Chris Summers All-Star Chance
This is the second time I've been in Phoenix, with the first time being from January 14-21, 2012.
I went to two Coyotes games in 2012, the first on the 16th and the second on the 19th. Defenseman Chris Summers had three points in those two games and never had a point before or since in an NHL game until I arrived on Saturday morning. Lo and behold, Summers scored the first goal of his NHL career Saturday night. I've been in Phoenix for three home games and he has four points while not scoring at all in his other 32 NHL games.
I think it would be a good idea for Summers (or the Coyotes) to pay my way to Phoenix for the rest of his career as he can score like Bobby Orr when I'm around.
Just a thought. :)
By the way, Summers had seven penalty minutes on Thursday night... I leave Sunday.
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Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF MARCH 24-30
4 Games- Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Montreal, Nashville, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Tampa Bay
3 Games– Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, New York Islanders, St. Louis, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, Winnipeg
2 Games - New Jersey
Calgary, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh play three games at home.
Anaheim, Chicago, Los Angeles, Montreal, Phoenix, San Jose and Winnipeg play three games on the road.
INJURIES
Patrick Kane is out three weeks with a lower body injury. (Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ Calgary, @ Edmonton, @ Vancouver
Rested team: None
Tired Team: @ Vancouver (Saturday)
Notes
The Ducks are in Western Canada all week and play three games in four nights so look for Fredrik Andersen to play once in place of Jonas Hiller. It's unlikely that Cam Fowler will return during the regular season as he is out three-five weeks with a sprained MCL. Look for rookie Hampus Lindholm to take over his spot on the power play point. Nick Bonino missed practice on Wednesday after blocking a shot on Tuesday. The Ducks power play has gone into the dumper as they have found the back of the net only three times in their last 50 chances. They had the worst power play at the start of the season and it has reverted back to more of the same lately. Stephane Robidas played for the first time on Tuesday since breaking his leg on November 29.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Montreal, vs. Chicago, @ Washington, @ Philadelphia
Rested team: None
Tired Team: @ Philadelphia (Sunday)
Notes
The Bruins play four games this week including three games in four nights. Chad Johnson is expected to play at least once in place of Tuukka Rask. Jarome Iginla is hot as he has scored in each of his last four games and is now up to 26 goals on the season for the Bruins, leading the team. He has scored 30 or more goals 11 times in his NHL career and with 13 games to go this season, number 12 is certainly within reach. Reilly Smith was in a horrible goal scoring drought as he had not found the back of the net in 15 straight games before scoring his 19th of the season on Monday. Brad Marchand's goal against the Devils was his 22nd of the season and he leads the NHL in shorthanded goals with five.
BUFFALO
Games this week
@ Montreal, @ Nashville, vs. Tampa Bay
Rested team: @ Montreal (Tuesday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Sabres finish a five game road trip when they play in Nashville on Thursday. Cody Hodgson returned to center Thursday after spending time on the wing. He was between Cory Conacher and Torrey Mitchell. Jhonas Enroth and Michal Neuvirth are both out of action so the Sabres were forced to recall Matthew Hackett and Nathan Lieuwen. The Sabres are hoping that Neuvirth will be back on the 23rd. The Sabres had scored only six goals in their last seven games before Thursday's three goal outburst, with Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis being the only goal scorers. Cory Conacher scored twice Thursday while Stafford now has 11 goals and 18 points in his last 20 games.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. San Jose, vs. Anaheim, vs. New York Rangers, @ Ottawa
Rested team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
It was nice to see Matt Stajan return to the Calgary lineup on Tuesday after missing eight games due to the unfortunate death of his infant son. We wish the Stajan family the best. The Flames sent Corban Knight to the minors after he played seven games during his recall. He potted one goal. Calgary inked Kenneth Agostino to a two-year deal. Agostino was picked up in the Jarome Iginla deal from Pittsburgh. Michael Cammalleri has been hot of late with seven goals and 10 points in his last nine games. Joni Ortio has been good in net for Calgary as he is 4-4 with a 2.16 GAA and a .906 save percentage since taking over from the injured Karri Ramo.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ Florida, vs. Columbus
Rested team: vs. Columbus (Saturday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The flu bug may be going through the Carolina Hurricanes dressing room as Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk both sat out Tuesday with illnesses. Anton Khudobin was outstanding on Tuesday as he stopped 46 of 47 shots in a 3-1 win over Columbus to up his record to 15-10-0 with a 2.25 GAA and a .928 save percentage heading into action on Thursday. John-Michael Liles has started to skate again after suffering a concussion on March 7. Jiri Tlusty has missed two games with a lower body injury.
