EDMONTON
Games this week
vs. Nashville, @ Calgary, vs. Minnesota, vs. New York Rangers
Notes
The Oilers travel to Calgary on Tuesday after facing the Predators at home on Monday. Edmonton play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Devan Dubnyk and Nikolai Khabibulin to split the net. Ales Hemsky left the game on Thursday with a suspected shoulder injury. Sam Gagner will likely miss at least the beginning of the week with an ankle injury. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored in his NHL debut but was a weak two-for-15 at the faceoff dot.
FLORIDA
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, @ Washington, vs. Buffalo, vs. New York Islanders
Notes
Florida should be a tired team on Tuesday when they travel to Washington after playing in Tampa Bay the night before. The Panthers play four games this week including three in four nights so expect to see Jacob Markstrom play at least once in place of Jose Theodore. Evgeny Dadonov was sent to the minors. Jonathan Huberdeau, the Panthers first pick and third overall in this year’s draft, signed an entry level deal but was sent to junior hockey before signing.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
vs. St. Louis, @ Phoenix, vs. Dallas
Notes
The Kings are rested on Saturday when they face a tired Dallas squad. Simon Gagne has played well on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams while Dustin Penner and Dustin Brown make up a nice second unit with Mike Richards in the middle. The Kings picked up Stefan Legein from the Flyers on Wednesday an will keep him in the minors for now.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Pittsburgh, @ Edmonton, @ Vancouver
Notes
The Wild are rested Tuesday when they play Pittsburgh as the Penguins travel from Winnipeg. Pierre-Marc Bouchard returned to the Minnesota lineup on Thursday after a two game suspension. Niklas Backstrom is off to a great start and that is causing good problems for coach Mike Yeo who is trying to get backup Josh Harding into a game.
MONTREAL
Games this week
vs. Buffalo, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Toronto
Notes
Ryan White is out indefinitely after undergoing sports hernia surgery. Michael Cammalleri is out for a couple of weeks after suffering a cut from a skate above his knee. Erik Cole has taken his place on the top line. Andrei Markov was in Florida to see Dr. James Andrews with regards to his injured knee. Hopefully he will return sooner than later.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
@ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary
Notes
The Predators are in Western Canada this week to play all three games on the road. Martin Erat was placed on injured reserve Thursday with an upper body injury while Patric Hornqvist also missed Thursday’s game but with a lower body injury. Mike Fisher is still not well enough to from off-season shoulder surgery to return to the lineup. The Predators claimed enforcer Brian McGrattan off waivers from Anaheim.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
vs. San Jose, @ Pittsburgh
Notes
The Devils play only twice this week but it is back-to-back so they will be tired traveling to play the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Saturday after being home to the Sharks on Friday. Martin Brodeur was injured on Thursday but he only tweaked his shoulder. Petr Sykora has two assists in his first three games after playing in Russia last season. Cam Janssen, a top enforcer when he is in the lineup, played in his first game on Thursday.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, @ Florida
Notes
Al Montoya has been the surprise starter for the Islanders this season as it was thought that Rick DiPietro or Evgeni Nabokov would start in net. He has played in all three games. DiPietro is now out with a concussion and that does not bode well for the oft-injured netminder. The Islanders only play twice this week so we recommend benching all your New Yorkers with the exception of John Tavares and Mark Streit, if you can. It was not a surprise that the Islanders returned Ryan Strome back to junior hockey but he is worth keeping an eye on in the future.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton
Notes
The Rangers play all three games in Western Canada this week. Derek Stepan has been practicing with Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik on the top line, moving Brandon Dubinsky down to the second unit. Sean Avery reported to Connecticut of the AHL alleviating the Rangers of $1.9-million of salary cap space. This move hurt the Dallas Stars as they had $1.9 million as well on their cap and when he was sent down, they fell below the floor forcing them to trade for Eric Nystrom. Marc Staal is still suffering from a concussion and there is no timetable for his return.
OTTAWA
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, vs. Winnipeg, vs. Columbus
Notes
The Senators get a break this week as they are rested in two of their three games while facing tired opponents. The first time is against Winnipeg on Thursday after the Jets are in Toronto the previous night. They then play the Blue Jackets Saturday after Columbus are in Detroit Friday. Zenon Konopka has played in only two of the Senators four games but is second in the NHL with 24 penalty minutes. Nikita Filatov was sent to the minors as Ottawa wants to give him plenty of minutes. He is still only 21 and needs to play.
