It is getting very interesting in the early going as some teams are losing sight of the pack while others are off to great starts.
Let’s talk about the teams that are off to great starts first as the Chicago Blackhawks are 4-0 as of Friday morning despite playing three of their first four on the road. The schedule continues to get tough early on as they play seven of their next eight on the road as the circus makes its yearly appearance in the United Center.
San Jose and Anaheim are also perfect at 3-0 and 2-0 respectively in the West with Ottawa and New Jersey also 3-0 and 2-0 respectively in the East. St. Louis looks very good after an opening day loss as they are 3-1 and the Bruins are 2-0-1 to start.
On the other side of the coin, the Washington Capitals are the only team in the NHL without a point as they are 0-3 and have looked as bad as their record indicates. Florida, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers are all 1-3 to start the season and they will want to turns things around quickly or all three playoff teams in 2011-12 could have a tough time in the shortened schedule reaching The Promised Land of the post-season.
In the West, Calgary and the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings are off to 0-2-1 starts. The Flames were always in tough to make it to the playoffs but great things were expected from the Kings. Phoenix is 1-3 to start while the Detroit Red Wings have not looked good at all and are 1-2.
I know it’s still early but it is only a 48 game schedule.
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Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 3
4 Games – Boston, Buffalo, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Washington
3 Games – Anaheim, Carolina, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg
2 Games - Calgary, St. Louis
Columbus, Montreal, Phoenix, San Jose and Tampa Bay play three games at home this week.
Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, Nashville, New Jersey and Winnipeg play three games on the road.
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INJURIES
Scott Hartnell is out four-eight weeks with a broken foot.
(Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ San Jose, vs. Minnesota, vs. Los Angeles
Notes
The Ducks are tired this week when they take on the Kings Saturday after hosting the Wild on Friday. Daniel Winnik has been the surprise of the early going with a pair of two goal games to start the season after scoring only eight in 84 regular season games last season. Jonas Hiller has given up seven goals in his first two games, in part due to the fact that the Ducks have given up four goals in seven shorthanded efforts. Forty-two year old Teemu Selanne became the oldest player since Gordie Howe in 1971 to record four points in one game.
BOSTON
Games this week
@ Carolina, vs. New Jersey, vs. Buffalo, @ Toronto
Notes
The Bruins play three games in four nights so look for Anton Khudobin to get one start in place of Tuukka Rask. Boston will be tired on Tuesday when they host a rested New Jersey team as the Bruins are in Carolina Monday. Dougie Hamilton picked up the first point of his NHL career on Wednesday. Boston is struggling on the power play with only one goal in 14 chances. Jordan Caron is out of action with an upper body injury but is likely to return this week.
BUFFALO
Games this week
vs. Toronto, @ Boston, @ Montreal, vs. Florida
Notes
The Sabres play three games in four nights so expect to see Jhonas Enroth between the pipes once in place of Ryan Miller. Buffalo will be tired on Sunday when they entertain Florida after playing in Montreal the previous night. Thomas Vanek had a five point night against the Flyers Sunday and is second in scoring with eight points. Nathan Gerbe returned to action on Thursday after missing the first two games with a back injury. He’s playing alongside Mikhail Grigorenko and Steve Ott.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. Colorado, vs. Chicago
Notes
The Flames play only twice this week so we recommend benching Calgary players if you have weekly transactions. They are the rested team both times, as Colorado play in Vancouver on Wednesday before travelling to Calgary Thursday while the Blackhawks are in Vancouver as well but on Friday and then go to Calgary Saturday to take on the Flames. The Flames sent Roman Horak to the minors and look for him to be up and down for most of the season. Roman Cervenka was given medical clearance to begin practicing after his bout with blood clots. He should be back this week. Cervenka is considered one of the best players around who have never played in the NHL and is worth picking up if available.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. Boston, vs. Ottawa, @ Philadelphia
Notes
It only took two games for Joe Corvo to be a healthy scratch for the Hurricanes as he did not play Thursday. Cam Ward is off to a tough start but before you lose hope, he also got off to a tough start last season. Coach Kirk Muller is pleased with the maturity of Jeff Skinner as he was briefly taken off a line with Jordan Staal and Zac Dalpe but didn’t sulk and just played hard. He is back on the line while Jiri Tlusty is playing with Eric Staal an Alexander Semin.
