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FLORIDA PANTHERS 4 @ CAROLINA HURRICANES 3 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Scott Clemmensen (34/37, .919 SV%) vs. Cam Ward (24/28, .857 SV%)
Combos: Chris Higgins - Stephen Weiss - Michael Frolik/ David Booth - Mike Santorelli - Evgeny Dadonov/ Cory Stillman - Marty Reasoner - Radek Dvorak/ Rostislav Olesz - Shawn Matthias - Steve Bernier/ Bryan Allen - Dennis Wideman/ Dmitry Kulikov - Bryan McCabe/ Mike Weaver - Jason Garrison
Scratches: Hordichuk
Top PP times: Stillman (1:15), Booth (1:15), Santorelli (1:15), Wideman (1:10), Kulikov (1:10)
Trending: Dennis Wideman (1G, +1, 2 SOG) has points in three in a row after four without one. He had five points last month. This was Cory Stillman’s (1G, 1A, +2, 2 SOG) third game back and first in the box score. Chris Higgins (1G, +1, 4 PIM, 0:38 PP, 2 SOG) had seven points in eight starts before tonight and with his second period goal tonight he matched in 32 games this year (14 points) what he had in 55 GP last season with the Rangers. He had another three with the Flames. Michael Frolik (2A, +1, 0:38 PP, 5 SOG) had 10 points in 13 GP last month. Dmitry Kulikov (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) had five points in that same span. Mike Santorelli (1A, +1, 2 SO)G has a four-game point streak rolling along – his longest of the season. Evgeny Dadonov (1A, +1, no PP, 3 SOG) had eight points in his first eight outings, but was then blanked in three before tonight.
Combos: Sergei Samsonov - Eric Staal - Erik Cole/ Chad LaRose - Jeff Skinner - Tuomo Ruutu/ Zach Boychuk - Brandon Sutter - Pat Dwyer/ Zac Dalpe - Ryan Carter Troy Bodie/ Tim Gleason - Joe Corvo/ Brett Carson - Ian White/ Jamie McBain - Jay Harrison
Scratches: Tlusty, Pitkanen, Jokinen
Top PP times: McBain (3:57), Corvo (3:51), Staal (3:22), Ruutu (3:02), Skinner (3:02)
Trending: Eric Staal (1A, 5 SOG) maintained his point-per-game pace after his 38th start. Zach Boychuk (1G, 1:47 PP, 3 SOG) had three points in three games coming in, including a two-goal effort. Zac Dalpe (1G, +2, no PP, 1 SOG) has goals in each of his two games on this call-up. He has 12-11-23 in 23 GP in the AHL so far. Erik Cole (2A, +2, 2:34 PP, 4 SOG) has a point in six of 10 now. Jamie McBain (1A, -1, 1 SOG) had a pair of assists in his last start, so he’s kicking off 2011 well.
BOSTON BRUINS 2 @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 1
Goaltending match-up: Tuukka Rask (36/37, .973 SV%) vs. James Reimer (31/33, .939 SV%)
Combos: Milan Lucic - Marc Savard - Nathan Horton/ Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Mark Recchi/ Blake Wheeler - David Krejci - Michael Ryder/ Gregory Campbell - Tyler Seguin - Shawn Thornton/ Zdeno Chara - Johnny Boychuk/ Dennis Seidenberg - Steven Kampfer/ Andrew Ference - Adam McQuaid
Scratches: Paille, Stuart
Top PP times: Lucic (1:07), Horton (1:07), Kampfer (1:07), 5 with 0:53
Trending: Marc Savard (1G, +2, 2 PIM, 0:51 PP, 2 SOG) has picked up points in three of his past four. Milan Lucic (1A, +1, 3 SOG) put the brakes on a seven-game pointless spell. Nathan Horton (1G, 1A, +2, 0:44 PP, 4 SOG) scored a goal against the Leafs about a month ago and ended a nine-game goalless drought here. He had just one helper in that time. Dennis Seidenberg (1A, 2 PIM, 0:53 PP, 3 SOG) had picked up four points in five tilts headed in here.
