Is Devan Dubnyk the answer?
I’ve noticed in the last two weeks that the majority of tired teams (that is a team that played the night before, going against a team that did not play the previous night) are the road team the second night.
Last week it happened in 10 of 12 matchups while this week, all 11 teams that are tired on the second night, play on the road against the rested team.
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Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF DECEMBER 1-7
4 Games – Anaheim, Arizona, Boston, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Vancouver
3 Games- Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Toronto, Washington, Winnipeg
2 Games– Minnesota, New York Rangers
Boston, Montreal and Vancouver play all four games away from home.
Philadelphia and St. Louis play three games on the road.
Calgary, Carolina, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Winnipeg play three games at home.
Don't forget to join a Yahoo Hockey pool. It’s not too late.
Editor's Note: Rotoworld's partner FanDuel is hosting an $18,000 Fantasy Hockey league for Friday night's NHL games. It's just $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Starts Friday at 7pm ET. Here's the FanDuel link.
INJURIES
Brian Elliott is out of action with a lower body injury. (Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
Note: A tired team is one that has played the day or night before and is going against a team that did not play the previous day or night. The reverse is true for a rested team.
ANAHEIM
Games this week
vs. Boston, vs. Philadelphia, @ Minnesota, @ Winnipeg
Rested Team: vs. Philadelphia (Wednesday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Ducks play four games this week but do not play three in four nights. Nevertheless, expect to see Jason LaBarbera play once in place of Frederik Andersen. Andersen has 10 wins this season with a 2.10 GAA and a .922 save percentage and seems to be on track again as he has won his last three starts. Clayton Stoner should be back this week after contracting mumps-like symptoms, just as Corey Perry and Francois Beauchemin earlier in the month. Kyle Palmieri has three goals in five games and Rene Bourque is seeing some time on a line with Palmieri and Devante Smith-Pelly but only played 8:38 minutes on Tuesday after playing 9:54 in his debut. He could still see some action on the first line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry as the Ducks are still looking for someone to click with the duo.
ARIZONA
Games this week
@ Edmonton, @ Calgary, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Boston
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Calgary (Tuesday)
Notes
The Coyotes play four games this week including three games in four nights so look for Devan Dubnyk and Mike Smith to share the net. Smith is still struggling between the pipes as he could not hold a 3-0 lead on Tuesday, eventually losing in overtime as teammate Martin Hanzal tipped the puck past the beleaguered netminder. Smith is 4-11-2 with a 3.26 GAA and a .893 save percentage and if he continues to struggle, Dubnyk should get a real shot to take over. Antoine Vermette has been the Coyotes most consistent forward but he is slated to become a UFA at the end of the season. He has six goals and 16 points in 22 games and should be highly sought after if he decides to test the free agent market.
BOSTON
Games this week
@ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles, @ San Jose, @ Arizona
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Los Angeles (Tuesday)
Notes
The Bruins play all four on the road including three games in four nights. Expect to see Niklas Svedberg play once with Tuukka Rask in net for the other three games. Zdeno Chara (knee) is going to go on the road with the Bruins and could see action later in the trip. He has not played since October 23. David Krejci has been having groin problems that have him in and out of the lineup but GM Peter Chiarello thinks that he is close to returning. Seth Griffith was sent to the minors on Monday but recalled on Tuesday. Usually the cup of coffee is in the NHL and not the minors. Matt Fraser’s time on the second line is over as Brad Marchand returned from an undisclosed injury.
