The All-Star break is a good time to look back at the happenings of the NHL as the league takes off at least six days for all teams (not including the participants of the All-Star game) with the exception of Montreal and Detroit who get off only five days. St. Louis receives the biggest break of all as they are off from Tuesday the 24th to February 3rd, a span of 10 days.
All games on Sunday are afternoon starts with the Super Bowl taking over the evening in a game that can be seen on NBC. We expect a lot of cross-promoting for the NHL during the telecast.
The Rangers and Bruins each have 35 games left in the second half, the most in the NHL, while Ottawa has only 30 games left with the Hurricanes and Avalanche playing 31 for the three least in the NHL. This information could help as you look for every possible advantage in your fantasy pool home stretch.
Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 5
4 Games – Boston, Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Winnipeg
3 Games – Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver
2 Games - Calgary, Phoenix, St. Louis
The Winnipeg Jets play all four games on the road.
Boston, Edmonton, Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay play three games at home this week.
Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Washington play three games away from home this week.
Follow me on twitter!
INJURIES
Jaromir Jagr is day-to-day with a groin injury.
(Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ Phoenix, vs. Dallas, vs. Columbus
Notes
The Ducks were hot heading into the break but lost 1-0 in their last game. They play three games in four nights before taking the weekend off, so Jeff Deslauriers could see action in one game in place of Jonas Hiller who has been great of late. Dan Ellis is still out at least two more weeks with a torn groin muscle. They are tired on Wednesday when they face a rested Dallas team as the Ducks are in Phoenix Tuesday. Mark Bell returned to the NHL for the first time in four years as Anaheim recalled him from the minors. Bell last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs before spending two seasons in the Swiss League for Kloten. Kyle Palmieri was recalled by the Ducks and could stick for good this time.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. Carolina, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Washington
Notes
The Bruins playfour times this week, including three games in four nights this week so look for Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask to split the net. Thomas got himself into a lot of hot water this past week when he did not accompany the Stanley Cup champs to the White House to meet President Obama. The Bruins apparently are considering moving the veteran to another team and giving the net to the up and coming Rask. Patrice Bergeron is having a great season with 43 points in 47 games. Nathan Horton is suffering from a mild concussion and could return after the break. Andrew Ference picked up a three game suspension for his hit on the Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh and will be eligible to return on Thursday against the Hurricanes.
BUFFALO
Games this week
@ Montreal, vs. New York Rangers, @ New York Islanders
Notes
The Sabres will be rested on Saturday when they take on a tired Islanders squad who play in Ottawa on Friday. Robyn Regehr returned to the Sabres lineup on Tuesday after missing four games with an upper body injury so Joe Finley was returned to the minors as Christian Ehrhoff (upper body) also returned to action. Thomas Vanek has one assist in his last nine games with nary a goal.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. Detroit, vs. Chicago
Notes
Calgary will be rested on Friday when they face a tired Chicago team who play in Edmonton the previous night. The Flames only play twice this week so I recommend benching your Calgary players with the exception of Jarome Iginla and possibly Olli Jokinen in weekly pools if you are able to. Jay Bouwmeester is the NHL’s iron man as he has played in 556 consecutive games, a record for defensemen. Miikka Kiprusoff is just two wins short of 300 career victories and is also looking for his seventh straight 35 win season as he has 22 wins in 43 games. The Flames sent Roman Horak to the minors during the break as he only had two goals and nine points in 42 games this season. Alex Tanguay returned to the Calgary lineup Tuesday after missing almost five weeks with an upper body injury.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ Boston, vs. Los Angeles
Notes
The Hurricanes will be rested on Saturday and face a Los Angeles team that played in St. Louis the previous night. It looks as if Joni Pitkanen (concussion/knee) may be out of action until early March which should hurt his trade value if the Hurricanes were considering dumping him to a contender as the NHL trade deadline is February 27. Cam Ward has been great in the last two weeks as he has a 2-0-2 record stopping 130 of 134 shots to give him a GAA of 0.97 with a save percentage of .970. He may be worth trading for if you need goaltending help.
