Proving that no goalie is immune to a rough start during the fantasy playoffs, Connor Hellebuyck was pulled midway through the game against the Islanders after allowing five goals. Granted, he had already faced 27 shots, so the blame isn't necessarily on Hellebuyck personally and can at least be partially shifted to the team in front of him. But results are results, especially when everything is magnified during fantasy playoff weeks. The Jets play again today (Sunday) in a very early game, so Hellebuyck may have another chance to quickly put Saturday behind him. 

The Islanders who did the most damage to Hellebuyck on Saturday were Mathew Barzal and Hudson Fasching, who each scored a goal and added two assists. As well, Cal Clutterbuck added a pair of goals.

Fasching in particular is somewhat interesting, since he is on a line with Barzal and Anders Lee at the moment and was also used with Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson earlier this season. Now 28 years of age, Fasching is an AHL veteran who seems to be sticking around in the NHL now. His overall production (11 PTS in 39 GP) probably doesn't make him worth adding in most formats, but he could be worth a Sunday pickup in very deep leagues with the Islanders facing the (until recently) goaltending-challenged Devils.  

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After being healthy scratched for two games by John Tortorella, Sean Couturier was back in the Flyers' lineup on Saturday. The Flyers captain was held without a point in 13 minutes of icetime, which means that he has just one point over his last 10 games and just six points over his last 24 games. Couturier shouldn't be on your fantasy radar while he's struggling like this. It's possible that the back surgery and lengthy absence has taken a toll on him.

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Jordan Kyrou's hat trick and Brandon Saad's overtime winner led the Blues past the Wild by a score of 5-4 on Saturday. Jake Neighbours scored the other St. Louis goal, giving him five goals over his past six games and 25 goals on the season. Since the Blues play in one of the two games on Monday, Neighbours (13% Yahoo/37% Fantrax) is a possible early-week stream. Assists might be harder to come by than goals for Neighbours, though. Of all the players with at least 25 goals, none have as few assists (10) as the St. Louis wingers.

Marco Rossi scored a pair of goals for the Wild, giving him 20 goals on the season. Only Connor Bedard has more goals among rookies, and Rossi is on the Wild's top line with Kirill Kaprizov and the top power play while Joel Eriksson Ek is sidelined. However, the Wild don't play again until Thursday, so you'll have a bit of a wait if you're considering adding Rossi for next week. Minnesota also plays only two games, which is not ideal for a fantasy playoff week.  

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Keep an eye on Trevor Zegras, who is expected to be a game-time decision on Sunday. Zegras has been out of the lineup since January 9 with an ankle injury, and he's been held to just 20 games this season. With just seven points all season from Zegras, a lot of fantasy teams have likely moved on by now. However, a player with back-to-back 20+ goal and 60+ point campaigns may not be easy to find on the waiver wire. The Ducks are one of two teams to play four games next week (Vegas is the other), so you might get a bit of mileage out of Zegras next week. If he doesn't return on Sunday, then Tuesday seems like a good possibility.

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The Nashville point streak is now at 17 games, as they have not had a regulation loss since February 15. You'd think at least some players wouldn't be motivated by coach Andrew Brunette's decision to cancel their visit to the Sphere in Las Vegas to see U2, but the decision has had quite the opposite effect. A third-period goal from Filip Forsberg was all the Predators needed to defeat Detroit by a score of 1-0.

Forsberg now has six goals over his last five games and is just one goal shy of reaching 40 goals for the second time in his career. The major difference for Forsberg this year has been his ability to remain injury-free, as he has played all 71 games for the Preds this season. The last time Band-Aid Boy Forsberg played at least 70 games in a season was in 2016-17, when he played his third consecutive 82-game season.

Forsberg also finished an assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick on Saturday.

Moritz Seider in his first NHL fight takes on Filip Forsberg 🥊 pic.twitter.com/k36YFNtZEy

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 23, 2024

Juuse Saros made 23 saves in earning his third shutout of the season. Like his team, the last time Saros was tagged with a regulation loss was February 15, which was also the last time he had a Really Bad Start. Since January 12, Saros has had only one Really Bad Start. He was struggling mightily in late December/early January, but he's now a matchup-proof starter as long as the Preds are on this heater. 

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Hockey Night in Canada billed the Oilers/Leafs game as the Connor McDavid/Auston Matthews showdown. They each did their part (McDavid 3 A, Matthews 1 G + 1 A), but former ECHL player Bobby McMann turned out to be the scoring star of the day. McMann led the Leafs with two goals, an assist, a plus-3, and four shots in the Leafs' 6-3 win over Edmonton.

McMann was on a scoring line with John Tavares and William Nylander along with second-unit power-play time, both of which are helping his cause at the moment. The Leafs were without Mitch Marner and Tyler Bertuzzi in this game, so it's possible that McMann is bumped down to a bottom-6 role once one or both returns. In the meantime, McMann (6% Yahoo/18% Fantrax) is a possible Sunday streaming option as the Leafs play the second of back-to-backs in Carolina.

