This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
On Wednesday, there is a chance for two series to end, and to end in that most ignominious of fashions, the sweep. Even for teams that don't have real championship aspirations, teams that are just "happy to be here," getting swept is a tough way to see your season end. You make it to the postseason, and then you can't even give your fans one win. It's just four losses, and you're gone.
What's particularly unfortunate about this year's sweep candidates is that they were pretty good stories headed into the playoffs. The Ottawa Senators rode the surprise Andrew Hammond to a great run to end the regular season, eking them into the playoffs ahead of the Bostons Bruins. Now, Hammond has seen himself benched and the Senators have yet to best the Montreal Canadiens, although every game has been close. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets are in the playoffs for the first time since 1996, but they may head out before giving their fans even one victory. Furthermore, if you trace this Jets team back to their origins as the Atlanta Thrashers, they got swept in their only playoff experience there too. The postseason has not been kind to this franchise.
While fans of the Habs and Ducks surely are not feeling sentimental or concerning themselves with nice stories, for the rest of us, it'd be nice of the Senators and Jets could avoid the broom. Let's just have some more hockey to watch. Let's see Erik Karlsson and Bobby Ryan and Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien and the rest at least make it to Game 5.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Canadiens (Carey Price) at Senators (Craig Anderson) 7:00
Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist) at Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury) 7:00
Blues (Jake Allen) at Wild (Devan Dubnyk) 9:30
Ducks (Frederik Andersen) at Jets (Ondrej Pavelec) 9:30
*Confirmed Starters
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News For Teams Playing Wednesday
Canadiens
Nathan Beaulieu, D (upper-body) – Out for rest of series.
Senators
Robin Lehner, G (concussion) – Out indefinitely.
Chris Phillips, D (back) – Having back surgery, out indefinitely.
Matt Puempel, LW (ankle) – Not playing Wednesday.
Rangers
Kevin Klein, D (arm) – Did not play Monday, day-to-day.
Penguins
Beau Bennett, RW (upper-body) – Did not play Monday, day-to-day.
Pascal Dupuis, RW (blood clot) – Out for season.
Christian Ehrhoff, D (upper-body) – Day-to-day.
Kris Letang, D (upper-body) – Out for season.
Olli Maatta, D (shoulder) – Out for season.
Derrick Pouliot, D (upper-body) – Day-to-day.
Blues
Good to go from top to bottom.
Wild
Keith Ballard, D (concussion) – Likely out for season.
Ducks
John Gibson, G (upper-body) – Traveling with team, may serve as backup soon.
Sheldon Souray, D (wrist) – Out for season.
Nate Thompson, C (upper-body) – Traveling with team, day-to-day.
Chris Wagner, LW (upper-body) – Did not travel with team.
Jets
Grant Clitsome, D (back) – Out indefinitely.
Paul Postma, D (undisclosed) – Out indefinitely.
Hot
Sam Bennett, C, CGY – Bennett, the fourth overall pick in this past NHL Draft, played only one regular season game, but he's been a real boon to the roster during the playoffs. With a goal Tuesday, Bennett now has two goals and an assist in the four postseason games the Flames have played so far. With a 3-1 series lead over the Vancouver Canucks, it seems like Bennett and the Flames will be sticking around to play in at least one more series. The young, fresh legs of Bennett could continue to help out.
Nicklas Backstrom, C, WAS – We know Backstrom is a great player, but he isn't necessarily known as a goal scorer. He only had 18 this year after a major goal drought to end the regular season. That drought ended at the best time possible, as he now has three games in a row with a goal, including the overtime winner in Game 4 on Tuesday. He's also added three assists for kicks. It's good for fantasy owners when the big name, big money players pay off.
Cold
Steven Stamkos, C, TAM – Yes, Stamkos had two assists in Game 2, but there is reason for concern about him anyway. He has no goals in this postseason, and he has only three shots on goal in his last two games. More to the point, during Tampa's Game 3 loss, there was power-play time where he was on neither line for the Lightning, and at the end of the game when the goalie was pulled he didn't play either. It's an ominous sign, if nothing else.
Troy Brouwer, RW, WAS – Brouwer scored 21 goals during the regular season, the third highest total of any Capital this season. However, he's been a dude this postseason. He has zero points in four games, and only two shots on goal in total. Maybe he can turn it around, but he's not the kind of player you take a risk on during playoff fantasy hockey when he's cold.
Recommended Value Play
Jakob Silfverberg, RW, ANA – Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, to nobody's surprise, have led the Ducks so far as they've taken a 3-0 lead over the Winnipeg Jets. However, Silfverberg has been a solid contributor as well, as he currently has two goals and two assists. He didn't have a great regular season, aside from his tremendous skills in the shootout, which aren't relevant here, but he has good hands and some offensive skill. The Jets are going to be fighting for their playoff lives, but the Ducks have been the better team so far, and pluck can only do so much. Of the secondary Ducks forwards, Silfverberg is a good a bet as anybody.