CHICAGO
Games this week
@ Minnesota, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary
Notes
The Blackhawks start a six game road trip and once they return home, the last 22 of 36 games will be played at the United Center. Look for Ray Emery to play once in relief of Corey Crawford as Chicago plays three games in four nights. The Blackhawks are rested on Wednesday when they face the tired Wild who play at home versus Columbus on Tuesday but are tired Saturday when they travel to Calgary after playing the Canucks Friday. Brent Seabrook is leading the NHL in hits heading into action Thursday with 13. After being one of the worst teams on the penalty kill last season (27th overall), the Blackhawks have given up only one goal in 10 chances this season to rank in the top three.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary, vs. Edmonton
Notes
The Avalanche will play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Jean-Sebastien Giguere to get a start in place of Semyon Varlamov. They are a tired team on Thursday when they play a rested Calgary team after playing in Vancouver Wednesday. The Avs play twice against Edmonton this week so look for Cody McLeod and Shane O'Brien to add to their penalty minute totals. Steve Downie would also be on that list but he underwent season-ending knee surgery. Look for Chuck Kobasew to get some time in Downie’s place although Colorado would like to get Ryan O'Reilly back in the lineup. O’Reilly is currently a restricted free agent and the two sides are not close as of Thursday evening.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
vs. Dallas, @ Minnesota, vs. St. Louis, vs. Detroit
Notes
The Blue Jackets play three games in four nights in their four game week so expect to see Steve Mason play at least once for Sergei Bobrovsky who at this point of the season looks to be the odds on favorite to be the starting goalie in the early going. The Blue Jackets will be tired on Tuesday when they travel to Minnesota to play a rested Wild squad after playing Dallas Monday. Columbus will be the rested team Saturday when they host Detroit who play the Blues Friday. Coach Todd Richards shuffled his lines up as Artem Anisimov is centering the top unit in between Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky while Derick Brassard will center Derek Dorsett and R.J. Umberger. It looks like Vaclav Prospal has been relegated to third line duty.
DALLAS
Games this week
@ Columbus, @ Detroit, vs. Phoenix, @ Phoenix
Notes
The Stars will play four times including two back-to-back games so it is likely that the Stars will not want to risk the groin of Kari Lehtonen who is prone to the injury, so look for Dallas to give Cristopher Nilstorp at least one and likely two starts. They will be tired on Tuesday when they are in Detroit after playing in Columbus on Monday. Dallas plays a home-and-home series with Phoenix this week. Jamie Benn signed a five-year deal Thursday. It appears that Ray Whitney has a foot injury that requires him to wear a protective boot but he is able to skate and play. Aaron Rome should be available this week after missing the first week of the season with a groin injury.
DETROIT
Games this week
vs. Dallas, vs. St. Louis, @ Columbus
Notes
The Red Wings are the rested team twice and are the tired team in the other game as they play three times this week. Detroit is rested on Tuesday and Friday when they play Dallas and St. Louis respectively while they will be tired on Saturday when they travel to Columbus after playing the aforementioned Blues on Friday. Detroit is reeling on the blueline with injuries to Carlo Colaiacovo, Ian White and Jonathan Ericsson, but they will get Jakub Kindl back after he missed the start of the season. Backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson was hurt in the season opener after relieving Jimmy Howard in a 6-0 loss to St. Louis.
It is getting very interesting in the early going as some teams are losing sight of the pack while others are off to great starts.
