This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
This is a topic I covered on my podcast (The Great Ones, recorded weekly with fellow RotoWirer Paul Bruno), but I think it merits mentioning in print, too. Three weeks into the season, I think it's quite safe to say that 3-on-3 overtime is frickin' awesome. The end-to-end action is wild, and while it opens you up to big swings of luck (don't hit the post!), it's undoubtedly a better and more exciting way than the shootout to decide games that are tied after 60 minutes.
This is coming from someone who likes the shootout. I do. I've always enjoyed it. Not just because the Rangers have generally been good in it, but because it was the original solution to the tie, which was simply an awful way to end an NHL game. And, of course, because of D2: The Mighty Ducks. If you were a kid in the '90s (I won't use "Millennial" because I dislike that term) and you enjoy shootouts, but you're not quite sure why, allow me to inform you that it's because The Mighty Ducks conditioned you to like them when you were young and impressionable.
Speaking of teams that used to be called the Mighty Ducks, Anaheim took its seventh loss in eight games via Jonathan Toews' overtime goal Monday night. The mild mallards' offense has struggled through what has to be one of the worst season-opening stretches in modern NHL history, as they've absurdly managed to score only six goals in eight games. Yep, Halloween's this weekend already, and at this rate, the Ducks might not even crack double digits for the month of October. By comparison, the Leafs and Jackets – two awful teams that, like the Ducks, are sitting on one win – are each sitting on a reasonable 19 goals.
What's wrong with the Ducks? Well, for one, their situation at left wing is a disaster. I don't know if Anaheim truly traded for Carl Hagelin with the thought that he'd step right into the top six, but if they did, GM Bob Murray should be fired. Hagelin is a nice player – he's speedy, he's smart, he plays solid defense and he's an asset on the penalty kill – but the guy's offensive skills are meager. He's got a pop-gun shot and no real passing skills to speak of, yet he's seen the most time alongside Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf so far. Jiri Sekac and Patrick Maroon haven't proven to be any better; in truth, all of them are third-line types. Simple normalization of luck will help the Ducks, but if they really want to turn their season around, they need to either make a trade for someone who can play with Perry and Getzlaf, or they need to experiment with moving Jakob Silfverberg to his off wing.
There may be positive words coming out about the Ducks' play en route to being shut out over 61 minutes by Chicago, but drastic action is needed. They can't afford to dig too deep a hole; as we sit here now, Anaheim is already six points out of a playoff spot.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Coyotes (Mike Smith) at Bruins (Tuukka Rask), 7:00 PM
Blue Jackets (Sergei Bobrovsky) at Devils (Cory Schneider), 7:00 PM
Sabres (Chad Johnson) at Flyers (Steve Mason), 7:00 PM
Hurricanes (Cam Ward) at Red Wings (Petr Mrazek), 7:30 PM
Avalanche (Reto Berra) at Panthers (Roberto Luongo), 7:30 PM
Lightning (Ben Bishop) at Blues (Jake Allen), 8:00 PM
Oilers (Cam Talbot) at Wild (Darcy Kuemper), 8:00 PM
Kings (Jonathan Quick) at Jets (Ondrej Pavelec), 8:00 PM
Ducks (Anton Khudobin) at Stars (Antti Niemi), 8:30 PM
Canadiens (Carey Price) at Canucks (Ryan Miller), 10:00 PM
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News for Teams Playing Tuesday
Arizona Coyotes
Joe Vitale, C (face) – Out 3-to-5 weeks still
Antoine Vermette, C (lower body) – Didn't play Monday
Martin Hanzal, C (lower body) – Day-to-day after leaving Monday's game
Boston Bruins
Matt Beleskey, LW (upper body) – Practiced with the team Monday
Dennis Seidenberg, D (back) – Skating, but return not imminent
Columbus Blue Jackets
Ryan Johansen, C (fatigue) – Won't play Tuesday as he undergoes tests
New Jersey Devils
Patrik Elias, LW (knee) – Making progress, but still no timetable
Tuomo Ruutu, LW (foot) – Out 4-to-6 weeks
Buffalo Sabres
Mike Weber, D (undisclosed) – Sat Saturday; no word on Tuesday status
Zach Bogosian, D (lower body) – Increasing workload, but not practicing still
Evander Kane, LW (knee) – Out 4-to-6 weeks with MCL injury
Robin Lehner, G (ankle) – Another 4-to-8 weeks still
Marcus Foligno, LW (undisclosed) – Practiced Monday; could go Tuesday
Philadelphia Flyers
Michal Neuvirth, G (upper body) – Hit IR Sunday
Sean Couturier, C (upper body) – Didn't skate Monday; Tuesday iffy
Michael Raffl, LW (head) – No concussion; will play Tuesday
Carolina Hurricanes
Andrej Nestrasil, C (knee) – Injured Friday; Tuesday status unclear
Joakim Nordstrom, C (lower body) – Has been day-to-day forever
