Jaromir Jagr hits 25 goals for 18th time and notes on all the action from the full slate Saturday …

 

There were 14 games last night.

Ready, set, go.

 

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Hudson Fasching scored in his first career game, and while he isn't a fantasy factor at this point, dynasty/keeper owners will want to monitor his game over the next two weeks for a potential grab.

Here is his prospect file.

He could be a late-round flier in deeper leagues next season, too, depending on where he slides into the lineup.

The Sam Reinhart-Jack Eichel-Zemgus Girgensons line combined for two goals and two assists, and they registered five, four and four shots, respectively.

Girgensons is a speculative add in cavernous leagues with upside for five or six points through the remaining seven games, and it isn't a daunting schedule, especially since Buffalo has won four of its past six outings.

Late-season-star Zach Bogosian returned a minus-1 rating but logged three shots and two blocked shots. How aggressive will you have to be to land him next season? Is Bogosian a No. 3 rearguard?

At 25, there are likely three more seasons of offensive prime in the tank, and Buffalo appears to be trending in the right direction for the long haul. After his outing Saturday, Bogosian checks out with 11 points — five goals — through his past 16 games with a plus-4 rating, 30 penalty minutes, 49 shots and 26 blocked shots.

That's some juicy cross-category production right there.

Chad Johnson has won six of his past eight starts and entered the game Saturday with a .932 save percentage and a 1.94 goals-against average. He saved 17 of 19 shots Saturday.

With Lehner's status up in the air, Johnson is a desperation goalie start against Detroit Monday, or against Pittsburgh Tuesday, but at this stage of the fantasy season you have to take what is given. And right now, Johnson is playing extremely well.

 

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Load Nikolaj Ehlers back into your seasonal lineups. His role on the top line is secure, and he had 17 points through 21 games before the injury. Daily players have a nice bargain on their hands, too, and given Winnipeg will be frequent underdogs, there is against-the-grain value.

Jacob Trouba logged 23:31 minutes of ice time, and he is the beneficiary of the rash of injuries to the Winnipeg blue line. However, if the game Saturday taught us anything, Trouba's a plus/minus risk, and he is also concluding his worst offensive season.

Trouba would benefit significantly from a new location, and his contract demands could be a catalyst for new digs entering the 2016-17 season. Edmonton is an obvious fit, and Peter Chiarelli is no stranger to a big deal.

Back to the present, Trouba is a risk-reward add with upside, especially in formats without plus/minus.

 

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Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel each had one-goal, four-assist games against Detroit, and Carl Hagelin had two goals. Trevor Daley found the scoresheet, and with Olli Maatta out, Daley logged 27:10 minutes of ice with a plus-3 rating and three shots on net.

Daley is worth a look in all but the shallowest of leagues, especially with Pittsburgh battling for seeding, and within reach of home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Chris Kunitz left the game after an awkward collision with Pavel Datsyuk. Both players initiated contact with Kunitz ending up on the wrong end. However, Datsyuk received a penalty.

Here is the video:

VIDEO: @penguins Chris Kunitz leaves game after this hit from @DetroitRedWings Pavel Datsyuk https://t.co/71Sgl5YPfo pic.twitter.com/xko89T1fog

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) March 26, 2016

Kunitz will be a game-time decision Sunday.

Beau Bennett jumped up with Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist after Kunitz's early exit. Those is desperate spots could do worse than grabbing Bennett, especially with just three games on the schedule Sunday.

 

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Mattias Janmark returned from a six-game absence to register two goals. He passes the eye test nightly with his two-way acumen and is now up to 15 goals and 29 points through 70 games for the season. Not a bad rookie showing, especially since he has been down the depth chart quite consistently this season. There will likely be more real-world value than fantasy worth, but Janmark is a solid player nonetheless.

Playing with Jason Spezza should help Janmark, though. With his two helpers Saturday, Spezza is up to 29 goals and 28 assists through 70 games. The pivot is a strong finish away from cracking the top 20 in points, and he is poised to post his first 30-goal season since 2011-12.

Look for Spezza as a high-floor center in the middle rounds next fall, he'll be there waiting to reward huge value.

Antti Niemi turned away 34 of 36 shots, but no one should feel comfortable about the Dallas defense or goaltending. Niemi had a .860 save percentage through his past seven games, and Lehtonen sits at just .900 over his past 12 outings.

 

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Zach Parise now has five goals and a helper over his past two games. This was bound to happen, though. He carried a 2.7 shooting percentage over a 25-game stretch with just two goals. His 13 assists and 75 shots during the slump buoyed his fantasy value, but it is time to cast Parise at his ceiling, which is 30 goals and 60 points with potential to sprinkle a few extra tallies in each column.