Let’s talk about the teams that are off to great starts first as the Chicago Blackhawks are 4-0 as of Friday morning despite playing three of their first four on the road. The schedule continues to get tough early on as they play seven of their next eight on the road as the circus makes its yearly appearance in the United Center.
San Jose and Anaheim are also perfect at 3-0 and 2-0 respectively in the West with Ottawa and New Jersey also 3-0 and 2-0 respectively in the East. St. Louis looks very good after an opening day loss as they are 3-1 and the Bruins are 2-0-1 to start.
On the other side of the coin, the Washington Capitals are the only team in the NHL without a point as they are 0-3 and have looked as bad as their record indicates. Florida, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers are all 1-3 to start the season and they will want to turns things around quickly or all three playoff teams in 2011-12 could have a tough time in the shortened schedule reaching The Promised Land of the post-season.
In the West, Calgary and the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings are off to 0-2-1 starts. The Flames were always in tough to make it to the playoffs but great things were expected from the Kings. Phoenix is 1-3 to start while the Detroit Red Wings have not looked good at all and are 1-2.
I know it’s still early but it is only a 48 game schedule.
Don't forget to get Rotoworld's Season Pass and also play Yahoo! hockey.
Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 3
4 Games – Boston, Buffalo, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Washington
3 Games – Anaheim, Carolina, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg
2 Games - Calgary, St. Louis
Columbus, Montreal, Phoenix, San Jose and Tampa Bay play three games at home this week.
Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, Nashville, New Jersey and Winnipeg play three games on the road.
Follow me on twitter!
INJURIES
Scott Hartnell is out four-eight weeks with a broken foot.
(Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ San Jose, vs. Minnesota, vs. Los Angeles
Notes
The Ducks are tired this week when they take on the Kings Saturday after hosting the Wild on Friday. Daniel Winnik has been the surprise of the early going with a pair of two goal games to start the season after scoring only eight in 84 regular season games last season. Jonas Hiller has given up seven goals in his first two games, in part due to the fact that the Ducks have given up four goals in seven shorthanded efforts. Forty-two year old Teemu Selanne became the oldest player since Gordie Howe in 1971 to record four points in one game.
BOSTON
Games this week
@ Carolina, vs. New Jersey, vs. Buffalo, @ Toronto
Notes
The Bruins play three games in four nights so look for Anton Khudobin to get one start in place of Tuukka Rask. Boston will be tired on Tuesday when they host a rested New Jersey team as the Bruins are in Carolina Monday. Dougie Hamilton picked up the first point of his NHL career on Wednesday. Boston is struggling on the power play with only one goal in 14 chances. Jordan Caron is out of action with an upper body injury but is likely to return this week.
BUFFALO
Games this week
vs. Toronto, @ Boston, @ Montreal, vs. Florida
Notes
The Sabres play three games in four nights so expect to see Jhonas Enroth between the pipes once in place of Ryan Miller. Buffalo will be tired on Sunday when they entertain Florida after playing in Montreal the previous night. Thomas Vanek had a five point night against the Flyers Sunday and is second in scoring with eight points. Nathan Gerbe returned to action on Thursday after missing the first two games with a back injury. He’s playing alongside Mikhail Grigorenko and Steve Ott.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. Colorado, vs. Chicago
Notes
The Flames play only twice this week so we recommend benching Calgary players if you have weekly transactions. They are the rested team both times, as Colorado play in Vancouver on Wednesday before travelling to Calgary Thursday while the Blackhawks are in Vancouver as well but on Friday and then go to Calgary Saturday to take on the Flames. The Flames sent Roman Horak to the minors and look for him to be up and down for most of the season. Roman Cervenka was given medical clearance to begin practicing after his bout with blood clots. He should be back this week. Cervenka is considered one of the best players around who have never played in the NHL and is worth picking up if available.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. Boston, vs. Ottawa, @ Philadelphia
Notes
It only took two games for Joe Corvo to be a healthy scratch for the Hurricanes as he did not play Thursday. Cam Ward is off to a tough start but before you lose hope, he also got off to a tough start last season. Coach Kirk Muller is pleased with the maturity of Jeff Skinner as he was briefly taken off a line with Jordan Staal and Zac Dalpe but didn’t sulk and just played hard. He is back on the line while Jiri Tlusty is playing with Eric Staal an Alexander Semin.