CHICAGO
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary
Notes
The Blackhawks embark on a nine game road trip that gets started with all three games in Western Canada this week. They play three games in four nights so expect to see Ray Emery play once in place of Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks will be tired on Friday against the rested Flames as they are in Edmonton Thursday. Patrick Sharp is expected to play at some point this week as he has recovered from a wrist injury. Jonathan Toews (upper body) could be ready to return on Tuesday when the Blackhawks play the Canucks in what should be a wild game as these two teams really don’t like each other. Brandon Pirri and Ben Smith are spending the All-Star break in the minors. Marian Hossa is tied for third in scoring and has a nine game scoring streak.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Edmonton, vs. Minnesota, vs. Vancouver
Notes
No word yet on Matt Duchene who has been out since December 29 with a knee injury. There currently is no timetable for his return. Peter Mueller has been held off the scoresheet the last two games but had three goals and an assist in his previous two games. He has 31 shots on goal in 10 games this season so if you play that category, he’s a nice pickup at this time. Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been seeing most of the action in goal with Semyon Varlamov backing up.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
@ San Jose, @ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim
Notes
The Blue Jackets end a six game road trip in California this week. They play three games in four nights so Steve Mason should get a start instead of Curtis Sanford. They are tired on Wednesday when they play the Kings after playing in San Jose Tuesday. It looks like the Blue Jackets are zeroing in on Nail Yakupov who is slated to be the first overall pick in the 2012 Entry Draft. They trail the Oilers who are 29th overall, by nine points. It has not been a good year for goaltender Mark Dekanich. He was slated to start the season as the backup to Steve Mason with the opportunity to take over if Mason faltered (which he did). But he suffered an ankle injury in training camp, missing the start of the year and then injured his groin upon his return. He recently returned and played a few games before injuring his ankle once again. I’m sure he is looking forward to next season.
DALLAS
Games this week
@ Anaheim, @ San Jose, vs. Minnesota
Notes
The Stars play three games in four nights so Richard Bachman should play once in place of Kari Lehtonen. They are tired Thursday when they play in San Jose as the Stars are in Anaheim on Wednesday. They are rested Wednesday when they face the Ducks who play in Phoenix Tuesday. They activated Jamie Benn from the injured reserve list on Wednesday after he missed five games after undergoing appendectomy surgery. Brenden Morrow was put on the injured list but may only miss the game against Anaheim with a neck injury.
DETROIT
Games this week
@ Calgary, @ Vancouver, @ Edmonton
Notes
The Red Wings were blasted 7-2 by the Canadiens on Wednesday but were without the flu-ridden Nicklas Lidstrom who missed his first game in almost three years. Detroit is in the midst of a five game road trip. Jiri Hudler has been a pleasant surprise with 15 goals before the All-Star break. Henrik Zetterberg has been a bit of a disappointment in the first half as he has only nine goals and 35 points in 49 games although his hit on Nikita Nikitin into the boards Saturday did get him 15 of his 31 penalty minutes. Niklas Kronwall has 10 goals this season, one off his career high set last year.
The All-Star break is a good time to look back at the happenings of the NHL as the league takes off at least six days for all teams (not including the participants of the All-Star game) with the exception of Montreal and Detroit who get off only five days. St. Louis receives the biggest break of all as they are off from Tuesday the 24th to February 3rd, a span of 10 days.
All games on Sunday are afternoon starts with the Super Bowl taking over the evening in a game that can be seen on NBC. We expect a lot of cross-promoting for the NHL during the telecast.
The Rangers and Bruins each have 35 games left in the second half, the most in the NHL, while Ottawa has only 30 games left with the Hurricanes and Avalanche playing 31 for the three least in the NHL. This information could help as you look for every possible advantage in your fantasy pool home stretch.
Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 5
4 Games – Boston, Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Winnipeg
3 Games – Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver
2 Games - Calgary, Phoenix, St. Louis
The Winnipeg Jets play all four games on the road.
Boston, Edmonton, Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay play three games at home this week.
Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Washington play three games away from home this week.
Follow me on twitter!
INJURIES
Jaromir Jagr is day-to-day with a groin injury.
(Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ Phoenix, vs. Dallas, vs. Columbus
Notes
The Ducks were hot heading into the break but lost 1-0 in their last game. They play three games in four nights before taking the weekend off, so Jeff Deslauriers could see action in one game in place of Jonas Hiller who has been great of late. Dan Ellis is still out at least two more weeks with a torn groin muscle. They are tired on Wednesday when they face a rested Dallas team as the Ducks are in Phoenix Tuesday. Mark Bell returned to the NHL for the first time in four years as Anaheim recalled him from the minors. Bell last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs before spending two seasons in the Swiss League for Kloten. Kyle Palmieri was recalled by the Ducks and could stick for good this time.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. Carolina, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Washington
Notes
The Bruins playfour times this week, including three games in four nights this week so look for Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask to split the net. Thomas got himself into a lot of hot water this past week when he did not accompany the Stanley Cup champs to the White House to meet President Obama. The Bruins apparently are considering moving the veteran to another team and giving the net to the up and coming Rask. Patrice Bergeron is having a great season with 43 points in 47 games. Nathan Horton is suffering from a mild concussion and could return after the break. Andrew Ference picked up a three game suspension for his hit on the Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh and will be eligible to return on Thursday against the Hurricanes.
