Fantasy Hockey News

Niemi shuts down Sharks

Mon, 17 May 2010

Update: A question mark for the Chicago Blackhawks all season long became a strength on Sunday afternoon as Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi made 44 saves as he only allowed one goal to the San Jose Sharks to help the Blackhawks take the first game of the Western Conference Finals. The Blackhawks defeated the Sharks 2-1 as they now currently own the home-ice advantage.

Fantasy Impact: The 26 year old rookie is trying to put all the questions about his ability to lead the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Finals to rest and this type of showing will do just that. In 13 playoff games, Niemi has .918 save percentage.

Betts expected to play

Fri, 14 May 2010

Update: According to Anthony Sanfilippo of the Trentonian is reporting that the Philadelphia Flyers expect thier checking line center, Blair Betts, who left game 6 early after hurting his shoulder, is expected to play in tonight's gmae 7 against the Boston Bruins.

Fantasy Impact: This is good news for the Flyers who obviously need to win to keep their season alive. Betts is a very valuable player for the Flyers as his is an excellent defensive hockey player and one of their top penalty killers.

Fleury pulled as Pens eliminated

Wed, 12 May 2010

Update: Hoping to play his best to help his Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Montreal Canadiens in tonight's game 7, Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was less than spectacular as he allowed four goals on only 13 shots before being pulled in the 2nd period. The Penguins lost the game 5-2 thus being eliminated by the Canadiens.

Fantasy Impact: Fleury has been known to be a very streaky goalie since he was a rookie almost 7 years ago and this postseason was no exception. His inconsistent play is a big reason why the Penguins will not repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.

Leighton to take over for Flyers

Tue, 11 May 2010

Update:  Michael Leighton turned aside all 14 shots he faced in relief of Brian Boucher who was injured in the second period of the team's playoff game on Monday night.

Fantasy Impact:  The Flyers have forced a Game 6 back in Philly on Wednesday night.  Michael Leighton will most likely be the team's netminder from here on out. 

Markov out but Gil optimistic

Mon, 10 May 2010

Update: Scott Burnside of ESPN is reporting Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov will not play in tonight's do-or-die sixth game against the Penguins, but fellow defenseman Hal Gill skated in full equipment after the morning skate and is a game-time decision despite suffering a cut to his leg in Game 5 Saturday.

Fantasy Impact: Markov being out makes Gil's potential loss that much more significant. In 8 playoff games, Markov has 4 assists while Gil has one assist in 12 games.

Thornton helps Sharks advance

Sun, 09 May 2010

Update: Hoping to take care of the Detroit Red Wings and eliminate them on their home ice, the San Jose Sharks, with the help of Center Joe Thornton, did just that. Thornton contributed to both Sharks' goals as he scored one and added an assist to help the Sharks beat the Red Wings 2-1 and eliminate the Red Wings in 5 games. Next up for the Sharks is the winner of the Chicago-Vancouver series in the Western Conference Finals.

Fantasy Impact: If the Sharks are going to win this years Stanley Cup Finals, they are going to need Joe Thornton to step up and play to his abilities. Thus far, he has done just that as he has tallied 3 goals and 8 assists in 11 postseason games.

Gagne, Flyers stay alive

Sat, 08 May 2010

Update: Coming back from an injured toe, Simone Gagne, the Left Winger for the Philadelphia Flyers scored the game winning goal in overtime to prevent the Flyers from being swept by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinal on Friday night. Game 5 will be played in Boston on Monday night.

Fantasy Impact: Gagne returned just in the nick of time to help the Flyers stave off elimination and live to play another game. In 5 games this post season, Gagne has 1 goal and 2 assists.

Guerin not in lineup

Thu, 06 May 2010

Update: ESPN's Scott Burnside has reported that Pittsburgh Penguins veteran winger Bill Guerin has been ruled out of tonight's game 4 against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury.

Fantasy Impact: Losing a veteran forward like Guerin will definitely be a loss for the Penguins as he adds a strong veteran presence to the young Penguins team. In 8 games this postseason, he has 3 goals and 5 assists.

Pavelski turning heads

Mon, 03 May 2010

Update: Although it might be too early to talk about potential Conn Smyth winners for playoff MVP, the leading candidate so far has got to be San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski. Coming off a two goal and three point performance in the Sharks 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, Pavelski now leads all playoff goal scorers with 9 goals while adding 5 assists. The Sharks currently lead the best of seven series with the Red Wings 2-0.

Fantasy Impact: It's been a magical playoffs for Pavelski thus far as he is really helping the Sharks try and get over the playoff hump. A series win over the Red Wings will give them all the confidence in the world as they move forward this postseason.

B's could lose Sturm

Sat, 01 May 2010

Update: Boston Bruins left winger Marco Sturm left Saturday's game in the first shift favoring his right leg. He couldn't even get to his skates to leave the ice until a trainer came out to help him at the first whistle.

Fantasy Impact:  Losing Sturm in this series would be huge for the Bruins who just got back Marc Savard.  The B's won game one in overtime, but this is going to be a long series, and they cannot afford to have players going down.

Staal has surgery, day-to-day

Sat, 01 May 2010

Update: According to Scott Burnside of ESPN, Pittsburgh Penguins center Jordan Staal had surgery to repair a damaged tendon on the top of his foot but will not miss the remainder of the playoffs. Staal was cut by the skate of Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban during a collision near the Pittsburgh blueline midway through the Penguins' 6-3 victory over the Canadiens Friday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Fantasy Impact: The 21 year old Staal has yet to miss a game due to injury in his young career although it appears as if he will miss game 2 tomorrow night. So far in the postseason, Staal has 2 goals and 2 assists.

Halak superb as Canadiens down Caps, win decisive Game 7

Wed, 28 Apr 2010

Update: G Jaroslav Halak stood on his head for the 8th seeded Canadiens as they defeated the 1st seeded Caps 2-1 in the decisive Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Halak made 41 saves. D Marc-Andre Bergeron scored on the power play in the 1st period, and C Dominic Moore added the insurance goal late in the 3rd to seal the deal. The Canadiens blocked 41 shots on the night.

Fantasy Impact: This has to be a major disappointment for the Capitals, who it seems are more built towards being a regular season juggernaut than a playoff powerhouse. They need to seriously consider making over their team this offseason, starting with Coach Bruce Boudreau. Also, LW Alexander Semin may be moved as well after his immense playoff disappointment, not scoring a single goal this series after scoring 40 in the regular season. 

The Canadiens now move on to face the Penguins, who beat the Senators in 6 games. The series will begin on Friday in Pittsburgh, meaning the Canadiens don't get much of a layoff before having to jump right back into another series. The Canadiens will have to count again on Halak to lead the way to beat the defending Stanley Cup champions. Halak led the Canadiens to a 32/33 mark on the penalty kill against the NHL's top regular season unit. If he plays like he did against the Capitals, the Canadiens have a chance to defeat any team in their path.