Twitter: @Nichols_NHLPool/ Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com
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NEW JERSEY DEVILS 0 @ PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 1 (SO)
Goaltending match-up: Martin Brodeur (27/27) vs. Marc-Andre Fleury (21/21)
Combos: Ilya Kovalchuk - Travis Zajac - Nick Palmieri/ Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus/ Mattias Tedenby - Jacob Josefson - David Clarkson/ Vladimir Zharkov - David Steckel - Adam Mair/ Colin White - Anton Volchenkov/ Henrik Tallinder - Mark Fayne/ Anssi Salmela - Andy Greene
Scratches: Fraser, Pelley
Top PP times: Kovalchuk (7:56), Rolston (6:02), Tedenby (4:14), Josefson (3:58), Zubrus (3:28)
Trending: Anton Volchenkov and Colin White left this game with injuries.
Combos: James Neal - Max Talbot - Alex Kovalev/ Chris Kunitz - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy/ Pascal Dupuis - Craig Adams - Chris Conner/ Mike Comrie - Mike Rupp - Arron Asham/ Paul Martin - Zbynek Michalek/ Kris Letang - Ben Lovejoy/ Matt Niskanen - Deryk Engelland
Scratches: Letestu, Jeffrey, Cooke, Tangradi, Godard, Johnson
Top PP times: Letang (3:12), Martin (2:56), Kovalev (2:19), Staal (2:00), Comrie (2:00)
Trending: Mike Comrie (8:07 TOI) returned to active duty tonight. Shootout: Neal
FLORIDA PANTHERS 2 @ BUFFALO SABRES 4
Goaltending match-up: Tomas Vokoun (28/32, .875 SV%) vs. Ryan Miller (22/24, .917 SV%)
Combos: Sergei Samsonov - Stephen Weiss - Niclas Bergfors/ David Booth - Marty Reasoner - Evgeny Dadonov/ Patrick Rissmiller - Mike Santorelli - Michal Repik/ Darcy Hordichuk - Ryan Carter - Steve Bernier/ Mike Weaver - Jason Garrison/ Keaton Ellerby - Dmitry Kulikov/ Alexander Sulzer - Joe Callahan
Scratches: Skille, Matthias, Timmins
Top PP times: Weiss (2:57), Santorelli (2:57), Samsonov (2:57), Bernier (2:48), Kulikov (2:48)
Trending: Sergei Samsonov (1G, 2 PIM, 1 SOG) had three straight two-pointers before being blanked twice coming in here. He's done well since being elevated in the line-up post-trade. Evgeny Dadonov (1G, +1, 1:12 PP, 3 SOG) has three goals in four games now thanks to his goal at 19:57 of the third period, which must have royally peeved Ryan Miller owners. Niclas Bergfors (1A, 1:03 PP, 2 SOG) has points in seven of 11.
Combos: Thomas Vanek - Tim Connolly - Jason Pominville/ Tyler Ennis - Brad Boyes - Drew Stafford/ Nathan Gerbe - Paul Gaustad - Mark Mancari/ Rob Niedermayer - Cody McCormick - Mike Grier/ Andrej Sekera - Tyler Myers/ Jordan Leopold - Chris Butler/ Shaon Morrisonn- Mike Weber
Scratches: Montador, Kaleta, Hecht, Lalime
Top PP times: Stafford (1:56), Leopold (1:50), Connolly (1:50), Vanek (1:50), Pominville (1:50)
Trending: Jason Pominville (1G, 1A, +1, 5 SOG) had 2A the last time these teams met and he had seven March points coming in, while Thomas Vanek (1A, +1, 2 SOG) had 10 in 11 GP and came into this one needing two points to hit 64, which he had recorded two times in three seasons before '10-11 began. Andrej Sekera (1A, +1, 0:35 PP, 1 SOG) had 15 points in 13 GP - from the blueline mind you - before adding more here. All in all, Drew Stafford (2G, 1A, +2, 2 SOG) has been pretty solid for poolies this season when healthy. Despite his low GP total, he came into this one only three points shy of his career best of 45 points. Can he repeat this next season? Therein lies the real question. Brad Boyes (1A, +2, 0:41 PP, 3 SOG) had 5-3-8 in 12 GP with BUF coming in and Tyler Ennis (2A, +2, 0:41 PP, 2 SOG) had 6-4-10 in 12 March GP headed in here. Jordan Leopold (1G, -1, 1 SOG) only had 1G, 0A this month before tonight.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS 0 @ OTTAWA SENATORS 2
Goaltending match-up: Semyon Varlamov (21/23, .913 SV%) vs. Craig Anderson (31/31)
Combos: Brooks Laich - Nicklas Backstrom - Alexander Semin/ Jason Chimera - Marcus Johansson - Mike Knuble/ Marco Sturm - Boyd Gordon - Matt Bradley/ D.J. King - Jay Beagle - Matt Hendricks/ Karl Alzner - John Carlson/ Jeff Schultz - Dennis Wideman/ John Erskine - Scott Hannan
Scratches: Ovechkin, Fehr, Arnott, Sloan
Top PP times: Wideman (5:30), Laich (4:20), Backstrom (4:02), Knuble (3:56), Semin (3:50)
Trending:
Combos: Colin Greening - Jason Spezza - Bobby Butler/ Milan Michalek - Ryan Shannon - Erik Condra/ Nick Foligno - Zack Smith - Chris Neil/ Marek Svatos - Jesse Winchester - Francis Lessard/ Chris Phillips - Brian Lee/ David Hale - Erik Karlsson/ Patrick Wiercioch - Filip Kuba
Scratches: Alfredsson, Regin, Carkner, Gonchar, McElhinney
Top PP times: Karlsson (5:07), Spezza (4:53), Kuba (4:45), Shannon (2:50), Michalek (2:33)
Trending: Jason Spezza (1A, +1, 3 SOG). Pointage. Again. Colin Greening (1G, +1, 1:38 PP, 1 SOG) has a point in seven of 12 and Bobby Butler (1A, +1, 1 SOG) has a modest three-game point streak rolling. Milan Michalek (1A, +1, 2 SOG) hadn't played since February 26. Erik Condra (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 0:14 PP, 1 SOG) has points in three of four.
