This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the League
The key matchup on a light Friday slate will be the Rangers and Capitals. With Henrik Lundqvist leaving Thursday's game with a neck issue, his status for tonight's game is unclear. Antti Raanta may get the start, which robs the game of a marquee goalie showdown.
Regardless, even though the Caps are running away with the division title, it should be a good preview of when the two teams inevitably meet in the playoffs again. The Rangers are still without Rick Nash (knee), which presents issues up front with their lack of size, and the Caps are still without John Carlson (lower body surgery), who isn't expected back for a few weeks.
The addition of Eric Staal might give the Rangers more depth, but Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan are still a notch below Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom, and that's probably where the Rangers will fall short. Staal is no longer an elite player and even with his addition hasn't put a dent in Stepan or Brassard's ice time. It's safe to say that he's a supporting player now, and that any team looking for significant production from him should be quite worried about their future prospects.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
Rangers (Antti Raanta) at Capitals (Braden Holtby), 7:00 PM
Oilers (Cam Talbot) at Blue Jackets (Joonas Korpisalo), 7:00 PM
Devils (Cory Schneider) at Stars (Kari Lehtonen), 8:30 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Friday
New York Rangers
Rick Nash, LW (knee) – out two weeks.
Henrik Lundqvist, G (neck) – left Thursday's game; questionable.
Marc Staal, D (illness ) – did not play Thursday; questionable.
Washington Capitals
John Carlson, D (lower body surgery) – no return date set.
Nate Schmidt, D (lower body) – did not play Wednesday; questionable.
Edmonton Oilers
Andrew Ference, D (hip surgery) – out for the season.
Benoit Pouliot, LW (shoulder) – could miss the rest of the season.
Eric Gryba, D (knee) – no return date set.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C (hand) – practicing, but a few more weeks away.
Oscar Klefbom, D (infection) – no return date set; day-to-day.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Jack Johnson, D (upper body) – no return date set.
Sergei Bobrovsky, G (groin) – practiced Wednesday; no return date set.
Jared Boll, RW (throat) – did not practice Wednesday; no return date set.
New Jersey Devils
Patrik Elias, LW (knee) – skated Thursday; no return date set.
Michael Cammalleri, LW (hand) – could miss the rest of the season; no return date eset.
Jiri Tlusty, LW (right wrist surgery) – no return date set.
Dallas Stars
Jordie Benn, D (lower body) – will miss a week.
Patrick Sharp, LW (lower body) – will not play.
Patrick Eaves, RW (illness) – did not play Tuesday; questionable.
Hot
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, PIT – With a 4-1 win over the Rangers last night, Fleury now has five wins in his past six starts and has allowed just two goals in his past three starts after allowing five goals against Boston. Most observers concentrate on Sidney Crosby's linemates and the Pens' lack of depth on the blue line, but the biggest 'X' factor on the Pens is Fleury – he needs to be excellent if the Pens want to make a deep playoff run.
Ben Bishop, G, TB – Continuing with the theme of goalies, Bishop has also been excellent over the past little while. With a 4-1 win over Ottawa, Bishop has now won five straight games and allowed just four goals during that span, likewise bouncing back after a poor start against San Jose in which he allowed four goals. The Lightning have won eight of their past 10 games and are making a charge in the Atlantic Division, sitting just two points behind the Panthers.
Cold
Tyler Seguin, C, DAL – Seguin was horrendous in a 5-3 loss to Nashville, finishing the night without a point and a minus-4 rating. He's just now plus-3 on the season after starting the new year with plus-19. Though he remains one of the top fantasy players this season, his second-half drought is a little concerning, especially with a tight race in the Central Division. He's scored just two goals in his past nine games.
Henrik Zetterberg, C, DET – He's gone without a point in his past six games and last scored a goal on Feb. 18. Though the Red Wings have won three of their past four, their captain hasn't been producing at his usual all-star level. Their goal differential at minus-5 is the worst among the eight teams in playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
Recommended Pickup
Brayden Schenn, LW, PHI – He's now owned in over half of Yahoo leagues but still doesn't get quite enough recognition for his recent strong play. With Jakub Voracek sidelined, Schenn has six points in his past four games, including a hat-trick performance against Calgary after firing nine shots on goal. He has a career-high 21 goals and has recently received some praise from Dave Hakstol.
