Another busy Saturday night for fantasy hockey. Let's take a look at some of the key performers.
NJ defeats PIT 4-1
Niklas Bergfors had the game winner and has 3 points in his last two games. He is currently playing on a hot line with Zubrus and Clarkson. While he played only 13:23 last night, it was more a reflection of the Devils protecting the lead then Bergfor's play. He did average over 17 minutes a game over the past two. Keep an eye on Bergfors, he has always had offensive upside but the Devils have been patient with him.
MTL defeats NYR 5-4
Mike Cammalleri had 3 goals and 4 points last night. Montreal's top line is looking great and Cammo is showing that he doesn't need Iginla to thrive. This is no surprise, as we said in our JFH forecaster Cammalleri didn't play regular shifts with Iginla last year, as most of their shared ice-time came on the PP. Look for him to finish with around 40 goals and 85 points.
WSH defeats NYI 3-2
Jose Theodore came back and played very well for the Caps. He looked good, stopping a bunch of Islander flurries to keep the Caps in the game. Washington is getting good goaltending right now and both Theodore and Varlamov have great value moving forward.
BOS defeats OTT 4-3
Derek Morris had 2 assists and now has 7 points in 10 games. I was not a believer in Morris but he is getting lots of ice time right now and taking PP time away from the previously effective Dennis Wideman. Grab Morris if he is available and ride him while he's hot. I still think he will see some time in the pressbox before the season ends.
PHI defeats FLA 5-1
Rookie James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist in just 12:54 of ice-time (2:03 on PP). He now has an impressive 7 points in 6 games while averaging 11:30 a game. If you have JVR as a keeper, you may want to activate him. The Flyers are committed to giving James quality ice-time, including PP time, which should allow him to battle for the Calder trophy.
VAN defeats TOR 3-1
Mason Raymond scored 2 goals in 17:42 of ice-time. With Sedin and Demitra out, the Canucks are looking for Raymond to produce. The Grabner-Kesler-Raymond line was dangerous everytime they were on the ice, using blazing speed to cause turnovers and create chances. Take a flyer on Raymond if he's available, as he should be productive in the short-term.
SJ defeats ATL 4-3
With the injury to Ilya Kovalchuk, rookie Evander Kane had a goal and played a season high 19:02. Kane is quietly having a productive rookie year with 5 points in 8 games while averaging 13:53. He is staying in Atlanta and should get better as the season progresses. Activate him in your keeper leagues if Kovalchuk is out for any length of time.
BUF defeats TB 3-2
Ryan Miller continues his impressive start for the Sabres, stopping 24 of 26 shots. Miller is now 6-0-1 with a 1.69 GAA and .940 SV %. He is red hot right now and helping fantasy teams get off to great starts. Miller has always been on the cusp as one of the League's best and this could be the year he dominates. While he won't keep this pace up, he is still a potential Vezina contender and a top #1 fantasy goalie.
DAL defeats STL 4-1
The Neal-Richards-Eriksson line is one of the hottest in the league. They have combined for 15 points in the past 3 games, and seem like the perfect combination of size (Neal), playmaking (Richards) and scoring touch (Eriksson). Grab any of these three right now and hope they can stay healthy and productive all year round.
MIN defeats CAR 3-2
Brent Burns had 2 assists and played 7:44 on the PP. He now has just 4 points in 10 games but is starting to gain his confidence back. Grab Burns off an owner who is frustrated with his "slow" start as Burns could finish the year as a top 15 Dman.
CHI defeats NSH 2-0
Just when everyone is ready to claim Niemi the new Hawk's #1, Huet goes out and shuts out the Preds. Huet made 27 saves and looked very comfortable in the net. He should still get about 60-65% of the starts this year but grab Niemi as a handcuff if you can.
COL defeats DET 3-1
Craig Anderson is the best player in fantasy right now. How odd does that sound? Anderson made 48 saves against the Wings last night...the Detroit Red Wings. He is now 8-1-2 with an outstanding 2.14GAA and .935 SV%. The Avs are playing with a ton of confidence and could keep this run going for another month or two. Anderson's performance should not be a huge surprise as his SV % has been over .924 through the past 3 years with a suspect FLA defence. He'll come back down to earth but he is red hot right now. Ride him if you have him.
LA defeats PHX 5-3
Drew Doughty had 2 assists and played over 10 minutes on the PP...that's right, 10 minutes, double the amount of PP time of any of the Kings' other Dmen. Doughty is breaking out in a big way this year with 9 points already in just 11 games. As far as keeper Dman, he is right behind Mike Green, Dion Phaneuf and Shea Weber. If you can get him off an owner who thinks it's just a hot start, do it now. He won't be affordable starting next season.
CGY defeats EDM 5-2
Everyone knew Rene Bourque was a sleeper but no one thought he was this good. Bourque had a goal and 2 assists in 17:57 last night. He now has 5 goals and 14 points in just 10 games. Sell high on Bourque if you can, he'll slow down and finish with about 60-65 points. While you'll be happy with that production, you may find some owner that think he'll break 85 points. If you do, sell the house.
CLB defeats ANA 6-4
Jakub Voracek is arriving in a big way. He had 2 goals last night and now has 6 points in his past 4 games. Voracek is one of the most talented young players in the game and is beginning to earn the trust of Coach Ken Hitchcock. Like Doughty, try to get Voracek for cheap now as his value will only go up as the season progresses.
Chris
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