Much Moritz Stranger Things In The Up-Seider-Down

Happy Wednesday, Razzball faithful!

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s a pretty popular show on Netflix these days that the kids are losing their ever-loving minds over.

And as much as I was hoping to roll out a bit about Ivan Demi-dov-Gorgon, the Ottawa Senators had other plans (more on that below).

Well, as they say, Stranger Things have happened than writing up a full round-up without a main star’s full stat-sheet to recount. And thankfully, a Motown defenseman gave us a performance to feature in our lede today.

Moritz Seider took a page out of the alternate universe and flipped the Bruins into the upside down last night in Detroit with 1 G (4), 2 A (15), +1, 4 PIM, 1 SOG, 1 PPA, 4 BLK, and 22:55 of ice time. 

It was a nice bounce-back of sorts for the big German blueliner, after being held off the scoresheet in his last 3 games. Seider led the charge for the Red Wings in this revenge game after he was beaten (on the scoreboard and in a fight by Mark Kastelic) on Saturday afternoon.

But was that the only player worth highlighting from a Tuesday night 10-game slate?

Here’s what else I saw in NHL action last night…

Jeremy Swayman – 18 saves on 23 shots in a 5-4 loss at DET. The Sway-man was swaying back and forth, trying to keep his team in the game, but giveaways in the neutral zone once again cost the Bruins last night. The final score was much more flattering than the gameplay, and the loss snapped a modest 2-game personal win streak for the netminder.

Alex Steeves – 2 G (5), 2 SOG, 3 H and 16:52 TOI. DFS’ers take note: New England’s favorite chicken jockey scored two more on a Tuesday night. Steeves has the skill to play in a top-6 role, and if anyone is going to take advantage of a David Pastrnak absence, it’s him. His 16:52 of ice time was a season high.

Hampus Lindholm – 3 A (9), +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG, 1 H, and 24:59 TOI. I’ll sound a bit like a broken record here, but as much as Steeves is getting extra time with Pastrnak out, Hampus is getting the call more often with Charlie McAvoy recovering from his frozen rubber snack a couple of weeks back. I still wouldn’t be burning a high waiver wire priority on the big defenseman, but that might just be because my blood boils every time he takes a stupid penalty and costs the B’s a goal. You could do worse if you need to fill an open spot, especially while he’s filling in on the PP with McAvoy out.

Morgan Geekie – 2 A (8), +1, 5 SOG, 2 H, and 18:42 TOI. The Geek squad didn’t add to his (near) league-leading 20 goals last night, but he managed to chip in a couple of points. 

John Gibson – 34 saves on 38 shots and the W. His first win in 3 starts and 19 GA in his last four games. It’s not been pretty for Gibson, but he’ll keep splitting time in Motown with Cam Talbot, even with an .865 SV%.

Lucas Raymond – 1 G (9), 1 A (20), 3 SOG, 1 PPG, 1 H, 18:57 TOI. Both Raymond and Alex DeBrincat scored once and added an assist last night. Raymond’s was the game winner, his third in 25 GP.

Linus Ullmark – 19 saves on 21 shots isn’t exactly an outing that instils fear into the opposition like the Mind Flayer, but Linus Ullmark’s win over MTL was his 10th of the year. Ullmark’s 3.05 GAA and .876 SV% aren’t too scary either, but Sam Montembeault’s night? Ya, it wasn’t nearly as encouraging.

Brady Tkachuk – 1 G (1), 1 A (5), +3, 3 SOG, 2 H, 15:31 TOI. Tkachuk now has 3 points in three games after returning from a 20-game absence (thumb injury). If your league counts shots and hits, he’s even more valuable, as it looks like he’s making up for lost time.

Artem Zub – 1 G (3), +2, 1 SOG, 1 H, 1 BLK, and 24:02 TOI. Zub isn’t a superstar blueliner by any means, but he’s enjoying a modest breakout. He’s just 2 points away from reaching last year’s point total (13) and should eclipse his career high of 25 points (2023-2024) if he stays healthy. Plus, if you say you hate saying his name out loud, I wouldn’t believe you.

Sam Montembeault – 24 saves on 29 shots and a 5-2 loss vs OTT. If Linus Ullmark was the Mind Flayer last night, Sam Montembeault was the Air Fryer. Meaning crispy, overcooked, and a bit burned by the red light shining brightly behind his net every time a Sens player pushed one over the goal line.

Nick Suzuki – 1 G (8), 1 A (22), -1, 3 SOG, 1 PPG, 1 PPA, 3 H. If there’s a plan for the Habs to lose, no one told Suzuki. Even with a 3-6-1 record over their last 10 games, Suzuki is riding a 6-game point streak for Montreal. Now he needs more help.

Ilya Sorokin – 29 saves on 30 shots and the 2-1 win vs TB. The Russian storyline in Stranger Things straddles the end of Season Three and the beginning of Season Four. And after three straight losses, Sorokin looked like he was ready to escape the Soviet gulag last night. Hopefully, the next time, he doesn’t have to fight his way out like Hopper did.

