Things in net have been particularly unpredictable this season around the league. Whether it's franchise goalies who've fallen apart or back-ups who are stealing the show, some weird things have been going on...
Injuries
Evgeni Nabokov is still out with a knee injured sustained over a week ago in a shoot-out. Brian Boucher has been playing well in his absence but Nabby is expected to return in a week to ten days. Boucher isn't a bad addition for the next few games, as he has posted nice numbers and the Sharks seem to enjoy playing in front of him.
Rick DiPietro had successful surgery on his left knee and should return in about three weeks. Joey MacDonald has been superb in his absence, especially in the last week. His overall numbers are solid, with a GAA of 2.82 and .911 save percentage. However, be careful if you use J-Mac because the Isles are a very streaky team.
Kari Lehtonen has been something of a mystery this year. He's been out for over a week now, first with the flu and then with back issues. Youngster Ondrej Pavelec and veteran Johan Hedberg have acquitted themselves admirably in Lehtonen's absence. Hedberg has won his last three games in a row and might be worth adding in the short-term.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Slumps
After an awful start, Marty Turco has turned it around as of late, allowing just 11 goals through his past five games (2.18 GAA). But he only has one win in that span. The Stars seem to be in the right frame of mind now though. If you were patient and kept Turco on the pine pony while he worked through his struggles, you will soon be rewarded. Start Turco in all formats.
What's going on in New Jersey? Kevin Weekes is now losing starts to 30-year-old rookie Scott Clemenson. As your humble authority correctly predicted, Weekes proved to be nothing more than a modest No. 2 goalie. The same goes for Clemenson, as he should be avoided for the time being.
The situation in Washington is less clear, where Brent Johnson seemed to have established himself as the No. 1 only to be injured soon after. Jose Theodore was awful in last night's 6-5 loss to New Jersey but is getting starts while Johnson heals. Feel free to add Johnson as a high end No. 3 goalie for the time being.
Alex Auld was a very wanted man in fantasy just two weeks ago, now nobody seems to want him. Despite having only one win in his last six games, Auld has been playing well. However the team in front of him hasn't seemed to play with any sense of urgency or desire. Keep an eye on this situation for the time being, because Martin Gerber will likely get a chance to steal the top job away...
Chris Osgood has been abysmal for Detroit and rumors are that Ty Conklin may soon get the bulk of the starts. Even still, Osgood has seven wins and is a decent option in leagues that don't heavily count GAA and save percentage.
Hot Streaks
Roberto Luongo continues to rack up wins and other impressive numbers as the Canucks are on a run now. Expect this trend to continue as long as Kyle Wellwood stays hot and Pavel Demitra stays healthy.
Despite a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Rangers last night, Tim Thomas is still the No. 1 in Boston for the time being. He's a high end No. 2 fantasy net-minder right now. The only reason he isn't a No. 1 in fantasy is that Manny Fernandez is still stealing starts...
Henrik Lundqvist is the epitome of a fantasy hockey dreamboat. His GAA is a truly miniscule 1.99 and his save percentage is a dazzling .929. He also leads the league with 11 wins. If you drafted him, enjoy it. But if not, don't bother trying to trade for him.
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