Combos: Joey Crabb - Tyler Bozak - Phil Kessel/ Clarke MacArthur - Mikhail Grabovski - Nikolai Kulemin/ Kris Versteeg - Darryl Boyce - Colby Armstrong/ Colton Orr - Tim Brent - Fredrik Sjostrom/ Francois Beauchemin - Dion Phaneuf/ Tomas Kaberle - Luke Schenn/ Carl Gunnarsson - Mike Komisarek
Scratches: Lebda, Mitchell
Top PP times: Versteeg (1:07), Kulemin (0:58), Grabovski (0:58), MacArthur (0:58), 4 with 0:55
Trending: Mikhail Grabovski (1G, 5 SOG) has now potted goals in nine of his past 12 GP, so it’s tough to get any hotter than that – especially for a guy who might still be available in your league.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS 5 @ CALGARY FLAMES 2
Goaltending match-up: Rick DiPietro (13/14, .929 SV%, left with injury) & Nathan Lawson (28/29, .966 SV%) vs. Henrik Karlsson (21/25, .840 SV%)
Combos: Matt Moulson - John Tavares - P.A. Parenteau/ Michael Grabner - Frans Nielsen - Josh Bailey/ Matt Martin - Zenon Konopka - Jesse Joensuu/ Jon Sim - Rob Schremp/ Andrew MacDonald - Travis Hamonic/ Milan Jurcina - Mark Eaton/ Jack Hillen - Bruno Gervais/ Dylan Reese
Scratches: Gillies, Comeau
Top PP times: Tavares (1:21), MacDonald (1:21), Nielsen (1:21), Moulson (1:21), Parenteau (1:21)
Trending: The hot streak for John Tavares (2G, 1A, +1, 5 SOG) continued tonight, who had three points in his New Year’s Eve game and had 10 points in eight games before tonight. Has he officially kicking off his Stamkos-like second half sophomore sizzle? P.A. Parenteau (2A, +1, 2 PIM, no SOG) had eight points in eight games coming in and Matt Moulson (2G, +2, 3 SOG) has points in three of four. Andrew MacDonald (2A, +1, 1 SOG) has been a point-per-game player on D over his past eight starts now. Frans Nielsen (1A, 5 SOG) had three points in 10 GP before this one began. Travis Hamonic (1A, +1, no PP, 2 SOG) has added helpers in three of six from the back end. Michael Grabner (1G, +1, no PP, 4 SOG) secured the ENG and while he's great on Twitter, he's only so-so at best for fantasy owners at the moment.
Combos: Alex Tanguay - Olli Jokinen - Jarome Iginla/ Niklas Hagman - Matt Stajan - Ales Kotalik/ Curtis Glencross - Brendan Morrison - Rene Bourque/ Tom Kostopoulos - David Moss - Tim Jackman/ Robyn Regehr - Jay Bouwmeester/ Mark Giordano - Cory Sarich/ Adam Pardy - Anton Babchuk
Scratches: Conroy, Mikkelson
Top PP times: Iginla (4:00), Giordano (4:00), Jokinen (3:44), Tanguay (3:44), Bourque (2:09)
Trending: Anton Babchuk (1A, +1, no PP, 1 SOG) has been a pretty decent contribution on D over the past month for the Flames. This was the second multi-pointer for David Moss (2G, +1, 0:49 PP, 6 SOG) in his past four and he had three points in three games coming in too. Tim Jackman (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) has points in each of his past four, although he has just 10 points on the season.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 4 @ LOS ANGELES KINGS 3
Goaltending match-up: Corey Crawford (26/29, .897 SV%) vs. Jonathan Quick (24/28, .857 SV%)
Combos: Troy Brouwer - Jonathan Toews - Marian Hossa/ Bryan Bickell - Patrick Sharp - Tomas Kopecky/ Fernando Pisani - Dave Bolland - Patrick Kane/ Viktor Stalberg - Ryan Johnson - Jack Skille/ Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook/ Niklas Hjalmarsson - Brian Campbell/ Jassen Cullimore - Jordan Hendry
Scratches: Boynton, Dowell, Scott
Top PP times: Hossa (3:40), Sharp (3:38), Toews (3:33), Kopecky (3:25), Seabrook (3:19)
Trending: Jonathan Toews (1G, 1A, +1, 2 PIM, 6 SOG) returned to active duty for the Hawks. Patrick Kane (1A, 2:07 PP, 2 SOG) had one point in his three games back before this outing. Marian Hossa (1G, +1, 6 SOG) had two helpers the night he returned to action, but then had nothing for three before scoring tonight. Patrick Sharp (2G, 1A, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) needed a multi-point effort today to climb back to the point-per-game mark and Tomas Kopecky (2A, 1 SOG) had seven points in 13 GP headed in here.