Pontus Holmberg scored a pair of goals while playing on the Matthews/Max Domi line. He's in a similar boat to McMann, although I'd take McMann over Holmberg if you're thinking of adding a Leaf in a very deep format.

Speaking of Tavares, he's suddenly hot with 10 points in his last four games, with all of those games resulting in multipoint efforts. He's had his struggles this season, including a nine-game stretch without a point, so he's rewarding teams that have been patient.

Nylander has goals in five consecutive games and nine points over that span. He's reached the 90-point mark for the first time in his career and is on pace to reach the century mark as well.

With two assists on Saturday, Timothy Liljegren has 14 points in his last 16 games. I listed Liljegren as a possible streaming option for the weekend, which you can check out here. All of these options apply for Sunday if they are available in your league.

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MIKA WITH THE FORSBERG! 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/PvAQ9NbSGb

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 24, 2024

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Next week, adding players on light days to maximize games will bolster your chances of winning. The week is heavily weighted toward games being played on Tuesday (12 games), Thursday (14 games), and Saturday (15 games). Monday and Wednesday feature only two games, with only one game on each of Friday and Sunday. For more on the schedule, see the Schedule Planner on Frozen Tools.

Buffalo's schedule hasn't been particularly heavy and doesn't look overly advantageous on the surface, as they are still on a western road trip. The Sabres play today (Sunday) after being off since Thursday, then next play on Wednesday. However, they are only one of two teams to play on two light days next week.

Bowen Byram has shot up to nearly 50% rostership in Yahoo leagues after being acquired at the trade deadline, but there are some other Sabres worth consideration. Recent changes to even-strength and power-play line combinations could mean that JJ Peterka (13% Yahoo/53% Fantrax) and even Jordan Greenway (2% Yahoo/13% Fantrax) are in line for some dead-night contributions next week. Peterka has three goals and two assists over his past six games.

The other team with the two light days is the Vancouver Canucks. Even though Elias Lindholm has struggled as a Canuck (9 PTS in 22 GP, 3 PTS in last 14 GP) and has recently been used as a third-line center, but this might not be the week to drop him. He's still above 50% rostership in both Yahoo and Fantrax.

Nils Hoglander and Conor Garland are both worth potentially adding next week, as they are in the Canucks' top 6 on a line with Elias Pettersson. Hoglander scored a pair of goals on Saturday, giving him 22 goals on the season. Garland assisted on both of Hoglander's goals and has eight points over his last nine games. Both players are rostered in less than 10% of Yahoo leagues, so they can come in particularly handy for Monday's game against LA and next Sunday's game against Anaheim. Garland might be the safer option, although Hoglander is scoring more goals and offers a bit more for bangers leagues.  

Nasty stuff from Nils 🤮

📺: Sportsnet
📲: Stream on Sportsnet+ pic.twitter.com/gfCtlFsGKu

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 24, 2024

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Yes, we're already thinking about the real playoffs. So it's a good time to mention that Dobber's 2024 Interactive Playoff Draft List can now be purchased. You can make your own picks for series winners, or go with Dobber's picks if you're not sure. Purchase yours here. Keep in mind that the actual spreadsheet will be available for use in early April.

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Adin Hill left Saturday's game against Columbus after stretching out to make a save. As mentioned above, Vegas plays four games next week, including back-to-backs on Monday and Tuesday. Logan Thompson entered the game on Saturday, and he seems likely to earn multiple starts next week with the potential that Hill could miss time. Thompson did not appear in a game for two whole weeks in early March, but it appears that lack of work won't be a problem for him next week.

In the Vegas win, Jack Eichel scored a pair of goals while taking eight shots. Over his past four games, Eichel has taken 26 shots, which is an average of over six shots per game. Only four players have averaged more shots per game than Eichel (4.4 SOG/GP).

Chandler Stephenson assisted on both of Eichel's goals, giving him four points over his last four games. Stephenson (22% Yahoo) is also a potential early-week stream, as the Golden Knights are one of only four teams playing on Monday.

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I've saved the best (or maybe the worst) for last. In a game that probably wasn't appointment viewing for you, the Sharks raced out to a 4-0 lead before the Blackhawks jumped them to win 5-4 in overtime. The players on the league's two worst teams aren't listening to you telling them that they should be tanking to improve their Macklin Celebrini odds.

Seth Jones scored two goals, including the overtime winner. After scoring just one goal in his first 47 games, Jones has five goals (and also five assists) over his last nine games. Better late than never for Jones, who has also taken 14 shots over his past three games. At least he receives the icetime and the power-play time for the Blackhawks, so his scoring could really improve if the team around him is somehow bolstered next season. His long-term contract with a $9.5 million AAV likely means he's not going anywhere, even in the middle of a full rebuild.

Ryan Donato registered a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks, while Fabian Zetterlund and Thomas Bordeleau each scored a pair of goals for the Sharks.  

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If you are nearing the finale of a tight playoff match, best of luck to you! In the meantime, follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Threads.