PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
vs. Tampa Bay, @ Toronto, vs. Ottawa, @ Pittsburgh
Notes
The Flyers play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Sergei Bobrovsky to play once in place of Ilya Bryzgalov. Bryzgalov is red-hot of late as he is 9-1-1 in his last 11 contests and he was named the NHL’s first star of the week, giving up only six goals in four games. The Flyers are tired on Sunday when they face the white-hot Pittsburgh Penguins as Philadelphia take on Ottawa on Saturday. Wayne Simmonds has not found the back of the net in 15straight games. The Flyers are having trouble as a team finding the back of the net as they have only scored more than one goal in seven of their last 15 games. The blueline got a boost with the return of Pavel Kubina to the lineup after he missed seven games with an upper body injury.
PHOENIX
Games this week
vs. San Jose, vs. Anaheim
Notes
The Coyotes play only twice this week so I suggest benching all your Phoenix players in weekly transaction pools with the exception of Ray Whitney and Mike Smith. The Coyotes got Kyle Chipchura (wrist) and Radim Vrbata (flu) back on Thursday. Vrbata has gone over a month without scoring a goal, amazing considering he has 30 goals thus far. Shane Doan was suspended for three games for his elbow to the head of Jamie Benn. Dave Tippett picked up the 400th victory of his NHL coaching career on Sunday. Whitney has 70 points and is a plus-25 this season.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ New York Islanders, @ Buffalo, vs. Philadelphia
Notes
The Penguins play three games in four nights this week so look for Brad Thiessen to play once in place of Marc-Andre Fleury. They are tired on Friday when they are in Buffalo as they take on the Islanders Thursday. The Penguins are rested on Sunday when they face a tired Flyers squad who play Ottawa Saturday. The Penguins play a home-and-home series against the Islanders early in the week so look for Deryk Engelland and James Neal to add to their penalty minute count if there are fisticuffs. Neal has been outstanding this past week with eight points in his last two games and is tied for fourth overall in NHL scoring. Evgeni Malkin in pulling away in the scoring race as he has 95 points, 10 ahead of Claude Giroux and is only five goals behind Steve Stamkos, in the battle for the Rocket Richard Trophy. Matt Cooke has only 30 penalty minutes this season in 73 games.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
vs. Nashville, @ Chicago, vs. Columbus
Notes
The Blues are rested on Saturday when they face the Blue Jackets who are playing Florida the previous night. David Backes was thought to be significantly injured on Saturday when he blocked a shot with his foot. There were no broken bones and he was back in the lineup without missing a game. There is good news on the concussion front as Alexander Steen and Matt D'Agostini have been given the green light to practice with contact. Kris Russell is expected to return this week after suffering a concussion on Feb. 23.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Colorado, @ Anaheim, @ Phoenix, vs. Dallas
Notes
The Sharks play four times this week including three in four games so look for Thomas Greiss to play at least once instead of Antti Niemi. They are rested Saturday when they play a tired Dallas team who play in Vancouver on Friday but the Sharks will be tired on Thursday when they are in Phoenix after playing the Ducks in Anaheim Wednesday. Michal Handzus (lower body) and Tommy Wingels (upper body) returned to action Thursday after missing six and five games respectively. That should help out the bottom six forward group. Martin Havlat is starting to come alive as he has had a pair of two point games during the last week.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
@ Philadelphia, @ Boston, @ New Jersey, vs. Winnipeg
Notes
The Lightning play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Dwayne Roloson and Sebastien Caron to share the net. They are tired Tuesday when they face the Bruins in Boston after having played in Philadelphia on Monday. They will be rested Saturday against the Jets who are in Carolina Friday. Steve Stamkos has been slumping of late as he has been held pointless in his last four games. Bruno Gervais got back into the lineup on Monday after missing six games with an upper-body injury. Ryan Shannon will miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
TORONTO
Games this week
vs. Carolina, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Buffalo
Notes
