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MINNESOTA WILD 2 @ NEW JERSEY DEVILS 1
Goaltending match-up: Jose Theodore (21/22, .955 SV%) vs. Johan Hedberg (16/18, .889 SV%)
Combos: Andrew Brunette - Mikko Koivu - Chuck Kobasew/ Pierre-Marc Bouchard - Kyle Brodziak - Martin Havlat/ Patrick O'Sullivan - Matt Cullen - Cal Clutterbuck/ Eric Nystrom - John Madden - Brad Staubitz/ Nick Schultz - Brent Burns/ Clayton Stoner - Greg Zanon/ Cam Barker - Jared Spurgeon
Scratches: Scandella, Miettinen
Top PP times: N/A
Trending: Clayton Stoner (1G, +2, 2 SOG) collected one of the weirder goals of the season. It's one of those you have to see to believe and it's beautifully encapsulates Jersey's season to date. That was his first NHL goal too, which produced cheapie assists for Martin Havlat (1A, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) and Pierre-Marc Bouchard (1A, +2, 1 SOG). Cal Clutterbuck (1G, +1, 2 SOG, 6 hits) has produced goals in three of seven now and had four points in six games before tonight.
Combos: Ilya Kovalchuk - Patrik Elias - Nick Palmieri/ Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner/ Vladimir Zharkov - Jason Arnott - Adam Mair/ Rod Pelley - Tim Sestito - David Clarkson/ Colin White - Henrik Tallinder/ Andy Greene - Anton Volchenkov/ Anssi Salmela - Mark Fraser
Scratches: Zubrus, Tedenby, Corrente
Top PP times: Kovalchuk (5:03), Zajac (3:58), Greene (3:25), Rolston (3:10), Elias (2:50)
Trending: Ilya Kovalchuk (1G, -1, 2 SOG) has been relatively productive over the past month with 5-5-10 and 38 SOG in 14 GP since the start of November before this evening. -17 in that same stretch though... that’s the sticking point. Painful now, but it won’t stay this bad with this Jersey franchise. Patience. Travis Zajac (1A, 1 SOG) had 11 points in that same span coming in, while Nick Palmieri (1A, 1:12 PP, no SOG) made his second start of the season here.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 1 @ WASHINGTON CAPITALS 0 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Dwayne Roloson (34/34) vs. Semyon Varlamov (37/38, .974 SV%)
Combos: Ryan Malone - Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis/ Simon Gagne - Vincent Lecavalier - Sean Bergenheim/ Dana Tyrell - Nate Thompson - Adam Hall/ Teddy Purcell - Dominic Moore - Steve Downie/ Matt Smaby - Pavel Kubina/ Mattias Ohlund - Mike Lundin/ Brett Clark - Victor Hedman
Scratches: Jones, Ritola
Top PP times: St. Louis (4:09), Lecavalier (3:51), Stamkos (3:47), Clark (3:11), Gagne (3:08)
Trending: Steve Downie (5 PIM, 11:39 TOI, 1:58 PP, no SOG) returned to the line-up from his high ankle sprain the same night Dwayne Roloson made his debut - an impressive one at that - with his new team. Downie didn’t wait too long to fight either and clearly his PIM are a key part of his value. He’ll no doubt resume his L1 role once he’s completely back up to speed and Guy Boucher wants to shuffle things up. Martin St. Louis (1G, +1, 2 SOG) netted the OT GWG and the game's only goal as well. It was his 51st point of the season and he has goals in six of his past nine now, with two winners in that time. Vincent Lecavalier (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 6 SOG) has eight points in his past nine games, while Pavel Kubina (1A, +1, 2:34 PP, 2 SOG) has eight over his past 13.