CHICAGO
Games this week
vs. Dallas, @ Boston, @ Ottawa, @ Pittsburgh
Rested team: vs. Dallas (Tuesday)
Tired Team: @ Ottawa (Friday)
Notes
The Blackhawks play four games including three times in four nights so look for Antti Raanta to play at least once in place of Corey Crawford. Patrick Kane is out for at least three weeks with a lower body injury believed to be his leg, after a collision with the Blues' Brenden Morrow. The Blackhawks are hoping that Kane will be okay for the start of the playoffs. Duncan Keith has been heating it up on the scoresheet as he has goals in back-to-back games after going 30 contests without scoring. Ben Smith has two goals and three points in his last three games to give him 22 points in 63 games this season.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Nashville, vs. Vancouver, vs. San Jose
Rested team: vs. Vancouver (Thursday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
Reto Berra's first game as an Av was a less than positive one as he gave up five goals on only 27 shots in a 5-4 OT loss to Winnipeg. Paul Stastny returned to the Colorado lineup on Tuesday and had an assist. He missed four games with a back injury and then sat out again on Wednesday so he obviously is not 100 percent. Jamie McGinn is on a five game scoring streak with three goals and seven points to give him 18 goals and 33 points this season. Gabriel Landeskog is having a very nice season with 21 goals, 56 points, a plus-18 rating and 53 penalty minutes. He also has 150 hits.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
vs. Detroit, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Carolina
Rested team: vs. Pittsburgh (Friday)
Tired Team: @ Carolina (Saturday)
Notes
The Columbus Blue Jackets will play the remainder of their suspended game against Dallas on April 9 and that gives them eight games in 12 nights to finish the NHL schedule. Jared Boll has been activated off injured reserve after missing action with a broken ankle since November 22. Pick him up if you need penalty minutes. The Blue Jackets got Fedor Tyutin back on Saturday after he missed nine games when he was injured during the Olympics. His steadying influence on the blueline will help Columbus in the stretch drive for the playoffs.
DALLAS
Games this week
vs. Winnipeg, @ Chicago, vs. Nashville, @ St. Louis
Rested team: vs. Nashville (Friday)
Tired Team: @ Chicago (Tuesday), @ St. Louis (Saturday)
Notes
The Stars play four times this week so expect to see Tim Thomas at least once in goal for Kari Lehtonen. Rich Peverley had his surgery to correct an abnormal heart rhythm fixed on Tuesday. Tyler Seguin is up to a career best 31 goals as the Stars made a great trade to get a young star in the off-season from Boston. Valeri Nichushkin has only two assists in 10 games since the Olympic break but his overall stats of 13 goals and 30 points with a plus-17 rating is terrific for the just turned 19-year-old. Sergei Gonchar continues to be a disappointment with only two goals and 20 points this season.
DETROIT
Games this week
@ Columbus, vs. Montreal, @Toronto, vs. Tampa Bay
Rested team: vs. Toronto (Saturday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Red Wings play four games this week and also play three games in four nights so look for Jimmy Howard to play three times with Petr Mrazek playing once if Jonas Gustavsson is still unable to go. Pavel Datsyuk will be re-evaluated this week as he is still out with a knee injury. It was thought that he would have returned by now as he was projected to be out three weeks after the Olympics but that has come and gone and he is still not back in the Detroit lineup. Jonathan Ericsson is out 10-14 days after breaking a finger. The Red Wings have been decimated by injuries and this past week has been no different.
EDMONTON
Games this week
vs. San Jose, vs. Anaheim, vs. New York Rangers
Rested team: vs. San Jose (Tuesday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Oilers have been using both Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth to split the goaltending duties of late and expect that to continue the remainder of the season. Nail Yakupov has missed the last two games with a sore ankle. He is really going through a sophomore slump as the former first overall pick in the 2012 draft has only 24 points in 63 games with a horrific minus-33 rating. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the first time in 17 games on Thursday. Justin Schultz continues to upset his fantasy owners as he has only nine goals and 27 points with a minus-16 rating in 62 games. His nine goals are okay but the rest of his stats are not.
