It looks like Keith Ballard will be a healthy scratch again tonight. I am not really concerned, just a string of bad luck.

He had serious hip surgery in the summer and was unable to skate and train until late into August. He was obviously a bit rusty and his minutes were limited.

He then sustained a minor concussion, and in his absense Alberts and Rome both played very well. Ballard will find his way back in very, very soon.

Down to two finalists to have their own Blog section in my forum. You can vote here: http://tinyurl.com/38nqs3z

Minor trade: Montreal has moved defenseman Ryan O’Byrne to Colorado for a prospect. O’Byrne lost his roster spot to Alex Picard.

Dobber here – I’m still waiting for Chuk to contact me. He won the draw for a free putter from Musty Putters

TJ Oshie broke his ankle last night and is out for at least two months.

Thanks to ESPN for this – 15 of Boston's 18 skaters had a point last night (not including David Krejci, who missed the game with a concussion). Impressive to say the least.

Patrice Bergeron had two helpers last night. With Savard/Krejci out, he is obviously playing more of an offensive role than usual.

Mark Recchi had three points last night for the Bruins. It was his first goal of the season. Not much else to add here, aside from the fact that he is very, very old.

Crosby has seven multi-point games in his past 10. Imagine if this guy had a winger or two to play with?

I love Boston's team. They are my favourite in the East (and were before the season). Depth up front – check (even with Krejci/Savard out). A mix on defense – check (defensive guys, minute-eaters, and some offense). Great goaltending – double check.

I really like Boston's depth forwards – Brad Marchand is a ton of fun to watch dating back to his World Junior days. Jordan Caron is playing like a seasoned vet. Shawn Thornton is one of the more talented fighters in the league as well.

Matthias Tedenby had an assist in his NHL debut last night.

The pint-sized Jhonas Enroth won his second NHL game last night – he is listed at 5'10"… but he looks to be about two or three inches shorter than that.

Tyler Myers with a statement game last night – three points, three shots on goal, plus-3.

The last five games are a microcosm of Derek Roy's career – pointless, pointless, pointless, two points, two points.

Matt Taormina has only two points in his past 10 contests.

Shane Doan missed last night's game (his third straight) with the dreaded lower body injury.

Wojtek Wolski has seven points in his last eight games after a miserable start. He is one of the streakiest players in hockey…

Yandle played over 25 minutes last night, while Ekman-Larsson saw only 11:17.

The players-only meeting called by Toronto didn't do the trick. The Leafs were almost shutout on consecutive nights by Florida teams. Grabovski scored late to break the shutout bid.

Kessel is pointless in seven games. When he isn't producing (like right now), he contributes nothing.

Stephen Weiss – buy-low candidate.

Michael Frolik has ten points in his past eight games after a horrid stretch to begin the season. He is Florida's most talented player (by far), but talent needs to be met by effort at the NHL level.

What's the general consensus on Shawn Matthias – legit top six upside, or more of a depth scorer who can hit bring some size to the lineup?

To give new writers an opportunity, I will be giving a section of the forum to one. The five finalists have been decided, you can read more information and place your vote HERE.

Last month I (repeatedly) mentioned that Voracek and Brassard were great buy low candidates.

Voracek has eight points in eight games (including two goals last night) while Brassard has 11 points during that span. They are also forming 2/3 of a dynamic top line with Rick Nash.

Brassard has a ton of upside but injuries will always be a concern. Voracek has no issues – he is a beast on the puck and strong at both ends of the ice. I'd look for 60-65 this season from him (and Brassard slightly less).

Halak is human after all – four goals allowed on 15 shots (Conklin also allowed four goals).

RJ Umberger's line from last night: one goal, one assist, eight shots on goal, 16 PIM, and two hits. A category-filler, if you will.

Filatov's two helpers were his first points in over 10 games.

Columbus call-up Kyle Wilson has seven points in seven games. I actually used to own him in a very deep league when he was still a part of the Washington organization.

Wilson had 53 points in the AHL last season (and two assists in two games with the Capitals). He isn't getting a lot of ice time (averaging under 12 so far this season), but he is making the most of his minutes. Perhaps worth a look in a deep one-year league.

Draw for Musty Putters customized (designed by YOU) putter – drumroll – the winner is – CHUK! Chuk, flip me an email and I’ll put you in contact with the Mr. O’Donnell.

There is a big DobberHockey Event in Vancouver on December 9. Yes, finally, we are escaping Toronto for a night of trash-talking and pop-drinking. Angus and I will both be there, as will Marcus “Crazynuck” Schalle and the DobberHockey graphics designer Glen Hoos. I’m interested to see who I’ll get to meet. The time? From around 6:30 to around 10:30. The place? Considering either Riverrock Casino (Richmond), or Ceili’s Irish Pub. Comment below for your preference…

Each Wednesday Ray Irwin is going to supply the goods on the best buy-low and sell-high candidates in the league (veterans, prospects, goalies, he’s going to cover it all).

$100 million sure doesn't buy what it used to…