Ramblings: Bouchard Breaks Out, Vanecek a Hot Devil, Martin Stealing Starts (Nov 27)

Ian Gooding

2022-11-27

Sometimes when a goal drought ends, the floodgates open. Sparking a third-period comeback for the Oilers, Evan Bouchard scored his first two goals of the season in the third period against the Rangers. Bouchard also had four shots and two hits in a game where he snapped a 20-game stretch without a goal to start the season. One of Bouchard's goals was on the power play, giving him two power-play points in his past three games. He has loads of fantasy potential, but that will be limited somewhat as long as he is behind Tyson Barrie for power-play time. Bouchard's day will come, though.

Following Bouchard's two goals, Dylan Holloway scored his first NHL goal to tie the game. Holloway also broke a nine-game point drought with the goal. Although he's worth a spot in keeper leagues, Holloway is averaging just eight minutes per game and has just three points in 17 games in his rookie season, so he can probably be left on waiver wires in single-season leagues.

Jack Campbell's win was his first since November 8 – a span of about two and a half weeks. He has played in back-to-back games for the Oilers but did not record a quality start in either, so expect Stuart Skinner to start the next game on Monday against Florida.

Updating some slumping Flames that I mentioned yesterday, Tyler Toffoli broke a five-game point slump with a goal, although Nazem Kadri's point drought has extended to five games. Adam Ruzicka was back on a scoring line with Toffoli and Elias Lindholm and scored a power-play goal.

Mitch Marner extended his point streak to 16 games with a goal just 40 seconds into Saturday's showdown with Pittsburgh. He also added an assist for a two-point game. A total of 22 of his 27 points this season have been on the point streak. To put it another way, Marner has at least one point in all but two of his 23 games played this season. If you need a point in any fantasy format, you know who to grab. The Leafs franchise record is 18 games (Darryl Sittler/Ed Olczyk), so he could make history next Saturday if all goes according to plan.

Auston Matthews hasn't quite been the goal-scoring machine of seasons past, but he scored his 10th of the season and added two assists on six shots. Matthews is eight goals behind league-leader Jason Robertson, so he has his work cut out if he is to win another Rocket Richard award.

In his 14th game of the season, Brandon Saad recorded his first assist along with his fourth goal. That broke a five-game point drought.

Ryan O'Reilly also had a goal and an assist, breaking a four-game stretch without a point. O'Reilly also took a season-high seven shots.

Jordan Kyrou's overtime winner in the Blues' come-from-behind win over Florida was his second goal of the game. After a poor start, Kyrou is on the hot list with 13 points over his last eight games. Kyrou has also taken at least five shots in three of his past four games, and he is also riding an eight-game point streak.

It wasn't all good for the Blues, as both Brayden Schenn and Robert Thomas left this game with injuries.  

Radko Gudas had a nice game from a roto categories standpoint: 1 G, +1, 2 PIM, 5 SOG, 5 HITS, 4 BLKS. The goal was his first point in his last six games, but he's not a fixture on multicategory league rosters because of his scoring.

The Blues/Panthers game and the Oilers/Rangers game made history. Multi-goal leads aren't as safe as they used to be.

Josh Manson won't be rostered in as many fantasy leagues as Gudas, but he also had an impressive roto game: 1 G, 1 A, +2, 6 PIM, 5 SOG, 4 HITS, 2 BLKS.

With an assist on Saturday, Jason Robertson extended his point streak to 15 games. Robertson took five shots in spite of not scoring, which means he has taken at least five shots in each of his last four games.

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Ryan Pulock led all players in points on Saturday, recording four assists in the Islanders' win over Philadelphia. Pulock entered the game with just one point in his previous eight games, so you can't be blamed if you left him on your bench or your waiver wire on this one.

I've been noticing Zach Parise in boxscores and near the top of waiver-wire lists a little more than I thought this season. Parise scored two power-play goals in the Islanders' victory, giving him seven goals on the season. Parise also has six shots in two of his last three games, showing he still has something left in the tank at 38 years old.

Jack Hughes scored his first career hat trick on Saturday, and it was a natural hat trick over the second and third periods. Hughes has now scored goals in back-to-back games while taking at least four shots in each of his last three games. The Devils are an offensive force, and Hughes is leading the way. Check out the angle on his second goal.

Vitek Vanecek made 37 saves in the win. That gives him four wins and five quality starts over his last five games. I'll have to admit he wasn't a goalie I was really targeting before the season, but those who had him projected as a potential sleeper have been right about him so far (14 GP, 10 W, 2.05 GAA, .923 SV%). And yes, a Zero G target (Yahoo ADP 171). I'd have to think Vanecek receives the bulk of the starts for New Jersey even when Mackenzie Blackwood returns from injury.

With his goal on Saturday, Fabian Zetterlund has points in five of his last six games. Zetterlund is featured in this week's Journey article, so I won't try to steal Ben's (or Grant's) thunder on the impact season that Zetterlund has had so far.

Say what you want about the Canucks, but scoring isn't their problem.

Bo Horvat has 13 goals in his last 13 games. Only Robertson has more goals than Horvat (17) this season. Quite the contract year push.

Brock Boeser has a nine-game point streak and three goals in his last four games.

Elias Pettersson has five goals in his last five games and has a five-game point streak. Petey also led all players on Saturday with nine shots on goal.

J.T. Miller has a seven-game point streak in which he has recorded nine points. Miller led the Canucks with a goal and two assists on Saturday.

Props to Steve Dotzel who advised you in his DFS Saturday article to target a Canucks stack against a potentially tired Golden Knights team. In Vegas, no less. In fact, all three of the teams he picked to stack (Colorado, Vancouver, NY Islanders) scored at least four goals on Saturday.  

Spencer Martin made his second consecutive start in goal for the Canucks and lost a shutout bid with just over three minutes to play. The Canucks were playing the first of back-to-backs, so I’d expect Thatcher Demko to take on today's (Sunday's) game in San Jose (even though the HNIC panel was discussing the possibility of starting Martin here!) I keep downplaying a possible goaltending controversy in Vancouver, but maybe it's time to admit that it's heating up. The Canucks have invested a lot in this season, but Demko hasn't looked quite right. Although Demko should eventually find his game, Martin (9% rostered in Yahoo/20% in Fantrax) is certainly making a case for being rostered in more leagues.

Follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding for more fantasy hockey.

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