Combos: Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Mike Knuble/ Brooks Laich - Mathieu Perreault - Alexander Semin/ Jason Chimera - Marcus Johansson - Eric Fehr/ Matt Hendricks - Dave Steckel - Jay Beagle Scott Hannan - Mike Green/ Karl Alzner - John Carlson/ Jeff Schultz - Tom Poti
Scratches: Erskine, Sloan
Top PP times: Ovechkin (5:11), Green (3:53), Backstrom, Fehr, Knuble, Laich, Semin (3:00)
Trending:
DETROIT RED WINGS 5 @ EDMONTON OILERS 3
Goaltending match-up: Chris Osgood (22/25, .880 SV%) vs. Nikolai Khabibulin (32/37, .865 SV%)
Combos: Johan Franzen - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom/ Jiri Hudler - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi/ Kris Draper - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves/ Drew Miller - Justin Abdelkader - Jan Mursak/ Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart/ Jonathan Ericsson - Brian Rafalski/ Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei
Scratches: Kindl, Datsyuk, Eaves
Top PP times: Rafalski (2:36), Lidstrom (2:28), Bertuzzi (2:18), Filppula (2:18), Kronwall (2:11)
Trending: Henrik Zetterberg (1G, +1, 1:42 PP, 4 SOG) has a point in his past eight affairs now and he had a stretch of at least three shots in every one of those games coming in, which he continued here. Todd Bertuzzi (2G, 6 SOG) had a pair of assists the last time he met the Oil and he had three points in four games coming in after a bit of a dry spell. His late third period goal was a lucky redirection off Smid's skate in front of the net. Valtteri Filppula's (2A, 3 SOG) point streak is now at six games with points in eight of nine. Jiri Hudler (1A, +1, 2:06 PP, 1 SOG) had four points in four games coming in, while Brian Rafalski (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) continues to string along his point production. Ditto for Nicklas Lidstrom (2A, +2, 2 PIM, 1 SOG), who's having a fantastic campaign. Niklas Kronwall (1A, no SOG) had eight points in 13 GP before this outing.
Combos: Magnus Paajarvi - Sam Gagner - Ales Hemsky/ Taylor Hall - Andrew Cogliano - Dustin Penner/ Linus Omark - Gilbert Brule - Liam Reddox/ Ryan Jones - Colin Fraser - Jean-Francois Jacques/ Theo Peckham - Tom Gilbert/ Ladislav Smid - Jeff Petry/ Jim Vandermeer - Kurtis Foster
Scratches: MacIntyre, Strudwick, Stortini
Top PP times: Foster (5:26), Gilbert (4:49), Hemsky (3:39), Gagner (3:38), Penner (3:23)
Trending: Linus Omark (1A, -1, 2:37 PP, 2 SOG) is back up with the big club and had five points in eight outings before adding more here. Sam Gagner (1G, 1A, +1, 2 SOG) had just one point in four games before tonight, but he was good for a pretty long stretch before that. Ales Hemsky (2A, +1, 2 SOG) had three points in his first three games back.
BUFFALO SABRES 3 @ COLORADO AVALANCHE 4 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Ryan Miller (30/34, .882 SV%) vs. Peter Budaj (37/40, .925 SV%)
Combos: Thomas Vanek - Tim Connolly - Jason Pominville/ Tyler Ennis - Jochen Hecht - Drew Stafford/ Rob Niedermayer - Paul Gaustad - Mike Grier/ Luke Adam - Cody McCormick/ Andrej Sekera - Tyler Myers/ Jordan Leopold - Steve Montador/ Mike Weber - Shaone Morrisonn/ Craig Rivet
Scratches: Butler, Kaleta, Gerbe
Top PP times: Pominville (6:17), Ennis (5:31), Vanek (5:31), Stafford (5:05), Sekera (4:59)
Trending: Thomas Vanek (1G, 1A, -1, 2 SOG) has opened January with goals in B2B games, while Drew Stafford (2A, 2 PIM, 3 SOG) - at least for now - continues to be a strong play. Tim Connolly (1A, -2, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) has points in his two starts back. Jason Pominville (1A, 5 SOG) has been a fantastic start since the end of November.
