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SAN JOSE SHARKS 4 @ NEW JERSEY DEVILS 3 (SO)
Goaltending match-up: Antti Niemi (16/19, .842 SV%) vs. Johan Hedberg (38/41, .927 SV%)
Combos: Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski/ Ryane Clowe - Logan Couture - Martin Havlat/ Benn Ferriero - Michal Handzus - Torrey Mitchell/ Brad Winchester - Andrew Murray - Jamie McGinn/ Douglas Murray - Dan Boyle/ Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Brent Burns/ Colin White - Jason Demers
Scratches: Desjardins Wingels, Vandermeer
Top PP times: Boyle (9:29), Marleau (6:01), Pavelski (6:01), Thornton (5:58), Burns (5:44)
Trending: This was Joe Thornton’s (1G, 1A, +2, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) 1000th career game and he entered the night with 1002 points. Martin Havlat (1A, 19:05 TOI, 3:55 PP, no SOG) also made his season and Sharks’ debut here. Torrey Mitchell sustained an upper-body injury in this one. Joe Pavelski (1G, 1A, +2, 6 SOG) had been shut down in his past three starts and he also secured the GTG in the last minute of the third, while Dan Boyle (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 6 SOG) has helpers in three of five and should be one of the best fantasy blueliners by season’s end. Ryane Clowe (1G, 1A, +1, 4:04 PP, 6 SOG) had 1-2-3 in 4 GP coming in and he’s been chipping in PIM too, as we’ve come to expect. Logan Couture (1A, +1, 3:52 PP, 2 SOG) had one point on the season before tonight. He had 56 last year. Shootout: Handzus, Clowe
Combos: Zach Parise - Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus/ Ilya Kovalchuk - Jacob Josefson - Nick Palmieri/ Mattias Tedenby - Petr Sykora - David Clarkson/ Eric Boulton - Rod Pelley - Brad Mills/ Andy Greene - Adam Larsson/ Henrik Tallinder - Mark Fayne/ Bryce Salvador - Anton Volchenkov
Scratches: Fraser, Janssen, Brodeur
Top PP times: Kovalchuk (7:02), Larsson (4:43), Clarkson (4:43), Parise (4:25), Elias (4:01)
Trending: When Patrik Elias (1G, -2, 3 SOG) opened the scoring tonight, he tied John MacLean’s franchise record of 92 power play goals. Ilya Kovalchuk (1A, -1, 1 SOG) maintained his point-per-game average and although three of them came in the second clash, he should be a pretty decent bet to hover around that mark all season. Same for Zach Parise (1G, 3 SOG), who converted his penalty shot attempt after being hauled down on a short-handed breakaway. David Clarkson (1G, 1A, 2 SOG) has points in B2B affairs after nothing in his first three. Jacob Josefson left this one injured (broken left clavicle), which moved Zubrus back in the middle on that line with Mills centring L3. Shootout: Kovalchuk
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 2 @ DETROIT RED WINGS 5
Goaltending match-up: Steve Mason (28/32, .875 SV%) vs. Jimmy Howard (32/34, .941 SV%)
Combos: Rick Nash - Derick Brassard - R.J. Umberger/ Vinny Prospal - Antoine Vermette - Alexandre Giroux/ Maksim Mayorov - Samuel Pahlsson - Derek Dorsett/ Cody Bass - Ryan Johanssen - Derek MacKenzie/ Radek Martinek - Fedor Tyutin/ Marc Methot - Grant Clitsome/ Aaron Johnson - Kris Russell
Scratches: Wisniewski, Sanford, Savard
Top PP times: Clitsome (4:10), Prospal (3:55), Vermette (3:55), Giroux (3:55), Tyutin (3:56), Johnson (3:53)
Trending: Rick Nash (1A, -1, 2 PIM, 3:37 PP, no SOG) kept his point-per-game pace going and he came into tonight with 42 points in 49 GP against the Wings. Derick Brassard (1G, -1, 2 PIM, 3:20 PP, 3 SOG) has points in B2B starts after opening the season with nothing in five. Aaron Johnson (1G, 1A, 2 PIM, 6 SOG) has a point-per-game average on D in his only three starts. Vinny Prospal (1A, -1, 7 SOG) has been a steady contributor since joining the Jackets and you saw in HH earlier today how he’s challenging his teammates to be better. Antoine Vermette (1A, 4 SOG) erased that goose egg next to his name finally.
Combos: Henrik Zetterberg - Pavel Datsyuk - Danny Cleary/ Jiri Hudler - Valtteri Filppula - Johan Franzen/ Todd Bertuzzi - Darren Helm - Justin Abdelkader/ Drew Miller - Cory Emmerton - Tomas Holmstrom/ Nicklas Lidstrom - Ian White/ Niklas Kronwall - Brad Stuart/ Jonathan Ericsson - Jakub Kindl
Scratches: Eaves, Brunnstrom
Top PP times: Kronwall (4:08), Lidstrom (2:47), Zetterberg (2:47), Holmstrom (2:47), Filppula (2:38)
Trending: Beauty night for Johan Franzen (2G, 1A, 4 PIM, 2:14 PP, 4 SOG), who pushed his point streak to four games and nudged his points average above a point-per-game basis. B2B multi-pointers too. He really needs a bounce-back season. Valtteri Filppula (1G, 3A, +1, 2 SOG) also has two straight multi-pointers. Pavel Datsyuk (1G, 2:23 PP, 1 SOG) had been blanked in his past two starts. Henrik Zetterberg (1A, +1, 5 SOG) only had one point on the season in. Nicklas Lidstrom (1G, 1A, +2, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) had one point coming in here. Worried? Didn’t think so. Tomas Holmstrom (2A, +1, 2 PIM, 1 SOG) has points in two of his four starts.
