We will pass the 20% mark of the season on Saturday November 15. The good news is there is still 80% of season left to play. The Oilers still have 37 homes games left while only 29 on the road. The Kings have the opposite problem with 37 road games and only 30 home games left.
As Brodeur's injury shakes the fantasy world, it is interesting to look at the New Jersey Devils schedule for that time period. If you assume he would be back to play on March 1 the Devils will have 50 games to play without counting the games he missed up until November 7. It is an even split with 25 home games and 25 road games. During that stretch they have 11 back-to-back games.
Remember the "Looking Ahead" article at the beginning of the season describing the Rangers' accelerated schedule? Well it couldn't have worked out any better to create a 'sell high' environment and many Rangers are on people's hot list right now. Keep that in mind the next week or two as the Rangers have played four to six more games than most other NHL teams.
Starting October 24 the Red Wings play five games in seven nights including two sets of back to back games. Four of those games are on the road but there are some vulnerable opponents in there. If your league has the week set up Friday to Thursday get all those Red Wing in there. Playing five games in a one week time doesn't happen very often - only twelve times during the regular season although it happens to Detroit twice.
Hockey is in full swing which means injuries are coming fast and furious as well. Finding injury replacements is a key component to a successful fantasy year. It can be depressing using Todd White to replace Alfredsson but every point you can get out of an injury replacements might make a difference in the end. Although nothing can make waiver wire players into fantasy studs you might be able to squeeze a few more points out of your those borderline second or third liners if you consider the team's schedule.
As a hockey fan you have to love those days when most NHL teams are in action. However, there is a downside too. For some fantasy owners these days can mean painful decisions. Which two centers to play and which one to bench? The next day you have your answer but it is too late. There is no predicting the future but here is a spreadsheet tool that minimizes the amount of times you have to make these tough decisions.
Fantasy managers know that deciding who to play day-by-day and week-by-week can be a tough decision. Doing it well can make the difference between winning and losing. This will help give you an edge. The charts below show you the best five and worst five schedules for upcoming seven-day periods. Some of you used them last year but for the benefit of new readers here is a refresher.