The floundering Maple Leafs will be rested on Saturday when they are home to the tired Sabres who play the Penguins on Friday night. For all the complaining about Phil Kessel, he is third in the NHL in goals with 36 and tied for fourth in points with 76. Tell anyone this three seasons ago when the trade was made and they would have said it was a no-brainer. Clarke MacArthur and Matt Frattin are out with upper and lower body injuries so the Maple Leafs recalled Nazem Kadri on an emergency basis. The Maple Leafs signed Brad Ross to a three-year entry-level deal on Tuesday. The former second round pick, 43rd overall in the 2010 Draft, had 42 goals and 82 points for Portland of the WHL this season and he is quite a feisty player as 163 minutes in the penalty box will attest to.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, vs. Colorado, vs. Dallas, vs. Calgary
Notes
The Canucks play four times this week, all at home, including three games in four nights so look for Cory Schneider to play at least once in place of Roberto Luongo. Daniel Sedin is out indefinitely with a concussion, courtesy of a Duncan Keith elbow. Zack Kassian has taken his spot on a line with Henrik Sedin and Mason Raymond. Christopher Higgins is without a point in his last two games but has played well on a line with David Booth and Ryan Kesler. Manny Malhotra returned to action this past week after sitting out a couple of games for personal reasons.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
vs. Buffalo, @ Boston, vs. Montreal
Notes
The Capitals are rested Saturday when they face a tired Montreal team as the Habs are playing the Rangers Friday. Alexander Semin is out with a lower body injury but he should be fine to play this week. They recalled Cody Eakin from Hershey. Tomas Vokoun has been having issues with his groin so Michal Neuvirth has played along with Braden Holtby. Mike Green picked up his first point this past week since October 22. Nicklas Backstrom has been skating without any symptoms for his concussion as he continues to get closer to a possible return. Alex Ovechkin has three goals in his last two games.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. New York Rangers, @ Carolina, @ Tampa Bay
Notes
The Jets play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Chris Mason to play once in place of Ondrej Pavelec. They are a rested team Wednesday when they face a tired Rangers team as the New Yorkers take on the Wild on Tuesday but are the tired team on Saturday when they play the Lightning after playing in Carolina Friday. Spencer Machacek has notched three assists in two games since joining the Jets on his latest recall from the minors despite limited ice time. Nik Antropov did not travel with his teammates to Pittsburgh for Tuesday night's game due to a lower-body. Dustin Byfuglien has a bunch of minor bumps and bruises but is not concerned.
It’s the penultimate week of the regular season (right Lar), and the playoff standings are still tight, just like they are every year.
The battle for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference seems to be a two-team battle with the Sabres trailing the Capitals by only one point. The Caps can still finish third as they are four points behind the Florida Panthers but the Panthers do have a game in hand.
It’s a lot different in the West as there are still six teams within five points of a playoff spot. The Kings are in third place with 86 points as each division winner is placed in the top three spots. Phoenix also has 86 points but have played one more game than the Kings. Dallas is still in a playoff spot with 85 while Colorado, San Jose and Calgary trail with 85, 84 and 83 points respectively. The Avs are in trouble even though they have a similar amount of points as the Stars but have played two more games.
It should be an exciting last two weeks of the regular season.
Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF MARCH 26-APRIL 1
4 Games – Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Winnipeg
3 Games – Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina, Colorado, Edmonton, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, Ottawa, St. Louis, Toronto, Washington
2 Games - Phoenix
Vancouver plays all four at home.
Dallas, Florida and Los Angeles play all four on the road.
Calgary, Detroit, Minnesota, the New York Islanders and Toronto play three games at home this week.
Colorado, Ottawa and Tampa Bay play three games on the road this week.
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INJURIES
Daniel Sedin is out indefinitely with a concussion.
(Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
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ANAHEIM
Games this week
vs. San Jose, @ Phoenix, vs. Edmonton
Notes
The Ducks are tired on Sunday when they face Edmonton after playing in Phoenix on Saturday. They play the back half of a home-and-home series against the Sharks on Wednesday, although it isn’t the same for the Sharks who play Colorado in between. That being the case, look for George Parros and Corey Perry to add to their minute totals. Ryan Getzlaf is having a horrible season, at least for him, with 53 points thus far but he is on a five game scoring streak in which he has seven points. Devan Smith-Pelly has moved up to the first line with Getzlaf and Perry and scored Wednesday. Andrew Cogliano played in his 400th consecutive game on March 16. He has not missed a game since entering the league five seasons ago.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Washington, @ New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers
Notes
The Bruins play four times, including three games in four nights, so look for Marty Turco to play once in place of veteran Tim Thomas. Boston will be tired Sunday when they play the Rangers in New York but only have to travel from Long Island where they play the Islanders Saturday. They are rested on Tuesday when they entertain the Lightning who play Philadelphia Monday. Rich Peverley (knee) could return this week but coach Claude Julien said he will return “sooner rather than later”. Nathan Horton is still doing off-ice workouts in his recovery from a concussion. Joe Corvo has been a healthy scratch the last three games. Brian Rolston turned back the clock with a four point effort on Monday. Shawn Thornton has fantasy value with 143 penalty minutes and 12 points and signed a two-year/$2.2 million contract.
BUFFALO
Games this week
@ Washington, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Toronto
Notes
The Sabres are tired on Saturday when they are in Toronto to face the Maple Leafs after playing at home to the Penguins Friday. They are rested when they play the Penguins who take on the Islanders the night before. Nathan Gerbe has missed the last four games with an upper body injury and has begun to skate by himself. Cody Hodgson has broken out of his slump with a pair of two point games after starting his career in a Sabre uniform by going scoreless in his first ten. He is playing with Thomas Vanek and Corey Tropp. Tyler Myers returned on Wednesday from a three game suspension. Jochen Hecht is skating with his teammates for the first time since suffering a concussion 26 games ago.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. Dallas, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Colorado, @ Vancouver
Notes
The Flames play four times this week including three in four so Leland Irving could see action in one game in place of Miikka Kiprusoff. They play the back end of a home-and-home series against Dallas this week so look for Tim Jackman and Tom Kostopoulos to add to their penalty minute totals. Matthew Stajan has been hot of late with eight points in his last eight games. The Flames are still looking for Michael Cammalleri (upper body) to return to action before the end of the season. Chris Butler is back after missing 14 games with a knee injury. No sooner was Butler scheduled to return when Cory Sarich suffered an upper body injury.
CAROLINA
Games this week
@ Toronto, vs. Winnipeg, vs. New Jersey
Notes
The Hurricanes are tired on Saturday and face a rested New Jersey squad as they take on the Jets at home on Friday. After an extremely slow start to the season, Eric Staal has 44 points in his last 35 games, giving him 66 points this season. Cam Ward has been hot of late with three straight wins. Joni Pitkanen played on Wednesday for the first time since December 6 as he had been out with a concussion. Jeff Skinner returned on Wednesday after sitting out two games with a suspension from the NHL for kicking. Andreas Nodl has been experiencing concussion-like symptoms since getting hit by Winnipeg blueliner Zach Bogosian on Sunday. There is no word on a timetable for his return.