FLORIDA
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. Carolina, vs. Montreal
Rested team: vs. Ottawa (Tuesday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
Sean Bergenheim has missed the last five games with a lower body injury. Roberto Luongo was sensational on Tuesday as he stopped 52 shots in a 3-2 win over San Jose, which included 28 saves in the third period...and apparently Eddie Lack gave the Canucks a better chance to win according to John Tortorella. Brandon Pirri has three goals and seven points in his last six games as the Panthers made a nice acquisition in getting him from the Blackhawks at the deadline. Look for the Panthers to sign Erik Gudbranson to a long-term deal in the summer.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
@ Philadelphia, @ Washington, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Winnipeg
Rested team: None
Tired Team: @ Washington (Tuesday)
Notes
The Kings play three games in four nights as part of a four game week so expect to see Martin Jones in net once in place of Jonathan Quick. Dustin Brown returned to the Kings lineup on Thursday after missing a couple of games with an illness. Brown had two goals and six points in six games after the Olympic break but has resumed his poor season ever since and has only 12 goals and 22 points in 67 games. The Kings would love to bring up Linden Vey from the minors but cap problems have made that an impossibility at this time.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Vancouver, @ St. Louis, @ Phoenix
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ St. Louis (Thursday)
Notes
After a five game week, the Wild play only three times but it will be in four nights. Darcy Kuemper and Ilya Bryzgalov will get at least one start each. Ilya Bryzgalov was mediocre in goal for the Wild on Thursday as he allowed four goals on 29 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Devils but his play overall for the Wild has been very good as he is 1-0-2 with a 1.93 GAA and a .931 save percentage. Jason Zucker is out for the remainder of the regular season as he needs more surgery to repair a tendon in his right quadriceps. The trade for Matt Moulson has relegated Dany Heatley to a role as a bottom six forward and he has only one assist in his last nine games.
MONTREAL
Games this week
@ Boston, vs. Buffalo, @ Detroit, @ Florida
Rested team: None
Tired Team: vs. Buffalo (Tuesday)
Notes
The Canadiens play four times including three games in four nights so look for Petr Budaj to play once instead of Carey Price. Thomas Vanek has been hot of late with four goals for the Canadiens in his last two games. Brandon Prust is out with an upper body injury. Great news on prospect Tim Bozon who is now in stable condition after being in a medically induced coma with meningitis. Alex Galchenyuk has a goal and an assist in his last eight games. David Desharnais is on a four game point streak with two goals and six points giving him 13 goals and 43 points in 67 games this season.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
vs. Colorado, vs. Buffalo, @ Dallas, @ Florida
Rested team: @ Florida (Sunday)
Tired Team: @ Dallas (Friday)
Notes
The Predators play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Carter Hutton to play at least once for Pekka Rinne. Michael Del Zotto was a healthy scratch on Wednesday as his play had slipped according to coach Barry Trotz. Currently. Craig Smith leads all forwards with 20 goals and 40 points this season, while Mike Fisher is second at 36 points. Roman Josi is having a fine offensive season with nine goals and 30 points. Seth Jones is minus-24 this season, the worst mark on the Predators. Shea Weber leads all Preds with nine goals and 23 points on the power play.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
vs. Phoenix, @ New York Islanders
Rested team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Devils play only twice this week so I would suggest benching all your New Jersey players in weekly transaction pools if you can. Adam Henrique was moved to the wing on Thursday and it paid immediate dividends as he had three assists as did linemate Patrik Elias in a 4-3 OT win over the Wild. The third linemate, Michael Ryder, had a goal. Jaromir Jagr has five goals and 10 points in his last 10 games but is minus-six in his last four games. Cory Schneider garnered his 13th win of the season on Thursday and is now 13-14-9 with a 2.14 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ Carolina, @ Tampa Bay, vs. New Jersey
Rested team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
Kyle Okposo is having his best season in 2013-14 with 27 goals and 69 points in 69 games but he has not slowed down at all in the last 10 games without star center John Tavares as he has three goals and 10 points since the Olympic break. He was the second star of the week with seven points in three games. Kevin Czuczman made his NHL debut on Tuesday after a stellar career at Lake Superior State where the defenseman had 10 goals and 21 points to go with 73 penalty minutes in 2013-14. Anders Lee has been terrific since his recall as he has six goals and 10 points in 10 games with 35 shots on goal.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. Phoenix, vs. Philadelphia, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton
Rested team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
Derek Stepan leads the Rangers in points since the Olympic break with 12 in 11 games. Henrik Lundqvist set a New York Ranger record for most wins with his 302nd of his career on Tuesday as he surpassed Mike Richter. Martin St. Louis has only three helpers in eight games since his trade from the Lightning eight games ago. Carl Hagelin had the hat trick on March 14 and has four points in his last three games. Ryan McDonagh has 12 goals and 37 points this season with four goals and seven points coming in the 11 games since the Olympic break.