CHICAGO
Games this week
@ Minnesota, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary
Notes
The Blackhawks start a six game road trip and once they return home, the last 22 of 36 games will be played at the United Center. Look for Ray Emery to play once in relief of Corey Crawford as Chicago plays three games in four nights. The Blackhawks are rested on Wednesday when they face the tired Wild who play at home versus Columbus on Tuesday but are tired Saturday when they travel to Calgary after playing the Canucks Friday. Brent Seabrook is leading the NHL in hits heading into action Thursday with 13. After being one of the worst teams on the penalty kill last season (27th overall), the Blackhawks have given up only one goal in 10 chances this season to rank in the top three.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary, vs. Edmonton
Notes
The Avalanche will play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Jean-Sebastien Giguere to get a start in place of Semyon Varlamov. They are a tired team on Thursday when they play a rested Calgary team after playing in Vancouver Wednesday. The Avs play twice against Edmonton this week so look for Cody McLeod and Shane O'Brien to add to their penalty minute totals. Steve Downie would also be on that list but he underwent season-ending knee surgery. Look for Chuck Kobasew to get some time in Downie’s place although Colorado would like to get Ryan O'Reilly back in the lineup. O’Reilly is currently a restricted free agent and the two sides are not close as of Thursday evening.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
vs. Dallas, @ Minnesota, vs. St. Louis, vs. Detroit
Notes
The Blue Jackets play three games in four nights in their four game week so expect to see Steve Mason play at least once for Sergei Bobrovsky who at this point of the season looks to be the odds on favorite to be the starting goalie in the early going. The Blue Jackets will be tired on Tuesday when they travel to Minnesota to play a rested Wild squad after playing Dallas Monday. Columbus will be the rested team Saturday when they host Detroit who play the Blues Friday. Coach Todd Richards shuffled his lines up as Artem Anisimov is centering the top unit in between Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky while Derick Brassard will center Derek Dorsett and R.J. Umberger. It looks like Vaclav Prospal has been relegated to third line duty.
DALLAS
Games this week
@ Columbus, @ Detroit, vs. Phoenix, @ Phoenix
Notes
The Stars will play four times including two back-to-back games so it is likely that the Stars will not want to risk the groin of Kari Lehtonen who is prone to the injury, so look for Dallas to give Cristopher Nilstorp at least one and likely two starts. They will be tired on Tuesday when they are in Detroit after playing in Columbus on Monday. Dallas plays a home-and-home series with Phoenix this week. Jamie Benn signed a five-year deal Thursday. It appears that Ray Whitney has a foot injury that requires him to wear a protective boot but he is able to skate and play. Aaron Rome should be available this week after missing the first week of the season with a groin injury.
DETROIT
Games this week
vs. Dallas, vs. St. Louis, @ Columbus
Notes
The Red Wings are the rested team twice and are the tired team in the other game as they play three times this week. Detroit is rested on Tuesday and Friday when they play Dallas and St. Louis respectively while they will be tired on Saturday when they travel to Columbus after playing the aforementioned Blues on Friday. Detroit is reeling on the blueline with injuries to Carlo Colaiacovo, Ian White and Jonathan Ericsson, but they will get Jakub Kindl back after he missed the start of the season. Backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson was hurt in the season opener after relieving Jimmy Howard in a 6-0 loss to St. Louis.