Bo Horvat – 1 G (16), +1, 3 SOG, 22:22 TOI. 27 points in 27 games for Horvat, and an elite 17% shooting percentage. If your league is one of those stranger ones that values goals more highly than assists, go get yourself some Horvat.

Andrei Vasilevskiy – 21 saves on 23 shots and the loss at NYI. Speaking of Russian goalies, Vasilevskiy’s loss broke a personal 6-game winning streak. The numbers are still top tier (2.31 GAA, .919 SV%) and he’s showing no signs of slowing down in his age 31 season.

Igor Shesterkin – 24 saves on 26 shots and the 3-2 OT win vs DAL. Wait. Another Russian goalie? What’s next, a Russian winger scoring the game-winning goal?!

Vladislav Gavrikov – 1 G (5), 1 SOG, 1 H, 1 BLK, and the GWG. I swear I nearly wrote Igor instead of Vladislav. I’m not sure there is a more Russian-sounding name in the league than this guy’s. Regardless, Garvikov has 5 PTS in his last 6 GP. It’s obvious that he’s Put-In some work. (Oof).

Casey DeSmith – 38 saves on 41 shots and the overtime loss. DeSmith got De-Smoked with shots in this one, and nearly escaped with the victory. In 10 starts, DeSmith has lost in regulation just once…but has lost after three periods 4 times.

Mikko Rantanen – 1 G (11), +1, 4 SOG, 1 H, 21:13 TOI, and his fourth consecutive game without a game misconduct. Here’s hoping for the Stars’ sake, the superstar winger stays out of the penalty box and can add to his point streak at NJ tonight (6 PTS in 3 GP).

Sergei Bobrovsky – 26 saves on 29 shots and the 4-1 loss vs TOR. Oh, look! Another Russian goalie! Do they have a factory over there that pumps out vodka and hockey players? Because if they do, maybe they should use some hockey players to defend that inter-dimensional rift to the upside-down.

Sam Reinhart – 1 G (14), 1 SOG, 1 SHG, 1 H. True story: Every time I write up a former Sabre doing anything positive, I kind of feel bad. It’s a weird guilt, even though I know it’s not my fault that they aren’t in Buffalo anymore. Here’s hoping Jack Eichel doesn’t do anything in the Vegas game later.

Brad Marchand – Just 3 SOG from the Panthers’ leading scorer, but I wanted to add this one in today.

All around good guy and Toronto favorite, Brad Marchand.

I don’t know how Leaf fans can continue to deny that this guy is an absolute gem. Not only is he a great player, but he tells it like it is. In a nutshell, Marchand says that the league standings are so close right now that it’s “stupid” for anyone to count a team out of playoff contention when they’re four points out of a playoff position. Calling out the hyper-critical and overly enthusiastic Toronto media was a nice touch, too.

“Leaf Nation”: Ya, Ya, but…but…but he licked someone 10 years ago!”

SMH emoji.

Joseph Woll – 26 saves on 27 shots and the win at FLA. The parade is back on! Ok, all jokes aside, Woll has been solid for the Leafs since his return. He’s 3-3-1 in 7 starts, but the 2.53 GAA and .925 SV% are solid.

Troy Stecher – 1 G (1), 1 A (3), +4, 1 SOG, 4 BLK, 24:26 TOI. Who needs Morgan Reilly when you’ve got…*checks notes*…Troy Stecher?! Stecher’s 2-point night doubled his season output.

Dakota Joshua – 1 G (4), 1 A (4), +2, 2 PIM, 1 SOG, GWG, 2 H, 1 BLK, and 11:07 TOI. Who needs Auston Matthews when you’ve got Dakota Joshua?! (Ok. I’ll stop now).

Juuse Saros – 27 saves on 28 shots in the 5-1 win vs CGY. I wonder if he looked at the calendar and saw it was the Flames, then thought about how Juicy the matchup was going to be. Ugh. Poor Cowtown is in trouble.

Michael Bunting – 1 G (6), 1 A (9), +2, 4 SOG. All those nails at the end of Steve Harrington’s baseball bat mean he’s certainly not going to be Bunting. Swing away!

Steven Stamkos – 1 G (7), 2 SOG, and his third goal in his last 4 GP. 15:47 of ice time is an indication that the old Stammer is, well, old, but that’s not stopping the rumor mill from churning out content. The most recent teams named in the swirling winds of Stamkos’ movement? Montreal, Carolina, Winnipeg, Seattle, Detroit. I’ve seen mention of the Devils, too, but I’d like to see him and Jordan Eberle together on that Kraken home ice if Nashville decides to move him.

Devin Cooley – 12 saves on 16 shots and the early hook after two periods. And the crater just keeps getting bigger and bigger as the Flames sink even further behind the rest of the league.

Morgan Frost – 1 G (6), -1, 1 SOG, 17:47 TOI. So we’re talking about the Flames. And we’re highlighting a Cooley and a Frost? You know who’s been ice cold? Come on. You can’t make this stuff up. 

Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood – 10 saves each on 11 shots and 10 shots (respectively). I looked at the box score and thought to myself, “Wow, Colorado is really taking this goalie timeshare seriously.” All jokes aside, Wedgewood was pulled with an “upper body injury” halfway through the second period and replaced with Blackwood, who eventually recorded the win. Reports stated that it was Wedgewood’s back that was acting up, but that he “avoided significant injury”, so you can breathe a sigh of relief if you roster him.

