Looking ahead at some of the more favourable schedules in fantasy hockey for Week Eight.

There are no guarantees in fantasy hockey, but a pair of tried and true strategies will always pay off in the long haul:

• Bet on the best combination of talent and opportunity to achieve the desired level of production you are looking for from your roster. Talent means nothing without opportunity, and vice-versa.
• Focus on the process by which you make roster decisions, as opposed to the results they yield. Long-term success is not attainable without the knowledge of why you were successful in the short term.

With that in mind, let's take a look ahead at some teams and players to target or avoid in the coming week or so:

Love 'Em (These squads are the best bet to produce for fantasy owners)

St. Louis – There's quite a bit to like about St. Louis's schedule over the course of the next week or 10 days. The Blues will take on the Ottawa twice (Saturday, Nov. 22 and Tuesday, Nov. 25). The Senators lack defensive depth and are a middle-of-the-road squad in terms of goals allowed on the season. Matchups against Winnipeg (Sunday, Nov. 23) and Edmonton (Friday, Nov. 28) could also yield fantasy-friendly results.

Pittsburgh – The Penguins have the good fortune of taking on the perpetually overwhelmed and always underwhelming Carolina Hurricanes in consecutive nights this coming week. In addition, they will also host the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs. There's not much else to say here other than feel free to fire up any and all fantasy-relevant Pens for the foreseeable future. Production is inevitable.

Leave 'Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed for the immediate future)

Toronto – The Leafs have been an unmitigated disaster on the ice as of late. Over a recent three-game stretch, embattled coach Randy Carlyle's squad was outscored 17-5 in losses to Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Nashville. Now the squad will play to just two games between Friday, Nov. 21 and the following Friday, Nov. 28 (home against Detroit and on the road against the aforementioned Penguins. To make matters worse, the Leafs will take the ice for just three contests between the 21^st and 29^th. A lack of recent production and a lack of upcoming opportunities to turn things around make Toronto a team to avoid in the short term.

Chicago – This is by no means an indictment of the Blackhawks or their ability to provide fantasy-friendly numbers. It's just that Chicago will be out west on a road trip this coming week, and the team will be tested with tough road matchups against Anaheim and Los Angeles on consecutive nights. That's a tall task for any team. And while it should not prevent fantasy owners from leaning on the Blackhawks, they should keep their expectations in check.

Bet On 'Em (These players are owned in 25 percent of Yahoo leagues or less and may be worth a look)

Antoine Roussel, LW, Dallas (Available in 76 percent of Yahoo leagues) – Power-play ice time is difficult to come by on the Stars, a team blessed with a bevy of offensive-oriented skaters. Despite seeing just about a minute of action per game on the man advantage, Roussel has established himself as a useful fantasy asset in all but the shallowest of leagues. The soon-to-be 25-year-old Frenchman could flirt with 20 or 25 goals in his third season in the NHL. His role with the team doesn't suggest he'll become a high-end winger to covet, but fantasy owners can take solace in the fact that his all-around contributions and ability to drive possession for his team will ensure he continues to see a considerable amount of action for Dallas.