This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the League
Good morning! I hope you're not feeling ill from eating too much candy. However, if you have any chocolate bars or Sour Patch Kids or Mike and Ike that you don't want, shoot me a message on Twitter and I'll gladly find a solution to your problems. (Hint: it involves my stomach).
While you were busy stuffing your face, or maybe preventing your kids from doing so, there were four games on Friday night. To recap:
- The Leafs took a 2-0 lead into the third period and moved one game over .500 with a 4-1 win over Columbus, who started Curtis McElhinney in place of the injured Sergei Bobrovsky. Phil Kessel and Daniel Winnik (!!!) led the way with three points each while Ryan Johansen increased his points streak to 10 games on a power play goal by Cam Atkinson. Both teams play again tonight.
- Gustav Nyquist scored twice in the first period as the Wings (6-2-2) jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the Kings (6-3-2) and never looked back, winning 5-2. Nyquist and "Magic Man" Pavel Datsyuk finished with three points apiece. Tyler Toffoli continued his torrid pace with a shorthanded goal, but it wasn't enough as Jimmy Howard, who's determined to bounce back after a poor season last year, turned aside 28 shots for the win. The Kings have been outscored 11-4 in their past three games, all of them losses.
- Antoine Roussel and the Stars tied the game 1-1 mid-way through the third period to force overtime, but Nate Thompson scored his first of the season on a tip-in 2:30 into the extra frame. Corey Perry still has the hot hand and finished the night with two points as the Ducks improved to 9-3-0 to increase their lead in the Pacific Division by four points.
- The Flames (6-4-2) came from behind and survived a barrage of shots from the Preds (6-2-2) to pull out a 4-3 win. James Neal had seven shots on net and finished with two goals, but it wasn't enough as the Flames clamped down and blocked 35 (!!!) shots on the night. The Flames win ugly but the team's promising youngsters helped secure it as Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau had two points each.
Looking ahead to tonight's games…
The marquee matchup of the night belongs to the Wild (6-3-0), who will host the visiting Stars (4-2-4) in a key Central Division matchup featuring two of the best offensive teams in the league. They are the only two teams in the division to have scored more than 30 goals, though the Wild have been much better defensively with just 17 goals allowed for a plus-14 differential.
The key to the Wild's attack is their balanced lineup; if the Zach Parise/Mikael Granlund/Jason Pominville line isn't doing the scoring, it's Jason Zucker/Mikko Koivu/Charlie Coyle, and failing that, there's always Thomas Vanek and Justin Fontaine. The Vegas-raised Zucker, in particular, has the hot hand with a four-game point streak with three goals and two assists.
For the Stars, it's their top line of Jamie Benn/Jason Spezza/Tyler Seguin who will do most of the damage. Valeri Nichushkin will return after an AHL conditioning stint, but Ales Hemsky has just one assist in nine games and the Stars have been forced to lean on lunch-pail players Roussel (a fan favorite) and Cody Eakin to pitch in instead. The Stars, however, boast more offense from their blue line with a 1-2 punch of Trevor "Maverick" Daley and Alex "Goose" Goligoski, compared to the ultra-steady and ultra-efficient Ryan "Iceman" Suter on the other side of the rink.
All things considered, the winner of the Wild-Stars matchup will likely be determined by goaltending. Kari Lehtonen drew the Ducks on Friday, which means the struggling Anders Lindback (0-2-0, 4.58 GAA, .850 SV%) will have to face a Wild team that has pumped 19 goals in their past four games. Lindback doesn't have a whole lot of confidence right now and the Stars defense probably feels the same way, but the best defense is a good offense and the Stars need to pin the Wild in their own zone (a difficult task) to keep the game close.
After posting three shutouts in his first four starts, Darcy Kuemper (5-2-0, 1.71 GAA, .927 SV%) has come back down to Earth and allowed 10 goals in his past three games with a sub-.900 save percentage in all of them (combined 3.26 GAA, .851 SV%). The Wild blue line is really banged up, too, with Jared Spurgeon still sidelined, while Jonas Brodin and UMass-Lowell product Christian Folin will be shaking off some rust as game-time decisions. Kuemper is firmly entrenched as the Wild's starter, but can he handle the workload? Keep in mind the 24-year-old hasn't played more than 43 games in any season since turning pro even though the Wild are allowing just 23.2 shots per game, tops in the league.
