Tuesday Night did not feature a whole lot of scoring as goaltending seemed to rule the roost. It is kind of ironic that one of the best saves came in a game that was one of the highest scoring. Sometimes that is just how it happens but give Roberto Luongo credit. He got a win last night against Pekka Rinne who had lost just three times in his last 24 contests. Luongo was not given a star despite his 37 saves and keeping Vancouver in the game especially in the third period and overtime. So if Luongo was just one of our good fantasy players then who took home the Fantasy POTN? Let’s find out.
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FANTASY POTN:
Evgeni Nabokov, G, New York Islanders — If Nabokov is eventually traded, he is really going to fetch some value. It is not often a team is badly outshot and wins but the goalie backstopped a 45 save effort in a 1-0 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Islanders had few scoring chances and only 18 shots on Ilya Bryzgalov but Nabokov stopped both shootout attempts as well. The reality is Evgeni Nabokov is one of the main reasons the Islanders are even sniffing a playoff spot. He has two shutouts in his last six starts and now has a .500 record with a 2.21 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Just imagine if he got a bit more goal support. His fantasy value is definitely still rising.
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A LOOK BACK:
Tomas Vokoun, G, Washington Capitals — Vokoun actually made a lot of saves last night too. His 4-0 shutout of the Florida Panthers put Washington back in first place in the Southeast. The 42 save performance was impressive given that Washington was outshot so badly at home (42-24). This gives Vokoun two shutouts in his last three starts. Does this mean another mini run? Vokoun had just come off a stretch of four games where he gave up three or more goals. It is kind of how Washington and the netminder play to a point. The roller coaster ride is why it is tough to call Vokoun even a very good fantasy bet but if you can gauge the runs, then he is worth the add and start.
Martin Brodeur, G, New Jersey Devils — As much grief as Brodeur has received at times this season, last night had to feel good. Whether or not some will admit it, Brodeur was interfered with at the end of the game against the New York Rangers but his 30 save shutout was huge for fantasy owners looking for the old Marty. In his last nine starts, Brodeur has only given up 17 goals. That is a sub 2.00 GAA for those scoring at home. While he is not the same player, his second half (.925 save percentage) last year may be some indicator now.
David Jones, RW, Colorado Avalanche — His two goals and assist gave him 12 goals and 8 assists on the season but more importantly gave Colorado a reason to believe in him whether he is ultimately traded or not. If he strings a few more games like last night together then even fantasy owners will have to consider adding him to their squads. He has the talent but it is a question of does he get the chance and can he run with it? If those two answers are yes then no matter where he is after February 27th, there will be success in his future.
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SCHEDULE TIME:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 |
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| Teams | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | at | Buffalo | 7:30 PM | Gameday | ||
| Edmonton | at | Detroit | 7:30 PM | Gameday | ||
| Carolina | at | Anaheim | 10:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Calgary | at | San Jose | 10:00 PM | Gameday | ||
Here is the schedule for tonight with four games on the docket. There are also some very interesting subplots. Miller Vs. Lucic, Sam Gagner in Detroit, and can Calgary continue to make that run? Those are just some of the questions and sidelights going into this Wednesday Night.
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KEEP A QUICK EYE ON:
Ryan Miller, G, Buffalo Sabres — Just when Miller was playing better, he gets another visit by those wonderful yet suddenly gunshy Boston Bruins. Did I say gunshy? I sure did. Boston has looked very ordinary of late and though they did beat Washington their last time out, they are a little bit “off” like the New York Rangers right now. This is a big spot for Ryan Miller to vault his team back into the playoff hunt and give another boost to his psyche. Throw all the numbers out the window if Miller wins tonight. I would still start Thomas or Rask but Buffalo will show more of an effort defensively tonight.
Plugging In For Howard — Joey MacDonald gets the start tonight for Detroit against an Edmonton team who has Jordan Eberle (the safer bet) and Sam Gagner among other fantasy viable targets. Detroit is going to have to hope that MacDonald can stop the bleeding against an Edmonton team that can score. it is not saying that MacDonald is a bad goalie, it is just the fact that Detroit just has to score a little more. Offensive targets for Detroit should be elevated in your plans.
Joe Thornton, C, San Jose Sharks — Thornton is heating up at the right time for fantasy owners and a team like Calgary (even though chances may be less) may mean more for “Jumbo Joe”. He does have six points in his last three games and San Jose is starting to score a bit more lately. Joe Thornton is a solid start for tonight even with Miikka Kiprusoff in net for the Flames.
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Good luck tonight in your fantasy hockey leagues and we will not only be live tweeting but also we will have The Program on at 8pm ET for two hours. Bring on the questions and we will try our damnest to give the answers. Thanks for reading.
