If you ever met Jhonas Enroth, you'd never think he was a goalie in the NHL. The diminutive Swede is, at best, 5'8" and 160 pounds. That said, he's proven to be a capable backup at the very least. In his first start in Los Angeles, Enroth stopped 39 of 40 shots in San Jose to let the Kings get revenge for the Sharks blowing them out opening night. Enroth showed in Buffalo that when he gets the chance to play in a regular role, he's more than capable, so if Jonathan Quick were to get hurt, he's must own in all leagues. For now, he's a great streamer in virtually all matchups.
Here's what else I saw on Thursday night:
While there were only four games on the schedule on Wednesday, there was plenty of young talent showcasing their abilities around the NHL. Front and center among them all was Connor McDavid, who scored a gorgeous goal, his fourth of the season. I'd like to see a better shot rate but it's hard to find real complaints about an 18 year old having 6 points in 7 games, including 5 in the last 3. The Oilers next four games are all against excellent defensive teams so it'll be interesting to see if he can keep his point streak alive.
Here's what else I saw on Wednesday:
Jaroslav Halak has had an up and down career. He broke onto the scene in Montreal carrying the eight seed to the conference finals, between powerhouses Washington and Montreal, to get there. Then, Montreal traded him to St. Louis where he always had good win totals and GAA but a poor save percentage. Last year, he ended up on the Islanders where he had a career regular season. He missed the first few games this year but came back late last week and posted a shutout last night against the 0-7 Blue Jackets. Even though they've lost every game, Columbus has been scoring goals, so a 37 save shutout is quite impressive. Expect him to be the workhorse for the Islanders now and to post great numbers across the board.
Here's what else happened on Tuesday (and the one game Monday):
If it wasn't for a late injury last season, Tyler Seguin would have almost certainly led the NHL in points. Instead, his teammate and linemate for most of the year, Jamie Benn, won the Art Ross trophy. Stars coach Lindy Ruff put newly acquired Patrick Sharp on the wing with Seguin and Benn the last two games, and there were immediate dividends. On Saturday, in a 4-2 win, Seguin had 2 goals and 2 assists, Benn had 2 goals and an assist and Sharp had 2 assists. If these three stick together, and there's no reason to expect them to be separated, they're going to be the best line in hockey this season and carry the Stars back into the postseason as a legitimate threat.
Here's what else I saw this weekend:
Not many teams have played on both Wednesday and Thursday this week but again, the Desert Dogs have garnered my attention. In an impressive performance against on Wednesday against the Ducks and the Wild on Thursday, Anthony Duclair buried a hat trick on Wednesday and scored another on Thursday. He's an excellent prospect who was the main piece the Rangers sent to Arizona in the Keith Yandle trade so he's well respected around the league. You obviously can't expect four goals in two games and the Coyotes are due to regress but in all dynasty leagues, I'd own Duclair and in 12 man leagues or deeper, I think he's must own.
Here's what else I've seen the last two nights:
After missing the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, the Sharks have started off this season on fire winning their three games by a 12-1 aggregate score. The fact that the Sharks have scored 12 goals in 3 games isn't surprising; they have a lot of firepower and are bound to have streaks like this. The stunning part is that they've given up 1 goal in 3 games and the credit goes to Martin Jones. Back to back shutouts against the Ducks and the Capitals for a goalie entrenched as a full-time starter for the first time is nothing short of impressive. It remains to be seen if the Sharks keep it up and to determine if Jones will wear down being a workhorse for the first time but enjoy the ride while you can.
Here's what else happened on Tuesday night:
As a Sabres fan, I must admit that I thoroughly enjoy seeing the Bruins struggle to start the season. It seems like so long ago that they were a defensive juggernaut shutting down all comers and making deep runs in the playoffs, including a Stanley Cup victory. In actuality, it was in 2013 that the Bruins were last in the Cup finals, a paltry two years ago. Now, their defense is an absolute trainwreck which is bad news for Tuukka Rask, who gave up 6 goals on 23 shots today against the Lightning. He's an incredible goalie but there's only so much that you can do when you're repeatedly facing great chances. If you're a Rask owner, I'd be asking around to gauge interest, not to sell very low but if someone wants Rask based on his reputation, I'd pounce.
Here was else I saw around the league on Monday:
The Arizona Coyotes put forward a great display of tanking at the end of last season pushing the Sabres for the worst record in the league. Unfortunately for them, they came up short and were jumped in the lottery. They were expected to be horrible again and the first two games do not really change their expectations. That said, you had to come away impressed by the Desert Dogs this weekend crushing the Kings 4-1 in LA on Friday and beating Pittsburgh 2-1 on Saturday. The quick start can largely be attributed to Mike Smith stopping 40 of 41 shots Friday and 27 of 28 on Saturday. He's an incredibly streaky goalie so it's not a terrible idea to pick him up and stream him while it lasts. He could also get shelled in their next game (Wednesday at Anaheim) so you have to decide for yourself if it's worth the gamble (I'd lean yes). Let's take a look at what else happened over the weekend:
I hate titling the article like something posted on NHL.com... Everything posted there has to be super corny or a terrible pun. Today, I couldn't help myself. There were some surprising performances around the league the first couple nights of the NHL season and one unbelievable, dare I say, Wild, comeback. Okay, I'll see myself out...And we're back! The Wild were down 4-1 going into the third period only to score 4 goals in 5:07 to take a 5-4 lead. Leading the way in the comeback was Zach Parise, scoring the first hat trick of the young season on 6 shots. The Sharks came out and after giving up a goal in the second minute, dominated the Kings for the last 58 . The Jets took it to the Bruins in Boston with a balanced attack leading Winnipeg to a 6-2 victory. The team many were picking to light the league on fire, the Pens, were shut out by my favorite long shot Cup contender, Dallas, 3-0. The biggest thing to do after one game is not overreact but there were some interesting developments and key notes to be made. Let's take a closer look!
The hockey season is finally upon us! While there are only 4 games tonight, it's great for hockey to start. I will go through a preview of the games tonight and Thursday (11 total games) and will have a recap of all of that action out on Friday morning. Here's a breakdown of what we're looking to see from a fantasy perspective in the first couple games of the season.
Hey guys! The hockey season is only a couple days away and that means time is running out to join, or even better, create, a Razzball Commenter League. The first league is full but there is still room in the second and we'd like to have multiple drafts that go on Tuesday night before the season starts on Wednesday. Please follow the steps below to join or create a league to show your hockey prowess!
People were asking for the rankings to be placed in one list so here you go. The only note is that
Marko Dano is starting the season in the AHL (damn you Chicago!), so keep an eye on him to see if he's recalled but he's undraftable in 12-man leagues now. Hope your drafts go well, look forward to drafting with some of you the next couple nights in RCL's! If you'd like to join, there are still leagues open
here.
