busts:
Daniel Alfredsson OTT - 4 goals, 10 asssists, 14 points even
Rick Nash CLB - 4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points -6
Peter Forsberg PHI - 5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points -6
Simon Gagne PHI - 8 goals, 3 assists, 11 points -11
Patrick Elias NJD - 3 goals, 8 assists, 11 points -7
Markus Naslund VAN - 7 goals, 5 assists, 12 points even
Henrik Zetterberg DET - 5 goals, 2 assists, 7 points +6
Wade Redden OTT - 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points +3
 There are probably more, but these names scream out dissapointment to me. Most of these players were probably drafted in the top two rounds of most fantasy leagues and failed to produce the numbers most expected of them. Alfredsson is a stunner. He was incredible last season putting up 103 points (43 goals, 60 assists) but has failed to produce for Ottawa this season, and is a big reason why this team is collapsing. He and Wade Redden. Rick Nash. Finally he arrives to start a season healthy, and what happens? Nothing. Even after missing almost two months of last season, Nash still put up 54 points (31 goals, 23 assists). The Blue Jackets have been a big let down, and they are the second team in this young season to see their coach hit the bricks. Forsberg and Gagne, well those two are big pieces in the unsolvable puzzle that is the Philadelphia Flyers. Naslund perhaps misses being in those big warm arms of Bertuzzi. He hasn't played bad, but his numbers are less than average for a player of extraordinary magnitude. Elias is off to a slow start, but it's his -7 rating that is worrying me. Not only is he not producing offense, but has become a major liability on the defensive side of the puck. Zetterberg's play has probably been masked by the fact that he plays on a solid hockey team. Masked to everyone but my boy Jeff and everyone who drafted him onto their Fantasy Roster that is.
 Quick Shave:
Fired one week, hired the next? Look's like Ken Hitchcock may not be out of work for too long (although I though he was still in the Flyers organization as a scout, but I could be mistaken). The Columbus Blue Jackets who just fired their head coach Gerard Gallant, have received permission from the Flyers organization to interview Ken Hitchcock for their coaching position currently held by interim Gary Agnew. Hitchcock might be exactly what the Blue Jackets need, but can this taskmaster whip the club into the post season? The Calgary Flames have won five straight. No seriously. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped all 24 shots he faced and helped the Flames to a 3-0 shutout win over the St. Louis Blues. 90 seconds is all it took for Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan to ruin Martin Brodeur's evening. The New York Rangers forwards scored 3 goals in under 2 minutes to defeat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 last night. Brendan Shanahan became the first winner of the monthly Mark Messier Award for team leadership (sorry Marty). The Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks gave us a terrific Game of the Night.....but it was just a little more terrific for the Red Wings as they downed the Canucks 3-2. Ryan Smyth of the Edmonton Oilers is expected to be re-evaluated today after Monday night's knee no knee with Avs defenceman John-Michael Liles. Officials are calling it a charley horse right now, and if that's all he got from that hit, I would say count your blessings. Not only did Rolston not join the NHL HTC last night, but the Wild couldn't even beat the Phoenix Coyotes. You gotta love it when Georges Laraque decides to motivate his team by beating the crap out of another player. Regardless of how you may feel about his actions, they worked. The Phoenix Coyotes erased a 2 goal deficit and defeated the Northwest leading Minnesota Wild 4-3. Nice work GL!
Game of the Night:
NY Islanders at Dallas 8:30 PM
It's time to give the boys on the Island their due. I think they can take the Stars. Ted Nolan has done a great job getting the most out of his team, and finally found a way to motivate Alexei Yashin into the player he used to be. Oh, and if you are up late..... look for Ryan Getzlaf to join the NHL Hat Trick Club against the Flyers late tonight. Enjoy the games my chin mullet wearing friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
With the opening face less than 2 weeks away, most of us are gearing up for a great season of Fantasy Hockey. TSN.ca has posted a very interesting chart, on projected points and stats for the upcoming 2006 season.
