Twitter: @Nichols_NHLPool/ Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com
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NEW YORK RANGERS 0 @ BUFFALO SABRES 1
Goaltending match-up: Henrik Lundqvist (34/35, .971 SV%) vs. Jhonas Enroth (23/23)
Combos: Brandon Dubinsky - Artem Anisimov - Ryan Callahan/ Ruslan Fedotenko - Brian Boyle - Brandon Prust/ Vinny Prospal - Derek Stepan - Marian Gaborik/ Wojtek Wolski - Erik Christensen - Sean Avery/ Marc Staal - Dan Girardi/ Ryan McDonagh - Mike Sauer/ Bryan McCabe - Steve Eminger
Scratches: Zuccarello, Biron, Gilroy
Top PP times: McCabe (1:44), Staal (1:37), Christensen (1:09), Dubinsky (1:08), Wolski (1:08)
Trending:
Combos: Nathan Gerbe - Paul Gaustad - Marc Mancari/ Thomas Vanek - Tim Connolly - Jason Pominville/ Tyler Ennis - Brad Boyes - Drew Stafford/ Rob Niedermayer - Cody McCormick - Patrick Kaleta/ Andrej Sekera - Tyler Myers/ Chris Butler - Steve Montador/ Marc-Andre Gragnani - Mike Weber
Scratches: Leopold, Grier, Morrisonn, Kaleta, Hecht, Miller
Top PP times: Gragnani, Connolly, Stafford, Vanek, Pominville (0:38)
Trending: Marc-Andre Gragnani (1A, 1 SOG) collected his first NHL point here and he has 60 points in 63 GP in the AHL this season on D. Tim Connolly (1G, 3 SOG) has points in three in a row and he’s been fairly useful over the past few weeks, while Thomas Vanek (1A, 4 SOG) had 4-9-13 in 14 March GP coming in here.
MONTREAL CANADIENS 2 @ CAROLINA HURRICANES 6
Goaltending match-up: Carey Price (22/26, .846 SV%) & Alex Auld (7/9, .778 SV%) vs. Cam Ward (38/40, .950 SV%)
Combos: Michael Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Jeff Halpern/ Mathieu Darche - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta/ Andrei Kostitsyn - Lars Eller - Travis Moen/ Ryan White - David Desharnais - Benoit Pouliot/ Hal Gill - P.K. Subban/ Roman Hamrlik - James Wisniewski/ Paul Mara - Brent Sopel
Scratches: Picard, Weber, Pyatt
Top PP times: Subban (2:56), Wisniewski (2:56), Gomez (2:00), Cammalleri (1:55), Gionta (1:50)
Trending: Michael Cammalleri (1G, -1, 4 SOG) had 1G, 1A the last time these teams met and had seven points in 14 GP overall coming in. Tomas Plekanec (2A, -2, 1:36 PP, 4 SOG) had one point in six tries headed into this tilt. James Wisniewski (2A, -2, 5 SOG) had nadda in four coming in, but has been really strong overall this season. P.K. Subban (1G, -1, 12 PIM, 1 SOG) had zeroes in his past four affairs.
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/ Tim Gleason - Joe Corvo/ Joni Pitkanen - Jamie McBain/ Bryan Allen - Derek Joslin
Scratches: Bodie, Harrison
Top PP times: Pitkanen (3:04), Corvo (2:56), McBain (2:42), Staal (2:40), Stillman (2:40)
Trending: Jeff Skinner (2G, 1A, +4, 2:22 PP, 5 SOG). Skinner! Nice night for the rookie. Erik Cole (1A, 2:38 PP, 3 SOG) came into tonight two points shy of the 50-point plateau and he had five points in five games headed into this clash. Tuomo Ruutu (2A, +3, 2:21 PP, no SOG) has points in seven of 10, while Cory Stillman (1G, 1A, 1 SOG) had 2-8-10 in 13 GP on the month coming in. Jamie McBain (2G, +3, 3 SOG) had chipped in three points in seven tilts before tonight, while Joni Pitkanen (1G, +3, 5 SOG) had four points in four starts headed in here.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS 2 @ NEW JERSEY DEVILS 3
Goaltending match-up: Rick DiPietro (17/20, .850 SV%) vs. Martin Brodeur (27/29, .931 SV%)
Combos: Matt Moulson - John Tavares - P.A. Parenteau/ Kyle Okposo - Frans Nielsen - Matt Martin/ Blake Comeau - Josh Bailey - Jesse Joensuu/ Michael Haley - Zenon Konopka - Trevor Gillies/ Travis Hamonic - Ty Wishart/ Jack Hillen - Radek Martinek/ Mark Katic - Dylan Reese
Scratches: Gervais, Jurcina, Grabner, MacDonald
Top PP times: Tavares (2:18), Nielsen (2:18), Parenteau (2:07), Hamonic (2:07), Hillen (1:51)
Trending: Frans Nielsen (2G, +2, 6 SOG) got the Isles on the board in the third with his 7th SHG of the season, which ties an Isles franchise record set 30 years ago by Bob Bourne. Nielsen also had 10 points in 13 GP this month coming in. Kyle Okposo (1A, +1, 0:52 PP, 3 SOG) only had one point in seven starts headed into this clash.