Combos: Tomas Fleischmann - Matt Duchene - Milan Hejduk/ Kevin Porter - T.J. Galiardi - David Jones/ Brandon Yip - Ryan O'Reilly - Daniel Winnik/ Philippe Dupuis - Greg Mauldin/ John-Michael Liles - Ryan O'Byrne/ Matt Hunwick - Kevin Shattenkirk/ Ryan Wilson - Adam Foote/ Jonas Holos
Scratches: Stastny (flu, took warm-ups but couldn't go), Koci, McLeod
Top PP times: Liles (5:35), Duchene (5:04), Shattenkirk (5:02), Hejduk (4:05), Jones (3:49)
Trending: Tomas Fleischmann (2A, +1, 2 PIM, 3:41 PP, 4 SOG) needed a two-point effort or better here to return to the point-per-game plateau in his 16th start with the Avs. Matt Duchene (1G, +1, 4 SOG) has points in five straight now, which is his longest stretch of the season. He's a point-per-game player in '10-11 so far. Milan Hejduk (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) has really had some consistency issues - along with a few injury stints - in recent seasons, but full credit to the man for coming up big this year. T.J. Galiardi (1A, 0:34 PP, 1 SOG) came into this one with five points in eight starts since returning to action. Daniel Winnik (1G, 1A, +1, 2 PIM, 0:59 PP, 3 SOG) has goals in two of three and Ryan O'Reilly (1G, 0:34 PP, 1 SOG) has points in two of three. They're each only worth spots in deeper leagues. David Jones (1G, 3 SOG) netted the OT GWG, which was his first winner of the season. He has points in four of six.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 2 @ PHOENIX COYOTES 4
Goaltending match-up: Mathieu Garon (29/33, .879 SV%) vs. Ilya Bryzgalov (26/28, .929 SV%)
Combos: Kristian Huselius - Antoine Vermette - Rick Nash/ R.J. Umberger - Derick Brassard - Jakub Voracek/ Ethan Moreau - Samuel Pahlsson - Chris Clark/ Derek Dorsett - Derek MacKenzie - Jared Boll / Kris Russell - Jan Hejda/ Marc Methot - Rostislav Klesla/ Anton Stralman - Fedor Tyutin
Scratches: Murray, Commodore, Wilson
Top PP times: Nash (1:40), Huselius (1:40), Umberger (1:40), Vermette (1:40), Russell (1:30)
Trending: R.J. Umberger (1G, 4 SOG) has goals in four straight and had five in six coming in. Rick Nash (1A, +1, 4 SOG) has been a point-per-game player against the Coyotes over 27 games now, while Derick Brassard (2A, -1, 2 PIM, 0:30 PP, 3 SOG) has quietly had a pretty effective bounce-back season. He had 36 points all of last season and he came into this affair with 24 already. Jakub Voracek (1G, -1, 0:30 PP, 3 SOG) has goals in two of three now, so maybe Scott Arniel caught his attention with those healthy scratches. Fedor Tyutin (1A, -1, 0:22 PP, 3 SOG) was borderline useless for poolies in the first two months, but he's really picked it up since then.
Combos: Scottie Upshall - Eric Belanger - Shane Doan/ Ray Whitney - Martin Hanzal - Radim Vrbata/ Wojtek Wolski - Kyle Turris - Lauri Korpikoski/ Taylor Pyatt - Vernon Fiddler - Lee Stempniak/ Ed Jovanovski - Adrian Aucoin/ Keith Yandle - Derek Morris/ - Sami Lepisto - David Schlemko
Scratches: Bissonnette, Prucha, Ekman-Larsson
Top PP times: Yandle (4:03), Whitney (3:43), Doan (3:43), Hanzal (3:31), Vrbata (3:28)
Trending: Kyle Turris (4:07 TOI) left this one with an upper-body injury. Scottie Upshall (1G, +1, 6 PIM, 2 SOG) had six points in three games before adding more here and Shane Doan's (1G, 1A, +2, 3 SOG) point streak hit seven games. Full credit to the man for coming back with a vengeance over the past month especially. After last year and the start of this season he looked like his fantasy value had been flushed, but he's proving he still has something left for his fantasy owners. Eric Belanger (2A, +2, 2:32 PP, 3 SOG) has points in each of his past three, which is his best streak of the season. Keith Yandle (1A, +2, 2 SOG) reached the 30-point mark already, which is his third straight season with that many points. He had 41 last year and will blow by that mark this time. Adrian Aucoin (1A, 2 PIM, 2:33 PP, no SOG) has helpers in three of his past four now.