Nathan Mackinnon – 2 G (22), +2, 6 SOG, 1 H, 22:15 TOI. The report was that Mackinnon was ‘fighting an illness” but still suited up for this game. And he scored 2 goals. Can you imagine what he would’ve done if he were 100%? I’d give him a hard time for not taking it slowly enough for Morgan Geekie to keep pace with him, but he’s too likeable, and too talented, to criticise.

Gabriel Landeskog – 2 A (9), +2, 1 H, 1 BLK, and 16:47 TOI. This doesn’t really affect the stats much, but I kind of love that Colorado hasn’t changed their captaincy since 2012. It would have been easy, and almost expected, for the Avs to give the “C” to MacKinnon or even Makar, especially when Landeskog missed so much time to injury, but they stuck with their guy. Other teams should take notes. This is how you build a solid culture.

Kevin Lankinen – 28 saves on 31 shots and the 3-1 loss at COL. Lankinen didn’t play poorly; he just didn’t get much offensive support to give him a shot at the win. He has just two wins in his last 10 starts.

Jesper Wallstedt – 33 saves on 33 shots, and the shutout win at EDM. I saw this game on the list and refused to watch it (I put the Colorado game on instead). Edmonton’s game last week broke me. It’ll be a while until I can watch the Oilers again. As far as Wallstedt is concerned, he had an excellent game and managed to hold two of the best in the game (McDavid and Draisaitl) off the scoresheet. Wallstedt is on fire with 4 shutouts in 6 games. He leads the league in GAA and SV% (without sorting for qualified starters by games played).

Jonas Brodin – 1 G (3), +1, 1 SOG, 4 BLK, and 25:46 TOI. Underrated in real hockey, and forgotten in fantasy hockey. He’s the kind of guy who would get maybe 50% of people answering the following question correctly – “Is this guy still playing in the NHL?”

Stuart Skinner – 23 saves on 24 shots and the 1-0 loss to MIN. It’s easy to rip on this guy, especially with the back-to-back finals collapses, but this one wasn’t his fault. When Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have 6 shots TOTAL and Connor McDavid records just ONE SOG? Don’t lay blame at Skinner’s feet after that kind of output.

Spencer Knight – 25 saves on 28 shots heading into the shootout (3-3 after OT). He’s 8-5-3 on the year and is looking like exactly what Florida had expected when they drafted him 13th overall in the 2019 NHL entry draft. Both he and the Vegas goalie stood on their heads in overtime as well.

Connor Bedard – 1 G (17), 5 SOG, 1 BLK, and 21:25 TOI. I know I have a lot to say most times, so let me add this in here because it says much more than I ever could. EDIT: His shootout goal was just as filthy.

https://t.co/ynTjughD5g pic.twitter.com/zyL8ypWQ73

— MarmosDad (Matt) (@marmosdad) December 3, 2025

Tyler Bertuzzi – 1 G (14), 1 A (9), 1 SOG, and 20:20 TOI. The Blackhawks announcers said it last night. Bertuzzi is off to the best start of his career, and it’s tough to argue 14 goals in 23 games.

Carter Hart – 27 saves on 30 shots in his first game since January of 2024. Off-ice stories aside, Hart looked solid in this game, especially in a very active overtime period.

Ivan Barbashev – 1 G (9), 1 A (13), +2, 2 PIM, 1 SOG, 2 H, 1 BLK. Shaving cream or Russian winger? I bet you can guess!

Logan Thompson – 24 saves on 25 shots. That’s Thompson’s 12th win of the year. The 2.03 GAA pushes him ahead of Scott Wedgewood’s 2.08 for the league lead.

Tom Wilson – 1 G (16), 2 SOG, 1 PPG, 1 H, 1 BLK, and 20:40 TOI. Mr Wilson has 5 goals in his last 5 games and has recorded 13 PTS in his last 10 games.

Alex Ovechkin – 2 A (15), 2 SOG, 1 PPA, and 16:46 TOI. No, seriously, it’s not a typo. That’s two assists, not goals. And guess where he’s from!

Darcy Kuemper – 22 saves on 24 shots in the 3-1 loss vs WSH. That’s his 5th game in a row without a W after ripping off a streak of 4 victories at the beginning of November. In his defense, though, he’s given up more than two goals in just 3 of those 10 games.

Adrian Kempe – 1 G (9), -1, 2 SOG, 3 H, and 19:50 TOI.

That’s all for this week! I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can! 

ALSO! Viz mentioned yesterday that we’ll do Thursday’s 3-Point Challenge here today. Remember, you can use any of the following: Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Connor McDavid, Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, Martin Necas, Mark Scheifele, Nikita Kucherov, Jack Eichel, or Cale Makar. Phew!

I wanted to lock in Wyatt Johnston, but Dallas is off, so put me down for a David Pastrnak (hopeful) return.

Happy Wednesday, and I’ll see you next week!

Follow me @marmosdad on Twitter/X and Bluesky @marmosdad.bsky.social