SURGING SHEA
You know how I’ve consistently preached patience? Every now and then, my advice actually shines through a bit. No, really. Shea Weber’s the latest example of a player who’s been on a cold streak only to snap out of things and produce nicely.
After going 14 games without scoring a goal, Weber now has a three-game goal-scoring streak. That includes Tuesday’s two-point output, where he collected an assist but most importantly an overtime game-winner.
The big defenseman now has six of his seven points in a four-game run. If things go well, he could just hit double digits in tallies for the fifth straight season, even if it's only 48 games.
Even if that doesn't happen, Weber is starting to pay off.
BUMPS FOR BACKUPS
Tuesday’s Daily Dose focused on backups while Tuesday night’s games provided a little more data for us to chew on. For the most part, it wasn’t great.
Ben Scrivens, who still provides a bit of intrigue but lacks much of the sizzle, was pulled in Toronto's 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He made way for Jussi Rynnas, another guy who is fighting for time behind James Reimer.
Jake Allen’s three-game winning streak came to an end as the San Jose Sharks beat his St. Louis Blues 2-1. That's not an awful output, obviously, but the goal he allowed against Tim Kennedy was a real softie. Makes you wonder if that might be enough to let some of the air out of his balloon. Jaroslav Halak is expected to play on Wednesday; we'll see if Allen backs him up or if Brian Elliott dresses instead.
Rick DiPietro was Rick DiPietro. Hopefully you haven’t invested anything in him. Conversely, Ray Emery went to 6-0-0 as the Chicago Blackhawks tied the NHL record with points in their first 16 games of the season. Again, he’s probably my favorite backup option.
One interesting wild card to ponder: Nikolai Khabibulin. Despite his 1-2-0 record, "The Bulin Wall" is putting up impressive numbers. He has a .940 save percentage and 1.91 GAA. The Russian goalie doesn't have much left in the tank at 40, but I'm narratively obligated to mention that he's had shocking success in contract years. He stole Cristobal Huet's starting job in Chicago and won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2003-04.
I’m not saying add Khabibulin right away, especially since Devan Dubnyk’s performances have been sneaky-good, although I’d watch list him.
INJURY NOTES (full list) and QUICK HITS
Alex Galchenyuk is having a really nice rookie season, with 10 points in 16 games so far … If Ottawa has a chance, Craig Anderson will drive the bus. He stopped 37 out of 38 shots on Tuesday in yet another impressive performance … Brent Seabrook is day-to-day with a lower-body injury … Be warned: Michael Ryder and Mikko Koivu are the latest players dealing with illnesses that might or might not make them miss some time … You know who’s gotten a raw deal lately? Antti Niemi. He went 0-2-3 in the five games before Tuesday’s win, despite great overall numbers. Still, a hot start keeps his record reasonable enough … Maybe Jonathan Quick finally has it together?
Whenever an injury-prone but talented player has a nice start, people tend to begin kicking themselves. It’s the fantasy equivalent to foregoing a Lottery Ticket on Powerball day, or at least when someone at your scrubby local gas station wins $1K on a scratch-off.
For many, Marian Hossa has been that guy.
He’s been a tough nut to crack even before last season, merely because he was already a talented-but-aging forward (34 years old) who plays a two-way game that occasionally doesn’t produce numbers becoming of a player at his skill level. Sure, when you see his name come up in round five or so, you groan … but he’s occasionally tough to categorize.
Hossa’s true value was a bit tough to ID. His 77-point output in the regular season was his best output since the first two seasons following the lockout, when he had 92 and 100 points.
But then that terrible Raffi Torres hit happened, and the mystery deepened. The 34-year-old Slovakian was carted off the ice in Chicago's playoff series against the Phoenix Coyotes, ending his postseason with a frightening concussion. Even if he could play in 2013, how truly convinced were fantasy owners that he would be the same guy? Would this convince Hossa to stay on the perimeter?
Nope, he’s been fantastic. Up until Jannik Hansen’s controversial hit, Hossa has been up there with Jonathan Toews as Chicago’s second-best fantasy forward behind Patrick Kane (22 points). He was especially great on Tuesday, scoring goals seven and eight on five shots even though he was just through two periods of play.
Overall, Hossa has been strong, with eight goals and 14 points, a +6 rating, 12 PIM, two GWG and 51 shots on goal in 16 games.