Following a dominant run, Mathew Dumba has only played north of 20 minutes in one of his past 19 games and averaged just 17:11 minutes per night during the stretch. While he is still receiving 2:51 of the power-play variety, Dumba is pointless over his past six games with just eight shots on net and a single blocked shot. It isn't out of the question to find a hot hand and cut bait.

29 saves were all it took for Devan Dubnyk to record his fifth shutout of the season, and he has returned No. 1 goalie value for the season. Looking ahead to 2016-17, given the crease security and improved play of Minnesota under John Torchetti, Dubnyk is a midrange No. 1 target in nets again who should be targeted after the top options fly off draft boards.

This was also a big win for Minnesota, as it essentially clinched a playoff berth and eliminated the Avalanche.

Peace out, Colorado. Fire Patrick Roy already.

 

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Ottawa blew a three-goal lead, and Jamie McGinn picked up a helper to improve his stat line to seven goals and two helpers through 13 games since joining Anaheim. His tally and Ottawa's collapse shouldn't surprise.

With Chris Stewart back in the lineup, the lines looked a little different with Ryan Getzlaf centering Brandon Pirri and Stewart, and McGinn playing with Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell, as the most frequent combos.

Stewart only played 11:27 of ice time, though, so it isn't a case to race to the waiver wire for his services. He has just eight goals and 10 helpers through 48 games, and he hasn't played since Thursday, Feb. 11.

Cam Fowler has three helpers over his past three outings, which has curbed a prior seven-game point drought. He is a high-floor option who should have a nice upcoming run.

If you're unaware, Anaheim tees off on Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Dallas and Winnipeg through its next five games, so grab your Ducks and quack your way to a championship.

 

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Erik Karlsson scored to improve to eight points through his past 12 games. However, with one of Jamie Benn or Sidney Crosby to leapfrog, it is unlikely Karlsson becomes the first defenseman to finish among the top-three scorers since Paul Coffey during the 1985-86 season.

It would have been fitting, given the 30-year anniversary and everything, but better luck next year, Mr. Karlsson. And just for perspective, Coffey had 48 goals and 90 helpers that year.

 

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Boston snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Toronto, and it was a potential trap game, so good on Boston for keeping pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Toronto routinely made their defense look slow footed, though. Boston's a pretender.

Tuukka Rask won his 29th game of the season, and before the action Saturday, he sat at 23rd on the ESPN Player Rater and 25th in Yahoo rankings, for what its worth. Volumn was his only saving grace, and his 2.54 goals-against average returned negative value.

 

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So, following Anton Stralman's injury, Nikita Kucherov is considered day-to-day with a left foot injury he sustained blocking a shot Friday.

Here is more info.

Tampa Bay was steamrolled Saturday by their flashier cousins to the south, and there should be serious concerns among the Tampa Bay brass at this stage.

At least Steven Stamkos is scoring, as he notched his 36th goal of the season and is sporting a seven-game run with seven goals and three helpers, including 26 shots on net.

With Kucherov out, Vladislav Namestnikov played with Stamkos and Alex Killorn, while Jonathan Marchessault skated with Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat.

And that folks, isn't good enough to win many hockey games, especially next to that atrocity of a blue line,

 

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Seven forwards found the scoresheet for Florida, including multi-point showings from Jussi Jokinen and the No. 1 line — Jaromir Jagr, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov.

It was a historic night for Jagr, too. He hit the 25-goal mark for the 18th time. Amazingly, Jagr scored 25 or more in each of his first 17 seasons in the league. His last 25-goal showing was in 2007-08 before jettisoning for Russia. That year, Jagr had 464 shot attempts but registered just 249 on net. That jumped off the stat sheet.

 

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The Islanders won a must-win game, and it was a typical 2015-16 showing from them. Score a couple — Kyle Okposo and Nikolai Kulemin — and then allow three unanswered only to fight back with a pair of Cal Clutterbuck tallies to win in overtime.

Those who invested late in hits leagues with Clutterbuck have to view the season as a huge success. 15 goals and 272 body checks is nothing to shake a stick at.

John Tavares hasn't had a multi-point game since Feb. 23, and he has just four goals and five assists over 16 games during the span. Is he sitting at the first-round table next fall? How big of a bounce-back year are you expecting?

Barring an insane finish, which no one should expect given his current form, this will be the worst offensive return from Tavares since his 2010-11 campaign when he was a 20-year-old sophomore. Entering his age-26 season, he is still in his offensive prime, but those best years could already be in the rear-view mirror.

Initially, I would push in with another first-round selection. However, I would have to expect the power-play numbers to return, as Tavares has just 16 PP points, which is currently 15 fewer than last season.

Those power-play points essentially make up the difference in his scoring gap, and the Islanders power play clicked at 18.7 percent last season and is converting at 18.4 percent this year. So why fewer results for Tavares?