CAROLINA HURRICANES 4 @ TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 3
Goaltending match-up: Cam Ward (18/21, .857 SV%) vs. Dwayne Roloson (35/39, .897 SV%)
Combos: Cory Stillman - Eric Staal - Erik Cole/ Jeff Skinner - Tuomo Ruutu - Jussi Jokinen/ Drayson Bowman - Brandon Sutter - Chad LaRose/ Jiri Tlusty - Pat Dwyer - Jerome Samson/ Joni Pitkanen - Joe Corvo/ Derek Joslin - Bryan Allen/ Tim Gleason - Jay Harrison
Scratches: McBain, Bodie
Top PP times: Pitkanen (7:19), Staal (6:58), Stillman (6:32), Cole (6:07), Corvo (6:05)
Trending: Jeff Skinner (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 2:59 PP, 4 SOG) had a goal the last time these teams met and had 2-2-4 in 3 GP vs. TB this season coming in. How about this stat for Joni Pitkanen (2A, +2, 2 SOG) before tonight: 1-20-21 in 24 GP vs. TB. Sweet. Tuomo Ruutu (1A, +1, 2:33 PP, 1 SOG) has points in five of seven now. Erik Cole (2G, +1, 4 SOG) has a point in seven of 11. Cory Stillman (1A, +1, 2 SOG) had seven points in 10 GP before tonight and captain Eric Staal (1G, 1A, +1, 6 SOG) came into this one five points shy of his seventh straight 70+point campaign. He hasn't come close to the 100 points he posted in his sophomore campaign, but all in all he's a really solid contributor for any fantasy format. Joe Corvo (1A, +1, 3 SOG) ended a seven-game pointless skid here and Joni Pitkanen (2A, +2, 2 SOG) collected his 32nd point and third in three games.
Combos: Martin St. Louis - Steven Stamkos - Steve Downie/ Nate Thompson - Vincent Lecavalier - Teddy Purcell/ Simon Gagne - Dominic Moore - Sean Bergenheim/ Dana Tyrell - Blair Jones - Adam Hall/ Pavel Kubina - Victor Hedman/ Matthias Ohlund - Brett Clark/ Eric Brewer - Mike Lundin
Scratches: Jones, Ritola, Smaby, MAB
Top PP times: Stamkos (5:59), St. Louis (5:59), Lecavalier (5:58), Gagne (5:27), Clark (4:29)
Trending: Simon Gagne (2G, 2 SOG) has goals in three of five and had seven points in six games before tonight. Vincent Lecavalier (1G, 1A, +1, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) had five points in five games before tonight, while Martin St. Louis (2A, +1, 3 SOG) came into this one five points shy of his fourth career 90+ point campaign. Unreal.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS 3 @ ATLANTA THRASHERS 1
Goaltending match-up: Roberto Luongo (30/31, .968 SV%) vs. Chris Mason (23/25, .920 SV%)
Combos: Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alexandre Burrows/ Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler - Mason Raymond/ Raffi Torres - Maxim Lapierre - Jannik Hansen/ Jeff Tambellini - Alexandre Bolduc - Victor Oreskovich/ Sami Salo - Christian Ehrhoff/ Kevin Bieksa - Dan Hamhuis/ Aaron Rome - Keith Ballard
Scratches: Glass, Tanev, Samuelsson
Top PP times: N/A
Trending: Mason Raymond (1G, 2 SOG) had five straight games of zeroes coming in and just 2G, 0A on the month. Raffi Torres (1A, +1, no SOG) had three points in March headed in. Alexandre Burrows (1G, +1, 1 SOG) scored the ENG and that also netted Ryan Kesler (1A, 5 SOG) owners the extra point.
Combos: Andrew Ladd - Bryan Little - Blake Wheeler/ Evander Kane - Rob Schremp - Radek Dvorak/ Chris Thorburn - Nik Antropov - Chris Thorburn/ Ben Maxwell - Tim Stapleton - Anthony Stewart/ Tobias Enstrom - Zach Bogosian/ Dustin Byfuglien - Ron Hainsey/ Johnny Oduya - Mark Stuart
Scratches: Boulton, Cormier
Top PP times: Byfuglien (3:54), Enstrom (3:32), Little (3:08), Ladd (3:04), Bogosian (1:49)
Trending: Bryan Little (1G, 5 SOG) scored Atlanta's only goal and he has seven points in his last nine outings.