Here are the top 10 forwards and their projected output as predicted by TSN:
1. Sidney Crosby PIT 48 goals, 71 assists, 119 points
2. Alexander Ovechkin WAS 55 goals, 60 assists, 115 points
3. Eric Staal CAR 47 goals, 59 assists, 106 points
4. Joe Thornton SJ 27 goals, 78 assists, 105 points
5. Jaromir Jagr NYR 46 goals, 54 assists, 100 points
6. Daniel Alfredsson OTT 38 goals, 58 assists, 96 points
7. Ilya Kovalchuk ATL 50 goals, 44 assists, 94 points
8. Brad Richards TB 25 goals, 63 assists, 88 points
9. Dany Heatley OTT 40 goals, 46 assists, 86 points
10. Patrik Elias NJ 36 goals, 49 assists, 85 points
For the complete list click here.
Bosh's thoughts:
Personally I think the scoring is going to go up rather than down. Across the board, and not just because of newly curved sticks. I said last week, it looked as though most teams had forgotten the new rules, and teams with great power plays and some level of discipline will come flying out of the gate. As for the point totals above. It wouldn't surprise me to see Thornton lead the pack again, and perhaps surpass last season's output, especially since they will have a solid left winger, and more experience playing with one another. Jagr's point totals should increase as well, especially on the powerplay if he is teamed with Shanahan on the left point. I think Crosby and Ovechkin will have great years but they won't do better than Jags and Joe. Crosby's cast is better than Ovechkin's so I will give him the advantage, however, I do think Ovechkin is the more complete player and he has little to no support.
Here are the top 10 defensemen and their projected output as predicted by TSN:
1. Niklas Lidstrom DET 16 goals, 46 assists, 62 points
2. Sergei Gonchar PIT 12 goals, 48 assists, 60 points
3. Sergei Zubov DAL 10 goals, 46 assists, 56 points
4. Bryan McCabe TOR 16 goals, 39 assists, 55 points
5. Chris Pronger ANA 12 goals, 43 assists, 55 points
6. Jay Bouwmeester FLA 8 goals, 46 assists, 54 points
7. Scott Niedermayer ANA 12 goals, 39 assists, 51 points
8. Wade Redden OTT 14 goals, 36 assists, 50 points
9. Zdeno Chara BOS 12 goals, 35 assists, 47 points
10. Dion Phaneuf CAL 18 goals, 28 assists, 46 points
For the complete list of defencemen click here.
Bosh's thoughts:
Lidstrom will probably lose some production because of the loss of Shanahan, but I expect some ridiculous scoring from the pair of Pronger and Neidermayer. I feel bad for the penalty killers who will have to lay down in front of those two. Hopefully Gonchar will start a little stronger than he did last year. I don't know why Detroits Matt Schneider doesn't get any love. He should be paired with Lidstrom, the guy puts up great points, and he plays with a mean streak. Everything you'd want in a defenseman! What about Jovonoski? Check out Los Angeles' Lubomir Visnovsky. All he did was score 67 points last season.
Here are the top 10 goalies and their projected number of wins as predicted by TSN:
1. Miikka Kiprusoff CAL 39 Wins
2. Martin Brodeur NJ 39 Wins
3. Tomas Vokoun NAS 35 Wins
4. Marty Turco DAL 36 Wins
5. Cam Ward CAR 33 Wins
6. Henrik Lundqvist NYR 33 Wins
7. Roberto Luongo VAN 32 Wins
8. Ryan Miller BUF 32 Wins
9. Kari Lehtonen ATL 31 Wins
10. Manny Fernandez MIN 30 Wins
For the complete list of goaltenders click here:
Bosh's thoughts:
Can't really argue with too many of these. Kari Lehtonen and Roberto Luongo are the wild cards. Lehtonen is the goalies equivalent to Lindros. The guy always gets hurt. Kari, buddy....fire your trainer. Luongo has been put in a situation designed for him to succeed. Question is will he? Luongo has always played for bad teams, and faced a lot of rubber. Will he be as good as everyone thinks he is, or will he crack under the lack of traffic to his net? I like the respect being given to Manny Fernandez and the Wild. Perhaps with him as the bonafide number 1 keeper he will step it up.