BUFFALO
Games this week
vs. Tampa Bay, @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida
Rested Team: vs. Tampa Bay (Tuesday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Sabres play a home-and-home series against Tampa Bay so if there are any fisticuffs look for Tyler Myers, Nicolas Deslauriers and Kaleta should add to their penalty minute totals. Cody Hodgson missed practice on Thursday for personal reasons. He has been an absolute disappointment this season with only a goal and an assist in 22 games with a minus-10 rating. Most poolies thought that he would lead the Sabres in points this season. Tyler Myers has a lower body injury. Matt Moulson has only three goals and nine points in 22 games but has two goals and six points in his last six contests.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. Arizona, vs. Columbus, vs. San Jose
Rested Team: vs. Arizona
Tired Team: None
Notes
Just when it appeared that Mark Giordano would run away and hide as the NHL’s leading point getter on the blueline, his teammate T.J. Brodie is giving him a run for his money as he has a goal and four points in his last two games to give him 20 points, four behind Giordano and second in the NHL. Devin Setoguchi has passed through waivers and was sent to the minors. He had one big season in San Jose with 31 goals and 65 points as a 22-year-old but never came close to those numbers again, although he did manage a couple of 20 goal seasons. He turns 28 on New Year’s Day and his career in the big leagues could be over. Mikael Backlund underwent abdominal surgery Wednesday and is week-to-week.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. Nashville, vs. Washington, vs. Detroit
Rested Team: vs. Detroit (Sunday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
Chris Terry was sent to the minors on a conditioning stint Tuesday. Brett Bellemore could return by the Detroit game as he is currently out with a lower body injury. Jay Harrison has not been in the Carolina lineup for five of the last six games. Riley Nash continues to lead the Hurricanes with 15 points, two ahead of Eric Staal. Look for big things from Elias Lindholm as the second year player has six goals and 10 points. Ron Hainsey has only one assist in 20 games and is no longer a fantasy asset. Jiri Tlusty leads Carolina with eight goals but has only two assists.
CHICAGO
Games this week
vs. St. Louis, vs. Montreal, @ Nashville
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Nashville (Saturday)
Notes
The Blackhawks finally return home after being away from the United Center due to the circus. They play three games in four nights so expect to see Antti Raanta in net once with Corey Crawford playing the other two games. Teuvo Teravainen is a highly regarded prospect in the Blackhawks farm system but he is unable to get it going in the AHL as he has only two goals and 10 points in 17 games. He’ll be a much better NHLer as players will be able to take advantage of his offensive flair. Ben Smith has only a goal and an assist in 22 games this season. Patrick Kane is red-hot with 11 points in his last six games.
COLORADO
Games this week
vs. Montreal, @ Calgary, @ Winnipeg
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Winnipeg (Friday)
Notes
Well Reto Berra has not been able to take over the top spot with Semyon Varlamov on the injured reserve after suffering a groin injury. Calvin Pickard will now get every opportunity to win the job as he is 2-3 this season but his peripherals have been great with a 2.24 GAA and a .933 save percentage. Gabriel Landeskog had a four game scoring streak end on Wednesday as he had half of his 12 points during the streak. Jesse Winchester is still having symptoms from his concussion and has yet to dress for a game this season. Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avs in points with 17 as well as power play points with six.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
vs. Florida, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
Brandon Dubinsky (abdominal surgery) looked good in practice on Wednesday and could be close to returning to the lineup for the first time this season. Boone Jenner’s time on the first unit ended as he is now centering Matt Calvert and Jack Skille while Ryan Johansen is now in the middle between Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno. Injuries continue to haunt the Blue Jackets as they are now 6-13-2 and are 2-11-2 in their last 15 games. They are a lot closer to the Connor McDavid sweepstakes than they are to making the playoffs. Alexander Wennberg is seeing fourth line minutes. The first round pick from 2013 has three assists in 20 games with a minus-14 rating. He should be in the minors picking up extra playing time and confidence.
DALLAS
Games this week
@ Toronto, @ Detroit, vs. Montreal
Rested Team: vs. Montreal (Saturday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
John Klingberg was a fifth round pick in 2010 and finally got his chance in the NHL earlier this month after a four goal, eight assist effort in the AHL in 10 games. Well, the defenseman has been outstanding as he has taken over the point from Trevor Daley on the power play and has three goals and eight points in eight games thus far. Ryan Garbutt was suspended for two games for kneeing Taylor Hall. The Stars switched their lines up yet again as Garbutt (before the suspension) was playing with Antoine Roussel and Cody Eakin, their original line from the start of the season while Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves started the third period together.
DETROIT
Games this week
vs. Florida, vs. Dallas, vs. New York Rangers, @ Carolina
Rested Team: vs. Florida (Tuesday)
Tired Team: @ Carolina (Sunday)
Notes
The Red Wings play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Petr Mzarek to get at least one start in place of Jimmy Howard. Stephen Weiss is finally scoring for the Red Wings, as he has four points in his last two games and is now playing alongside Pavel Datsyuk and Darren Helm. Howard is playing well between the pipes as he is 10-4-4 this season with a 2.09 GAA as well as a .920 save percentage. Daniel Alfredsson is scheduled to announce his retirement on December 4 and will do so in Ottawa where he spent 17 seasons before ending his career with one year in Detroit. Henrik Zetterberg has a goal and an assist in his last two games after going four games without a point.