CHICAGO
Games this week
@ New Jersey, vs. St. Louis, @ Nashville, vs. Minnesota
Notes
Chicago will be rested on Saturday when they face the Predators who are tired after playing Detroit Friday. The Blackhawks play three games in four nights so look for Ray Emery and Corey Crawford to share the net this week. Duncan Keith will likely get suspended for his hit on Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin. Look for 3-5 games for the Chicago blueliner. The move to acquire Brendan Morrison has backfired as he was a healthy scratch for 10 straight games until he saw time on the fourth line Monday. Andrew Shaw has been a huge surprise with seven points in his last four games. After picking up only two points in his previous 14 games, rookie Jimmy Hayes has been a healthy scratch his last three contests. The Blackhawks are cautiously optimistic that Jonathan Toews (concussion) will return before the end of the season.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ San Jose, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary
Notes
The Avs are out west for all three this week and have only five games remaining in the season, the lowest in the NHL. Erik Johnson has missed the last two games with a back injury. Semyon Varlamov finally picked up a loss on Thursday, his first in five games as he has shone in the Avalanche net since the All-Star break. Ryan O'Reilly suffered a broken nose on Tuesday but did not miss any action.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
@ Detroit, vs. Detroit, vs. Florida, @ St. Louis
Notes
The Blue Jackets play three games in four nights so look for Allen York to possibly get a start in place of Steve Mason as Curtis Sanford is out for the remainder of the season with a torn muscle in his leg. The Blue Jackets play a home-and-home series against Detroit and while the Red Wings do not engage in fisticuffs very often, if they do, Derek Dorsett and Jared Boll will be more than happy to oblige. The Blue Jackets are rested on Friday when they play a tired Florida team who play Minnesota the previous night but then play in St. Louis on Saturday while facing the rested Blues. In an injury-filled season, James Wisniewski is out yet again with concussion-like symptoms after stopping a shot with his face on Sunday. Ryan Johansen is thrilled to be back at center after spending most of the season on the wing, that is when he wasn’t being a healthy scratch.
DALLAS
Games this week
@ Calgary, @ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ San Jose
Notes
The Stars play all four out west including three games in Western Canada. They are tired Saturday when they are in San Jose to play the rested Sharks after playing in Vancouver the night before. Look for Richard Bachman to get one start in place of Kari Lehtonen as the Stars play three games in four nights. Michael Ryder set a career high record for goals Tuesday with a pair of markers to give him 32. Sheldon Souray returned to action on Tuesday after missing less than two weeks with a charley horse.
DETROIT
Games this week
vs. Columbus, @ Columbus, vs. Nashville, vs. Florida
Notes
Detroit plays four times this week but not three in four nights. Still, Joey MacDonald (if healthy as he underwent an MRI on his ailing back) should get a start in goal for Jimmy Howard. If not, they will go to Ty Conklin. They play a home-and-home series with Columbus so look for Kyle Quincey and Todd Bertuzzi to see some action in the penalty minute front if there are any fisticuffs. Nicklas Lidstrom could return to action on March 24 after missing 11 games with an ankle injury. Johan Franzen (back spasms) skated briefly on Tuesday but there is no timetable for his return. Justin Abdelkader will get extra time in the Detroit lineup as Darren Helm is gone for the remainder of the regular season with a knee injury.
EDMONTON
Games this week
vs. Dallas, vs. Los Angeles, @ Anaheim
Notes
The Oilers are rested Sunday when they face the Ducks who play Phoenix the night before. Taylor Fedun skated with the Oilers for the first time this past week since his horrific training camp injury in which he suffered a broken femur in a race for the puck during a potential icing call. Taylor Hall skated this week after suffering a concussion a week ago. Ales Hemsky picked up a hat trick this past week. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle have been magic together on the ice as it appears the Oilers have a plethora of young talent (including former number one overall pick Taylor Hall) up front. The problem is a lack of talent on the blueline and possibly in goal and until those issues are addressed, the Oilers will continue to wallow at or near the bottom of the NHL standings.