TSN also put together an excellent write-up on possible sleepers and breakout players this season. You can check that article out here. TSN, reporter Scott Cullen, points out some great picks, such as Colby Armstrong, who ended the season nicely on the wing of a gentleman named Crosby. Alex Tanguay, now setting Jarome Iginla is supposed to be a combination worth looking at. A well rested and rejuvinated Owen Nolan in Phoenix. Carolina's Andrew Ladd who will probably receive an upgrade in ice time due to Stillman's injury. Patrick Eaves may get the top line assignment in Ottawa playing with Heatley and Spezza. Matt Cooke could become the Bertuzzi replacement on the Naslund, Morrisson line. Jan Bulis could also be replacing Anson Carter on the Sedin line (unless the rumors I've been hearing about Naslund joining the Sedins is true). Mark Bell playing with Thornton and Cheechoo.....that is just a gift wrapped salary bump. There are lots more.
Here's a few names that weren't mentioned that I think are worthy of a look. The Rangers sophomore Petr Prucha scored 30 goals last year and has been playing on a line with Brendan Shanahan for most of the pre-season. I've been hearing nothing but stellar reviews of Nashvilles Alexander Radulov, the youngster may crack the lineup this year. Anaheim is loaded with talent. Watch for even better returns from Andy MacDonald, and newcomers Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Both should see more ice, with the departure of Lupul. I'm gonna get shelled for this one, but if you have room on your roster, take a look at Lindros. If he stays healthy, the guy is an easy point a game player, and may be even better on the second line in Dallas. With all the attention on Luongo in Vancouver, I think one goalie due for a great year is Tampa Bay's Marc Denis. Who ever is playing on Crosby's other wing, grab him. With Recchi out with a pre-season injury, perhaps Jordan Staal will get the nod.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Reports from the Vancouver Sun are saying that the Canucks are toying with the idea of uniting Swedish forwards, Marcus Naslund, Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin. The idea was apparently floated the other day, and everyone except for Brendan Morrison is apparently thrilled with it (just kidding, but obviously not riding shotgun with Bertuzzi and Naslund anymore is going to seriously hurt his point totals.
The Vancouver Canucks have been looking to find a replacement right winger for the Sedin twins, which was held by 33 goal scorer,(and recently departed) Anson Carter last season. They may not have to look much further than their own backyard. The twins finally fulfilled their superstar potential last season, both breaking th 70 point mark. Playing on a line with Captain Marcus Naslund, all three would certainly prosper.
This scenario has major fantasy implications. If the line works, and becomes the standard for the season, the Sedin's stock, both Henrik and Daniel will skyrocket. Brendan Morrison will unfortunately become less valuable as he will no longer be the beneficiary of the Swedish sniper's skill. Luckily for Bosh, I managed to land one of the Sedins.....I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this line gels.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Here are the results from last night's Playoff Beard. com NHL Fantasy Draft:
1. J. Thornton
2. M. Kiprusoff
3. A. Ovechkin
4. M. Brodeur
5. M. Turco
6. I. Kovalchuk
7. J. Cheechoo
8. S. Crosby
9. D. Heatley
10. J. Jagr
11. R. Luongo
12. D. Alfredsson
Not many surprises overall (Here's what I predicted would happen). We did have a mini-run on keepers but that is to be expected in most leagues. Overall the draft was pretty much how I thought it would go down. I thought Jagr would go sooner, likewise for Luongo. Thanks again to everyone who joined, and here's to a great season! Good Luck!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
What's the NHL, without Fantasy Hockey? The same as the NHL, without playoff beards! I just set up a league over at Yahoo and it's open to everyone! This is a 12 team league so get in quick! Here's the info to join:
Your new League ID# is 32303
Password: brethedican
Your draft is set for this Thursday Sep 7, 11:15pm EDT
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I figured it was time to revisit this, and see what I'd do different. Here is what I think the Top 10 Draft Picks in most Fantasy Leagues will look like:
1. Mikka Kiprusoff
2. Joe Thonton
3. Alexander Ovechkin
4. Sidney Crosby
5. Jaromir Jagr
6. Dany Heatley
7. Jarome Iginla
8. Ilya Kovalchuk
9. Roberto Luongo
10. Eric Staal
Here is what my previous draft looked like:
1. Joe Thonton
2. Jaromir Jagr
3. Alexander Ovechkin
4. Mikka Kiprusoff
5. Sidney Crosby
6. Dany Heatley
7. Eric Staal
8. Ilya Kovalchuk
9. Roberto Luongo
10. Martin Brodeur
I've dropped Jagr a bit, because I've heard his shoulder rehab has made slow progress, and he's also put on some weight. I'm sure he will be ready by season's opener, but not as sharp. I'm also trying to find a way to get Rick Nash on the list, but right now he is falling just outside. There is alot of talent available in the first few rounds, so it's really going to be hard to submarine your team.....unless you draft Felix Potvin with your first pick.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
With the new season just around the corner, many of us will be gearing up for our own seasons. Fantasy Hockey means doing your homework and drafting well, and since we are less than two months out I thought it would be a good time to start mock drafting. Based on last seasons performance, and recent player movement I think several picks in the Top 10 will be near guaranteed producers (barring injury of course) while a few may be risky picks, but one's that should pay dividends. Here's what I think the first 10 draft picks will look like in many leagues:
1. Joe Thonton
2. Jaromir Jagr
3. Alexander Ovechkin
4. Mikka Kiprusoff
5. Sidney Crosby
6. Dany Heatley
7. Eric Staal
8. Ilya Kovalchuk
9. Roberto Luongo
10. Martin Brodeur
There are a lot of great names not on this list, which means round 2 is going to be chock full of really great players, and its possible that a defenceman may not even go in the Top 20, ....although the numbers that Neidermayer and Pronger are going to put up together could be very hard to resist drafting one of them early. Also goaltenders like Cristobal Huet and Henrik Lundqvist could be high draftees as well, but fear of a sophmore slump (I know Huet's not technically a sophomore, but this will be the first season he enters as the bonafide starter) could deter fantasy managers from drafting them early. I'm going to update this list periodically as we lead up to the season based on news, and of course your input. Let the Captain know what you think!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
It is a sad day in the land of Bosh......after two successful regular fantasy seasons, my post seasons have torn a page from the Ottawa Senators playoff handbook. Two first round exits. My first place team Boshimus Maximus actually tied, but the win goes to the individual with most goals, who turned out to be my counterpart Overload. My hats off to you sir! Thus, my fantasy team will pull out their fantasy golf clubs a little earlier than expected. However with the real playoffs just around the corner, we will all have our hands full! Get ready to stop shaving!
Last night's scores:
Philadelphia 4 NY Islanders 1 F
New Jersey 3 Pittsburgh 2 F (OT)
Detroit 3 Minnesota 2 F
Vancouver 2 Anaheim 6 F
Game of the night:
Florida at Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Let's stay in the sunshine state. Can Florida leapfrog past Tampa? This is gonna be good! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
For many of us, the playoffs start next week.....those of us who enjoy the fantasy hockey lifestyle. If you haven't already clinched a playoff spot, hopefully you will this week, otherwise you are hitting the fantasy golf course sooner than the rest of us.
The Bosher has had a pretty good year. Both of my teams have clinched playoff spots, and one team is first in the division. I wanted to share my lineups with you, to show you how I did it.
