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WASHINGTON CAPITALS 5 @ OTTAWA SENATORS 3
Goaltending match-up: Tomas Vokoun (31/34, .912 SV%) vs. Craig Anderson (39/43, .907 SV%)
Combos: Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Alexander Semin/ Troy Brouwer - Marcus Johansson - Jeff Halpern/ Jason Chimera - Brooks Laich - Joel Ward/ Cody Eakin - Mathieu Perreault - Mike Knuble/ Karl Alzner - John Carlson/ John Erskine - Dennis Wideman/ Jeff Schultz - Dmitry Orlov
Scratches: Hendricks, Hamrlik, Green
Top PP times: Ovechkin (4:25), Backstrom (4:12), Wideman (3:26), Knuble (2:47), Laich (2:42)
Trending: Nicklas Backstrom (1G, 1A, +1, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) has been outstanding this season and Alex Ovechkin (1G, 7 SOG) chipped in tonight and had a nice SOG total too. Dennis Wideman (1A, 4 SOG) has points in two of three this month after a bit of a dry spell the past few weeks. Troy Brouwer (1G, 1A, +1, 5 PIM, 0:34 PP, 2 SOG) had 10 points in 17 GP before this evening. John Carlson (1G, 2A, +1, 1:33 PP, 4 SOG) had 13 points in 17 GP coming into this one. Dmitry Orlov (1A, +1, 0:34 PP, 1 SOG) had three points in his eight tilts before this evening.
Combos: Bobby Butler - Jason Spezza - Colin Greening/ Milan Michalek - Nick Foligno - Daniel Alfredsson/ Kaspars Daugavins - Zack Smith - Erik Condra/ Zenon Konopka - Jesse Winchester - Chris Neil/ Chris Phillips - Sergei Gonchar/ Erik Karlsson - Jared Cowen/ Brian Lee - David Rundblad
Scratches: Filatov, Carkner
Top PP times: Karlsson (6:45), Spezza (6:30), Gonchar (6:19), Michalek (4:56), Alfredsson (4:41)
Trending: We're already a week into December and Erik Karlsson (1A, 2 PIM, 3 SOG) came into tonight only four points shy of the point-per-game mark. He's still in the battle for the league lead in assists each night too. Crazy. Zack Smith (1A, +1, no PP, 1 SOG) had five points in five games before this outing. Nick Foligno (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 1 SOG) had 14 points in 15 GP coming into this one, dating back to the start of November. His second period goal? Awesome. Sergei Gonchar (1A, -2, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) had 27 points all of last season and he came into tonight with 18 already. Milan Michalek (1G, -2, 6 SOG) had four goals in four games before tonight and had 16 on the season too.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 5 @ BUFFALO SABRES 4 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Ilya Bryzgalov (20/24, .833 SV%) vs. Ryan Miller (29/34, .853 SV%)
Combos: Scott Hartnell - Claude Giroux - Jaromir Jagr/ Wayne Simmonds - Danny Briere - Matt Read/ James van Riemsdyk - Max Talbot - Jakub Voracek/ Harry Zolnierczyk - Sean Couturier - Zac Rinaldo/ Braydon Coburn - Kimmo Timonen/ Matt Carle - Marc-Andre Bourdon/ Andrej Meszaros - Kevin Marshall
Scratches: Walker, Schenn, Shelley
Top PP times: Jagr, Giroux, Simmonds, (1:20), Timonen (1:14), Voracek (0:49)
Trending: Jaromir Jagr (1G, 3 SOG) is apparently interested in playing at least one more year... either here or in the Czech Republic. He and Claude Giroux (1G, 3A, +3, 3 SOG) could make beautiful music together for another season. And oh yeah... here's another awesome bottom line from Giroux for his fantasy owners. Are you kidding me with that overtime winner? That guy is unreal. His 36 points now lead the NHL too. Jakub Voracek (1A, 2 SOG) had three points in seven games before tonight. Matt Read (1G, 0:40 PP, 2 SOG) was coming off his three-pointer against the Coyotes. Kimmo Timonen (1A, +2, 2 PIM, 3 SOG) had four assists in his two December games before this outing. Scott Hartnell (1G, +3, 0:40 PP, 4 SOG) has goals in all three December tilts.