James Wisniewski, D (knee) – Still out close to six months with ACL tear
Detroit Red Wings
Mike Green, D (upper body) – Out 2-to-3 weeks
Kyle Quincey, D (concussion) – Out at least a week
Johan Franzen, RW (concussion) – Lingering on IR
Brad Richards, C (back) – Placed on IR over weekend; not supposed to be too long-term
Pavel Datsyuk, C (ankle) – Back at practice Monday
Colorado Avalanche
Brad Stuart, D (back) – Sat Saturday; Tuesday unclear
Jesse Winchester, LW (concussion) – Lingering on IR
Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov, C (hand) – Won't need surgery; 2-to-4 weeks
Tampa Bay Lightning
Brian Boyle, C (undisclosed) – Practiced Monday; likely for Tuesday
Andrei Vasilevskiy, G (neck) – Returned to practice Monday; likely for backup role Tuesday
St. Louis Blues
Robby Fabbri, C (concussion) – Will be back Tuesday
Paul Stastny, C (foot) – Out about five weeks
Patrik Berglund, C (shoulder) – Out into next year
Kevin Shattenkirk, D (lower body) – Won't play Tuesday
Brian Elliott, G (illness) – Hopes to be available in backup role Tuesday
Jaden Schwartz, LW (ankle) – Out 12 weeks :(
Scottie Upshall, LW (illness) – Reported feeling better Monday; could go Tuesday
Edmonton Oilers
Matt Hendricks, LW (foot) – On IR; no timetable for return offered
Jordan Eberle, RW (shoulder) – Could return in a week or so
Justin Schultz, D (undisclosed) – Unlikely for Tuesday
Griffin Reinhart, D (undisclosed) – Placed on IR Monday
Minnesota Wild
Tyler Graovac, C (lower body) – Skating; status uncertain
Devan Dubnyk, G (knee) – Expects to be available Tuesday
Los Angeles Kings
Derek Forbort, D (illness) – Didn't play Friday or Sunday; Tuesday status unclear
Dwight King, LW (foot) – Out another 6-to 8 weeks
Matt Greene, D (upper body) – Hit IR Friday
Winnipeg Jets
None
Anaheim Ducks
Nate Thompson, C (shoulder) – Expected back sometime in November
Simon Despres, D (upper body) – Timeline for return uncertain
Josh Manson, D (upper body) – Hit IR over weekend
Kenton Helgesen, LW (foot) – Lingering on season-opening IR stint
Dallas Stars
Curtis McKenzie, LW (lower body) – Out 2-to-3 weeks
Brett Ritchie, RW (wrist) – Out long-term following surgery
Jason Demers, D (suspension) – Serving second of two-game ban Tuesday
Patrick Eaves, RW (lower body) – Approaching original return date; status unclear
Travis Moen, LW (upper body) – No timetable offered
Montreal Canadiens
Michael Bournival, C (concussion) – Skating, but not practicing
Vancouver Canucks
Chris Higgins, LW (foot) – Also skating, but not practicing
Jacob Markstrom, G (lower body) – Back on the ice, but a couple weeks away
Hot
Andrei Markov, D, MON – Sure, P.K. Subban gets all the attention, and he deserves plenty of it, but his veteran defensive partner has been no slouch himself. Markov is off to better than a point-per-game start to the year, having racked up a goal and nine assists in nine games. Admittedly, half those points came in Friday's goal-a-palooza in Buffalo, but that's taking nothing away from Markov, whose plus-minus is good for a three-way tie with Montreal teammates Subban and Tomas Plekanec for second in the NHL – one notch behind another teammate, Max Pacioretty. It's good to be a Hab right now.
Milan Lucic, LW, LA – After three quiet games (no points and just two shots) to open his Kings career, Lucic has gotten it going, cruising along at a point-per-game pace for the last five contests. He still hasn't taken more than two shots on goal in a game – and in fact has just three shots during his current three-game point streak – but Lucic is starting to deliver that combination of toughness and scoring that we've come to expect from him.
Cold
Eddie Lack, G, CAR – The conventional wisdom (and I'll cop to holding this belief myself) in the preseason was that Lack would at least be in a timeshare with Cam Ward and would overcome him for the Hurricanes' No. 1 role in no time. Not so fast, my friend. Lack's gotten into just two games this year, and neither has gone well, with Saturday's disaster in San Jose really setting him back. Not that Ward's been anything special himself – far from it – but at least he's been able to avoid horror shows like the one Lack experienced, and it'll be the veteran who draws the start Tuesday.
Recommended Pickup
Michael Stone, D, ARI – This is one Stone that's… wait for it… wait for it… rollin'. Oh yeah. Stone's flashed some offensive skills in fits and starts early in his NHL career, but as we enter his third full season, it's all starting to come together. With 18 shots in nine games, he's putting pucks on net at the highest rate of his career, and the rewards have been coming in after a slow start – Stone has a goal, three assists and a plus-3 rating over the last six games. He's shooting more regularly and seeing the highest power-play time of his career by far. Invest.