My first place team...Boshimus Maximus, is comprised of mostly vets, and until Hasek got hurt, pretty solid goaltending. Here's the entire roster:
M. Sundin (Tor - C) -
M. Modano (Dal - C)
M. Naslund (Van - LW)
H. Zetterberg (Det - LW)-
M. Parrish (LA - RW)
T. Amonte (Cgy - RW)
C. Pronger (Edm - D)
M. Schneider (Det - D)
S. Zubov (Dal - D)
T. Poti (NYR - D)
J. Allison (Tor - C)
P. Prucha (NYR - C,RW)
R. Emery (Ott - G)
A. Niittymaki (Phi - G)
E. Belfour (Tor - G)
D. HasekDTD (Ott - G)
My second team (currently in 4th) is Dr. Chim Richalds(figure that one out and you get a prize). This team is built on youth, and some really nice IR surprise pickups. Particularly Eric Staal, and Patrick Elias. I was the last to draft so I also had first dibs on Ovechkin, which has worked out pretty well, as most of you are already aware. I just grabbed Peter Budaj in favor of Marc Denis (who has been splitting time with Pascal Leclaire all season), because he will be getting the majority of the starts for a pretty good Avs team till Jose Theodore comes off the IR. Anyway here's the roster:
E. Staal (Car - C)
J. Allison (Tor - C)
A. Ovechkin (Was - LW)
P. Elias (NJ - C,LW)
D. Heatley (Ott - LW,RW)
T. Hunter (NYI - RW)
B. Leetch (Bos - D)
D. Morris (Pho - D)
N. Baumgartner (Van - D)
W. Redden (Ott - D)
P. SchaeferDTD (Ott - LW)
R. Nash (Cls - LW)
S. Gonchar (Pit - D)
A. Yashin (NYI - C)
C. Joseph (Pho - G)
R. DiPietro (NYI - G)
E. Nabokov (SJ - G)
P. Budaj (Col - G)
That's it folks. Ill keep you poste on how I do in the playoffs! Good luck to everyone!
"The only thing better than beer,....is tea with Ms. MacGill!"
Last night's scores:
Tampa Bay 2 Montreal 1 F
Columbus 2 St. Louis 3 F (OT)
Vancouver 2 Dallas 4 F
Colorado 3 Calgary 4 F
Los Angeles 3 San Jose 4 F
Game of the night:
Edmonton at Minnesota 8:00 PM
3 straight losses for Rolo....will he finally arrive against his old team? This should be great, unless MacTavish is an ass clown and doesn't start him! Enjoy the games!!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
With all of the injuries from the Olympics, many top NHLers are taking a forced break for the time being. That leaves many of us Fantasy General Managers in a bit of a situation. Here are a few options that you may still find on the waiver wire / free agent pool, that you might want to consider as temporary substitutions:
Forwards
Daymond Langkow - Center
18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points, plays for Calgary and is especially good on the power play with 21 points. He also has 5 game winning goals.
Matt Cullen - Center
I like anyone on the Hurricanes at this point. 20 goals and 15 assists, 16 power play points and also has 5 game winning goals.
Nathan Horton - Center (plays right wing also)
Multi-positional, much like Robert Downey Jr. in prison.....which is very advantageous. Horton is having a terrific sophomore season, with 21 goals and 16 assists. He is +11 and also has 48 minutes in penalties.
Yanic Perreault - Center
If he's still available grab him. 20 goals and 28 assists, with 21 power play points he is great find. Perreault is also one of the best face off men in the league, and if your league tracks that stat, then he should be on your team.
Defense
Fedor Tyutin - Defense
5 goals, 16 assists, +9 and becoming very good on the point for the New York Rangers with 10 power play points.
Marek Malik - Defense
+22 people. Yes another Ranger, but let's face it, they have a pretty good defense corps. He has 2 goals and 12 assists this season.
Goaltenders
Yann Danis - Goaltender
Hasn't had much playing time this year, but the kid has been sharp, and since Jose Theodore is out, Danis should be getting some quality time along with Cristobal Huet. Both are really worth a look, but it is doubtful Huet is still on the market...if he is you should be getting him now.
Ray Emery - Goaltender
If he is still available in your league, GET HIM NOW. He will be replacing Dominik Hasek at least till the trade deadline, when Ottawa may trade for a goalie. However, if Emery can guard the pipes well till his Hasek's return, they may stand pat with him.