EDMONTON
Games this week
vs. Colorado, @ Phoenix, @San Jose, @ Colorado
Notes
The Oilers are tired Thursday when they are in San Jose after playing in Phoenix Wednesday. The Oilers play three games in four nights so expect to see Yann Danis between the pipes once instead of Devan Dubnyk. Nikolai Khabibulin is still out with a hip injury but he should be ready to go shortly which will necessitate the demotion of Danis to Oklahoma City. Nail Yakupov and Justin Schultz each scored the first goals of their NHL careers in a 6-3 loss to San Jose in which Dubnyk gave up a half dozen first period goals before getting pulled. Mark Fistric made his Edmonton debut on Thursday, replacing Corey Potter.
FLORIDA
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, vs. Winnipeg, @ Buffalo
Notes
The Panthers will be rested on Sunday when they take on the tired Buffalo Sabres as the Western New York team is in Montreal Saturday. Stephen Weiss missed Thursday’s game with a lower body injury. Alexei Kovalev has been a pleasant surprise in the early going. Kris Versteeg has been out of the lineup with a groin injury but is eligible to return as soon as January 25. Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and a pair of assists in his NHL debut but has been held off the scoresheet in the last three games. Eric Gudbranson hurt his shoulder in a wakeboarding accident in September and is getting close to returning.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
vs. Vancouver, vs. Nashville, @ Anaheim
Notes
The Kings are the rested team twice this week facing a tired Vancouver team on Monday as the Canucks are in San Jose Sunday. As well, the Kings will be rested Saturday when they travel the 28 miles from the Staples Center to the Duck Pond to play Anaheim who play the Wild on Friday. Willie Mitchell does not think he is ready to return to the lineup despite getting medical clearance from the medical staff to do so. Matt Greene is likely out for the remainder of the regular season with a back injury as the Kings blueline is being decimated by injury. The best news of the week was that Anze Kopitar only missed one game with his knee injury and played Tuesday.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Columbus, vs. Chicago, @ Anaheim
Notes
The Wild play three games in four nights so Josh Harding will likely get a start in net in place of Niklas Backstrom. Minnesota gets a break this week as they are the rested team when they face Columbus Tuesday after the Blue Jackets are home to the Wild Monday but will be tired on Wednesday when they are home to a rested Blackhawk team. Jonas Brodin, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 Draft, was recalled after he recovered from a broken clavicle and should be in the lineup January 25. Dany Heatley has three goals and four points in his first three games.
MONTREAL
Games this week
vs. Winnipeg, @ Ottawa, vs. Buffalo, vs. Ottawa
Notes
The Canadiens are the tired team on Super Bowl Sunday when they host Ottawa after hosting the Sabres Saturday. They play four games in six days so look for Carey Price to get a game off this week with Peter Budaj getting the start. The Habs also play a couple of games against Ottawa so expect to see Brandon Prust and Ryan White lead the parade to the penalty box. Andrei Markov has three goals and an assist in three games thus far, and is attempting to put his last two injury-plagued years behind him. Markov’s play has allowed the Habs to be tougher with the salary requests of restricted free agent P.K. Subban who is not close to a deal at this time. Lars Eller has been a healthy scratch the last two games.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
@ Phoenix, @ Los Angeles, @ San Jose
Notes
The Predators remain in the Far West this week. Paul Gaustad has missed the last three games with an upper body injury. Shea Weber has been held scoreless in his first four games of the season but does have 11 penalty minutes. Pekka Rinne does not have a win in three outings but Chris Mason got one in his only appearance in net. Martin Erat and Patric Hornqvist are leading the Predators with four points in the early going.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
@ Boston, vs. New York Islanders, @ Pittsburgh, @ New York Islanders
Notes
The Devils play three games in four nights so look for Johan Hedberg to play once in place of Martin Brodeur, who picked up his career leading 120th shutout. New Jersey will be rested on Tuesday when they take on a tired Boston team who host Carolina Monday and will be tired on Sunday when they travel to Long Island after playing in Pittsburgh Saturday. New Jersey plays the Islanders twice this week so expect to see David Clarkson and Krys Barch add to their penalty minute totals. Mattias Tedenby has moved to the top line, at least in practice as he is on the wing with Travis Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk, while Dainius Zubrus moved down to the second unit with Patrik Elias and Clarkson.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ Pittsburgh, @ New Jersey, vs. New Jersey