It's conceivable that five of the eight playoff spots in the West will be taken by teams from the Central. As it stands, the Avs are on the outside looking in, but after a poor start they're now 2-2 in their last four with both losses coming from one-goal games. The Avs continue to rely heavily on Semyon Varlamov, but his .934 SV% is still sixth in the league among goalies with five or more starts. After a slow start, they're nipping at the heels already. The worst-case scenario for them would be the Stars and Wild each getting a point.
- The Sens (5-2-2) have collected points in seven of their past eight games while the Bruins (6-6-0) are trying to find consistency and making sure they don't fall too far behind hated rivals and division-leading Habs (8-2-1). Both Craig Anderson (2.38 GAA, .934 SV%) and Robin Lehner (2.18 GAA, .939 SV%) have been stellar despite alternating starts.
- It'll be a family affair as the Hawks (6-3-1) take on the Leafs (5-4-1) at the ACC on HNIC, with the brothers van Riemsdyk facing each other for the first time in the pros. The Leafs are playing the second half of a back-to-back and will start an improved James Reimer (2-1-0, 2.62 GAA, .914 SV%). Phil Kessel has eight points in his past four games.
- In what should be absolute fireworks, the Caps (4-3-2) will visit Tampa (7-3-1) as Alex Ovechkin (ice cold, see below) and Steven Stamkos (on fire) go head-to-head. For my money, Stamkos is the league's best goal scorer simply because of his unstoppable one-timer and ability to score goals from just about everywhere. Neither team defends particularly well so start your Caps and Bolts forwards accordingly.
- The Flyers (4-4-2) should get an easy win over the Panthers (3-2-3). The X factor is Roberto Luongo, who has rattled off three wins in four games and shaking off his usual slow October starts, though he has to face a high-scoring duo in Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek (28 points combined in 10 games). The winless Steve Mason (0-3-1, 3.83 GAA, .878 SV%) is the confirmed starter, but another poor showing means Ray Emery (4-1-1, 2.74 GAA, .915 SV%) will be the new No. 1.
- Former teammate Cory Schneider (5-3-2, 2.91 GAA, .906 SV%) is also trying to find some form of consistency for the Devils (5-3-2). He's allowed just one goal on three occasions but also looked like a sieve, allowing four or more goals in four other contests. The BJ's (4-6-0) will likely roll with rookie Anton Forsberg (1.69 GAA, .940 SV% in AHL), a MODO alum, who makes his NHL debut. He's an excellent goalie in his own right and could be a legit starter some day.
- The Jets (4-5-1) will need Evander Kane to get into a groove soon if they want to stay in the playoff race while the Rangers (5-4-0) will feature a patchwork defense without John Moore, though Mike Kostka is a good puck mover and Matt Hunwick is a serviceable depth defenseman. Ondrej Pavelec (4-4-1, 2.34 GAA, .908 SV%) continues to be his usual mediocre self but Henrik Lundqvist (see below) hasn't been faring too well either.
- The toothless Sabres (2-8-1) are in for a tough matchup against the Pens (6-2-1), and god forbid should the Sabres take a penalty. The Pens boast the league's best power play (39.5%) while the Sabres are just averaging 1.09 (!!!) goals per game. Jhonas Enroth is stopping all the pucks (237 saves, sixth in the league) but he's not getting the goal support.
- The Coyotes (3-5-1) live and die with their defense but Mike Smith (2-5-0, 3.96 GAA, .866 SV%) hasn't been very good, and Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are a combined minus-13. Good thing they're playing the Canes (0-6-2), who are spoiling the Sabres' plans in the race for Connor McDavid (38 points in 13 games for the Erie Otters so far) and/or Jack Eichel (6 points in 3 games for Boston U).
- The Avs (3-4-4) have to take advantage of a sick (not the good kind) Blues (5-3-1) squad in St. Louis. Ken Hitchcock likes to play a structured game, but anchors David Backes and Paul Stastny are out, so the game might turn into some vintage fire-wagon hockey with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz going against Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene. Brian Elliott (3-2-1, 1.98 GAA, .917 SV%) has allowed just 12 goals in six games.
- The Canucks (7-3-0) always have trouble with the Oilers' (4-5-1) speed though both teams are trending up. Ben Scrivens rattled off four straight wins before losing to Nashville on Wednesday and he's been good against Vancouver in his career (2-2-0, 1.77 GAA, .949 SV%). Tom Sestito is expected to make his season debut in place of the suspended Alex Burrows. He'll play with Linden Vey and Derek Dorsett.