BUFFALO
Games this week
@ Montreal, vs. New York Rangers, @ New York Islanders
Notes
The Sabres will be rested on Saturday when they take on a tired Islanders squad who play in Ottawa on Friday. Robyn Regehr returned to the Sabres lineup on Tuesday after missing four games with an upper body injury so Joe Finley was returned to the minors as Christian Ehrhoff (upper body) also returned to action. Thomas Vanek has one assist in his last nine games with nary a goal.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. Detroit, vs. Chicago
Notes
Calgary will be rested on Friday when they face a tired Chicago team who play in Edmonton the previous night. The Flames only play twice this week so I recommend benching your Calgary players with the exception of Jarome Iginla and possibly Olli Jokinen in weekly pools if you are able to. Jay Bouwmeester is the NHL’s iron man as he has played in 556 consecutive games, a record for defensemen. Miikka Kiprusoff is just two wins short of 300 career victories and is also looking for his seventh straight 35 win season as he has 22 wins in 43 games. The Flames sent Roman Horak to the minors during the break as he only had two goals and nine points in 42 games this season. Alex Tanguay returned to the Calgary lineup Tuesday after missing almost five weeks with an upper body injury.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ Boston, vs. Los Angeles
Notes
The Hurricanes will be rested on Saturday and face a Los Angeles team that played in St. Louis the previous night. It looks as if Joni Pitkanen (concussion/knee) may be out of action until early March which should hurt his trade value if the Hurricanes were considering dumping him to a contender as the NHL trade deadline is February 27. Cam Ward has been great in the last two weeks as he has a 2-0-2 record stopping 130 of 134 shots to give him a GAA of 0.97 with a save percentage of .970. He may be worth trading for if you need goaltending help.
CHICAGO
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary
Notes
The Blackhawks embark on a nine game road trip that gets started with all three games in Western Canada this week. They play three games in four nights so expect to see Ray Emery play once in place of Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks will be tired on Friday against the rested Flames as they are in Edmonton Thursday. Patrick Sharp is expected to play at some point this week as he has recovered from a wrist injury. Jonathan Toews (upper body) could be ready to return on Tuesday when the Blackhawks play the Canucks in what should be a wild game as these two teams really don’t like each other. Brandon Pirri and Ben Smith are spending the All-Star break in the minors. Marian Hossa is tied for third in scoring and has a nine game scoring streak.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Edmonton, vs. Minnesota, vs. Vancouver
Notes
No word yet on Matt Duchene who has been out since December 29 with a knee injury. There currently is no timetable for his return. Peter Mueller has been held off the scoresheet the last two games but had three goals and an assist in his previous two games. He has 31 shots on goal in 10 games this season so if you play that category, he’s a nice pickup at this time. Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been seeing most of the action in goal with Semyon Varlamov backing up.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
@ San Jose, @ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim
Notes
The Blue Jackets end a six game road trip in California this week. They play three games in four nights so Steve Mason should get a start instead of Curtis Sanford. They are tired on Wednesday when they play the Kings after playing in San Jose Tuesday. It looks like the Blue Jackets are zeroing in on Nail Yakupov who is slated to be the first overall pick in the 2012 Entry Draft. They trail the Oilers who are 29th overall, by nine points. It has not been a good year for goaltender Mark Dekanich. He was slated to start the season as the backup to Steve Mason with the opportunity to take over if Mason faltered (which he did). But he suffered an ankle injury in training camp, missing the start of the year and then injured his groin upon his return. He recently returned and played a few games before injuring his ankle once again. I’m sure he is looking forward to next season.
DALLAS
Games this week
@ Anaheim, @ San Jose, vs. Minnesota
Notes
The Stars play three games in four nights so Richard Bachman should play once in place of Kari Lehtonen. They are tired Thursday when they play in San Jose as the Stars are in Anaheim on Wednesday. They are rested Wednesday when they face the Ducks who play in Phoenix Tuesday. They activated Jamie Benn from the injured reserve list on Wednesday after he missed five games after undergoing appendectomy surgery. Brenden Morrow was put on the injured list but may only miss the game against Anaheim with a neck injury.