FLORIDA
Games this week
@ Montreal, @ Minnesota, @ Columbus, @ Detroit
Notes
The Panthers play four times including three games in four nights so look for Jose Theodore to play three games with Scott Clemmensen getting the crease once. Florida is tired on Friday when they face the Blue Jackets after playing in Minnesota Thursday. Shawn Matthias has not scored in his last 16 games so it was no surprise on Wednesday when he he was a healthy scratch. Mike Santorelli took his spot in the lineup after missing three games himself as a healthy scratch. Jack Skille is out for the remainder of the regular season at least after undergoing surgery on his shoulder from an injury suffered on March 9. After an absence of over two months, future stud defenseman Dmitry Kulikov returned to action on March 17 from a knee injury. He was joined by Kris Versteeg who reappeared on the same night after missing almost three weeks with a lower body injury.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton, @ Minnesota
Notes
The Kings are on the road for all four this week and they push for a playoff spot. They play three games in four nights as well so look for Jonathan Bernier to get a start in place of Jonathan Quick. Quick is hot once again as he has won his last five games giving up only six goals in the process. He also has eight shutouts this season, best in the NHL along with Henrik Lundqvist. The Kings are tired on Saturday when they play the Wild after playing in Edmonton Friday. Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams have been leading the Kings offensively during March with both having 13 points in 11 games.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. New York Rangers, vs. Florida, vs. Los Angeles, @ Chicago
Notes
The Wild play four times this week, including three games in four nights so expect to see Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding split the net. Harding has played well with Backstrom on the shelf of late with a groin injury and with Backstrom back on the bench, the Wild returned Matthew Hackett to the minors. The Wild are rested Saturday when they play the Kings as Los Angeles are in Edmonton the previous night. Mikko Koivu returned to action on Thursday after missing 15 games with a shoulder injury. It was good news for Dany Heatley who scored only once during Koivu’s absence. Heatley celebrated by scoring a power play goal in Thursday’s win. Mike Lundin will miss the rest of the 2011-12 season after undergoing successful surgery for a sports hernia last week.
MONTREAL
Games this week
vs. Florida, @ New York Rangers, @ Washington
Notes
The Canadiens are tired on Saturday when they are in Washington after playing the Rangers in Madison Square Garden on Friday. It was thought that Mathieu Darche was out with an inner ear infection but it appears that he also has a possible concussion as his symptoms did not clear up with medication. He has missed the last 13 games and could be out the remainder of the season. Aaron Palushaj scored his first NHL goal on March 17 in his 32nd regular season game. Andrei Markov missed a game with an upper body injury on March 16 (boy are we surprised!) but was healthy enough to return to action on Friday.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
@ St. Louis, @ Detroit, vs. Chicago
Notes
The big news in Nashville was also the big news in the NHL as Alexander Radulov returned to the Predators lineup on Thursday after a four year absence. He jumped to the KHL with a legitimate NHL contract and the Predators welcomed him back so he could complete his NHL deal and become a restricted free agent. Oh yeah, he also scored the lone Predators goal in a 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Pick him up if you can. The Predators are tired on Saturday when they play the Blackhawks after playing in Detroit Friday. Former Sabre Paul Gaustad has missed the last four games with an upper body injury but could return on March 24. Martin Erat was the NHL’s third star of the week as he had two goals and seven points in four games.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
vs. Chicago, vs. Tampa Bay, @ Carolina
Notes
New Jersey are rested Saturday when they take on Carolina as the Hurricanes are home to Tampa Bay on Friday. Travis Zajac continues to practice as he tries to recover from his Achilles tendon injury. He thinks that he will be ready to return before the end of the season. David Clarkson and Eric Boulton lead the Devils with 136 and 115 penalty minutes respectively. Patrik Elias has a surprising 70 points this season but his minus-eight and 16 penalty minutes leave a lot to be desired. Ilya Kovalchuk leads with 74 points and 31 goals. Martin Brodeur has 26 wins this season and only two shutouts as he now has 118 in his career.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ Pittsburgh, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Boston, vs. Ottawa
Notes
The Islanders play four times this week, including three games in four nights so look for Al Montoya to play at least once in place of Evgeni Nabokov. Nabokov signed a one-year/$2.75 million extension but it does not include a no-movement or no-trade clause. He will likely go into the 2012-13 season as the Islanders top netminder as Rick DiPietro is just too injury-prone to rely on. The Islanders play a home-and-home series against the Penguins this week so look for Travis Hamonic and Matt Martin to add to their penalty minute totals. Matt Moulson scored twice against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday to establish a new career high with 32 goals.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
@ Minnesota, @ Winnipeg, vs. Montreal, vs. Boston
Notes
The Rangers play four times this week including three games in four nights so expect to see Martin Biron to play once in place of Henrik Lundqvist. They will be tired on Wednesday when they are in Winnipeg after playing in Minnesota Tuesday. The Rangers are rested on Sunday when they are home to the Bruins who face the Islanders the previous day. the Artem Ansimov returned to action this past week after missing a couple of games with a shoulder injury. The Rangers want to bring back Mats Zuccarello next season despite the fact he has only played 50 games in the last two seasons for New York. Rookie Tim Erixon is up with the Rangers. Brad Richards has been a bit of a disappointment offensively with only 57 points this season including 24 goals. Marian Gaborik leads the way with 35 goals and 66 points.