Notes
The Islanders will be rested on Sunday when they face the Devils who are in Pittsburgh Saturday. New York plays back-to-back games against New Jersey so tough guy Matt Martin will be likely be spending some prolonged time in the sin bin. Joshua Bailey is hoping to return this week from a knee injury. Evgeni Nabokov is 2-1 this season but look for backup Rick DiPietro to get a start. Nino Niederreiter has asked to be traded according to a source, after not being invited to training camp but the Islanders, who will not accede to wishes, want to give him a full year in the minors after he had only one goal, no assists and a minus-29 rating in 55 games as a 19-year-old in 2011-12.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, @Pittsburgh, @ Tampa Bay
Notes
The Rangers are rested on Saturday when they travel to Tampa Bay who face the Jets at home on Friday. Chris Kreider has struggled all season, first in the AHL during the lockout and now he is seeing little ice time in the NHL so he could be returned to the minors although a hard hit by Brooks Orpik to his jaw on Sunday certainly didn’t help. Marian Gaborik had a hat trick in the Rangers’ 4-3 win over Boston on Wednesday but he has only one assist in his other three games. Taylor Pyatt has been a nice surprise in the early going as he has goals in three straight games.
OTTAWA
Games this week
vs. Washington, vs. Montreal, @ Carolina, @ Montreal
Notes
The Senators play three games in four nights this week. Craig Anderson is the starting goalie and should get three starts while Ben Bishop would get the other. There are a lot of teams interested in the services of Bishop and the Sens could deal him as they have Robin Lehner in the minors. Ottawa plays Montreal twice this week and you can expect Chris Neil to add to penalty minute totals. Erik Karlsson has picked up right where he left off last season as he leads the team with four points in three games while Kyle Turris has three goals in as many games.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ Washington, vs. Carolina
Notes
The Flyers are rested Friday when they face the Capitals who are in Toronto Thursday. Scott Hartnell will miss at least four weeks and as many as eight as he suffered a broken foot when he was hit by a shot from teammate Kimmo Timonen. Daniel Briere should make his seasonal debut this week as he has been out with a wrist injury that occurred when he played in Germany. Ilya Bryzgalov finally got his first win of the season as the Flyers knocked off the struggling Rangers 2-1 Thursday.
PHOENIX
Games this week
vs. Nashville, vs. Edmonton, @ Dallas, vs. Dallas
Notes
The Coyotes play three games in four nights but Mike Smith is out of action at this time with a lower body injury so Jason Labarbera will get the majority of the playing time with Chad Johnson the current backup. Steve Sullivan is off to a great start for the Coyotes as he has four goals and an assist, but his minus-three rating will hurt you this early in the season. As I told you last season, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a stud defenseman and he has a chance to be a future Norris Trophy winner. He is that good and is only 21. Phoenix recalled David Rundblad only a couple of days after sending him to the minors.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers, vs. New Jersey @ Washington
Notes
The Penguins play three games in four nights so look for off-season free agent acquisition Tomas Vokoun to play at least once in place of Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins could use Vokoun far more this season than originally thought so do not be surprised if Fleury only plays 30-32 games. The Penguins are tired Sunday when they are in Washington after they host the Devils Saturday. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each scored their first of the season against the Maple Leafs in a 5-2 loss. Malkin has 12 penalty minutes in only three games as he picked up a misconduct at the end of the Toronto game.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
@ Columbus, @ Detroit
Notes
