Today’s edition is a miniaturized version of the normal column. With two games on the schedule, it just doesn’t quite seem right to go normal full blast. With the 13 games on the docket yesterday, there was a lot to digest. For perspective, this is Day 3 of Week 1 of your fantasy season. However, it was a busy day and particularly night nonetheless.
So let us do this in a fast manner as there is a show that must go on tonight.
A LOOK BACK:
1. Phil Kessel, F, Toronto Maple Leafs — Hey how did this happen? Okay Toronto did play Ottawa and strange things happen amongst these two rivals but nonetheless Kessel was impressive last night with a hat trick where each goal almost seemed to top the last. Oh and yes he chipped in an assist as well which made him our obvious Fantasy POTN.
2. Ty Conklin, G, Detroit Red Wings — Somehow Conklin just finds a way to sneak these efforts in every so often and last night was really no surprise as he turned aside 29 Colorado shots in a 3-0 shutout win. Conklin is honestly a viable fantasy alternative in very deep leagues for goalies because of Jimmy Howard’s inconsistent play. It really is food for thought especially early on in your fantasy season.
3. David Legwand, F, Nashville Predators — Yes Mr. Legwand makes a rare sighting with his two goal, two assist performance last night. For one game, he looked like the fantasy stud he was made out to be when he was drafted. Legwand looked good on the puck and was moving well without the puck which is rare for him at times. Give the guy credit, he had a whale of a game last night as his line accounted for the production.
4. Jose Theodore, G, Florida Panthers — We laughed at the Florida Panthers but hey they did beat the New York Islanders last night as Theodore posted a shutout with 27 saves. 22 of those 27 saves came in the last 40 minutes where the Islanders had 13 scoring chances. When you have low expectations, a goalie Theodore could have a warm to hot enough October to merit fantasy consideration.
5. Dave Bolland, F, Chicago Blackhawks — Maybe it was a bit questionable at #5, but Bolland scored twice, was 67% on faceoffs, and was a physical presence all night against Dallas. You have to like what you see in the forward looking ahead. It will be interesting to see if Bolland can come close to 30 goals this year because he has a real chance to do so.
SCHEDULE TIME:
Sunday, October 9, 2011 |
|||||
| Teams | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal | at | Winnipeg | 5:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Pittsburgh | at | Edmonton | 9:00 PM | Gameday | ||
Yes there are only two games but still some fantasy relevance even tonight.
THE SPOTLIGHT IS ON…………
1. Winnipeg Fans — They are going to have an impact on this game tonight and that cannot be disputed. However, a fantasy impact you may ask? The answer is to a point, yes. It has been 16 years in the making and those fans will be rowdy and ready. Players will feed off that crowd which is something they never really had in Atlanta sadly. Winnipeg is going to be a rough place to play for road opposition.
2. Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens — It will be tough for Price but he has the ability to steal one of these types of games. The key will be weathering the first 10-15 minutes of hockey action. If he can do that, Price has the chance to have a pretty good fantasy night win or lose. In a night where there are not many options, Price’s start is important.
3. Evgeni Malkin, F, Pittsburgh Penguins — Malkin almost has to be drooling at the chance to face an Oilers squad that plays it a bit loose in style. This could be a big night for the Russian Forward and do not be surprised if it leads to a Pittsburgh victory. Just think NHL, the Sidney Crosby return is getting closer and closer which will up Malkin’s fantasy value even more.
Well the show starts tonight at 8pm ET and in the meantime, good luck with your fantasy leagues out there. Bring your questions to us tonight at 1-347-826-7358.