My guess is Hansen doesn’t get a suspension, although who knows. Sadly, the NHL bases its justice system partially on the severity of injuries, so that might factor into the decision.
The early reaction from Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville is that Hossa “seemed OK.” It sounds like he didn’t need to go to a hospital, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Chicago has him visit a specialist. In other words, things are in the early goings.
DUCK, HOWARD
The Hossa injury wasn’t the only significant concern from Tuesday’s action. Detroit Red Wings fans held their collective breath as key goalie Jimmy Howard left the team’s eventual 4-3 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators.
Looking at Howard's numbers, it's not as if he's lighting up the world. He just has a 6-5-2 record with a substandard .897 save percentage and 3.08 GAA. Even with mediocre stats, the fact of the matter is that the Red Wings depend heavily on the 28-year-old netminder, appearing in 14 of the team’s 16 games.
It’s just another tough break for Detroit, which has been damaged by injuries. Niklas Kronwall dodged a bullet when he was boarded. Cory Emmerton was bloodied. Mikael Samuelsson was hurt when he was struck by a puck during practice.
Combine those ailments - even ones that might not result in time lost - with existing issues for guys like Todd Bertuzzi, Johan Franzen and Darren Helm and things are looking rough for the Red Wings.
Keep an eye on Jonas Gustavsson to see how their starts shake out if Howard misses a significant amount of time.
More from around the league after the jump.
SURGING SHEA
You know how I’ve consistently preached patience? Every now and then, my advice actually shines through a bit. No, really. Shea Weber’s the latest example of a player who’s been on a cold streak only to snap out of things and produce nicely.
After going 14 games without scoring a goal, Weber now has a three-game goal-scoring streak. That includes Tuesday’s two-point output, where he collected an assist but most importantly an overtime game-winner.
The big defenseman now has six of his seven points in a four-game run. If things go well, he could just hit double digits in tallies for the fifth straight season, even if it's only 48 games.
Even if that doesn't happen, Weber is starting to pay off.
BUMPS FOR BACKUPS
Tuesday’s Daily Dose focused on backups while Tuesday night’s games provided a little more data for us to chew on. For the most part, it wasn’t great.
Ben Scrivens, who still provides a bit of intrigue but lacks much of the sizzle, was pulled in Toronto's 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He made way for Jussi Rynnas, another guy who is fighting for time behind James Reimer.
Jake Allen’s three-game winning streak came to an end as the San Jose Sharks beat his St. Louis Blues 2-1. That's not an awful output, obviously, but the goal he allowed against Tim Kennedy was a real softie. Makes you wonder if that might be enough to let some of the air out of his balloon. Jaroslav Halak is expected to play on Wednesday; we'll see if Allen backs him up or if Brian Elliott dresses instead.
Rick DiPietro was Rick DiPietro. Hopefully you haven’t invested anything in him. Conversely, Ray Emery went to 6-0-0 as the Chicago Blackhawks tied the NHL record with points in their first 16 games of the season. Again, he’s probably my favorite backup option.
One interesting wild card to ponder: Nikolai Khabibulin. Despite his 1-2-0 record, "The Bulin Wall" is putting up impressive numbers. He has a .940 save percentage and 1.91 GAA. The Russian goalie doesn't have much left in the tank at 40, but I'm narratively obligated to mention that he's had shocking success in contract years. He stole Cristobal Huet's starting job in Chicago and won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2003-04.
I’m not saying add Khabibulin right away, especially since Devan Dubnyk’s performances have been sneaky-good, although I’d watch list him.
INJURY NOTES (full list) and QUICK HITS
Alex Galchenyuk is having a really nice rookie season, with 10 points in 16 games so far … If Ottawa has a chance, Craig Anderson will drive the bus. He stopped 37 out of 38 shots on Tuesday in yet another impressive performance … Brent Seabrook is day-to-day with a lower-body injury … Be warned: Michael Ryder and Mikko Koivu are the latest players dealing with illnesses that might or might not make them miss some time … You know who’s gotten a raw deal lately? Antti Niemi. He went 0-2-3 in the five games before Tuesday’s win, despite great overall numbers. Still, a hot start keeps his record reasonable enough … Maybe Jonathan Quick finally has it together?