CAROLINA HURRICANES 2 @ ST. LOUIS BLUES 3 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Cam Ward (40/43, .930 SV%) vs. Brian Elliott (27/29, .931 SV%). Paul Maurice said after the game he wasn't sure who would start against the Jets Saturday.
Combos: Alexei Ponikarovsky - Eric Staal - Tuomo Ruutu/ Jeff Skinner - Jussi Jokinen - Chad LaRose/ Jiri Tlusty - Brandon Sutter - Pat Dwyer/ Brett Sutter - Tim Brent - Anthony Stewart/ Joni Pitkanen - Jamie McBain/ Bryan Allen - Tim Gleason/ Tomas Kaberle - Jay Harrison
Scratches: Dalpe, Joslin
Top PP times: Pitkanen (3:16), Jokinen (3:08), Staal (2:54), Skinner (2:44), Kaberle (2:30)
Trending: Brandon Sutter (1G, 1A, +1, no PP, 3 SOG) has points in three of four now.
Combos: Vladimir Sobotka - David Backes - Chris Stewart/ Chris Porter - Patrik Berglund - T.J. Oshie/ Alex Steen - Jason Arnott - Jamie Langenbrunner/ Evgeny Grachev - Scott Nichol - Matt D'Agostini/ Kent Huskins - Alex Pietrangelo/ Barret Jackman - Kevin Shattenkirk/ Carlo Colaiacovo - Roman Polak
Scratches: Chorney, Nikitin, Reaves
Top PP times: Shattenkirk (1:33), Oshie, Pietrangelo, Berglund, Stewart (1:11)
Trending: This was the first time that Anthony Stewart (-1, no PP, 1 SOG) and Chris Stewart (-1, 4 SOG) have been able to square off against each other at the NHL level. Chris had a GLORIOUS chance in OT with a gorgeous move against Jeff Skinner, but no dice on Cam Ward. Matt D'Agostini (1G, +2, 2 PIM, no PP, 4 SOG) scored the OT GWG on the ensuing faceoff though. He has goals in three of his past five now. Jason Arnott (1G, 0:49 PP, 3 SOG) had 2-3-5 in 6 GP on the season coming in, so he’s off to a nice start for his poolies. Jamie Langenbrunner (1A, no PP, 3 SOG) has points in three of his past six. David Backes (1G, +1, 0:49 PP, 5 SOG) only had 1-1-2 before tonight and T.J. Oshie (1A, 2 SOG) ended a four-game pointless skid here.
DALLAS STARS 3 @ ANAHEIM DUCKS 1
Goaltending match-up: Kari Lehtonen (35/36, .972 SV%) vs. Jonas Hiller (16/19, .842 SV%)
Combos: Brenden Morrow - Mike Ribeiro - Michael Ryder/ Steve Ott - Jamie Benn - Loui Eriksson/ Adam Burish - Vernon Fiddler - Radek Dvorak/ Krys Barch - Jake Dowell - Eric Nystrom/ Alex Goligoski - Nicklas Grossman/ Sheldon Souray - Stephane Robidas/ Trevor Daley - Mark Fistric
Scratches: Petersen, Wandell, Pardy
Top PP times: Goligoski (1:14), Benn (1:03), Eriksson (1:03), Ott (1:03), Souray (1:03)
Trending: Loui Eriksson (2G, 1A, +2, 2 SOG) pushed his point streak to five games. Steve Ott (1A, +2, 1 SOG) has a point in six straight with a steady string of PIM. Mike Ribeiro (1G, +1, 0:57 PP, 3 SOG) had four points in three games before this evening. Alex Goligoski (1A, +1, 1 SOG) ended a four-game pointless string here. He started the year with points in the first two games.
Combos: Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry/ Brandon McMillan - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne/ Andrew Gordon - Andrew Cogliano - Devante Smith-Pelly/ Toni Lydman - Lubomir Visnovsky/ Francois Beauchemin - Cam Fowler/ Luca Sbisa - Sheldon Brookbank
Scratches: Foster
Top PP times: Fowler (4:35), Perry (4:19), Visnovsky (4:18), Getzlaf (4:11), Selanne (2:49)
Trending: Corey Perry (1G, 2 PIM, 6 SOG) has scored in three straight contests now. Cam Fowler (1A, -3, 2 SOG) hadn't recorded a point before tonight, but he still has plenty of time to have a big season. Lubomir Visnovsky (1A, 3 SOG) has points in two straight after four without one to open the season.
Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.