- The good news is the Isles (6-4-0) have beaten the Sharks (6-4-2) already – 4-3 on Oct. 16 – but the bad news is that neither Jaroslav Halak (3.51 GAA, .889 SV%) nor Chad Johnson (3.46 GAA, .870 SV%) have been very good. The Sharks have had no trouble scoring with 10 goals in their past three games, with Brent Burns enjoying life on defense (13 points in 12 games) though Tomas Hertl is ice cold (two goals in 12 games).
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
Ottawa Senators (Craig Anderson) at Boston Bruins (Tuukka Rask), 7:00 PM
Chicago Blackhawks (Corey Crawford) at Toronto Maple Leafs (James Reimer), 7:00 PM
Washington Capitals (Braden Holtby) at Tampa Bay Lightning (Ben Bishop), 7:00 PM
Philadelphia Flyers (Steve Mason*) at Florida Panthers (Roberto Luongo), 7:00 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets (Anton Forsberg) at New Jersey Devils (Cory Schneider*), 7:00 PM
Winnipeg Jets (Ondrej Pavelec) at New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist), 7:00 PM
Buffalo Sabres (Jhonas Enroth*) at Pittsburgh Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury), 7:00 PM
Arizona Coyotes (Mike Smith) at Carolina Hurricanes (Cam Ward), 7:00 PM
Colorado Avalanche (Semyon Varlamov) at St. Louis Blues (Brian Elliott*), 8:00 PM
Dallas Stars (Anders Lindback) at Minnesota Wild (Darcy Kuemper), 8:00 PM
Vancouver Canucks (Ryan Miller) at Edmonton Oilers (Ben Scrivens*), 10:00 PM
New York Islanders (Jaroslav Halak) at San Jose Sharks (Alex Stalock), 10:30 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Saturday
Ottawa Senators
Marc Methot, D (back) – no return date set.
Mark Borowiecki, D (undisclosed) – will not play
Boston Bruins
Torey Krug, D (broken finger) – out 2-3 weeks.
Kevan Miller, D (upper body) – expected return is Monday.
Zdeno Chara, D (knee) – no timetable for return.
Chicago Blackhawks
Daniel Carcillo, LW (knee) – out 3-4 weeks.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Brandon Kozun, RW (ankle) – out 4-6 weeks.
Joffrey Lupul, LW (broken hand) – out indefinitely.
David Booth, LW (foot) – no timetable for return.
Washington Capitals
Dmitry Orlov, D (wrist) – out until late November.
John Erskine, D (neck) – no timetable for return.
Brooks Laich, C (upper body) – did not practice Friday; doubtful for Saturday.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Ryan Callahan, RW (lower body) – game-time decision.
Victor Hedman, D (broken hand) – out 4 weeks.
Brett Connolly, RW (lower body) – no timetable for return.
Andrej Sustr, D (upper body) – day-to-day; questionable.
Philadelphia Flyers
Braydon Coburn, D (lower body) – will return later in the month.
Kimmo Timonen, D (blood clots) – out indefinitely.
Ryan White, RW (chest) – out indefinitely.
Andrew MacDonald, D (lower body) – no return date set.
Florida Panthers
Brandon Pirri, C (concussion) – no timetable for return.
Dave Bolland, C (lower body) – no timetable for return.
Aleksander Barkov, C (lower body) – did not practice Friday; questionable.
Sean Bergenheim, LW (undisclosed) – did not practice Friday; questionable.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Nathan Horton, RW (back) – out indefinitely.
James Wisniewski, D (finger) – no return date set.
Brandon Dubinsky, C (abdominal) – no return date set.
Artem Anisimov, C (concussion) – no return date set; doubtful.
Mark Letestu, C (groin) – no timetable for return.
Sergei Bobrovsky, G (fractured finger) – out 1-2 weeks.
Boone Jenner, LW (hand) – will return after the weekend.
New Jersey Devils
Martin Havlat, RW (lower body) – no return date set.
Michael Cammalleri, LW (neck) – doubtful.
Jordin Tootoo, RW (foot) – did not practice Thursday; doubtful.
Winnipeg Jets
Anthony Peluso, RW (upper body) – no return date set.
New York Rangers
Dan Boyle, D (broken hand) – no return date set.
Derek Stepan, C (broken leg) – could return Monday.
John Moore, D (suspension) – not eligible to play.
