Injuries, injuries, injuries. They seem to just keep piling up on my fantasy hockey roster.
Paul Kariya didn't make his return this week like he was expected to. I've already lost Martin Brodeur and Sergei Gonchar. This is just salt in the wound.
What's worse is I may have lost my head-to-head this week because I played Brian Boucher today. He got the victory, but the five goals against don't help matters.
We'll see tomorrow.
HOT
He's back, folks. Alexander Ovechkin has begun to play like he's supposed to. The Great Eight racked up 10 points in four games this week. More importantly, five goals were scored during that time. These are the numbers we're accustomed to seeing from him.
If Ovechkin is scoring, Nicklas Backstrom is racking up the assists. The Swede scored twice this week to go along with nine assists. His five-point effort in New Jersey was one to remember, too.
Simon Gagne just seems to play better and better as the season progresses. The 28-year-old has been getting the job done in all areas of the ice. Two shorthanded goals, one shorthanded assist, one goal, two assists, and one powerplay assist—how's that for some statistics?
Payback is always a nice thing to achieve. The Pittsburgh Penguins got a little bit against the Detroit Red Wings in a 7-6 win. Their performances against Philadelphia and Buffalo were equally impressive.
I don't think Marian Hossa wants to be overshadowed by the other great talents in Detroit. Another fine week for the Slovakian with two points in every contest. Pittsburgh fans had to be pleased to see Hossa lose to his former team after "selling out," as many would put it.
He should be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tomas Kaberle is leading this group on the defensive end with his calm presence. The native of the Czech Republic totaled five points this week. He needs to shoot the puck more often!
This may be the year that 39 points is doubled. Matt Stajan has never put up more than 40 points in a season. The fifth-year pro had six points this week and overall has averaged a point per game. Leadership is needed in Toronto, and Stajan is one of the guys displaying it.
He hits, distributes the puck, and packs a mean shot. Shea Weber has all the necessary components to become a top defenseman in the NHL. Thus far, he's managed 18 points in 17 games. What's more impressive is that eight of those are goals.
One player's injury is another's opportunity. I don't know if it was because of Kariya's absence, but David Perron played like a monster this week. With 12 points in 14 matches, the 20-year-old could easily surpass the 27 points he put up in his rookie campaign. As the saying goes though, "It's a long season."
Peter Budaj has finally shown some potential to be a legitimate No. 1 goaltender. Colorado has won their last three games, and the Slovakian has allowed three goals in that span. It's no Roberto Luongo shutout streak, but still very solid.
Now, 54 saves, on the other hand, sounds like Luongo territory. Dan Ellis stopped that many pucks in a win over San Jose a few days ago. He was victorious in his other two starts as well, and the Nashville Predators are emerging onto the Western Conference scene.
Congratulations go out to new father Dan Boyle. He missed one match this week to see the birth, but made his mark in the other two, with three assists against Calgary and two powerplay goals in Chicago today. Talk about getting back to business.
comments (0) write a comment »
write a new comment
This article has no comments.