It’s been a great week for hockey as Sidney Crosby took another big step towards returning to the NHL from his concussion as doctors have allowed him to take part in contact drills during practice. Now, we are not sure who on the Penguins would want to be the first to hit him but hopefully Crosby will be able to play in a game for the first time in over nine months in the next week or two.
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Here is The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF OCTOBER 17-23
4 Games – Edmonton, Florida, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Winnipeg
3 Games – Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Washington
2 Games –Detroit, New Jersey, New York Islanders
Buffalo, Columbus, Nashville, New York Rangers and St. Louis play three times away from home.
Boston, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Vancouver play three games in their home arena.
INJURIES
Sidney Crosby (out since January 5 with a concussion) has been cleared for contact.
Click here to check out all the injured players in the NHL.
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ San Jose, vs. Dallas, vs. Phoenix
Notes
Anaheim is a tired team on Monday as they face the Blues the previous night. The Ducks are starting to get healthier as Matt Beleskey (shoulder), Kurtis Foster (thigh) and Toni Lydman (shoulder) are close to returning. They sent Kyle Cumiskey down to the minors after acquiring him from Colorado as a depth defenseman. Coach Randy Carlyle was not upset when Corey Perry got into a fight with the Rangers Brandon Dubinsky as Dubinsky is a good player for the New Yorkers, but does not want Perry to fight enforcers on other team’s as the team loses too much for five minutes.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Carolina, vs. Toronto, vs. San Jose
Notes
The Bruins play as a rested team twice this week as they face Toronto on Thursday after the Maple Leafs play Winnipeg the previous night. They then play the Sharks on Saturday after the Sharks are in New Jersey Friday. Milan Lucic stated that the high ankle sprain he suffered almost two years ago is still not 100 percent, but close. Adam McQuaid seems to be okay after falling head first into the end boards on Wednesday. Tyler Seguin has taken over as the Bruins top center with David Krejci (core) injured. Jordan Caron saw his first action of the season with the injury to Krejci. Rich Peverley is richer after signing a three-year/$9.75 million extension with the Bruins.
BUFFALO
Games this week
@ Montreal, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay
Notes
The Sabres are on the road for all three games this week. Derek Roy has played both games this season and feels he is getting closer to game shape after missing the last 47 games in 2010-11 with a leg injury. Thomas Vanek is red-hot with five points in his first two games. Luke Adam has been great thus far and scored twice on Saturday in the Sabres win in Berlin. He was between Vanek and Jason Pominville and definitely has the offensive ability to be a number one center in the NHL.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. Edmonton, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Nashville
Notes
Calgary is rested on Tuesday when they play their provincial rivals from Edmonton as the Oilers are home to Nashville on Monday. The Flames are home for all three this week. Brendan Morrison (knee) is starting to practice and could be back this week. No idea why coach Brent Sutter started Henrik Karlsson on Monday against the Blues while sitting Miikka Kiprusoff as Kiprusoff was 10-0-1 against St. Louis since joining the Flames. Raitis Ivanans (concussion) has been cleared for contact after missing over a year of action. He is worth taking off the waiver wire in pools that use penalty minutes as a category.
CAROLINA
Games this week
@ Boston, vs. St. Louis, @ Winnipeg
Notes
Carolina should be tired when they face the Jets in Winnipeg on Saturday as the Hurricanes are home to St. Louis on Friday night. Rookie Ryan Murphy made the team out of camp but did not play before being returned to junior hockey. His offensive ability as a blueliner is special and should have a spot on someone’s roster in all keeper leagues. Jussi Jokinen is centering Alexei Ponikarovsky and Tuomo Ruutu. Chad LaRose is playing on the top line, replacing Ruutu. Jamie McBain finally got into the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first three games. Justin Faulk is minus-six and was a healthy scratch on Wednesday after playing in the first three games.