Combos: Thomas Vanek - Jochen Hecht - Jason Pominville/ Tyler Ennis - Derek Roy - Drew Stafford/ Ville Leino - Luke Adam - Zack Kassian/ Nathan Gerbe - Matt Ellis - Corey Tropp/ Christian Ehrhoff - Marc-Andre Gragnani/ Robyn Regehr - Andrej Sekera/ Joe Finley - Brayden McNabb
Scratches: McCormick, Gaustad, Kaleta
Top PP times: Ehrhoff (3:00), Vanek, Pominville (2:36), Stafford, Gragnani (2:28)
Trending: Thomas Vanek (1G, +1, 3 SOG) only had two points in five games before tonight, but still entered this one above a point-per-game average. Derek Roy (1A, -1, 1:56 PP, 2 SOG) had three points in nine games headed in, while Ville Leino (1G, -2, 1:58 PP, 2 SOG) had four points in four games before this evening. Jason Pominville (2A, 2 SOG) had 21 points in 23 GP vs. PHI coming into this clash. Luke Adam (1A, -1, 1:50 PP, 2 SOG) had a two-pointer the last time these teams met and he had four points in four games overall headed in. Zack Kassian (1G, 1A, -1, 1:50 PP, 3 SOG) already had three points in his five NHL starts before adding more here. Drew Stafford (1G, +1, 4 SOG) hadn't scored in over a month, but he potted the GTG with the goalie pulled and 1:35 left in the third period. Marc-Andre Gragnani (1A, +1, no SOG) had nothing in five games before tonight.
CAROLINA HURRICANES 5 @ EDMONTON OILERS 3
Goaltending match-up: Cam Ward (22/25, .880 SV%) vs. Devan Dubnyk (28/33, .848 SV%)
Combos: Jeff Skinner - Eric Staal - Tuomo Ruutu/ Alexei Ponikarovsky - Jussi Jokinen - Chad LaRose/ Jiri Tlusty - Brandon Sutter - Pat Dwyer/ Andreas Nodl - Tim Brent - Anthony Stewart/ Bryan Allen - Jamie McBain/ Tim Gleason - Justin Faulk/ Tomas Kaberle - Derek Joslin
Scratches: Pitkanen, Harrison, Boucher
Top PP times: Staal, Kaberle (5:53), Skinner (5:07), Ruutu (4:35), Jokinen (4:10)
Trending: Jeff Skinner (1G, +1, 8 SOG) has scored in three of five now. He had 23 points coming in and he was ROCKED by an Andy Sutton hit in the third period. Trolley tracks hit. Seemed completely clean to me given Sutton's size and positioning. Jamie McBain (1G, 2:47 PP, 2 SOG) came into tonight on the strength of B2B two-pointers. Tomas Kaberle (2A, -1, no SOG) had a pair of points in his last game too. Eric Staal (1A, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) had seven points in five outings coming in. Jussi Jokinen (1A, +2, 3 SOG) only had one point in seven games coming in here. Tuomo Ruutu (1G, +1, 1 SOG) had four points in five games headed into this tilt.
Combos: Ryan Smyth - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle/ Sam Gagner - Shawn Horcoff - Ales Hemsky/ Ryan Jones - Eric Belanger - Magnus Paajarvi/ Ben Eager - Ryan O'Marra - Lennart Petrell/ Ladislav Smid - Tom Gilbert/ Ryan Whitney - Jeff Petry/ Theo Peckham - Andy Sutton
Scratches: Hordichuk, Teubert
Top PP times: RNH (3:50), Gagner (3:41), Gilbert (3:39), Eberle (3:20), Horcoff (3:09)
Trending: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1G, +1, 4 SOG). Amazing. Sam Gagner (1A, 2 SOG) has been cruising in the past few weeks and he and Ryan Smyth swapped spots in the third period. Jordan Eberle (1A, 2 SOG) had 17 points in 11 games before tonight.
Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.