EDMONTON
Games this week
vs. Arizona, @ Winnipeg, vs. San Jose
Rested Team: vs. San Jose (Sunday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
Justin Schultz was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career on Thursday. While two goals and eight assists in 22 games is okay, his minus-six rating with only four penalty minutes make him a non-factor in fantasy pools. Oscar Klefbom dressed in place of Schultz as the Swede made his second appearance of the season. The Oilers are still a mess and while they haven’t fired coach Dallas Eakins thus far, the blame should be laid upon the front office as Edmonton has had three number one overall picks in the last five years to go with a number three and a number seven. That is not good drafting as they still wallow near the bottom of the standings. The Oilers did fire their goaltending coach Frederic Chabot earlier in the week but the problems run a lot deeper than that.
FLORIDA
Games this week
@ Columbus, @ Detroit, vs. Columbus, vs. Buffalo
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Detroit (Tuesday)
Notes
The Panthers play four times this week including three games in four nights. Roberto Luongo was injured on Wednesday but the upper body injury is not thought to be serious so he could play this week. While he will not go on November 28 as the Panthers have recalled Dan Ellis to back up Al Montoya, he should be back this week. Florida plays the Blue Jackets twice this week so look for Derek MacKenzie, Scott Thornton and Erik Gudbranson to add to their penalty minute totals if there are any fights. Scottie Upshall was placed on the injured reserve list with an ankle injury. Rocco Grimaldi was sent to the minors but the Panthers want to recall him as he provided a lot of offense, something that has been lacking with Florida. The Panthers will likely have to deal a veteran to get Grimaldi back and Tomas Fleischmann could be the odd-man out.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
vs. Boston, @ Arizona, vs. Philadelphia
Rested Team: vs. Boston (Tuesday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Kings shuffled up their lines this past week as Mike Richards centered Jeff Carter and Marian Gaborik while Anze Kopitar moved between Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson. Drew Doughty is playing way too much as he has played 30 or more minutes 11 times already and eight times in his past 11 games. Do not be surprised if the Kings deal for a top-four defenseman, especially since Slava Voynov has been suspended indefinitely and faces one felony count of corporal injury to a spouse with great bodily harm. Alec Martinez has missed the last six games with a broken finger and he has practiced this past week. He could return this week.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Montreal, vs. Anaheim
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Wild only play twice this week so consider benching all your Minnesota players in weekly transaction pools. Darcy Kuemper finally had a bad game in which he was pulled on Wednesday after giving up four goals on only 10 shots to the Kings. He is 9-7-0 this season with a 2.26 GAA and a .911 save percentage. Jonas Brodin could return on November 28 after missing seven games with what is thought to be the mumps. Mikko Koivu continues his season long slump with only two goals and seven points in 21 games but has four assists in his last seven games. The power play of Wild continues to struggle as they have scored only six times in 67 chances.
MONTREAL
Games this week
@ Colorado, @ Minnesota, @ Chicago, @ Dallas
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Dallas (Saturday)
Notes
The Canadiens play all four games on the road with three contests coming in four nights so expect to see Dustin Tokarski play once for Carey Price. P.K. Subban has five goals and eight points in 23 games but leads all NHLers in fan votes for the All-Star game. The Habs first round pick in 2014, Nikita Scherbak, was stretchered off the ice in a WHL game on Saturday after going into the boards but it appears that he did not suffer any major injury. Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu was a healthy scratch for a couple of games in a row before he was sent to the minors earlier in the week. Max Pacioretty leads the Canadiens in goals and points with 10 and18 respectively.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
@ Carolina, vs. St. Louis, vs. Chicago
Rested Team: vs. St. Louis (Thursday), vs. Chicago (Saturday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
Pekka Rinne continues to sparkle for the Predators as he is 15-3-1 with a 1.82 GAA and a .932 save percentage and a huge reason why Nashville is tied for third overall in the NHL with 32 points. Mike Fisher returned to action for the first time this season Thursday as he has recovered from an off-season Achilles injury. He started Thursday’s game with Derek Roy and Olli Jokinen. Matt Cullen, the previous center for the line, is out with an upper body injury. Roman Josi does not receive the credit he deserves as a good fantasy defenseman in the NHL. Comparing him to Justin Schultz (as too many poolies are still high on the Oilers defenseman) Josi has three goals and seven assists compared to Schultz’s two and eight but is a plus-eight to Schultz’s minus-six. Most have Schultz ranked way higher than Josi and it just doesn’t make sense.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