Something to chew during the offseason, but it isn't out of the question to float your Tavares shares in keeper/dynasty leagues to test the market.

Nick Leddy did find the scoresheet Saturday, which upped his stat line to five goals, 24 helpers, 61 shots and 40 blocked shots over his latest 39 games. Sure, the minus-7 stings a little, but the offensive numbers have been great.

His potential for a jump in ice time was cited this summer as a factor to help his numbers, and after averaging 20:22 in 2014-15, Leddy is receiving 22:21 this year. Unless he fails to find the scoresheet through the end of the season, he'll post a career-high tally in the point column.

Finally, Jean-Francois Berube saved 33 of 36 shots and has won consecutive games with a .932 save percentage. The Islanders have two more back-to-back sets before the end of the season, and there is potential for Berube to see more than just two starts given Thomas Greiss' struggles — — 1-5-1 with a .902 save percentage and 3.17 goals-against average through his past seven outings.

The Islanders 45-win total is very much in question instead of a lock now. Returning three wins in a 10-game stretch will do that. Remember, a few weeks ago, New York had more remaining games than any team in the league, and the Islanders haven't capitalized.

 

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Try figuring out Victor Rask.

He has now scored in consecutive games, had a four-game run with four points earlier in March, strung together a five-game run with five points in mid-February and posted 15 points through 20 games from late November through the early January.

All in all, his 18 goals and 25 assists are solid marks, especially since he is relatively unknown and unowned. So how many have been riding with him week in, week out?

The production is nice when he is rolling, but if you're playing the hot-hand game, you likely missed half the good returns and ate half the poor returns.

Obviously, there are leagues that are deep enough to make Rask a lineup lock, but I'm just curious how owners approached him because I've never loaded Rask in my daily lineup and clicked submit.

 

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Did you check out my playoff report cards?

It was a side project I picked away at over the past few days to help re-familiarize myself with the behind the scenes process here.

I'm going to tie the Rangers and Blues wins together in reference to what I said there.

The 2015-16 Blues might be the best version we've seen out of St. Louis in a long time, and going into Washington — regardless of goaltender — and laying down a 4-0 beat down on President Trophy winners is impressive.

Brian Elliott has three consecutive shutouts with 71 saves, and now Jake Allen has bounced back with a 32-save shutout himself.

Paul Stastny has been scorching hot with 12 points through his past eight games with a plus-8 rating. He has five multi-point games during the surge and found the scoresheet in all but two of the outings. Robby Fabbri and Troy Brouwer have been solid on his flanks, too.

Elliott isn't hurt. He stayed in St. Louis to rest. Thought that would be important to clarify. 

Blues just decided to leave Elliott at home on second of back to backs. No need to have him here. #stlblues https://t.co/XZ3V8lJyOz

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) March 26, 2016

 

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Onto the Blueshirts. This team has been awful in the possession ranks all year and has battled injuries, inconsistency and road woes. Yet, Henrik Lundqvist has remained exceptional, and the Rangers currently sit second in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the league.

Their best hockey could also be ahead, and if Eric Staal and Rick Nash were ever deployed as a shut-down duo while the younger forwards were let loose to run wild, they could be an even tougher out. There is no way to quantify playoff experience, but New York has seven games left to figure it all out, and the Rangers have currently won three straight.

 

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As for Washington, that was just the Capitals 12th loss at home, and just the ninth time they failed to register a point in their barn.

Another Rangers-Capitals showdown is all that will matter, though.

 

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Nashville improved its active run to 20-6-5, and Pekka Rinne is 12-1-2 with a .936 save percentage and 1.85 goals-against average through his past 15 starts. That'll do.

The usual suspects found the scoresheet, and Roman Josi tallied three assists with James Neal posting his fourth mutli-point showing in six outings, which goes to the tune of seven goals and three helpers.

Since Dec. 29, Mattias Ekholm has 23 points, a plus-11 rating, 59 shots and 57 blocked shots through 39 games. Since Seth Jones left, Ekholm has averaged 22:05 of ice time per game with 2:04 of the power-play variety. Is this his ceiling or a sign of things to come?

The Predators would be tied for third in the Eastern Conference, yet they're sitting in third in their own division with a tough first-round matchup ahead. Sometimes life isn't fair.

How about a 16-team tournament with a reshuffled bracket based on the point totals and absent of ties to the conferences and divisions? Anyone?

 

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Chicago won 4-1, but they scored two empty-net goals to do so.

Patrick Kane registered an assist, and Andrew Ladd scored goals No. 21 and 22 with a helper.

A win over the Flames was nothing but expected, and Chicago has some concerns.