DETROIT
Games this week
@ Calgary, @ Vancouver, @ Edmonton
Notes
The Red Wings were blasted 7-2 by the Canadiens on Wednesday but were without the flu-ridden Nicklas Lidstrom who missed his first game in almost three years. Detroit is in the midst of a five game road trip. Jiri Hudler has been a pleasant surprise with 15 goals before the All-Star break. Henrik Zetterberg has been a bit of a disappointment in the first half as he has only nine goals and 35 points in 49 games although his hit on Nikita Nikitin into the boards Saturday did get him 15 of his 31 penalty minutes. Niklas Kronwall has 10 goals this season, one off his career high set last year.
EDMONTON
Games this week
vs. Colorado, vs. Chicago, vs. Detroit
Notes
Ryan Whitney returned to action this past week but do not expect a lot from him the rest of the way as he still may be hurting for the remainder of the season. That being said, expect a lot from him next season as he should go cheaper and further down in drafts with his injuries over the previous year-and-a-half. Taylor Hall is starting to show why he was the top pick in 2010 as he now has 33 points in 39 games. Once the Oilers gain experience, they are going to be a great club to watch with Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and likely a top-five pick from the upcoming draft.
FLORIDA
Games this week
vs. Washington, vs. Winnipeg, @ Tampa Bay
Notes
The Panthers play three games in four nights so look for Scott Clemmensen to play once in place of Jose Theodore. The Panthers are rested on Friday when they face a tired Winnipeg squad as the Jets are in Tampa Bay Thursday. The Panthers will be tired on Saturday as they face a rested Lightning team after Friday’s match with the Jets. Tomas Fleischmann was in a terrible slump as he was goalless in eight games before finding the back of the net on Tuesday. He is still a member of the top line with Kris Versteeg and Stephen Weiss. Florida will be without Dmitry Kulikov for 6-8 weeks after the defenseman had knee surgery after getting injured on Saturday.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
vs. Columbus, @ St. Louis, @ Carolina
Notes
The Kings play three games in four nights so it looks like Jonathan Bernier will play once in place of Jonathan Quick. Bernier has played in only nine games this season and coach Darryl Sutter plans to give him more action between the pipes after the All-Star break. The Kings are rested on Wednesday when they play the Blue Jackets who are in San Jose to open the second half of the season Tuesday. They will be tired on Saturday when they are in Carolina as the Kings are in St. Louis Friday. Kyle Clifford’s third goal of the season gave him his first Gordie Howe hat trick in the NHL as he picked up an assist and had a fight as well.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Nashville, @ Colorado, @ Dallas
Notes
It took until the All-Star break but Niklas Backstrom finally won his first game in the new year on January 24. Marek Zidlicky was a healthy scratch on Saturday for the first time in his career. Mikko Koivu (separated shoulder) was taking shots on goal under the stands on Saturday. Dany Heatley leads the Wild in goals with 15 and points with 34, one point ahead of Koivu despite playing eight extra games. Brad Staubitz has no points and is minus-seven but does have 73 penalty minutes. Zidlicky has only 11 assists in 34 games and has yet to find the back of the net.