Vesa Toskala - Goaltender
Toskala has had a decent year (9-5-2 .889 sv%) in relief of Nabokov (who has played like ass) and just got a new contract. There is speculation that one of the Sharks goalies, may be traded, and I have a feeling it may be Toskala. A good chance he will wind up on a playoff bound team for the final stretch. That can only help you.
Those are the top guys I see available right now. If you guys think I've missed any, let me know and I'll add them to the list! Thanks for reading!
Last night's scores:
Boston 3 Carolina 4 F
Atlanta 4 Buffalo 2 F
Philadelphia 1 New Jersey 2 F (SO)
Ottawa 4 Pittsburgh 3 F
Nashville 0 Chicago 3 F
St. Louis 4 Edmonton 2 F
Detroit 2 Anaheim 0 F
Game of the night:
NY Rangers at Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Yeah, I'm being a homer here, but come on, these teams are battling for first in the Atlantic, and the previous games between these two rivals have been great. The last three have had to go to overtime. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Tonight's Show:
February 22nd Show
The Olympics continue and we're still waiting for the Swedes to let up a shot from Rome. We'll give all the details on the games, as the medal rounds come closer. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us for some Olympic talk and talk about the recent articles talking about what each team needs. We welcome Eric Krol from LTHL as we'll discuss the game of table hockey and how much of a boom will be created by it. Ray Flowers from Fantasy Hockey will come on to give you advice about how to pick your playoff pool and who the biggest bust and surprise was this season. Finally, Keegan Dansereau from the Calgary Hitmen will join us for the WHL Report. All that, plus it keeps getting worse for Jose Theodore.
TONIGHT AT 9PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The new NHL rules have changed the game and forced many players to evolve. Many have adapted quickly and embraced the new game. Others have found this difficult, and several outright impossible forcing them into retirement. Many players that were once great are now some of our biggest dissapointments, which is what this week's Fantasy Report is all about. 2005-2006 Fantasy Busts. I was going to name the Top 5 but there have been so many I'm going to name everyone....because unfortunately I drafted a few of them and want to name names:
Sergei Gonchar
The Defenseman that was drafted first by many fantasy teams (I grabbed him in the second round), and has been the poster boy for NHL Bust this year. He was never great defensively, but Gonchar always put up huge numbers, especially on the powerplay. In 51 games this year he has 29 points and is a solid -18. Thanks for coming out!
Bill Guerin
BIll?!? Buddy?!? What's up!? Dallas' high priced winger has put 8 goals and 19 assists this year. Is he a casualty of the new NHL, or just having a bad year. We will find out next season, but hopefully he will turn it around. Dallas is currently paying Bill $875,000.00 a goal.
Keith Tkachuk
2005-2006 is a year KT would like to forget. He's not really a huge bust, because I doubt anyone drafted him very high after showing up to training camp 50 lbs. overweight. This former 50 goal scorer has only 17 points this year and has been a major dissapointment for the Blues.
Ziggy Palffy, Brett Hull, and Mario Lemieux
You couldn't have retired in the off season? How many people wasted high draft picks on these guys?
Patrick Lalime
3 wins? 3 WINS? How were the minors Patty?
Jocelyn Thibault
1 win....even Lalime is laughing at this guy. The only people not laughing.....anyone who drafted him.
The Penguins Roster
The whole team really needs to be blamed here. Aside from Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins suck. Why anyone thought they were going to be a sucess is beyond me. Didn't anyone realize that the team they put together was a facsimile of the 1998-2004 New York Rangers? High priced, overrated, overage players, no defense, awful goaltending (prior to Fleury's call-up) and an inexperienced coach....what do you get? A coach class ticket to Winnepeg.
Andrew Raycroft
Rookie of the Year to a sack full of smashed buttholes! Unbelievable! 7 wins, and currently sitting third on Beantown's goalie depth chart, and more than likely a 2nd or 3rd round pickup. Thanks for showing up.
Jeremy Roenick
He sucks. There's a reason you were left off the US Olympic Team. You are old, slow, lost your scoring touch, you get injured everytime you step on the ice, and oh yeah you are old.