 

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In case you weren't keeping track at home, Johnny Gaudreau's assist Saturday improved his home numbers to 23 goals and 29 assists with a plus-23 rating and 102 shots on net through 37 home games.

He has 20 points with a minus-18 rating through 36 road games.

Why is there such a disparity?

I have some thoughts, but I'm more interested in hearing other opinions/explinations.

 

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I was pounding away at these notes last night, and the goal horn in the Edmonton-Los Angeles game was giving me a headache.

All said, it would have been a great game to continue watching, if I wasn't on the right coast of the continent.

I was still awake to see the Connor McDavid goal, which had a "Hey 1998 No. 1, it's 2016, pal" feel to it.

Here is the first video I could find:

 

Patrick Maroon stayed hot with a two-goal showing, which included a plus-1 rating, five penalty minutes, three shots, two hits and a blocked shot. Yes, one of the goals was a power-play marker, too. I know, a shorty sure would have been nice.

Linemates, McDavid and Eberle each had a goal and an assist. This line will continue to crush down the stretch because No. 97 is good.

 

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Tyler Toffoli had a two-goal, two-assist game, and Jeff Carter scored twice and added a helper. Milan Lucic had three assists and five penalty minutes.

This was the most frequent line Saturday, and Anze Kopitar had Dustin Brown and Tanner Pearson on his flanks. If that trio stays together, it is a serious hit for Kopitar down the stretch.

However, the main offensive catalyst in Los Angeles may be Lucic. Wherever he has lined up this season, the offense has seemed to follow. His 17 goals and 32 assists aren't world-beater marks, by any stretch, but his real-world worth is showing again for the first-place Kings.

Still, Lucic will need a few breaks to register his fourth 20-goal season, and he is in serious jeopardy of missing the mark in consecutive years. If your league doesn't count hits or penalty minutes, Lucic shouldn't be a high priority next fall.

Speaking of 20-goal campaigns, Carter hit his ninth straight and the 10th of his career Saturday. Remember his 2008-09 showing with 46 goals and 342 shots?

Over the past three seasons, Carter has 27, 28 and 20 in the goal column with 50, 63 and 55 points. So, when you add the high-shot volume, plus-rating and a few penalty minutes (just 14 this season, though), there is a lot to like about the reliability the veteran brings in the middle rounds of drafts.

 

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Looking to add some bark to your fake roster?

Mike Smith is 4-1 with a .965 save percentage and a 1.20 goals-against average since returning from injury.

Michael Stone has seven points through his past seven games with 16 shots, 14 blocked shots and an average of 22:58 minutes of ice, including 4:02 of power-play time. He also has six penalty minutes and 13 hits during the span.

With 36 points, 62 penalty minutes, 161 shots, 143 blocked shots and 137 hits, Stone has been an excellent fantasy option to round out your blue line. The minus-10 rating isn't even that hurtful given the other returns, and with his colleagues, you can't expect more.

Shane Doan scored his 26th goal of the season. It was his 13th 20-goal campaign, and he has hit 25 eight times. You know, to compare to Jagr and Carter. Doan also sits at 942 points, and while I'm unsure of his intentions, I'd love to see him crack 1000, but it'll likely take two seasons without a strong finish.

Beginning in 1999, there were few forwards who packed as much cross-category production in the fantasy columns as Doan did for a 10-year stretch. He doesn't swear or cuss, either.

 

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Philadelphia let a game slip away here, but they only allowed 17 shots on net. They're currently locked into the final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings lost Saturday, too, though, so Philly really did drop the ball here, per say.

The Flyers have a game in hand and dates with Winnipeg, Washngton, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Brooklyn.

Detroit finishes with Buffalo, Montreal, Minnesota, Toronto, Philadelphia, Boston and New York.

The Bruins are three points ahead of Philadelphia and Detroit, and the Islanders are four points ahead.

Boston has New Jersey, St. Louis, Chicago, Carolina, Detroit and Ottawa left, and the Islanders play Carolina, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington, New York, Buffalo and Philadelphia.

I know, a schedule recap/list isn't overly insightful, but it helped me.

I expect Philadelphia to stick as the eight seed, as they've been a better team since the new year and could finally refind the power-play mojo to put them over the top.

Detroit has a fairly cushy schedule, and the Islanders have too many games and enough of a cushion to grab a berth.

It leaves Boston as the odd-team out. New Jersey, Carolina and Ottawa aren't as daunting, but St. Louis and Chicago sure are, and a make-or-break game against Detroit could make the difference.

It'll be interesting — who do you see filling out the bottom seeds in the East?

 

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I didn't want to skimp on the news and notes, so if you've stuck around through a few updates, thanks and my apologies for not having everything all together at once. A 14-game slate deserves the proper attention, though, and hopefully that was achieved. Be well, and thanks for checking in.