OTTAWA
Games this week
@ Winnipeg, @ Philadelphia, @ New York Islanders
Notes
The Senators are on the road for all three this week. Jason Spezza should be ready to go this week after missing Tuesday’s game with the flu. Craig Anderson is now healthy and it remains to be seen what the Senators do with Ben Bishop as they want him to get playing time and still have Alexander Auld to backup Anderson. For now Auld will sit in the press box with Bishop on the bench. Zenon Konopka now only plays when the Senators want to add some muscle into their lineup. The Senators have been struggling with the man-advantage of late as they are scoreless in their last six games, going 22 power play attempts without a goal.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
vs. Tampa Bay, @ Toronto, vs. Ottawa, @ Pittsburgh
Notes
The Flyers play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Sergei Bobrovsky to play once in place of Ilya Bryzgalov. Bryzgalov is red-hot of late as he is 9-1-1 in his last 11 contests and he was named the NHL’s first star of the week, giving up only six goals in four games. The Flyers are tired on Sunday when they face the white-hot Pittsburgh Penguins as Philadelphia take on Ottawa on Saturday. Wayne Simmonds has not found the back of the net in 15straight games. The Flyers are having trouble as a team finding the back of the net as they have only scored more than one goal in seven of their last 15 games. The blueline got a boost with the return of Pavel Kubina to the lineup after he missed seven games with an upper body injury.
PHOENIX
Games this week
vs. San Jose, vs. Anaheim
Notes
The Coyotes play only twice this week so I suggest benching all your Phoenix players in weekly transaction pools with the exception of Ray Whitney and Mike Smith. The Coyotes got Kyle Chipchura (wrist) and Radim Vrbata (flu) back on Thursday. Vrbata has gone over a month without scoring a goal, amazing considering he has 30 goals thus far. Shane Doan was suspended for three games for his elbow to the head of Jamie Benn. Dave Tippett picked up the 400th victory of his NHL coaching career on Sunday. Whitney has 70 points and is a plus-25 this season.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ New York Islanders, @ Buffalo, vs. Philadelphia
Notes
The Penguins play three games in four nights this week so look for Brad Thiessen to play once in place of Marc-Andre Fleury. They are tired on Friday when they are in Buffalo as they take on the Islanders Thursday. The Penguins are rested on Sunday when they face a tired Flyers squad who play Ottawa Saturday. The Penguins play a home-and-home series against the Islanders early in the week so look for Deryk Engelland and James Neal to add to their penalty minute count if there are fisticuffs. Neal has been outstanding this past week with eight points in his last two games and is tied for fourth overall in NHL scoring. Evgeni Malkin in pulling away in the scoring race as he has 95 points, 10 ahead of Claude Giroux and is only five goals behind Steve Stamkos, in the battle for the Rocket Richard Trophy. Matt Cooke has only 30 penalty minutes this season in 73 games.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
vs. Nashville, @ Chicago, vs. Columbus
Notes
The Blues are rested on Saturday when they face the Blue Jackets who are playing Florida the previous night. David Backes was thought to be significantly injured on Saturday when he blocked a shot with his foot. There were no broken bones and he was back in the lineup without missing a game. There is good news on the concussion front as Alexander Steen and Matt D'Agostini have been given the green light to practice with contact. Kris Russell is expected to return this week after suffering a concussion on Feb. 23.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Colorado, @ Anaheim, @ Phoenix, vs. Dallas
Notes
