Was there a Sidney Crosby return? I could not tell. There were seven other games besides the one that felt like it was shown on 3435 networks. Yes #87 has tons of fantasy ramifications surely but to say it was the motherload would be just inaccurate. Some will say the bigger impact in Pittsburgh may be the return of Kris Letang so take notes fantasy fans. By the way Letang was a +5 in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Yes +/- is a bit overrated but clearly he made a big difference in the Pittsburgh offense and defense as well. Was he our Fantasy POTN? No he was not.
It is time to see who actually was and last night’s was one very tough choice.
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FANTASY POTN:
Martin Brodeur and J.S. Giguere, G, Devils and Avalanche — Simply it was fun to sit back and watch a good old fashioned goalie duel. We will throw out the second period where things were kind of slow but both goalies made some amazing saves (61 combined). The double shutout is a bit more shallow these days thanks to the shootout but these goalies turned back the clock to 2003 last night which was good to see especially in the third period and overtime. When it did come to the shootout though, the best goalie in shootouts was undoubtedly Brodeur. He is one of the best in the fifth period and with a little luck, it was not much of a contest there but the first 65 was truly fun to watch and for fantasy leagues, a happy night for Brodeur owners.
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QUICK LOOK BACK:
Pekka Rinne and Antti Niemi, G, Preds and Sharks — This was another one that no one wanted to end and because of a slightly questionable penalty, Rinne was deprived of a shutout. Then again we may never know what would have happened afterwards. Rinne made 34 saves in the shootout loss while Niemi made 32 saves in the shootout win. The funny thing was the ebb and flow of this game which had many twists and turns a lot like a playoff game and the goalies were up for the playoff intensity. It was kind of sad to see Ryan Clowe end this fun goaltending duel in the third round as Niemi stopped David Legwand. Playing devils’ advocate here, would a certain guy named Radulov have scored there? Hmmm, this does make you think. It was a hell of a game however and great for fantasy owners.
Cam Ward, G, Carolina Hurricanes — Ward held off the St. Louis Blues almost all by himself last night as he made 40 saves in a 2-0 victory over the Blues. Also it happened to be his 200th win. What has to be frustrating is how one almost knows Ward will get hot now into April and everyone will hope for next season. Never has a goalie improved his fantasy stock in March and April more than Ward does at times. If he is available, take a look and grab him.
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SCHEDULE TIME:
Friday, March 16, 2012 |
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| Teams | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal | at | Ottawa | 7:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Washington | at | Winnipeg | 8:30 PM | Gameday | ||
| Chicago | at | Dallas | 8:30 PM | Gameday | ||
| Calgary | at | Edmonton | 9:30 PM | Gameday | ||
| Los Angeles | at | Anaheim | 10:00 PM | Gameday | ||
There is a nice easy five game schedule for everyone including the “Freeway Faceoff” and the “French Connection”. Its a division rivalry kind of night as all five games are division clashes. That has to count for something, right? Simply what we have done today is give you a quick look at what to keep an eye on for tonight.
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KEEP AN EYE ON……
Ben Bishop, G, Ottawa Senators — I know there were Senator fans that were clamoring for Robin Lehner but the kid is still 20 and belongs in the AHL. Bishop does not. His 2.16 GAA and .926 save percentage in this short sample size is an indication that he can play. The question is consistency and larger sample size obviously but so far, so good. In a home situation, Bishop is in a pretty good spot to start and more importantly win.
Jonathan Quick, G, Los Angeles Kings — This is a big spot for Quick as he needs a solid performance in what has been a very inconsistent stretch. The Kings are scoring more goals but Quick’s GAA and save percentage have been very up and down lately to say the least. A win against Anaheim not only pretty much knocks them out but helps Quick’s fantasy owners in a gigantic way. The first 20 minutes will be very pivotal and so will the last five.
Tomas Vokoun, G, Washington Capitals — Here is a game in a hostile environment that Vokoun was brought into win. The Caps are rolling at 7-2-1 in their last ten. His .917 save percentage is pretty good ladies and gentlemen and probably deserves a few more wins. However, tonight is a huge test against a hungry Winnipeg team trying to take a valuable two points in the standing. The Jets come out fast and if Vokoun is not up for the challenge, they will swallow him whole. If he stands tall, it could be a pretty good night even if he loses.
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Yes we went goalie centric today but for good reason. Good luck and once again thanks for reading as we live tweet a Friday in the fantasy landscape of the NHL.