@ Pittsburgh, @ Toronto, vs. Washington
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
The good news for Adam Larsson owners is that he is playing and seeing 18:30 minutes of playing time over the last seven games. He has only a goal and two helpers in 14 games but his offense will eventually come around, although it may not this season. The Devils are not getting a lot of scoring as the ageless wonder, Jaromir Jagr, leads the way with only 13 points in 22 games, one ahead of Adam Henrique and Michael Cammalleri. Cammalleri leads the Devils with eight goals while Bryce Salvador is tops in penalty minutes with 20.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, @ Ottawa, vs. St. Louis
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Islanders play a home-and-home series with Ottawa this week so look for Matt Martin and Travis Hamonic to increase their penalty minute totals if there are any fisticuffs. Hamonic has three goals and five points to go with 46 penalty minutes in only 18 games thus far. Ryan Strome is continuing to have a strong season with four goals and 17 points in 22 games including a plus-10 rating and 16 penalty minutes. After playing 52 games last season, Matt Donovan finally played for the first time in 22 games Monday as he has been a healthy scratch. Brock Nelson continues to excel with 10 goals and 20 points in 22 games this season, one point behind John Tavares. Lubamir Visnovsky has only a goal and six points in 16 games but is a plus-six. He has yet to sit in the penalty box.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. Tampa Bay, @ Detroit
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
Good news for Ryan McDonagh owners as he could return as early as November 28 from a separated shoulder. The Rangers are one of only two teams that play twice this week so if you can bench them in weekly transaction pools, I would suggest all, save for Rick Nash. Speaking of Nash, he recorded his 300th career assist on Wednesday. Coach Alain Vigneault has sat out Lee Stempniak for the last three games, the first one because of back tightness and the last two as a healthy scratch when he didn’t want to tinker with a winning lineup. The Rangers lost to Tampa Bay on Wednesday so expect him back in the lineup shortly. Martin St. Louis had three goals and five points in four games before he was held off the scoresheet in his first game back in Tampa Bay. He is two points shy of 1,000 in his career.
OTTAWA
Games this week
@ New York Islanders, vs. New York Islanders, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Vancouver
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Senators play a home-and-home series with the Islanders so expect to see Mark Borowiecki, Eric Gryba and Chris Neil add to their penalty minute totals if there are any fights. Coach Paul MacLean sat both Milan Michalek and Mike Zibanejad on Tuesday. Michalek has only two goals and seven points in 20 games while Zibanejad has three goals and six points in 20 contests. Curtis Lazar returned to the Ottawa lineup on Monday after missing two games with an undisclosed injury. He has yet to score in his 17 NHL games but that will come shortly. Ten of Erik Karlsson’s 16 points have come with the man-advantage.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
@ San Jose, @ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Anaheim (Wednesday)
Notes
The Flyers are in California for all three games this week. It’s hard to believe but Claude Giroux is tied for the NHL lead in shots on goal with Alex Ovechkin at 97. Giroux’s previous best was 242 in 2011-12 but he is on pace to get 378 if he plays the full schedule. The Flyers did not get the scoring they thought they could from Jason Akeson (no points in 12 games) and placed him on waivers Thursday. He should go back to the minors. The Flyers have not won on the road in over five weeks as they last won on October 22. Luke Schenn was a healthy scratch on Wednesday. Michael Raffl was back in the lineup Wednesday after only three weeks. When he injured his foot on November 5, it was thought he would miss six weeks. The bad news is that he is playing with Scott Laughton and Wayne Simmonds and not Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. New Jersey, vs. Vancouver, vs. Ottawa
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
Last week I wrote about picking up Blake Comeau and if you did, he has rewarded you greatly with a hat trick against Toronto and four goals in his last four games with a plus-two rating. Sidney Crosby hit the 800 career point mark on Wednesday in just 571 games. Beau Bennett is hurt again. I know everyone is shocked at this news but he is expected to miss the next two weeks with a lower body injury. He has a lot of talent but needs to start playing and playing seven games in the first two months of the season is not going to do it. After an injury-plagued 2013-14 season which included a small stroke, Kris Letang has been under the radar this season so his three goals and 17 points in 21 games is a very nice surprise.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
@ Chicago, @ Nashville, @ New York Islanders
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Nashville (Thursday)
Notes