The Blues only play twice this week after playing six times in the first nine days, so we recommend benching most of your Blues in weekly transaction pools and take advantage of the schedule. They play back-to-back games so Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott will likely split the action The Blues will be tired Friday in Detroit after playing in Columbus Thursday. Jaroslav Halak already has a couple of shutouts in the early going. Wade Redden made his St. Louis debut on Thursday as the Blues put Jeff Woywitka on waivers. Vladimir Tarasenko has been outstanding in the first week of the season as he has scored four goals which is tied for third in the NHL, and six points and has established himself as the early favorite for the Calder Trophy.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, vs. Edmonton, vs. Nashville
Notes
The Sharks will be rested Thursday when they take on the Oilers as Edmonton will play in Phoenix Wednesday. The Sharks are perfect through three games and have the leading point getter in the league as Joe Thornton has nine points including eight helpers, while Patrick Marleau tops the NHL in goals with six. Marleau has had three straight two goal games to start the season. The last player to do so was Peter Stastny in 1982. The Sharks signed Scott Gomez to a one-year deal but he was a healthy scratch on Thursday.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Florida, vs. Winnipeg, vs. New York Rangers
Notes
The Lightning are the rested team Friday when the host the Jets who are across the state Thursday when they face Florida. Tampa Bay will be the tired team on Saturday as the rested New York Rangers are in town. Cory Conacher has been a big surprise as the undrafted 23-year-old has five points in his first three NHL games. He was the AHL rookie of the year in 2011-12, so perhaps his play should not be a big shock. First round pick Slater Koekkoek is out for the season after a shoulder injury required surgery for the second time in two seasons. He will be out four-six months. Congratulations are in order for Vincent Lecavalier who played in his 1,000th game on Monday.
TORONTO
Games this week
@ Buffalo, vs. Washington, vs. Boston
Notes
The Maple Leafs lost Joffrey Lupul for a minimum of six weeks when a Dion Phaneuf shot broke his forearm. They recalled Matt Frattin to take his place and Frattin returned with a flourish as he had a goal and two assists in his first game back Thursday. Nazem Kadri is off to a good start with three goals in four games. Toronto got a boost when coach Randy Carlyle changed his line combinations and put James van Riemsdyk on a line with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin and van Riemsdyk exploded with a couple of goals and an assist Wednesday. The Leafs sent Korbinian Holzer to the minors when they activated Jake Gardiner (concussion) off the injured list.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
@ Los Angeles, vs. Colorado, vs. Chicago
Notes
The Canucks will be the tired team on Monday when they face the Kings in Los Angeles after playing in Anaheim Sunday. Cory Schneider was outstanding on Wednesday for the Canucks as they won their first game of the season. There is still a goaltending controversy in Vancouver and that will not stop until the Canucks are able to deal Roberto Luongo or there is an injury. GM Mike Gillis said there was a deal in place for Luongo but plenty of insiders think that Gillis is trying to get the market interested again. Zack Kassian has been a great addition to the top line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
@ Ottawa, @ Toronto. vs. Philadelphia, vs. Pittsburgh
Notes
The Capitals play four times including three games in four nights so expect to see Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth to split the net. The Capitals are tired on Friday when they face the Flyers at home after playing in Toronto Thursday. The Caps are the rested team on Sunday at home to Pittsburgh who travel from their arena after playing New Jersey on Saturday. The rumblings have started as Washington is 0-3 to start the season. Mathieu Perreault complained to the French press in Quebec about a lack of ice time as he played only 4:58 minutes and 3:52 in his first two games. After the article was published, Perreault played 12:15 in a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens. Marcus Johansson dropped from the first line to the fourth as Wojtek Wolski took his spot alongside Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Brooks Laich has yet to play due to a groin injury.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
@ Montreal, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay
Notes
The Jets will be tired on Friday after crossing the state of Florida to play a rested Tampa Bay team. Kyle Wellwood went from the penthouse to the outhouse on Tuesday as he was dropped from the first line and was a healthy scratch. Blake Wheeler took his spot alongside Olli Jokinen and Evander Kane and had a goal and assist in the Jets first win of the season. No one on the Jets has more than one goal in three games but Tobias Enstrom does have four assists.