Combos: Marco Sturm - Anze Kopitar - Dustin Brown/ Ryan Smyth - Jarret Stoll - Justin Williams/ Kyle Clifford - Michal Handzus - Wayne Simmonds/ Brad Richardson- Trevor Lewis - Kevin Westgarth/ Jack Johnson - Drew Doughty / Alec Martinez - Davis Drewiske / Matt Greene - Rob Scuderi
Scratches: Harrold, Ponikarovsky, Mitchell
Top PP times: Doughty (6:17), Kopitar (5:33), Johnson (4:35), Stoll (4:05), Smyth (3:33)
Trending: Jack Johnson (2A, +1, 1 SOG) had 13 points in 18 home GP before this outing and finished December with 11 points in 14 GP. Ryan Smyth (2G, +1, 3 SOG) had potted three goals in three games before doing it again in the second period. Justin Williams (1A, +2, 4 PIM, 3:07 PP, 3 SOG) had one point in four games headed in here, but overall has been excellent this season. Anze Kopitar (1A, -1, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) began this one with 6-6-12 in 17 GP vs. CHI.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS 4 @ SAN JOSE SHARKS 3
Goaltending match-up: Cory Schneider (32/35, .914 SV%) vs. Antti Niemi (43/47, .915 SV%)
Combos: Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alexandre Burrows/ Mason Raymond - Ryan Kesler - Jeff Tambellini/ Raffi Torres - Manny Malhotra - Mikael Samuelsson/ Jannik Hansen - Alexandre Bolduc - Tanner Glass/ Dan Hamhuis - Kevin Bieksa/ Alexander Edler - Christian Ehrhoff/ Keith Ballard - Aaron Rome
Scratches: Alberts, Volpatti
Top PP times: Ehrhoff (3:09), D. Sedin (3:04), Edler (3:01), H. Sedin (2:56), Kesler (2:49)
Trending: This was Daniel Sedin's (1G, 1A, +1, 3 SOG) 38th start of the season and he has points in all but seven of them. He had 29 points in 19 road GP coming in. Henrik Sedin (1A, +1, 4 PIM, 2 SOG) had 22 points in his 14 starts last month. Alexander Edler (1G, 3 SOG) had 0-8-8 in December and Christian Ehrhoff (2A, +1, 5 SOG) entered action this evening on pace for 44 points by season's end. Alexandre Burrows (1G, 1A, +1, 0:15 PP, 5 SOG) had five points in 19 GP vs. SJ before adding more here, including the GWG on a disputed high-stick (non-reviewable play) of the puck a second before he smacked home the rebound of his own deflection for the winner. Aside from his first four games of the season, Ryan Kesler (1A, +1, 4 SOG) hadn't gone more than two straight games without a point. Jannik Hansen (1G, +1, no PP, 2 SOG) has a point in four of six now. Mason Raymond (1A, +1, 0:42 PP, 3 SOG) has points in each of his two games back.
Combos: Dany Heatley - Joe Thornton - Devin Setoguchi/ Ryane Clowe - Logan Couture - Benn Ferriero/ Jamie McGinn - Patrick Marleau - Brandon Mashinter/ Andrew Desjardins - Scott Nichol - Jamal Mayers/ Douglas Murray - Dan Boyle/ Kent Huskins - Marc-Edouard Vlasic/ Niclas Wallin - Jason Demers
Scratches: Pavelski, Mitchell, Joslin
Top PP times: Boyle (2:46), Marleau (2:19), Heatley (2:05), Thornton (2:05), Demers (1:55)
Trending: Patrick Marleau (1G, 2 SOG) began the night with six points in his past seven outings. This was Dan Boyle's (1A, -1, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) 16th game against Vancouver in the regular season and he already had 13 points in that time. Jason Demers (1A, no SOG) had six points in December. Benn Ferriero (1A, no PP, 2 SOG) has points in two of three after six without one. Dany Heatley (2A, 1 SOG) had 39-43-82 in 82 GP last season in his first year with the Sharks and has a legit shot to produce another point-per-game campaign this time around as well.