OTTAWA
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, vs. Chicago, vs. Calgary
Rested team: vs. Chicago (Friday)
Tired Team: @ Florida (Tuesday)
Notes
Ales Hemsky has eight points in seven games since being dealt from the Oilers at the deadline. Robin Lehner has been terrible since the Olympic break with a 0-2-2 record as well as an unsightly 4.67 GAA and a .863 save percentage. Craig Anderson is still out of action with a 'stinger'. Mika Zibanejad had goals in back-to-back games before being shut down on Thursday. He has 13 goals and 27 points in 58 games this season and is someone to watch next season, especially if Jason Spezza is sent packing. Erik Karlsson continues to sparkle offensively as he has a goal and six assists during a five game scoring streak, giving him 62 points this season.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, @ New York Rangers, vs. Toronto, vs. Boston
Rested team: vs. Boston (Sunday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Flyers play four times this week so look for Ray Emery to play once for Steve Mason. Claude Giroux got off to a terrible start this season with only seven assists in his first 15 games but he has really turned it on ever since with 65 points in his last 54 games to jump into a tie for fourth place in scoring, only three points out of second spot. Giroux is a must-own in all traditional leagues. Kimmo Timonen has two goals and nine points in his last nine games as the 39-year-old Finnish defenseman has been outstanding since returning to Philadelphia following the Olympics. Ray Emery returned to action on Tuesday and kicked out 23 of 25 shots in a win over his former Chicago teammates. He had not played since February 8 due to a groin injury.
PHOENIX
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ Pittsburgh @ New Jersey, vs. Minnesota
Rested team: None
Tired Team: @ Pittsburgh (Tuesday)
Notes
The Coyotes play three games in four nights as part of a four game week so look for Mike Smith to play three times while Thomas Greiss will be between the pipes once. The Coyotes signed Greg Carey to a one-year, entry-level deal. The St. Lawrence University star had 28 goals and 51 points in 38 games. Speaking of college stars, Andy Miele, the Hobey Baker winner in 2011, was sent to the minors on Tuesday. He picked up his first NHL points of his career earlier this season. Radim Vrbata hit the 20 goal mark Thursday with his fifth goal in his last eight games.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. Phoenix, vs. Los Angeles, @ Columbus, vs. Chicago
Rested team: vs. Phoenix (Tuesday)
Tired Team: @ Columbus (Friday)
Notes
The Penguins play four games this week including three in four days so expect to see Jeff Zatkoff play once in place of Marc-Andre Fleury. Lee Stempniak has settled in nicely beside Sidney Crosby and has two goals and seven points in his last six games. He is definitely worth looking at in playoff pools, especially as a high pick in points only pools if you think the Penguins are going deep into the playoffs. The Penguins averted quite a scare as James Neal only missed two games with a concussion before returning to the lineup on Tuesday. Evgeni Malkin has 21 goals and 68 points in 58 games this season.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
@ Toronto, vs. Minnesota, vs. Dallas
Rested team: vs. Minnesota (Thursday), vs. Dallas (Saturday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Blues finish a four game road trip in Toronto on Tuesday. This is the second week in a row that St. Louis is the rested team for two games and that is a huge advantage. Ryan Miller finally picked up his first loss in a St. Louis uniform Tuesday and is now 7-1-1 since being dealt from the Sabres. Derek Roy has found the back of the net only once in his last 36 games. Jay Bouwmeester has only two assists in his last 13 games with both coming on Monday in a 3-1 win over the Jets. David Backes has three goals and seven points in his last nine games and has 23 goals and 49 points in 64 games to go with a plus-11 rating and 89 penalty minutes.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
@ Calgary, @ Edmonton, vs. Winnipeg, @ Colorado
Rested team: None
Tired Team: @ Edmonton
Notes
