Here they are again….YOUR FLYING TURKEYS!!!!
Last week the turkeys left you screaming for more fantasy duds that you wanted to bury deep on your bench or just drop altogether. This week comes a new installment guaranteed to infuriate all fantasy hockey players out there. Picking our choices this week was much harder than last week and came at the expense of some very unfortunate incidents. No Rick Rypien will not be named nor the Vancouver Canucks. These are fantasy hockey turkeys and not turkeys in general.
So as always our choices came down to who most disappointed fantasy owners out there. There was almost a few ties but here with our Turkeys Of The Week, we do not do ties anymore. The voting was very closed so it is now time to see who has made the list for Week 2 in the National Hockey League.
These Three Turkeys
Martin Brodeur (G) — New Jersey Devils
So we could have put Roberto Luongo or Ryan Miller on this week and there would have been few objections. However, Brodeur dug his own grave when he all but demanded playing a home tilt last Saturday against Boston. He gave up four goals in a second period that was not all his fault but the previous night against Colorado was. Two of the three goals given up were because of poor positioning. Brodeur could not laterally play his angle and it cost the Devils a likely win against a goalie in Craig Anderson who knows when to stay away from the doughnuts in the buffet line. Yes this all world goalie has started out with poor Octobers before…as a matter of fact he started out 3-6-1 in 2007 with a goals against around 3.50.
However he is 38 now and with the current chaotic state that is the Devils’ defense, it is anyone’s guess as to when Brodeur snaps out of this funk and starts playing like the fantasy hockey machine that is Brodeur. The 3.18 GAA and .887 save percentage masks the fact that he gave up 5 goals in the second period in the last week. Worse, it could have been more if not for a few posts and some lucky breaks. It seems strange guys like Fleury, Luongo, and Brodeur almost always seem to start slowly.
Alex Ovechkin (F) — Washington Capitals
We are very tough here and obviously Ovechkin had a very hot start but last week because of the lean schedule, owners knew it could be tough, well it was. One point in two games and a -3 hurt many a fantasy owner. Mini slumps are normal for this caliber of player and Ovechkin endures these almost every October and November. As a matter of fact, Ovechkin has had a hot Week 1 in all but one year then cooled off in Weeks 2 and 3. It is almost automatic.
Tonight in Boston should be a very good test as Ovechkin goes up against a very charged goalie in Tuukka Rask. Rask is athletic and Boston is determined defensively. Strangely enough, the +/- is at zero which is something Alex Ovechkin is not accustomed to this time of year. The Capitals are not blowing teams out of the building like they were last year. Yes it is early but maybe people did overesitmate the scoring prowess of the Washington Capitals at least a little bit. It is a trend to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and we will. So will Ovechkin, I am sure. The oh by the way stat, Sidney Crosby who was nearly a turkey in Week 1, had six points in the last week. AO may want to keep up with the Crosby’s.
Jamie Langenbruner (F) — New Jersey Devils
The other reason why the Devils are so off this year could be traced back to March when Jamie Langenbrunner was given the nickname of “Mr. Grumpy” for his sullen attitude. He is a perennial 60 point a season guy and his three points in six games so far this year is not horrific. The fact that he has no goals, is a -6 and had no hits at all last week is. Take away his 4 hit performance against Pittsburgh and the Captain has been playing nothing like a man who deserves the “C”.
Worse his attitude has seeped into players’ minds, especially Zach Parise. The fact that the ZIP line has been broken up speaks volumes about the volatile nature this team is in. Langenbrunner even being on the second line was expected to exceed last year’s totals but it almost seems as if Langenbrunner has gone grumpy again and left the team to try and lead itself. The next few games, particularly against the Rangers on Sunday may even tell us what kind of shelf life Langenbrunner has left in New Jersey and for fantasy owners everywhere. This has affected Zach Parise’s production and Travis Zajac’s as well among others. This environment would be helped by a few more W’s but it may be wise to stay away from the Captain in your fantasy leagues.
Because three is not enough, we have a few more dishonorable mentions for our loyal audience. The turkeys have spoken and these are the players that nearly made the cut of total shame but were saved somehow.
DISHONORABLE MENTION (Gobblets?)
1. Marc Andre-Fleury — So bad he was put on vacation.
2. Thomas Vanek — finally has a goal now….it is progress.
3. Tyler Myers — Also has joined the NHL season with the rest of us.
4. Dany Heatley — Only two points in 4 games…has gone under the radar.
5. Roberto Luongo — Played better last night but still struggling a bit.
6. Lee Stempniak and Wojtek Wolski — 2 pts combined so far…not good for PHX.
7. Ruslan Fedotenko — Great preseason and then went belly up….not surprising.
Have any other choices you would like to add or subtract? Sound off on twitter, facebook, or on the blog itself. We are always curious to see what we may have missed. See you next week.