MONTREAL
Games this week
vs. Buffalo, @ New Jersey, vs. Washington, vs. Winnipeg
Notes
Les Canadiens play three games in four nights so Peter Budaj should see action in at least one game since they also play four games in six days. They will be tired and face a rested Jets team on Sunday after playing the Capitals on Saturday. Brian Gionta will try to return to action before the end of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn bicep but likely won’t return until next season if Montreal is out of playoff contention. P.K. Subban was benched for the second period in Wednesday’s win over the Red Wings taking a bad penalty for elbowing during a first period power play. He played a season low 14:36 minutes.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
@ Minnesota, @ Philadelphia, vs. St. Louis
Notes
The Predators are rested on Saturday when they face the Blues who host the Kings on Friday night before travelling to Nashville. Mike Fisher has four goals and a helper in his last four games. Pekka Rinne is the hottest goalie in the NHL with a 12-1-0 record in his last 13 games. Ryan Suter finally returned to action on Monday after missing three games with an upper body injury and had three assists in two games. Sergei Kostitsyn has four goals and eight points in his last 10 games. Martin Erat leads the Predators in points with 35, one ahead of Shea Weber while Patric Hornqvist’s 14 goals this season also tops all Predators.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
vs. New York Rangers, vs. Montreal, @ Philadelphia, vs. Pittsburgh
Notes
The Devils play four times this week, including three games in four days so expect to see Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg split the net this week. Patrik Elias and Ilya Kovalchuk each lead the team with 40 points. Jacob Josefson was sent to the minors after playing four games since returning from a broken clavicle. Travis Zajac (sore Achilles tendon) is not skating and there is no word on his return. Adam Henrique was forced to miss the All-Star game after tweaking his groin. Adam Larsson will not attend the All Star game after injuring his wrist.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ Carolina, @ Ottawa, vs. Buffalo
Notes
The Islanders will be tired when they play the Sabres on Saturday after playing in Ottawa on Friday night. Nino Niederreiter has been a disappointment this season with only one goal and getting fourth line minutes at best. The Islanders are bringing him around slowly but he would be better served by playing a lot back in junior hockey. John Tavares continues to show why he was the first overall selection in the 2009 Draft as he is up to 20 goals and 49 points. Al Montoya finally returned on Tuesday for the first time in five weeks after suffering a concussion, giving up four goals in an overtime loss to Toronto. Evgeni Nabokov took over as the starter in his absence and has given the Islanders no reason to switch back to Montoya unless he is dealt.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
@ New Jersey, @ Buffalo, vs. Philadelphia
Notes
The Rangers are rested on Sunday when they play a tired team from Philadelphia who are in New Jersey the previous night. Carl Hagelin has been a pleasant surprise for the Rangers as he was starring for Michigan in college hockey last season. Erik Christensen was a healthy scratch for 10 straight games so the Rangers sent him to the minors for a conditioning stint in which he should get plenty of action on the ice. Defenseman Michael Sauer suffered a setback in trying to return from a concussion he suffered on December 5. There is no timetable for his return and it may not happen until next season.
OTTAWA
Games this week
@ Boston, vs. New York Islanders, vs. Toronto
Notes
The Senators will be tired when they play the rested Maple Leafs on Saturday as they are home to the Islanders on Friday night. Daniel Alfredsson is having a very good comeback season with 38 points in 46 games after 31 points and a minus-19 rating in 54 games last season as he had back woes. He trails only Jason Spezza (50) and Erik Karlsson (47) on the Senators. Ottawa has lost three in a row after going 10-1-1 before that. Although, his GAA isn’t anything to write home about at 2.90, his 25-16-4 record and .910 save percentage have fantasy owners thrilled as he was drafted late in most pools.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
vs. Winnipeg, vs. Nashville, vs. New Jersey, @ New York Rangers
Notes
The Flyers play four times this week, including three games in four nights so look for Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky to share the net. The Flyers will be tired on Sunday when facing the rested Rangers in New York after hosting the Devils on Saturday. We think that the Ranger fans will be going wild with the Giants in the Super Bowl later that day. Jaromir Jagr sat out Tuesday’s game with a groin injury and his return is questionable for Tuesday’s tilt against the Jets. Scott Hartnell was the NHL’s second star of the week as he scored six goals including five on the power play.