The Sharks play four games this week including three games in four nights so Alex Stalock should see action in at least one game for Antti Niemi. Raffi Torres has missed the last six games with a knee injury, the same one that kept him out all season, save for five games after the Olympic break. Joe Thornton scored a rare goal on Thursday and he now has 11 goals and 69 points in 71 games. Tomas Hertl's rehab is going very well but he is not close to returning after he injured his knee just before Christmas. Brent Burns scored his 20th of the season Thursday and he is a great play in fantasy pools if he qualifies on the blueline.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. New York Islanders, @ Buffalo, @ Detroit
Rested team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Lightning play four games this week including three games in four nights. Anders Lindback should play once in place of Ben Bishop. Teddy Purcell scored twice on Thursday to break a 19 game goalless drought. Steve Stamkos had the natural hat trick against Toronto Wednesday. Ryan Malone has played the last four games after being a healthy scratch in his previous eight games. Tyler Johnson is making a final push for Calder consideration with five goals and nine points in his last nine games to give him 22 goals and 46 points with a plus-20 rating in 70 games this season.
TORONTO
Games this week
vs. St. Louis, @ Philadelphia, vs. Detroit
Rested team: None
Tired Team: vs. Detroit (Saturday)
Notes
The Maple Leafs beat both the red-hot Kings and the Ducks on the road but have followed that up with three straight losses heading into the weekend. There was a scary incident on Wednesday when defenseman Paul Ranger was driven head-first into the boards and it required his being taken off the ice on a stretcher but Ranger is okay as he was released from hospital later that evening. Phil Kessel is now third in NHL scoring but he could be ready to go on a hot streak after scoring his 35th of the season Wednesday, his first goal in five games. Jonathan Bernier is out with a groin injury so the Leafs are relying on James Reimer between the pipes.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
@ Minnesota, @ Colorado, vs. Anaheim
Rested team: vs. Anaheim (Saturday)
Tired Team: @ Colorado (Wednesday)
Notes
The Canucks play three games in four nights so look for Jacob Markstrom to play once in place of Eddie Lack. Lack has played in 12 straight games for the Canucks and had his fourth shutout of the season on Wednesday. The Canucks are in serious trouble in the playoff race as they are 10th in the West but have played more games than anyone else. Chris Tanev is likely out for the season after he blocked a Steve Stamkos shot with his hand. Alex Burrows had five assists in his first 34 games of the season but went on a tear with five goals and nine points in five games before being held off the scoresheet Wednesday. Kudos if you had him in the lineup for the hot streak but if he remained there all season then you are likely not leading your pool.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, vs. Boston, @ Nashville
Rested team: vs. Los Angeles (Tuesday)
Tired Team: @ Nashville (Sunday)
Notes
Jaroslav Halak is 4-2-1 since the Capitals anointed him their starting goaltender. He has given up 15 goals in the span on 230 shots for a 2.13 GAA with a .935 save percentage. Should the Capitals sneak into the playoffs, they could be dangerous. Brooks Laich underwent groin surgery and should be out for the remainder of the season as he is expected to miss the next four-six weeks. The Capitals signed goaltender Pheonix Copley to an entry level contract. He's from North Pole, Alaska and minded the net for Michigan Tech this season where he had a 2.51 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 30 games. Alex Ovechkin is only four goals away from 50 but his minus-31 rating really hurts his fantasy value.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
@ Dallas, @ San Jose @ Los Angeles
Rested team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
Dustin Byfuglien is out of action with a lower body injury and while he is day-to-day, his spot on the first line was taken over by Eric Tangradi. Zach Bogosian is out with an upper-body injury. He has had another disappointing season as the 23-year-old has only three goals and 11 points in 54 games. He sure looked like he was ready to burst out offensively four seasons ago when he had 10 goals and 23 points as a 19-year-old in Atlanta, but that has not happened. Fortunately he is still young enough, but Bogosian may need a change in scenery for that to happen. Blake Wheeler scored on Wednesday for only the second time in 16 games but he has seven points in his last three contests to give him 24 goals and 59 points in 71 games this season.
