The Midseason Guide was released over the weekend and was a hit – the most information you could possibly get to help you with the second half. Click here for more info and to purchase.

The team that started the KHL bench-clearing brawl (video in yesterday’s ramblings) was fined and warned of expulsion (the other team was fined too), but they still decided to sign Josh Gratton and bring back Chris Simon yesterday.

Tim Connolly has 14 points in his last nine games, slowly getting back up to a point-per-game on the year. Still amazing that he has yet to get hurt – 44 games now. What next, Gaborik stays healthy? Crazy season. I still wouldn’t put money on either of them playing the string.

Speaking of Gaborik, he has a new linemate – Erik Christensen. And Christensen has seven points in his last six games as a result. Great temporary pickup.

One more note on Gabby – after posting 39 points in 28 games, he has slowed down to “just” 15 in his last 15 and his pace is down to 100 points.

My THN article on Luca Caputi: http://tiny.cc/UnbWl

Guillaume Latendresse has seven points in his last nine games. Since arriving in Minnesota he is showing his potential – he should be a second-line, 60-point guy. Still only 22, he’ll get there in a couple of years I’m sure.

Now the world makes sense to me – Wojtek Wolski has just two points in his last nine. Him getting 80 points was driving me crazy for being so wrong. Getting 65 points is easier to swallow.

Here are other stats that are correcting themselves – Tomas Plekanec is pointless in four, Dustin Penner has two points in eight, and Ryan Malone has two points in six.

Tampa rearguard Kurtis Foster has 11 in his last 12, with two more yesterday.

Andy Greene is pointless in his last five – perhaps Martin returning now would be a boon to his production rather than a drag.

Ryan Shannon is probably blowing his last chance at being a full-time NHLer. At first he was taking full advantage, but he is pointless in his last four and yesterday he was a minus-3. To be fair, he has looked pretty good (in the offensive zone) in the two half-games that I’ve seen Ottawa play over the past week, but in the end they look at the numbers and he hasn’t shown enough to make his dark horse status last beyond Alfredsson’s return.

Add Jesse Winchester to the list of Ottawa injured. If Kovalev gets hurt, the Sens really will be going with an AHL team up front. Martin St. Pierre was recalled, but was held pointless.

Jiri Tlusty saw a season high 15 minutes of ice time and tallied his second point during his latest call up (four games).

After his healthy scratch, Rod Brind’Amour went 12 consecutive games without getting 11 minutes of ice time and was pointless. In the last three games, however, he has averaged about 12 minutes of ice time, has three points and is a plus-2. There could be some life in Rod the Bod yet…

Bochenski tallied two points yesterday. He saw some time with Stamkos and has averaged about 15 minutes of ice time the last two games. Like Shannon, he needs to seize his moment or fade into obscurity. You see it happen nine times out of 10, but once in awhile these AHLer’s get some lucky bounces, stay hot and earn a long-term job.

Steve Downie has eight points and 10 PIM in his last eight games.

Mathieu Garon has taken the No.1 job in Columbus. They are getting wins that they desperately needed and he has given them three in a row. They’ll keep riding him.

It also helps that Huselius is hot. When he’s in the zone, it’s like the team has another star. When he’s not, then it’s like the team has another pilon. Juice has seven points in his last five games.

Tuomo Ruutu is out for two or three weeks with an upper-body injury. He was injured during a fight with Darcy Tucker.

Marian Hossa missed last night’s contest with a lower-body injury. He is day-to-day – and could play thursday according to the sun-times.

DobberBaseball’s Top 150 prospects is posted. DobberHockey’s prospects will be up later today.

Jim Matheson is one writer who seems absolutely certain that Nikita Filatov will be traded, but he says it will happen at the Draft.