CHICAGO
Games this week
@ Phoenix, @ Colorado, vs. Colorado
Notes
The Blackhawks play back-to-back games against the Avalanche this week so look for Daniel Carcillo and Jamal Mayers to add to their penalty minute totals. Carcillo has been skating on a line with Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane in practice and if that happens during games, his fantasy value will increase. Ben Smith (concussion) is close to returning. Brandon Saad was returned to junior hockey. Corey Crawford has been nursing a lower body injury and as a result, Ray Emery got the start on Thursday. Look for Crawford to be back between the pipes this week.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Toronto, vs. Chicago, @ Chicago
Notes
The Avalanche play a home-and-home series against the Blackhawks this week so look for Cody McLeod and Shane O’Brien to take care of any fisticuffs there may be. Semyon Varlamov has been outstanding to start the season, something the Avs need if they have any hope of contending for a playoff spot. Gabriel Landeskog potted his first NHL goal on Wednesday.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
@ Dallas, @ Detroit, @ Ottawa
Notes
Columbus is tired Saturday when they travel to Ottawa after facing their divisional opponents in Detroit on Friday. The Blue Jackets are on the road for all three games this week. Cam Atkinson, who was thought to be a top-six forward just a week ago, was sent to the minors on Thursday while 30-year-old Alexandre Giroux was recalled. Ryan Johansen returned to the lineup on Wednesday after being a healthy scratch the previous two games. Columbus had terrible special team production the first three games as they were zero-for-16 with the man-advantage and gave up four power play goals in 10 opportunities. Jared Boll is out another month with a broken thumb.
DALLAS
Games this week
vs. Columbus, @ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles
Notes
Dallas could be tired in Los Angeles on Saturday after playing in Anaheim the previous night, but they should be staying in the same hotel so the travel is not too bad. The Stars acquired Eric Nystrom from the Wild to get to the salary floor. They had to send Tomas Vincour to the minors. Nicklas Grossman returned to the Dallas lineup on Thursday from a groin injury, putting Philip Larsen. Kari Lehtonen is off to a fabulous start with three wins to go with a 1.30 GAA and a .966 save percentage.
DETROIT
Games this week
vs. Columbus, @ Washington
Notes
The Red Wings only play twice this week, but it is back-to-back so they could be tired when facing Washington on Saturday after hosting Carolina on Friday. Brendan Smith was recalled by the Red Wings to serve two more games of his five game suspension. Henrik Zetterberg is now playing on the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Daniel Cleary. Jiri Hudler will get some playing time on the power play and that should help his fantasy value. Tomas Holmstrom was a healthy scratch once this week. Ty Conklin, the Red Wings backup netminder, suffered a black eye when he was accidentally poked under his left eye by defenseman Jonathan Eriksson.
EDMONTON
Games this week
vs. Nashville, @ Calgary, vs. Minnesota, vs. New York Rangers
Notes
The Oilers travel to Calgary on Tuesday after facing the Predators at home on Monday. Edmonton play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Devan Dubnyk and Nikolai Khabibulin to split the net. Ales Hemsky left the game on Thursday with a suspected shoulder injury. Sam Gagner will likely miss at least the beginning of the week with an ankle injury. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored in his NHL debut but was a weak two-for-15 at the faceoff dot.
FLORIDA
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, @ Washington, vs. Buffalo, vs. New York Islanders
Notes
Florida should be a tired team on Tuesday when they travel to Washington after playing in Tampa Bay the night before. The Panthers play four games this week including three in four nights so expect to see Jacob Markstrom play at least once in place of Jose Theodore. Evgeny Dadonov was sent to the minors. Jonathan Huberdeau, the Panthers first pick and third overall in this year’s draft, signed an entry level deal but was sent to junior hockey before signing.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
vs. St. Louis, @ Phoenix, vs. Dallas
Notes
The Kings are rested on Saturday when they face a tired Dallas squad. Simon Gagne has played well on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams while Dustin Penner and Dustin Brown make up a nice second unit with Mike Richards in the middle. The Kings picked up Stefan Legein from the Flyers on Wednesday an will keep him in the minors for now.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Pittsburgh, @ Edmonton, @ Vancouver
Notes
The Wild are rested Tuesday when they play Pittsburgh as the Penguins travel from Winnipeg. Pierre-Marc Bouchard returned to the Minnesota lineup on Thursday after a two game suspension. Niklas Backstrom is off to a great start and that is causing good problems for coach Mike Yeo who is trying to get backup Josh Harding into a game.