Brian Elliott is out of action and as a result, the Blues have Martin Brodeur in town on a tryout. The Blues play three games in four nights so expect to see Jake Allen play at least two games, especially since Elliott is week-to-week with a lower body injury. Jordan Binnington was recalled to replace Elliott. David Backes is getting frustrated and took it out on teammate Vladimir Tarasenko on Wednesday when he dropped his gloves during a battle drill. Backes has six goals and 10 points in 21 games with a minus-four rating, well below the rate of his last four seasons where he has been averaging a shade over .70 points per game and has been a plus-66 over 286 games.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, vs. Boston, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: @ Edmonton
Notes
The Sharks play four games including three games in four nights. At this time both Alex Stalock and Troy Grosenick are injured so Antti Niemi may get all four starts as the Sharks are expected to recall J.P. Anderson to back up the Finnish netminder. Matthew Nieto has not scored in 22 games as he last found the back of the net on opening night. He has only six assists and has not had one in nine games. Needless to say, he should not be in your lineup at this time. Raffi Torres is getting close to a return after surgery to remove the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He has played in only five games since the start of last season.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ Buffalo, vs. Buffalo, vs. Columbus
Rested team: None
Tired Team: @ Buffalo (Tuesday)
Notes
The Lightning play three games in four nights as part of a four game week so look for Ben Bishop to play three times with Evgeni Nabokov playing once. Bishop continues to excel in goal with a 13-3-2 record to go with a 2.33 GAA and a .915 save percentage. They also play the Sabres in a home-and-home series so if tempers flare, expect to see Radko Gudas add to his 30 penalty minutes. It looks like the Lightning made a heck of a deal when they traded Martin St. Louis to the Rangers last season and received Ryan Callahan back in return. Callahan has been a fixture on the Steve Stamkos line and has 10 goals and 19 points in 18 games.
TORONTO
Games this week
vs. Dallas, vs. New Jersey, vs. Vancouver
Rested team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
I’ve been very surprised with the offensive output by Leo Komarov who has four goals and 16 points this season, fourth best on the squad, behind Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. The Leafs goaltending has been iffy this season as Jonathan Bernier has not been the same goalie as he was last season and James Reimer is…well, James Reimer. Petri Kontiola inked a deal in the off-season but could not crack the Maple Leafs lineup and returned to the KHL this past week. Toronto has five shorthanded goals thus far and are in line to break the team record of 17. David Booth played in his first game as a Maple Leaf after his broke his foot during training camp. Roman Polak is out four weeks after injuring his knee against the Red Wings.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
@ Washington, @ Pittsburgh, @ Toronto, @ Ottawa
Rested Team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
The Canucks play all four on the road as they are almost finished their seven game road trip. They play three in four nights so expect to see Eddie Lack once in place of Ryan Miller. Derek Dorsett has eight points in 20 games this season, as many as he had in an injury-plagued 2013-14 season when he played in 51 games. He also has 47 penalty minutes, so he makes a nice pickup in deeper leagues if you need the minutes. Good news for Bo Horvat owners as he will remain in the NHL and not be sent back to the London Knights of the OHL. Ryan Miller is second in the NHL with 14 wins.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
vs. Vancouver, @ Carolina, @ New Jersey
Rested team: None
Tired Team: None
Notes
Mike Green is out of the lineup after suffering an upper body injury on Saturday. Alex Ovechkin left practice early on Tuesday but was able to play on Wednesday. Nicklas Backstrom leads the Capitals in points with 21, one ahead of Ovechkin who leads with 11 goals. Ovechkin was horrible last season in plus/minus, but is only a minus-three thus far in 21 games. Tom Wilson leads the team with 25 penalty minutes despite missing 10 games. Justin Peters has been mediocre this season with a 2-3-1 record to go with a 3.15 GAA and a .882 save percentage. Braden Holtby has no worries at this point for his starting job in net.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
vs. Edmonton, vs. Colorado, vs. Anaheim
Rested team: vs. Colorado (Friday)
Tired Team: None
Notes
Adam Lowry was suspended for one game as he took a five minute major for boarding Patrick Kaleta. Mathieu Perreault has missed one game with an upper body injury. Bryan Little has eight goals thus far with four of the goals opening the scoring. Jacob Trouba was off to a slow start and has only two goals and five assists in 24 games but the sophomore NHLer has four assists in his last four games. I continue to be impressed by the play of backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson who is now 4-1-1 this season with a 1.50 GAA and a .947 save percentage. If Ondrej Pavelec falters at all, then Hutchinson could get a shot to be the Jets starter at some point this season.
