The Sens have waived Martin Gerber today. I would think the Isles are candidates to pick him up. If they don't, then clearly they want to tank.

I failed to mention this morning, but I assume you already know, that Daniel Briere is undergoing another groin/abdomen surgery. He will be shelved for 2-4 weeks. Hopefully that will settle the matter for him.

Major blooper below – Petr Budaj started last night's game and got the hook when he gave up four goals. Andrew Raycroft came in and gave up two goals on four shots, taking the loss. So rather than my call of Budaj running with the starting job for the rest of the season at a 95% clip, this is still no more settled than it was a week ago. Both goalies are struggling, although it would seem that Budaj is the lesser of the two evils (which is pretty much where we placed things with the Avs back in September).

And now, the most painful part of a fantasy hockey addict's year – the All-Star break. FIVE days of being unable to close the gap on first or increase your lead. Five days of being unable to see if that trade you pulled off will help your plus/minus any. And so on. It's a mixed blessing, though. Injured players take this opportunity to rest up. Some All-Stars are even taking the game off – Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Backstrom, Lucic, Ersberg and Mason will all miss the All-Star or Young Stars game. Sidney Crosby's status is questionable.

Andy McDonald left yesterday's practice with pain in his ankle. It is better than what was feared, however. The theory is that he loosened some scar tissue there, not unlike what Oshie did earlier in the season. The target was for McDonald to be back in the lineup next Thursday and that target still looks reachable.

Manny Malhotra has 11 points in his last 10 games and is on a seven-game points streak. With all the injuries, he saw nearly 25 minutes last night. The seventh overall pick of 1998 has a career high of 31 points. He should top 35 this season – and possibly 40.

TJ Hensick has five points in his last five games, including two last night.

Kyle Quincey is still shouldering most of the PP load for the Kings. In fact, they seem to be playing four forwards and Quincey most of the time, and then having JJ and Doughty come on for the second unit.

My major blooper noted above: (Andrew Raycrosft got the hook last night after he gave up two goals on 13 shots. It was his third loss in a row after a 9-1-0 start. This could be Budaj's show for 95% of the games going forward.) Oops. Raycroft did not get the hook, Budaj did.

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The line on 2005 third rounder Jonathan Quick is not that bad: 6-5-0, 2.45 and .916.

Carlo Colaiacovo has six points in his last eight games for the Blues and is a plus-3 in that span. He is 25 years old, but given the amount of games he has missed due to injury over the last seven years, his "hockey age" is probably more like 22. For now, in keeper leagues, do not count on more than 55 games in a season – but if he can ever kick the injury bug he has a bright future.

Chris Mason has had a rough go of it in St. Louis, starting 3-13-1. But he has won his last two games, including a shutout last night. The break comes at a bad time though, as it hurts his momentum.

Cory Murphy has three points in his two games with TB. He has also averaged 24 minutes. If his bum shoulder holds up, he could be in for a 30-point second half. I picked him up in the Expert League (although I lost my bid for Rich Peverley by $1 to Ryan Ma – he bid $12 of his budget to my $11)

JS Giguere let in two of the first seven shots he faced and was yanked for Jonas Hiller. Hiller stopped all seven that he faced. Giguere has won just once in his last eight games. His record was 11-7-2 and is now 12-12-4. Meanwhile, Hiller is 11-9-1 with better numbers all around. Hiller has played in seven of the last 10 games, so you are starting to see a shift in terms of who is the starter in Anaheim.

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