It may be time to sit Martin Brodeur in your fantasy leagues and especially against Toronto tonight but Ian Gooding has six other picks you should consider then we will add our own. Thanks Ian as always…….
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So… how about this realignment thing?
I know I write the fantasy hockey column at Kukla’s Korner, but chances are at this moment you’re paying more attention to realignment and how it affects your favorite team than your fantasy team. There are so many issues at play here: guaranteed home-and-home matchups with all teams; the new playoff format; lessened travel for Western Conference teams; which of Detroit, Nashville, or Columbus should move east; the yet-to-be-determined permanent home of the Phoenix Coyotes; and teams that should be contracted (a topic hardcore long-time fans love to bring up whenever relocation is discussed).
My take on realignment: Assuming that the Coyotes stay where they are next season, the new-look NHL will hold 16 teams in the West and 14 teams in the East. If you’re a fan of a Western Conference team (like me), then you may have discovered that it will now be more difficult for your team to make the playoffs. Is this another perceived slight to the west from the major eastern markets, which no doubt have a lot of pull in the NHL? Or does the new format allow for some flexibility, in case the Coyotes move to an eastern market such as Quebec City?
One more thing: Let’s bring back the Smythe, Norris, Patrick, and Adams Divisions. This realignment lends itself so well to the division names and rivalries that were prevalent back in the 1980s. I believe that hockey needs to celebrate its tradition, no matter how quirky fans from other sports think it is.
Enough realignment gab – let’s look toward the Pick Six for Tuesday, which features 20 teams in action.
Jarome Iginla, RW, CGY – start
If Bobby Ryan’s name has been discussed in trade rumors more than anyone, then Iginla’s name has to be a not-that-close second. So are the rumors affecting Iggy’s game? Maybe not, but 15 points (7g, 8a) and a (-8) in 26 games are less than what fantasy owners were expecting. Iginla is second on the Flames with 70 shots on goal, and he should have no problem adding to that total against a Carolina team that gives up more shots on goal than anyone. It will be interesting to see how Iggy’s fantasy value is affected should the Flames wise up and commence the rebuilding effort by trading their captain.
Matt Moulson, LW, NYI – start
Moulson was expected to be a one-year fluke – no, a two-year fluke – no, wait, it’s coming up to three years of solid fantasy contributions. Thanks to a four-goal effort on Saturday, Moulson Golden is up to 13 goals on the year – a pace that makes a third consecutive 30-goal season seem well within reach. Sure, there’s the plus/minus drag from playing with the Isles, but Moulson has never been more than a (-10) during his three seasons with the Isles. Just don’t expect him to help much in assists, as he has just six helpers this season with only 22 last season.
Milan Hejduk, RW, COL – start
If nothing else, start Hejduk because he is a noted Canuck killer (Andrew Brunette and Alex Steen are two others who seem to have their way with my favorite team, in case you’re taking note). This goes back a long way, but Hejduk has 36 goals and 66 points in 73 lifetime games against the Canucks. More recently, Hejduk scored six points (1g, 5a) in five games against Vancouver last season.
Ryan O’Reilly, C, COL – add/start
With all the young guns in Colorado right now, it may come as a surprise that O’Reilly is leading the team in scoring (21 points in 27 games). The Avs have won three in a row – all on the road – and O’Reilly has scored four goals with a +7 during that span. The Canucks won’t be an easy test for the Avs on Tuesday, but you have to roll with the hot hand here and even hope that he proves worthy enough to be a season-long pickup.
Cal Clutterbuck, RW, MIN – add/start
If your league counts hits, “Buttercup” is a must-own. Clutterbuck led the NHL by dishing out 336 hits last season, and he is in second this season with 96 hits. It’s always nice when a one-category wonder also helps in other categories, as demonstrated by his six goals and ten points over his last 11 games. The Wild are inexplicably at the top of the NHL standings, which has to be in no small part to the contributions of this power forward.
Dan Boyle, D, SJ – bench
I wouldn’t normally bench Boyle, but a couple things have me concerned. One, he plays against the stingy hot Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. Second, Boyle has no points in his last nine games. Brent Burns’ presence could be a factor, but perhaps so is age (35). I have a lot invested in Boyle in a money keeper league, so I’m hoping this is not the beginning of the inevitable age decline. Boyle should come around at some point, but his overall fantasy value doesn’t appear to be what it used to be.
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Something tells me Ian may be right on with the traditionalist part of bringing back the old names. However here is the schedule tonight in the NHL.
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SCHEDULE TIME:
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 |
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| Teams | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | at | Toronto | 7:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Tampa Bay | at | NY Islanders | 7:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Columbus | at | Montreal | 7:30 PM | Gameday | ||
| Detroit | at | St. Louis | 7:30 PM | Gameday | ||
| Phoenix | at | Nashville | 8:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Boston | at | Winnipeg | 8:30 PM | Gameday | ||
| Carolina | at | Calgary | 9:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Colorado | at | Vancouver | 10:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Los Angeles | at | Anaheim | 10:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Minnesota | at | San Jose | 10:30 PM | Gameday | ||
Minnesota and San Jose is your game of the night fantasy wise ladies and gentlemen. San Jose will try to atone for its home loss to Florida over the weekend and they feel this is a must win for a team with several fantasy top performers. New Jersey and Toronto could be intriguing as New Jersey cannot stop anyone but can score plenty of goals. This may be a time to leave the goaltenders at home. Boston travels to Winnipeg in what could be quite the test for Tim Thomas, who faces a team that does give him some headaches. The “freeway faceoff” continues as LA faces Anaheim. LA seems to have their number a bit whether the game is slow or fast paced. Tonight expect a bit faster as Anaheim’s defense and goaltending almost begs for it.
Keep An EYE On……
Martin Brodeur, G, New Jersey Devils — He had his worst ever game in the loss to Minnesota last week stopping only one shot out of four. You have to be at least a bit concerned with how he has played this season because last season, despite all the bad his numbers were pretty good if you threw out how bad the team defense was in front of him. This year his reaction time to unexpected plays is almost nonexistent and that has to be a concern. Brodeur can still come up with amazing performances but does he have a run in him? That answer is yet to be determined…….
Evander Kane, F, Winnipeg Jets — Kane scored twice against New Jersey and some will say maybe a third but what matters is Kane has a line that works well with him in Kyle Wellwood and Alex Burmistrov. Kane is a prototypical physical Forward who is not afraid to go against anyone and that could serve him very well against a very imposing team like Boston tonight. Do not be surprised if he scores on Tim Thomas. At the very least, he is a player to look at going forward and play play play if you have him. The upside is too high not to.
Coaching Carousels — Take a peak at the Columbus and Calgary games tonight and see how these teams play for their coach because one of these guys may be gone in the next week or two. Scott Arniel (CBJ) and Brent Sutter (CGY) really are on short leashes and their players have had some better efforts of late but still not consistent enough to really say they are having a good widespread fantasy impact for owners. Sure these teams have their gems and a couple must starts but that is about it. Tonight could go a long way in determining a lot.
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Tune into tonight’s show to get our thoughts on realignment and the fantasy hockey worls at 9:30pm ET on the Weekly Slapshot. Until then, good luck tonight!
