November 13, 2008
I just realized that it was two years ago today where I sat down in front of the computer for the first time to do this website on a full-time basis. That decision, I would say, was a good one!
Dobber, back with more: Derek Roy is the perfect buy-low candidate. The guy got 51 points in 39 games to end last season, but just 30 in the first half. It looks as though that is happening again as he has just eight in 15.
Dan Girardi - nine points in his last 10 games and he has seen more than 20 minutes of ice in nine of his last 12. A great under the radar d-man.
Angus here with some afternoon updates.
Brent Burns is playing tonight, and may even line up at forward. He skated at both forward and defense in practice this morning... very interesting situation, although I think the Wild just want to ease him back in. He is their best defenseman and will be back there full-time very soon.
Pavol Demitra is playing on Saturday against the Leafs, but it isn't clear where he will be playing. The Canucks like Wellwood's playmaking up the middle, but they may try out these lines: Sedin-Sedin-Wellwood, Raymond-Demitra-Bernier, and bump Pyatt down to the fourth line.
After a rough start to the season, Peter Budaj has looked great lately, posting a shutout against the Predators last Saturday, and then going save for save against Luongo last night in an Avalanche shootout victory.
Ondrej Pavelec has been recalled because Lehtonen hurt his back again. Lehtonen is too big a Bandaid boy to hang onto this job and I feel the same way about Leclaire. Although Steve Mason has injury problems of his own, I can see he and Pavelec as starters in the NHL within two years.
Patrik Berglund is red hot, with seven points in his last five games. I had said from the start that his responsibility and production would improve as the season wore on. Once Oshie went down, things started to really move for Berglund.
Travis Zajac has quietly had a good season. He is on pace for 60 to 65 points, which would nearly double last year's sophomore jinx season.
Alexander Semin - FIVE points last night. No, he won't get 145 points this season. That means you should trade him now. Even if he played right through his projected career ceiling and became that breakout superstar that every poolie hopes their player becomes... and even if he plays all season with Ovechkin... his absolute upside is maybe 110 points. And that's assuming full health and all his ducks are in a row. That's still 25% less than what is pace is at, so see what you can get for him. I still think he'll finish in the high 80s.
Hopefully you were patient with Nicklas Backstrom as I told you to be - hell, I even tried to peel him away from an owner. His four points last night show that he'll be just fine.
It is events like this that give backups the chance to steal the starting job, or struggling starters the chance to take their job back. Brent Johnson hurt his hip last night and left the game. Jose Theodore came in and stopped all 13 shots he faced. That, combined with Johnson's injury, should be enough to see Theodore getting the next start. If that happens, a strong game will secure his job back.
Antti Miettinen has just two points in his last five games. He seems to be falling back into his proper range now.
Lundqvist has now allowed three or less goals in 34 of his last 35 games. Numbers like these prove that elite goalies are a must start in roto-leagues.
With Paul Kariya out, David Perron has been playing a lot more. Kariya is expected back Friday so look for Perron to slip in ice time again. Perron finally got his first goal of the season to go along with two assists. The line of Perron, Berglund, and Stempniak combined for seven pts and were on the ice for all three St.Louis goals.
Paul Stastny PPG ended Luongo’s shutout streak of 242 minutes and 36 seconds. All four of Stastny’s goals have come on the PP.
