Yes Blake Wheeler is fast! There is that nickname “Hot Wheels” for the Winnipeg forward but the reality is that Wheeler is coming to his own as a fantasy viability and threat. Last night was light on the schedule but had some very quick, unexpected endings. Chicago rallying to win 4-3, Detroit beating LA 4-3, and Pittsburgh coming from one down to beat Florida 2-1 in the SO. The last one may just have been more unexpected because it should have been a higher scoring game and yet it was not. Thankfully Calgary and Winnipeg did not diasppoint in that department.
Speaking of, it is time to unveil our Fantasy POTN. People should not be surprised by this choice.
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FANTASY POTN:
Alex Tanguay, LW/RW, Calgary Flames — Tanguay playing over 23:00 on the top line was definitely quite a surprise at this stage of the game but the four point night was the biggest shocker. He also took the highest amount of shifts at 32. What is kind of lost in this season is that Tanguay now has 45 points in 52 games which puts him on pace for a 55-60 point season. Considering the time he missed with injuries and that is a pretty good fantasy option in moderate to deep leagues. If you are looking for goals, that is not Tanguay’s game (11 and no PP tallies) but assists are coming in bunches lately and he is a must start going forward.
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QUICK LOOK BACK:
Henrik Zetterberg, C/LW, Detroit Red Wings — It is just when we write him off a bit that he starts cranking it up all over again. Last night was an ugly bogged down affair in Detroit that saw 7 goals scored on 39 combined shots. There were long stretches where nothing happened and then all of a sudden bang! The Zetterberg-Filppula combo struck for six points combined as Val Filppula scored the game winner while Zetterberg had two goals and a helper on five shots. Filppula is the real emerging superstar in Detroit but Zetterberg and Datsyuk have mentored him very well. They can still play by the way. This just in.
Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick (G) — These two really have fallen on some hard times recently but last night was just painful to watch. The Rangers fell apart in the third period but so has Lundqvist of late. The two goals in the third period are probably ones the likely Vezina winner would want to have back, particularly the tying goal where Lundqvist just could not get back up in time. It makes you wonder if he was rested too much. Sunday will be a very big test against the New York Islanders. As for Jonathan Quick, while the four goals on 15 shots were very bad, what was worse was the body language in the third period. This is not the first time Quick has appeared extremely agitated at his teammates. Though on some nights that was warranted, when your team scores three in Detroit, you probably should get a point at least. It was not one of Quick’s finer efforts.
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SCHEDULE TIME:
Saturday, March 10, 2012 |
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| Teams | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | at | Boston | 1:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Edmonton | at | Colorado | 3:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Philadelphia | at | Toronto | 7:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Buffalo | at | Ottawa | 7:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| New Jersey | at | NY Islanders | 7:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Carolina | at | Tampa Bay | 7:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Columbus | at | St. Louis | 8:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Detroit | at | Nashville | 8:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Anaheim | at | Dallas | 8:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| San Jose | at | Phoenix | 8:00 PM | Gameday | ||
| Montreal | at | Vancouver | 10:00 PM | Gameday | ||
Here is the nice, rotund 11 game schedule for today. Now Ian Gooding comes crashing in with his Pick Six for the weekend. Enjoy.
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PICK SIX:
Is a Sidney Crosby return finally around the corner? Perhaps, but one player who has nearly the pedigree of Crosby has his own concussion issues, but is not receiving the attention that Sid the Kid is. I’ve included both players in my Pick Six for the weekend.
But first, here’s what you need to know heading into the weekend.
A total of 22 teams are in action on Saturday, while 16 teams are in action on Sunday.
Teams with two weekend games: Boston, Columbus, Carolina, New Jersey, NY Islanders, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto, Washington
Teams with no weekend games: Winnipeg
All other teams play one game either on Saturday or Sunday.
Mike Ribeiro, C, DAL – start
Aside from the Florida Panthers, the Dallas Stars have to be the most unlikely division leader at this time of year. The Stars have a recent stretch of nine games with at least one point, and Ribeiro has been perhaps the major reason why. Ribs had an eight-game point streak to end February, as well as 15 points over his last 12 games. Start him while the Stars are soaring.
Evgeni Nabokov, G, NYI – bench
After strong play for much of the season, Nabokov is back to the form that we’d normally expect from an Islanders goalie. If he has been in your lineup, perhaps you’ve noticed the recent damage of 19 goals allowed last over the last five games. But hey, look on the bright side, Islanders fans: at least he hasn’t been on IR for most of the season while raking it in on a 15-year contract.
Sidney Crosby, C, PIT – watch
In a Friday interview, Crosby wouldn’t reveal as to whether he will return on Sunday. But if I were a betting man, I would assume that he would still have no reason to rush back. As I suggested the first time he was near a return, Crosby owners in deep weekly leagues or needing to make up significant ground could roll the dice on him getting back into the lineup. But until we receive definitive word from doctors, Penguins management, or Crosby himself, assume that he will continue to be sidelined next week. But that shouldn’t stop you from paying attention anyway.
Jonathan Toews, C, CHI – bench
Given how everyone is zeroing in on the Crosby concussion watch, is anyone paying attention to the situation of fellow franchise player Toews? Captain Serious has not yet been cleared for contact, which makes his return for Sunday’s game against Los Angeles unlikely. Keep him on your bench or IR if possible, since he has those point-per-game numbers that are so valuable at this time of year.
Johan Hedberg, G, NJ – start
Hedberg is your waiver-wire goaltending add for the weekend, as he is expected to start for the Islanders on Saturday. It’s too bad he has to wait a week between starts, as he pitched a shutout in his last start on Friday, March 2, against Washington. Hedberg is 14-7-2 with a 2.42 GAA and 3 SO – fine numbers for a backup.
Matt Hackett, G, MIN – add/start
Just as the Wild’s playoff hopes are thinning out, so is the team’s number of NHL-ready goaltenders. Niklas Backstrom is expected to be sidelined a couple more weeks with a groin injury, while Josh Harding is currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Expect Hackett to start Sunday against Calgary as a result. He has been impressive in his limited time in the show this season (8 GP, 1.88 GAA, .943 SV%).
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Good luck ladies and gentlemen with your fantasy hockey leagues this weekend and thanks for reading. Do not forget to check out our latest on the Fischler Report. Enjoy that weekend.