Buffalo Sabres
Patrick Kaleta, RW (face) – no return date set.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Beau Bennett, RW (knee) – out 1-2 weeks.
Robert Bortuzzo, D (upper body) – doubtful.
Arizona Coyotes
David Moss, RW (upper body) – no return date set.
Carolina Hurricanes
Nathan Gerbe, LW (lower body) – game-time decision.
Patrick Dwyer, RW (lower body) – game-time decision.
Jordan Staal, C (broken leg) – no return date set.
Colorado Avalanche
Jesse Winchester, LW (concussion) – no timetable for return.
Ryan Wilson, D (shoulder) – out 1-2 weeks.
St. Louis Blues
David Backes, C (concussion) – game-time decision.
T.J. Oshie, RW (concussion/illness) – no return date set.
Paul Stastny, C (upper body) – will not play.
Joakim Lindstrom, LW (illness) – did not play Thursday; questionable.
Dallas Stars
Sergei Gonchar, D (ankle) – should return after the weekend.
Rich Peverley, C (heart) – out indefinitely.
Patrik Nemeth, D (lacerated arm) – out for the season.
Minnesota Wild
Jared Spurgeon, D (undisclosed) – no return date set; will not play.
Jonas Brodin, D (soreness) – game-time decision.
Gustav Olofsson, D (shoulder surgery) – out four months.
Christian Folin, D (illness) – game-time decision; probable.
Erik Haula, LW (undisclosed) – practiced Friday; game-time decision.
Keith Ballard, D (illness) – doubtful.
Josh Harding, G (broken foot) – no timetable for return.
Matt Cooke, LW (lower body) – will not play.
Vancouver Canucks
Alex Burrows, RW (suspension) – serving first of three games.
Ryan Stanton, D (lower body) – did not play Thursday; doubtful.
Edmonton Oilers
Nikita Nikitin, D (back) – practiced Friday; game-time decision.
New York Islanders
Matt Carkner, D (upper body) – no timetable for return.
Michael Grabner, RW (hernia) – no return date set.
Josh Bailey, LW (hand) – game-time decision; questionable.
San Jose Sharks
Raffi Torres, LW (knee) – no timetable for return.
Mike Brown, RW (hand) – no return date set.
Hot
Nikita Kucherov, LW, Tampa Bay – When young talented players score, they tend to do so in bunches. One of the Lightning's top prospects, Kucherov has two multi-point games in his past four contests during which he's amassed seven points. After a slow start and limited ice time, it's clear Kucherov is getting more comfortable out there, including a three assist performance against Winnipeg and a hat trick against Arizona. He has nine points overall this season and is worth a stash in deep leagues.
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Pittsburgh – If Fleury keeps playing like this, there won't be anyone doubting Jim Rutherford when he said he's committed to Fleury as the Pens' No. 1 goalie. Fleury has knocked off three straight wins and shut out the Predators on the road and the Kings at home during that span. He's 6-2-0 on the year with a .926 save percentage – if Fleury keeps this up he's on track to have the best season of his career.
Cold
Henrik Lundqvist, G, NY Rangers – The Rangers will go only as far as King Henrik takes them and it hasn't looked pretty so far. Though Lundqvist has four wins in his past five starts, the Blueshirts have had to rely on their offense to win games. He's allowed an uncharacteristic 10 goals in his past three starts and posts a horrendous 3.25 GAA and .891 SV% on the season.
Alexander Ovechkin, LW, Washington – For a guy who needs to score a lot to be effective, he certainly hasn't done so, going goalless in his past five games. He's not a puck distributor either so he won't pile up the assists, though the silver lining is that he's finally back checking on defense. That means squat, however, in fantasy hockey. The goals will come eventually but this five-game drought is the longest Ovechkin's been held without a point since the 2013 playoffs (ironically against Lundqvist and the Rangers).
Recommended Pickup
Nick Bonino, C, Vancouver – Take it from someone who watches just about every single Canucks game – Bonino is worth picking up. He's not a flashy player by any means, but he shows good offensive instincts and he's clicking well with blue-collar linemates Chris Higgins and Alex Burrows. Together, the trio is really doing a lot of damage with their speed and transition game. The Sedins and Radim Vrbata are tearing it up, but the Canucks need depth scoring to make the playoffs, which means Willie Desjardins will be leaning on his second line when the going gets tough. Bonino has eight points in 10 games and is owned in just 57 percent of ESPN leagues. I wish he didn't talk so much on the ice, though.
