Another week of fantasy hockey and some food for thought ...
.953
That's Cory Schneider's save percentage in his last four starts for AHL Binghamton before getting called up Sunday to replace the injured MacKenzie Blackwood. At first, it looked like it was going to be further disaster after his first four starts netted a .793 Sv%, but he turned it around after a 23-save performance against a much stronger Rochester squad. This marked a huge improvement, and it looks like the brief demotion accomplished what it was supposed to do: instill more confidence. The Devils are putting the Ewing Theory to the test, going 7-4-2 since trading Taylor Hall, and while Schneider's confidence is back and the Devils are playing better, I wouldn't be so quick to pull the trigger on Schneider. He just seems too fragile and the Devils too messy (Ray Shero was fired Sunday) to be given any serious consideration, and their upcoming schedule — Leafs, Caps and the red-hot Blue Jackets — demands a cautious wait-and-see approach.
26.72
That's Jakub Vrana's expected goals at 5-on-5 this season entering Sunday, according to Natural Stat Trick, trailing only Alex Ovechkin (27.81) on the Caps. Vrana rocked a 14.9 S% last season to finish with 24 goals in 82 games, and not only has he managed to maintain that efficiency this season, a higher shooting volume has put him on pace for a 35-goal, 60-point season, yet he remains owned in just 66 percent