MONTREAL
Games this week
vs. Buffalo, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Toronto
Notes
Ryan White is out indefinitely after undergoing sports hernia surgery. Michael Cammalleri is out for a couple of weeks after suffering a cut from a skate above his knee. Erik Cole has taken his place on the top line. Andrei Markov was in Florida to see Dr. James Andrews with regards to his injured knee. Hopefully he will return sooner than later.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
@ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary
Notes
The Predators are in Western Canada this week to play all three games on the road. Martin Erat was placed on injured reserve Thursday with an upper body injury while Patric Hornqvist also missed Thursday’s game but with a lower body injury. Mike Fisher is still not well enough to from off-season shoulder surgery to return to the lineup. The Predators claimed enforcer Brian McGrattan off waivers from Anaheim.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
vs. San Jose, @ Pittsburgh
Notes
The Devils play only twice this week but it is back-to-back so they will be tired traveling to play the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Saturday after being home to the Sharks on Friday. Martin Brodeur was injured on Thursday but he only tweaked his shoulder. Petr Sykora has two assists in his first three games after playing in Russia last season. Cam Janssen, a top enforcer when he is in the lineup, played in his first game on Thursday.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, @ Florida
Notes
Al Montoya has been the surprise starter for the Islanders this season as it was thought that Rick DiPietro or Evgeni Nabokov would start in net. He has played in all three games. DiPietro is now out with a concussion and that does not bode well for the oft-injured netminder. The Islanders only play twice this week so we recommend benching all your New Yorkers with the exception of John Tavares and Mark Streit, if you can. It was not a surprise that the Islanders returned Ryan Strome back to junior hockey but he is worth keeping an eye on in the future.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton
Notes
The Rangers play all three games in Western Canada this week. Derek Stepan has been practicing with Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik on the top line, moving Brandon Dubinsky down to the second unit. Sean Avery reported to Connecticut of the AHL alleviating the Rangers of $1.9-million of salary cap space. This move hurt the Dallas Stars as they had $1.9 million as well on their cap and when he was sent down, they fell below the floor forcing them to trade for Eric Nystrom. Marc Staal is still suffering from a concussion and there is no timetable for his return.
OTTAWA
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, vs. Winnipeg, vs. Columbus
Notes
The Senators get a break this week as they are rested in two of their three games while facing tired opponents. The first time is against Winnipeg on Thursday after the Jets are in Toronto the previous night. They then play the Blue Jackets Saturday after Columbus are in Detroit Friday. Zenon Konopka has played in only two of the Senators four games but is second in the NHL with 24 penalty minutes. Nikita Filatov was sent to the minors as Ottawa wants to give him plenty of minutes. He is still only 21 and needs to play.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
@ Ottawa, vs. Washington, vs. St. Louis
Notes
The Flyers are rested Saturday when they face the tired Blues who are in Carolina Friday. Ilya Bryzgalov has allowed only five goals in his first three games, all wins. Matt Read made the Flyers as a 25-year-old energy player. He has a goal and an assist in his last two games. Blair Betts (knee) was returned to the Flyers from the Canadiens after he failed his physical. Claude Giroux is showing everyone why the Flyers could trade Jeff Carter and Mike Richards as he has three goals and five points in his first three games.
