Matvei Michkov scored a pair of goals in the Flyers' 7-4 win over Buffalo on Saturday. Michkov has tallied four goals, one assist, 11 shots, and at least 19:59 of icetime per game in the two games with Brad Shaw as coach. To be completely accurate, Michkov was hot even before John Tortorella was fired, as he now has a five-game point streak with nine points over that span. However, Michkov had not scored a goal in his final 10 games with Torts as coach, while his icetime had typically been in the 15-17-minute range under Torts.

Tortorella being let go by the Flyers wasn't a matter of if, but when. Many coaches have a shelf life, and that is particularly true with Torts. Also like many coaches, Torts seemed more likely to be fired at the end of the season, not with several games left, so this is an added bonus for those who were patient with Michkov. Keep in mind that Shaw is the interim coach, so how a new Flyers coach affects Michkov's scoring is still yet to be determined. Historically speaking, Torts hasn't been the most ideal coach for fantasy teams, though.

Fantasy Take: Flyers Relieve Tortorella of Coaching Duties

Also for the Flyers, Noah Cates scored a goal while adding two assists. With 32 points, Cates may challenge his career best of 38 points set two seasons ago.

The Jack Quinn – Ryan McLeod – JJ Peterka line struck for the Sabres. Quinn scored two goals (one on the power play) while adding an assist, McLeod issued three helpers (one on the power play), and Peterka scored a goal while adding an assist. Quinn has five points over his last three games, while McLeod has eight points over his last four games and Peterka has six points over his last six games. The Sabres play again today (Sunday), so take your pick for available streamers. Quinn is rostered in only 2 percent of Yahoo leagues, so he should be an easy option to turn to.  

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Yesterday I mentioned how my opponents' top-notch goalies are ruining my fantasy playoff week. It turns out that one of my fantasy teams is also getting wrecked by Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov scored a goal and added three assists on Saturday, which could have easily been 2+2 instead had he decided to shoot at an empty net instead of passing, which didn't work (although picked up his third assist on Jake Guentzel's empty-net goal shortly after).

Kuch didn't shoot this puck. Empty nets aren't for everyone. pic.twitter.com/Nrv5iKS4Zr

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) March 29, 2025

Kucherov turns the puck over forcing Johansson to make a big save, then moments later makes a dogshit pass instead of scoring on the empty net

Espo damn near has a meltdown pic.twitter.com/TjF3u7ct0G

— Bucs Rays Bolts (@BucsRaysBoltsYT) March 29, 2025

Quibble about Kucherov's game all you want, Phil Esposito. What I see from my comfortable computer chair is back-to-back four-point games, 11 points this week, a four-game goal streak, and 16 points in his last eight games. Kucherov is now tied for first in NHL scoring with Nathan MacKinnon (109 points each) while coming up large during fantasy playoff week like you'd expect him to. Granted, Esposito was a goal-scoring machine who would have been a mainstay in hockey pools back in the 1960s and 1970s (if there were such a thing back then).

If your opponent has a certain big gun, sometimes you can counter by having their linemate on your roster. Such is the case for me with Brayden Point, who scored the other two goals that Kucherov assisted on. Point (38 goals), Guentzel (37 goals), and Kucherov (33 goals) form what might be the most potent forward line in the league. Only Leon Draisaitl and William Nylander have more goals than Point, with Guentzel also in the top 5.

Tony DeAngelo might not be your favorite player or person, but his time with the Islanders deserves acknowledgment. Time in the KHL might have been what he needed to reset his game. DeAngelo has goals in back-to-back games along with six points over his last five games. The most surprising stat for TDA might be his icetime, which at 23:34 per game far surpasses the 14 minutes he averaged last season with Carolina. He's even being listed as an "average top-four two-way defenseman", which didn't seem to be the case in his other NHL stops.

You can trust DeAngelo enough to add him (19% Yahoo/45% Fantrax), especially with the Islanders playing again today (Sunday) against those same Canes. Only two of his 16 points have been on the power play, so he is also proving that he doesn't necessarily need to be on PP1 to score, as was often the case in the past. DeAngelo has made a strong enough impression that he should be back in the NHL next season.

Marc Gatcomb scored one of the Islanders' other goals, giving him six goals in 29 games. However, Gatcomb shouldn't be rostered because of his goal-scoring ability. The former Canucks farmhand is averaging nearly four hits per game, including four consecutive games with exactly four hits each. Among players with at least 25 games played, only Kiefer Sherwood and the injured Liam O'Brien average more hits/60 than Gatcomb (23.4). He's a Sunday hits streamer if you need one.