Combos: Ilya Kovalchuk - Travis Zajac - Nick Palmieri/ Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus/ Mattias Tedenby - Jacob Josefson - David Clarkson/ Rod Pelley - David Steckel - Adam Mair/ Anssi Salmela - Andy Greene/ Henrik Tallinder - Mark Fayne/ Jay Leach - Mark Fraser
Scratches: White, Zharkov, Volchenkov
Top PP times: Kovalchuk (6:51), Zubrus (4:07), Fayne (4:06), Greene (3:50), Rolston (3:41)
Trending: Ilya Kovalchuk (1G, 1A, 8 SOG) had 32 points in 37 GP vs. NYI coming in here. Travis Zajac (1A, 2:54 PP, no SOG) had nothing in six before this one got underway, while Jacob Josefson (1G, +1, 0:54 PP, 1 SOG) had six points in eight tries coming in here. Nick Palmieri (2A, +1, 2:55 PP, 1 SOG) has a great line assignment, but hadn’t done enough production-wise to warrant a slot on most fantasy rosters. Patrik Elias (1A, +1, 3:21 PP, 1 SOG) put the brakes on a five-game pointless skid here.
ST. LOUIS BLUES 10 @ DETROIT RED WINGS 3
Goaltending match-up: Jaroslav Halak (41/44, .932 SV%) vs. Joey MacDonald (32/39, .821 SV%) & Thomas McCollum (5/8, .625 SV%)
Combos: Andy McDonald - David Backes - Matt D'Agostini/ Vladimir Sobotka - Patrik Berglund - Chris Stewart/ Chris Porter - Adam Cracknell - B.J. Crombeen/ Ryan Reaves - Philip McRae - Cam Janssen/ Carlo Colaiacovo - Alex Pietrangelo/ Ian Cole - Kevin Shattenkirk/ Nikita Nikitin - Roman Polak
Scratches: Jackman, Steen, Oshie
Top PP times: Pietrangelo (4:07), McDonald (3:54), Berglund (3:54), Colaiacovo (3:46), Nikitin (3:31)
Trending: Wow. Just wow. Chris Stewart (1G, 2A, +2, 6 SOG) has goals in four straight with points in five in a row after five without one. Patrik Berglund (1G, 1A, +2, 3 SOG) has a point in three in a row after five without one. Matt D’Agostini (1G, 1A, 3:23 PP, 3 SOG) had two points the last time he met the Wings and had 11 points in nine games coming in. David Backes (1G, +2, 3:23 PP, 2 SOG) has scored in five of 10 now. He hadn’t scored a PPG since Feb. 18. Kevin Shattenkirk (2A, +2, 2 PIM, 3 SOG) had 10 points in his 20 GP with STL coming in here. This was the second game back for Vladimir Sobotka (1G, 2A, +2, 3:23 PP, 4 SOG).
Combos: Jiri Hudler - Henrik Zetterberg - Danny Cleary/ Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi/ Tomas Holmstrom - Mike Modano - Justin Abdelkader/ Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves/ Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart/ Jonathan Ericsson - Niklas Kronwall/ Jakub Kindl - Brian Rafalski
Scratches: Datsyuk, Salei, Draper, Howard
Top PP times: Lidstrom (2:51), Rafalski (2:39), Franzen (2:22), Holmstrom (2:22), Zetterberg (2:09)
Trending: Todd Bertuzzi (1G, -1, no PP, 2 SOG) has a point in four of seven, while Johan Franzen (2A, -1, 6 PIM, 2 SOG) had just 1-4-5 in 9 GP this month headed into this one. Valtteri Filppula (1A, 1:54 PP, 2 SOG) had five points in seven affairs before this outing. Mike Modano (1G, -1, 1:24 PP, 2 SOG) has a point in four of eight. Henrik Zetterberg (1G, -3, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) had 55 points in 46 GP vs. STL coming in here. Nicklas Lidstrom (1A, -3, 2 SOG) has points in five straight.
ANAHEIM DUCKS 4 @ CALGARY FLAMES 2
Goaltending match-up: Ray Emery (23/25, .920 SV%) vs. Miikka Kiprusoff (18/21, .857 SV%)
Combos: Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry/ Jason Blake - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne/ Brad Winchester - Brandon McMillan - Matt Beleskey/ Jarkko Ruutu - Todd Marchant - George Parros/ Lubomir Visnovsky - Toni Lydman/ Francois Beauchemin - Luca Sbisa/ Cam Fowler - Sheldon Brookbank
Scratches: Lilja, Sutton, Chipchura, Sexton, Hiller
Top PP times: Perry (6:22), Visnovsky (6:18), Getzlaf (6:14), Selanne (5:52), Fowler (5:46)
Trending: Bobby Ryan (1G, +1, 4:00 PP, 1 SOG) had been blanked in the goal department for eight straight before tonight, whereas Corey Perry (2G, 1A, +2, 2 PIM, 8 SOG) has been on fire lately. He had 13 goals in 10 GP coming in. Lubomir Visnovsky (1G, 1A, 2 SOG) had 16 points in 13 GP in March before tonight and Cam Fowler (1A, +1, 1 SOG) had seven points in eight tilts coming in here. Teemu Selanne (1A, 2 SOG) is a witch. No other explanation.
Combos: Alex Tanguay - Mikael Backlund - Jarome Iginla/ Curtis Glencross - Olli Jokinen - Rene Bourque/ Ales Kotalik - Tom Kostopoulos - Tim Jackman/ Lance Bouma - Matt Stajan - Greg Nemisz / Robyn Regehr - Jay Bouwmeester/ Mark Giordano - Cory Sarich/ Steve Staios - Anton Babchuk
Scratches: Carson, Hagman, Mikkelson
Top PP times: Jokinen (7:23), Iginla (7:14), Giordano (7:10), Bourque (6:32), Tanguay (6:05)
Trending: Jarome Iginla (1G, 1A, -1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) had 26-26-52 in 55 GP vs. ANH coming in here. Mark Giodano (1G, 1A, 4 SOG) needed a two-pointer here to hit the 40-point plateau for the season. Alex Tanguay (2A, -1, no SOG) began the evening two points short of the 60-point level.
