Fantasy Hockey Ramble – April 12 & 13, 2009

Dobber Sports

2009-04-12

 

To pick up my fourth annual Interactive Playoff Draft List, click here . Fully updated. Just $8.95 – which not only is cheaper than other playoff lists you will find, but there is a possibility that I put together those other lists you have seen out there (I won't say which ones, because of confidentiality agreements).Hey – this is what I do!

 

Matt Cullen has returned to practice for the Hurricanes. He will play in Game 1.

 

The Blue Jackets have recalled Alex Picard. He is practicing on a "fifth line" with Derick Brassard and Nikita Filatov. With Chris Gratton also on hand as an extra, the Jackets are very deep and ready to handle a lot of unexpected injuries.

 

Fredrik Modin is also back in practice.

 

The Avs have fired GM Francois Giguere. His track record at the draft table was nothing spectacular, his trades have been almost non-existent and his free agent signings have been questionable. That said, the team was hammered with injuries and had peaked before he even took the job on. The Avs need a complete rebuild – that means a strong foray into free agency is out of the question. It also means some tough, controversial calls like not bringing back one of the best players in NHL history. If Sakic's health wasn't in question and he was coming off of 80 games, then for sure bring him back. But it's too big a risk to sign him, and it is pointless if you are rebuilding. A real rebuild is needed – similar to Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Phoenix have done, and similar to what Toronto is starting. Look for a couple of lean years from your Avalanche players.

 

Because I am still not finding further information regarding the progress of Robert Lang, I have downgraded him in my playoff list spreadsheet. I also updated the Kris Versteeg injury. List updated as of today.

 

Kris Versteeg was back in the lineup yesterday, playing 17 minutes and notching an assist.

 

Chris Drury missed yesterday's game, resting up for the post-season.

 

Chicago's Duncan Keith also had a "rest day".

 

I'm late on this news, but Matt Gilroy won the Hobey Baker over Colin Wilson and Brad Thiessen. Gilroy is an undrafted and unsigned rearguard, whom the Leafs and Lightning are hot after. All teams are after him, but my gut tells me the Leafs will win out on the two big college prizes (Gilroy and Tyler Bozak)

 

Congratulations to the Fantasy Frog – Eric Maltais won this year's Expert Division of the annual DobberHockey Roto League. Russ Miller, the defending champ, finished second. Ryan Ma was next. Myself – not so well. I avoided relegation, but was a dismal 10th.

 

Rod Brind'Amour has 20 points in his last 17 games, salvaging a 50-point season for the fourth straight year.

 

Raise your hand if you saw 61 points from Alexei Ponikarovsky this year? Great season offensively, although he had such potential in the grit department – he should be getting 80 PIM a season not 38!

 

Brooks Laich had 12 points in the final eight games. He was also hot last year down the stretch and continued that play into the postseason.

 

Jordan Staal has eight points in his last six games, and 18 in the 25 that the new coach Dan Bylsma has been behind the bench. Great playoff dark horse.

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Alex Ovechkin rolls into the playoffs with 20 points in his last 10 contests.

 

Keith Tkachuk has seven points in his last three games on the hottest team in the second half – St. Louis

 

Ryan Callahan of the Rangers has 15 points in his last 14 contests.

 

Mark Recchi has 15 points in 17 games as a Boston Bruin.

 

Kris Versteeg injured himself in practice and it looked to be his right arm. He missed yesterday's contest, but the team is hopeful that he plays today. Right now, injury info is incredibly hard to come by – and what little injury information you do find is so misleading that you were probably better off not knowing anything. Raise your hands if in the past three weeks you reacted to some injury news only to find out two days later that the injury news was either false or exaggerated… and your team would have been better off if you left well enough alone.

 

Welcome to the last day of the NHL season – and Happy Easter!

 

As speculated, Jacques Lemaire will step down as coach of the Wild. If the team does well in free agency, their players should be more appealing now in fantasy circles. The GM needs to go, though. The farm system is really weak.

 

Dustin Brown was apparently playing with a bad back, which explains his huge slump to end the season that I pointed out on Friday.

 

Final numbers for the two rookies:
Pekka Rinne 29-15-4, 7 SO, 2.38, 0.917
Steve Mason 33-20-7, 10 SO, 2.29, 0.916
Mason will win the Calder because, bottom line, he brought his team into the playoffs. I laugh when I see some compare their ages – age will not be a factor in the decision. To be eligible for the Calder, you have to be younger than 27 years old. Otherwise, all rookies are treated equal. Rinne is 26 and Mason is 20, but the people who vote on the Calder won't look at that. No way.

 

Paul Kariya will NOT be cleared to play today. He should be back for Game 1 though. I put him in my lineup this weekend as a Hail Mary, but the gamble failed.

 

Match-ups that are set (correct me in the comments below if I get these wrong):
Boston vs. Montreal
Washington vs. NY Rangers
New Jersey vs. Carolina
Pittsburgh and Philly
will play, but I believe home ice is not determined.
San Jose will either play St. Louis or Anaheim.
Detroit will either play Anaheim or Columbus
Vancouver will play Columbus or St. Louis
Chicago vs. Calgary
 

 

TSN's Top 10 shootout goals of the past year, including one by Edmonton prospect Linus Omark:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDCc-aBHPxw]

 

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UPCOMING GAMES

Mar 28 - 19:03 OTT vs CHI
Mar 28 - 19:03 TOR vs WSH
Mar 28 - 19:03 MTL vs PHI
Mar 28 - 19:03 PIT vs CBJ
Mar 28 - 19:03 FLA vs NYI
Mar 28 - 19:03 CAR vs DET
Mar 28 - 20:03 MIN vs S.J
Mar 28 - 20:03 STL vs CGY
Mar 28 - 20:03 WPG vs VGK
Mar 28 - 21:03 EDM vs L.A
Mar 28 - 21:03 COL vs NYR
Mar 28 - 22:03 SEA vs ANA
Mar 28 - 22:03 VAN vs DAL
Mar 28 - 22:03 ARI vs NSH

Starting Goalies

Top Skater Views

  Players Team
TAGE THOMPSON BUF
JJ PETERKA BUF
JORDAN GREENWAY BUF
ANTHONY DUCLAIR T.B
JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY MTL

Top Goalie Profile Views

  Players Team
ALEKSEI KOLOSOV PHI
JOONAS KORPISALO OTT
UKKO-PEKKA LUUKKONEN BUF
KAREL VEJMELKA ARI
JUSTUS ANNUNEN COL

LINE COMBOS

  Frequency ANA Players
25.7 TROY TERRY ALEX KILLORN LEO CARLSSON
16.2 JAKOB SILFVERBERG BEN MEYERS ROSS JOHNSTON
12.7 TREVOR ZEGRAS FRANK VATRANO MASON MCTAVISH

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