PHOENIX
Games this week
vs. Chicago, vs. Los Angeles, @ Anaheim
Notes
Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a rarity as he is a 20-year-old defenseman with a year of NHL action under his belt. Most defensemen do not play in their teenage years so Ekman-Larsson could be a special talent. Mike Smith appeared in the Coyotes' first two games of the year, garnering a 0-1-1 record to go with a .909 save percentage and a 3.41 goals-against average. Jason LaBarbera gave up two goals in a 5-2 win on Thursday and could get a shot at the starting job in net.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
@ Winnipeg, @ Minnesota, vs. Montreal, vs. New Jersey
Notes
The Penguins play four games this week including three times in four nights so expect to see Brent Johnson at least once this week. The Penguins are tired Tuesday as they travel to Minnesota after playing in Winnipeg Monday. The tables are turned Saturday as the face off against the Devils who are home to San Jose Friday. Sidney Crosby’s potential return is the talk of hockey. Evgeni Malkin missed two games with a knee injury but picked up a pair of assists upon his return Thursday. Brent Johnson was between the pipes on Thursday but the reason for that was Marc-Andre Fleury was under the weather.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
@ Los Angeles,@ Carolina, @ Philadelphia
Notes
The Blues are in the midst of an eight game road trip. They are tired in Philadelphia Saturday after playing the Hurricanes in Carolina Friday. Andy McDonald suffered a head injury on Thursday. He continued playing but did not feel well on the plane ride home. He has a history of concussion woes so this may not be good. Nikita Nikitin and Roman Polak have started the season as the Blues shutdown blueliners. Carlo Colaiacovo has been experiencing headaches since falling headfirst into the boards on opening night and there are concerns that he suffered a concussion.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, @ New Jersey, @ Boston
Notes
The Sharks play three times this week for the first time this season. They are rested on Monday when they play the Ducks who entertain St. Louis the previous night. They are a tired team Saturday playing Boston after traveling from Newark, New Jersey Friday. Patrick Marleau has been suffering from the flu but should be fine by Monday. Martin Havlat is still out after off-season shoulder surgery. Tommy Wingels has grabbed a top-six spot with the injury to Havlat. Antti Niemi (cyst) is close to returning and should be back in net this week. If he is unable to go, Thomas Greiss will continue to get the starts.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Florida, vs. New York Islanders, vs. Buffalo
Notes
Teddy Purcell was benched on Thursday, playing only three shifts in the second and none in the third. Look for him to come back with a vengeance next week. Tampa Bay play the Panthers on Monday in the second half of a back-to-back series. Look for Steve Downie to add to his minutes total. The Lightning are home for all three games this week. Mattias Ohlund underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees and could be lost for six weeks. The Lightning are really hurting on the blueline and may be in the market for a defenseman.
TORONTO
Games this week
vs. Colorado, vs. Winnipeg, @ Boston, @ Montreal
Notes
The Maple Leafs play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Jonas Gustavsson to get into action for the first time in place of James Reimer. Toronto will be tired Thursday as they play on the road for the first time this season, facing Boston after playing the Jets Wednesday. Tim Connolly is still out with a lower body injury and there is no timetable for his return. The Maple Leafs have a stronger top-six than last season when Connolly is in the lineup, but could look for Tyler Bozak to continue to center Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul until Connolly returns. Matt Frattin was bumped down to a line with Matthew Lombardi and Colby Armstrong with return of Clarke MacArthur to the lineup.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
vs. New York Rangers, vs. Nashville, vs. Minnesota
Notes
The Canucks return home from a four game road trip this past week and play all three games at home. Roberto Luongo is struggling in goal as he is 0-1-1 with a 3.90 GAA and a .855 save percentage while Cory Schneider is 1-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and a sparkling .935 save percentage. Ryan Kesler (hip) practiced on the top line this week while Henrik Sedin rested a bruised thigh. Kesler could return this week after his off-season hip surgery.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
vs. Florida, @ Philadelphia, vs. Detroit
Notes
The Capitals play a tired team twice this week starting Tuesday against the Panthers who are in Tampa Bay the previous night. They then play a tired Detroit squad Saturday as the Red Wings play at home to Columbus Friday. Alex Ovechkin scored his first goal of the season on Thursday. Braden Holtby was recalled earlier in the week for the injured Michal Neuvirth, but was sent down on Friday when Neuvirth returned. After a poor effort against Tampa Bay in which he gave up five goals on only 28 shots, Tomas Vokoun was solid on Thursday in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh. He stopped 39 shots.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
vs. Pittsburgh, @ Toronto, @ Ottawa, vs. Carolina
Notes
The Jets play four games this week including three times in four nights so Chris Mason should play at least once in place of Ondrej Pavelec. The Jets are tired on Thursday in Ottawa after playing in Toronto the previous night but are rested against Carolina Saturday as the Hurricanes have to travel after a home game versus the Blues Friday. Coach Claude Noel played Evander Kane only 10:34 minutes in the opener as Noel was not happy with his performance. He upped it to 14:43 on Thursday in what was a better effort.