Radek Bonk
1 goal dude? COME ON!!!
Eric Daze
Yes Daze is on the IR again. He almost played 1 game this year, and blessed us with a -2 rating while on the ice for those 15 minutes. Thanks a bunch!
Last nights scores:
Toronto 1 Washington 4 F
Carolina 0 New Jersey 3 F
Atlanta 2 Florida 5 F
Vancouver 3 Calgary 1 F
Game of the night:
Lot of good ones on the schedule today gang, so I'm giving you, your choice of three (all entrees include a salad and your choice of vegetable):
Detroit at Colorado 2:00 PM
NY Rangers at Philadelphia 5:00 PM
Ottawa at Buffalo 7:30 PM
If you have the Center Ice package you can actually watch all three thanks to some clever NHL scheduling. The Detroit and Colorado game is an old rivalry (Gary Thorne and Bill Clement would salivate over this one on ESPN every year....Gary and Bill want to be in a hot tub with Sakic and Lidstrom so badly), and should be a great matchup. The Rangers and Flyers battle for first in the Atlantic, while Ottawa and Buffalo are battling for the top spot in the Northeast. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Hottest players in the last month:
Martin Brodeur
With 11 wins and 4 shutouts in the New Year, Brodeur has helped the Devils right the ship and get back into the playoff hunt. Earlier this season I was worried the new rules, and smaller pads had transformed Brodeur into Mike Dunham, but it seems that he has adapted and is fully recovered from his injuries.
Sidney Crosby
Even with the Penguins falling apart, retiring a player a week, putting the 'for sale' sign on the front lawn, Crosby has continued to rack up the numbers with 8 goals and 14 assists for the month of January. This kid has the weight of the Winnepeg (Pittsburgh) Penguins, as well as that of the entire NHL on his back. Considering the media attention (which is often brutal towards him) and his age, Crosby's game has obviously not suffered. I haven't seen a first round draft pick dominate like this since Alexander Daigle.
Scott Gomez
Another reason why the Devils have turned it around is the recent play of Scott Gomez. It doesn't hurt that your linemate Patrick Elias returned from IR and the other guy riding shotgun Brian Gionta is putting every puck you pass to him in the net. Gomez has 10 goals and 12 assists in the past month and doesn't show any sign of slowing down, unless he faces the Rangers (actually he did score agains them Sunday night, but they stopped your win streak!!! WOOO HOOO).
Dominik Hasek
The Dominator has continued his excellent play, and is a big reason why the Senators are so good right now. In the last month he has 8 wins and 2 shutouts, including a recent whooping of the Leafs (who are going down faster than a Value Jet right now). As long as he stays injury free (the groin has been the most popular injury in the NHL and on Broke Back Mountain this year), the Senators should be a shoe-in for the Cup.
Alexander Ovechkin
Hands down he is the man. Ovechkin has started to separate himself from the rest of the rookie class this year and in January has 13 goals and 10 assists. If you didn't see his highlight reel goal last week, then visit www.ovechkinfans.com/. Probably the coolest goal I've seen since Marek Malik's against Kolzig!
Last Night's Scores:
Washington 2 Boston 3 F
Pittsburgh 3 NY Islanders 4 F (SO)
Carolina 5 Atlanta 1 F
Buffalo 8 Toronto 4 F
Montreal 0 Ottawa 3 F
New Jersey 0 Tampa Bay 1 F (OT)
Vancouver 1 Detroit 2 F
Phoenix 5 St. Louis 3 F
Nashville 1 Minnesota 5 F
Calgary 0 Chicago 2 F
Dallas 3 Colorado 2 F (SO)
Edmonton5 Los Angeles 3 F
Anaheim 2 San Jose 0 F
Game of the Night:
There really isn't one, because there are only two this evening, so I will give you both.
Minnesota at Columbus 7:00 PM
New Jersey at Florida 7:30 PM
I'm leaning towards the Columbus game, just because of Rick Nash. He's another guy who's been on fire lately since missing half the season with a knee injury.
Enjoy the games, and see you tomorrow.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
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