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The first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs has provided me with more entertainment and topics of discussion than I ever imagined. Surprises lurk around every corner, as goalies have proven their worth in a myriad of different ways. Yes, the Playoff Beasts are emerging, and the sight is a welcome one for all of us fantasy goalie aficionados.

And thanks to the patented Playoff Beast Tracker, we can all follow along and chart some of these inexperienced goalies. So let’s take a look at some key dynamics that have surfaced over the last two weeks and see what we’ve learned so far about goaltending in the playoffs!

I have a few general rules when it comes to building a team in a fantasy hockey keeper league. One of the more important ones is to not build beyond a two or three year scope. You are not building a real NHL club, and too often fantasy hockey poolies place an emphasis on youth and prospects over proven veterans with gas still left in the tank. So using my general rule, take a look at your team(s). Can you realistically say you will have a shot at winning the league at some point within the next two or three seasons? If not, time to scrap the rebuild and start adding proven NHL talent.

Keeping my rule in mind, I compiled a list of my top ten keeper league defensemen to own (assuming standard keeper league rules and scoring categories). Using the two or three season scope, I had to balance proven production with young players on the verge of breaking out. I hope you enjoy!

After the freefall of Kirill Kabanov, many wonder who will be the best Russian prospect in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. I, personally, have little doubt. I never had actually. I always thought that Vladimir Tarasenko is a better prospect than Kirill Kabanov. It might be easy to say it now, but let’s discuss the reasons.

Every save in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is magnified to such an extreme degree that each shot could mean the difference between winning and losing a series. And when it comes to a goaltender suppressing that pressure, whether the force comes from an internal or external source, there’s a certain amount of equanimity that must be executed in order to stop pucks effectively in a seven game series.

The third annual Prime Cuts roster is here! Check out the Prime Cuts rosters from 2007-08 and 2008-09. The thinking process that goes in to selecting the team is similar to Pierre McGuire’s “Monsters” for TSN (I promise that is the first and only time I will compare my thinking process to Pierre’s). Since this is a fantasy hockey site, the selection process favours players that have had strong seasons on the score sheet, obviously. However, not just goals and assists are weighted – perhaps a player has started to shoot the puck more, or play better defensively. Intangibles like heart, grit, and determination factor in to the selection process as well. It is far and away my favourite article to write each year, and I hope you will all enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Part 2 of the article series will name the second defensive pairing and third line.