The Sharks play four times this week including three in four games so look for Thomas Greiss to play at least once instead of Antti Niemi. They are rested Saturday when they play a tired Dallas team who play in Vancouver on Friday but the Sharks will be tired on Thursday when they are in Phoenix after playing the Ducks in Anaheim Wednesday. Michal Handzus (lower body) and Tommy Wingels (upper body) returned to action Thursday after missing six and five games respectively. That should help out the bottom six forward group. Martin Havlat is starting to come alive as he has had a pair of two point games during the last week.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
@ Philadelphia, @ Boston, @ New Jersey, vs. Winnipeg
Notes
The Lightning play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Dwayne Roloson and Sebastien Caron to share the net. They are tired Tuesday when they face the Bruins in Boston after having played in Philadelphia on Monday. They will be rested Saturday against the Jets who are in Carolina Friday. Steve Stamkos has been slumping of late as he has been held pointless in his last four games. Bruno Gervais got back into the lineup on Monday after missing six games with an upper-body injury. Ryan Shannon will miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
TORONTO
Games this week
vs. Carolina, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Buffalo
Notes
The floundering Maple Leafs will be rested on Saturday when they are home to the tired Sabres who play the Penguins on Friday night. For all the complaining about Phil Kessel, he is third in the NHL in goals with 36 and tied for fourth in points with 76. Tell anyone this three seasons ago when the trade was made and they would have said it was a no-brainer. Clarke MacArthur and Matt Frattin are out with upper and lower body injuries so the Maple Leafs recalled Nazem Kadri on an emergency basis. The Maple Leafs signed Brad Ross to a three-year entry-level deal on Tuesday. The former second round pick, 43rd overall in the 2010 Draft, had 42 goals and 82 points for Portland of the WHL this season and he is quite a feisty player as 163 minutes in the penalty box will attest to.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, vs. Colorado, vs. Dallas, vs. Calgary
Notes
The Canucks play four times this week, all at home, including three games in four nights so look for Cory Schneider to play at least once in place of Roberto Luongo. Daniel Sedin is out indefinitely with a concussion, courtesy of a Duncan Keith elbow. Zack Kassian has taken his spot on a line with Henrik Sedin and Mason Raymond. Christopher Higgins is without a point in his last two games but has played well on a line with David Booth and Ryan Kesler. Manny Malhotra returned to action this past week after sitting out a couple of games for personal reasons.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
vs. Buffalo, @ Boston, vs. Montreal
Notes
The Capitals are rested Saturday when they face a tired Montreal team as the Habs are playing the Rangers Friday. Alexander Semin is out with a lower body injury but he should be fine to play this week. They recalled Cody Eakin from Hershey. Tomas Vokoun has been having issues with his groin so Michal Neuvirth has played along with Braden Holtby. Mike Green picked up his first point this past week since October 22. Nicklas Backstrom has been skating without any symptoms for his concussion as he continues to get closer to a possible return. Alex Ovechkin has three goals in his last two games.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. New York Rangers, @ Carolina, @ Tampa Bay
Notes
The Jets play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Chris Mason to play once in place of Ondrej Pavelec. They are a rested team Wednesday when they face a tired Rangers team as the New Yorkers take on the Wild on Tuesday but are the tired team on Saturday when they play the Lightning after playing in Carolina Friday. Spencer Machacek has notched three assists in two games since joining the Jets on his latest recall from the minors despite limited ice time. Nik Antropov did not travel with his teammates to Pittsburgh for Tuesday night's game due to a lower-body. Dustin Byfuglien has a bunch of minor bumps and bruises but is not concerned.