PHOENIX
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, vs. San Jose
Notes
The Coyotes play only twice this week so I recommend benching everyone in weekly pools if you are able to do so, with the possible exception of Ray Whitney. Keith Yandle has seen only 1:30 minutes and 23 seconds of power play duty in his last two games as coach Dave Tippett has been using Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Whitney on the points. Daymond Langkow returned to action on Tuesday after suffering a facial injury against the Red Wings on January 19. Chris Summers should pay for me to go to all his games. I was at two Coyotes games over a week ago and he had three points in the two games I was there, his first, and only three points in the NHL. Just saying.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. Toronto, @ Toronto, @ Boston, @ New Jersey
Notes
The Penguins play four games this week but not three in four nights. Still, Brent Johnson should see action in one game as Marc-Andre Fleury shouldn’t be expected to carry the whole load. The Penguins play a home-and-home series with the Maple Leafs to start the second half after the All-Star break so look for Deryk Engelland and Arron Asham to add to their penalty minute totals as they have six and seven majors respectively. Kris Letang has two goals and four points in four games since returning from a concussion. Evgeni Malkin was the first star of the week after garnering the third star selection the previous week.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, @ Nashville
Notes
The Blues play only twice this week but are tired on Saturday when they play in Nashville after hosting Los Angeles on Friday. I suggest benching all your Blues in weekly pools if you can. Brian Elliott is 15-5-2 with a league-leading GAA and save percentage of 1.69 and .938 respectively. Alex Pietrangelo has gone scoreless in his last two games, but did pick up 12 minutes in penalties over the two games. He was the stud over the previous nine games with three goals and 13 points. He is going to be one of the top offensive defensemen in the next year or two. David Backes has 37 penalty minutes in his last six games, along with two goals and six points. He is an all-round fantasy gem.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Columbus, vs. Dallas, @ Phoenix
Notes
The Sharks are rested Thursday when they face a tired Dallas team, who are in Anaheim the previous night. Andrew Desjardins has been playing on the Sharks' top line alongside Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton and the Sharks are pleased with his work thus far. Antero Niittymaki passed through waivers and should go to the minors. Brent Burns suffered a charley horse and could return for the Columbus game after missing Tuesday’s game. Joe Thornton leads the Sharks with 38 points, two ahead of Logan Couture who was the last player selected in the All-Star fantasy Draft.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Washington, vs. Winnipeg, vs. Florida
Notes
The Lightning are in the middle of a five game home stand which could determine if they will get and stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They are rested on Saturday when they host the Panthers as Florida is home to the Jets on Friday. Victor Hedman has been practicing and hopes to return to action for the game against the Capitals on Tuesday. He has been out with a concussion since December 27. Mathieu Garon has won his last three starts and could be ready to take over as the Lightning’s top netminder. Dana Tyrell is out for the season with a partial tear of his ACL on his right knee. Ryan Malone (upper body) could return on Tuesday.
TORONTO
Games this week
@ Pittsburgh, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Ottawa
Notes
The Maple Leafs play the Penguins in a home-and-home series so look for Mike Brown and Dion Phaneuf to add to their penalty minute totals if there are fisticuffs involved. The Maple Leafs will be rested on Saturday when they face a tired Ottawa team who play at home to the Islanders Friday night. Jake Gardiner scored his first NHL goal in the last game before the All-Star break and it should be the first of many as his offensive skill is quite high. He looked like a man among boys in Tuesday’s win over the Islanders as he controlled the play when he was on the ice. He is worth looking at in all keeper leagues. Despite being out with a concussion, the Maple Leafs gave defenseman John-Michael Liles a four year extension. Matthew Lombardi has four goals in his last five games.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
vs. Chicago, vs. Detroit, @ Colorado
Notes
The Canucks open the second half of the season against their arch-rivals from Chicago and it should be interesting to see if the Canucks try to go after Dave Bolland whose comments a few months ago left Canuck fans upset. Good news for Sami Salo as he returned after missing six game with a concussion after he was hit by the Bruins’ Brad Marchand, a misdeed that cost Marchand a five game suspension. David Booth is heating up with a goal in each of the last three games. Henrik Sedin leads the Canucks in points with 52 but is pointless in his last four while twin brother Daniel Sedin is one point behind after potting a couple of goals in his last four.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, @ Montreal, vs. Boston
Notes
Despite playing four games this week, the Capitals do not play a rested team while they are tired. Look for Michal Neuvirth to play once in place of Tomas Vokoun this week as the Capitals play a pair of back-to-back games. Mathieu Perreault has five points in his last two games as he is centering the second line with Alexander Semin and Marcus Johansson on his wings. Alex Ovechkin will be eligible to return to action for the Montreal game on Saturday as he was suspended for three games for his hit on the Penguins Zbynek Michalek on Tuesday. Nicklas Backstrom has missed 10 games but still leads the Capitals in points with 42, three ahead of Ovechkin, while Dennis Wideman leads the blueline corps with 34 points including nine goals.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
@ Philadelphia, @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, @ Montreal
Notes
The Jets play four games on the road this week and play three games in four nights so Chris Mason should play at least once in place of Ondrej Pavelec. They are tired on Friday when they play the Florida Panthers after facing Tampa Bay Thursday and are rested Sunday in Montreal, facing a Canadiens team that play the Capitals Saturday. Blake Wheeler has struggled of late with only one assist and a minus-seven rating in his last six games. Evander Kane is on the injured reserve list after suffering a concussion on January 19. Alexander Burmistrov has taken his spot on the top line with Wheeler and Bryan Little. Derek Meech went through waivers and was sent to the minors where he suffered a possible knee injury on Wednesday.