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The St. Louis Blues aren't letting up, extending their winning streak to nine games on Saturday. Perhaps they can be accused of feasting on bottom feeders during the streak (Nashville x 3, Chicago), but they were up to the task on Saturday in defeating the Avalanche 2-1 in Colorado. With the Blues winning and the Wild losing, St. Louis and Minnesota are now tied in points (87) for the final two playoff spots, although Minnesota still has one game in hand. At the rate they're going, the Blues may not stop at the second wild card spot.  

With assists on both St. Louis goals, Robert Thomas has 12 points over his last five games, including four consecutive multipoint games. He's another player that a head-to-head opponent is using to pile up the points against me.

Did winning the 4 Nations Face-Off boost Jordan Binnington's confidence? Post-tournament, Binnington has a 10-2-0 record with a 2.09 GAA and .917 SV%. Before the tournament, Binnington had a 15-19-4 record with a 2.89 GAA and .896 SV%. Seems like a different goalie to me. On top of that, Binnington has won five consecutive games, four of those being quality starts. I have a feeling that this stat might be cited in future midseason tournaments, particularly if the Blues can keep this up and cruise into the playoffs.

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Nico Hischier completed a hat trick in the Devils' 5-2 win over Minnesota. Hischier's 33 goals represents a career high for him, while he also has 11 points over his last 10 games. Since Jack Hughes' season-ending injury in early March, Hischier has eight goals and 15 points in 13 games while averaging 20:32. He will need to continue to score for the Devils to have any kind of success in the postseason.

Luke Hughes returned to the Devils' lineup after a one-game absence related to a groin injury.

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In the Leafs' 3-1 win in Los Angeles, John Tavares scored a pair of goals. Tavares has been holding a hot stick recently with eight goals over his last five games, as well as 12 points over his last six games. Tavares now has 35 goals, so if this hot streak continues, he might be able to reach 40 goals for the first time in his career.

Score one for Zero G goalies with Anthony Stolarz making 35 saves and allowing just one goal. Stolarz has three consecutive wins and quality starts, currently alternating starts with Joseph Woll.

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Since being traded to the Senators, Dylan Cozens has nine points in 11 games, mainly playing on a line with Drake Batherson and David Perron. The trade has also helped both Batherson and Perron, as Batherson has five goals 10 points in his last nine games and Perron has five goals and eight points in his last 11 games. Perron has had an unusual season, as he missed most of the first half and did not register his first point as a Senator until January 30. The Sens play again today (Sunday), so Perron might be worth a Sunday stream.

Fantasy Take: Sabres Send Cozens to Senators for Norris

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Leon Draisaitl returned to the Oilers' lineup for the Battle of Alberta after missing the past four games with an undisclosed injury. Draisaitl's game-tying goal in the third period was his 50^th goal of the season, making him the first player to reach 50 goals this season. He followed that up with the game-winner in overtime, which of course was goal number 51. Draisaitl may be the only 50-goal scorer this season, as the second-highest goal scorer is William Nylander with 42. Draisaitl and Alex Ovechkin are the only active players with at least four 50-goal seasons.

GOAL NO. 50! 🔵🟠

📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF https://t.co/n4tgTfzHlM pic.twitter.com/rGtr1tMOuL

— NHL (@NHL) March 30, 2025

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The Rangers bounced back from a tough Friday night overtime loss with a stronghold 6-1 win in San Jose on Saturday night. Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin each scored a pair of goals for the Blueshirts. Fox now has four goals and three assists over his last five games, while Panarin has 20 points over his last 15 games.

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Mikko Rantanen led the Stars with a goal and two assists in the 5-1 win in Seattle. That is Rantanen's first three-point game with the Stars. After a lukewarm start with his new team (4 PTS in first 7 GP), Rantanen has turned it up recently (7 PTS in last 4 GP). The Stars appear to be loading up their top line with Rantanen, Roope Hintz, and Jason Robertson, which should be beneficial for all. Something to keep in mind for playoff pools, with the Stars officially punching their ticket to the playoffs with the win.

By stopping 34 of 35 shots and picking up a win, Jake Oettinger has wins and quality starts in each of his last four games. Three of those games have happened this week, with Oettinger allowing a combined four goals and making 108 saves. If that isn't a "star week", then I don't know what is. (Star Week on Frozen Tools is a week "with at least 2 wins and combined save percentage at least 2% above the league average.") Oettinger has been money recently and the main reason that I'll be playing in a third-place match or two next week.

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If you are competing in a head-to-head playoff matchup today, good luck! Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Threads @goodsfantasyhockey and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social