Tavares deserves more love

Valentine's Day did not go well for Tyler Seguin owners, and Stars fans. Dallas revealed its talented center would miss at least three weeks (possibly up to six) with a knee injury he suffered on a low hit Friday night. This is a player who is nearly impossible to replace because of his high-end production, and one whose absence could cost the Stars in their quest for the playoffs. The sport also loses out because he's a player you tune in (or pay) to watch, no matter where he's playing.

Let's take a look at the 10 games that took place Saturday.

SENATORS 7, OILERS 2

— Suffice to say, “Hockey Day in Canada” did not go so well for Edmonton. Derek Roy did score in front of his parents, at least. After a 1-1 first period, Ottawa scored five times in the second period and two more times in the third. Hopefully nobody was counting on Oilers’ goalies as neither Viktor Fasth (three goals on 15 shots) nor Richard Bachman (23 saves on 27 shots) did much of anything to help your team.

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— Those who owned the Senators skill players have to be pretty happy, though. Milan Michalek had a big game with two goals and an assist. OK, on second thought, maybe you don’t own him … it is remarkable how much his play has slipped in recent years. He was a 35-goal scorer and 60-point player only three seasons ago. Now he has just 10 goals and 10 assists.

— Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman, Alex Chiasson each had a goal and assist. Turris and Hoffman hold the most fantasy appeal here. Turris and Hoffman have points in three consecutive games.

— Other goal scorers for the Senators included David Legwand and Codi Ceci. Legwand used to be a decent depth forward, but this being his first goal since Jan. 10 shows he’s not that type of player this year.

— Let’s not discount what Robin Lehner (25 saves) did in this game. We often underrate a goalie’s contributions when his offense gives him as much support as Lehner got. He has generally been pretty solid lately, posting a save percentage of at least .906 in four of his past five games.

— Chris Neil suffered a broken thumb while fighting Luke Gazdic. He has been on the trade block, but it’ll be tough for the Senators to move him with an injury like this. If I’m a contender, I really don’t want Neil, anyway.

CANADIENS 2, MAPLE LEAFS 1 (shootout)

— If I had a vote, I would be picking Carey Price (28 saves) for the Vezina trophy. That is not to discount what Pekka Rinne has meant for the Predators. At least the Predators control play more consistently. The Canadiens are a below average possession team and Price’s play is the single reason they are atop the East. Not only is his overall save percentage a nudge better, Price also beats Rinne at five-one-five and adjusted save percentage by a decent margin.

— Brendan Gallagher is a fun player to watch, and one would think he will soon develop into a 50-point guy. For now, he has 13 goals and 30 points, with 158 shots on goal. He is an excellent possession driver and his value goes way beyond those numbers.

— Daniel Winnik scored the only goal for Toronto. Don’t see him lasting in Toronto all year, so he should fit in nicely in a bottom-six role on a contender.

JETS 5, RED WINGS 4 (shootout)

— This was my favorite matchup of the night, and it didn’t disappoint. Even on the road in a tough environment, Winnipeg emerged with the win. In fact, it held the territorial advantage starting from the middle of the game.

— Drew Stafford scored his first goal with his new team, and Tyler Myers picked up two helpers. Stafford also had the shootout winner. It’s unfortunate that Winnipeg had no choice but to ship out Evander Kane, but it really did a nice job getting value back in that deal. Stafford has shown he can score at a high clip, so it’s worth watching him in fantasy leagues. He also had five shots on goal in this game, so he was creating some chances. Keep an eye on Myers, too.

— Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler and Chris Thorburn got the other goals. Ladd and Wheeler continue to be one of the more unheralded players in the game, though they make for solid fantasy forwards because of their high floor of production.

— Making his first start since Jan. 10, Jimmy Howard made 34 saves. Howard still has a .919 save percentage on the season. Chalk this one up to rust. Howard should be an asset moving forward, especially on a team that’s among the East’s best.

— Pavel Datsyuk continues to show that even at 36 years old, he can take over a game. He had two goals, an assist and seven shots on goal.

ISLANDERS 6, BLUE JACKETS 3

— John Tavares scored two times and added two assists. He also had a plus-four rating and two penalty minutes, in addition to nine shots on goal. Tavares is among the best players in the game. His 26-goal, 55-point season is not getting enough love. Even with Kyle Okposo out, Tavares has shown it doesn’t matter who you put on his wings, he makes everyone around him better. Saturday, Josh Bailey scored twice and had an assist while playing with Tavares, who is also five goals off of his career-best mark.

— Jaroslav Halak had a rough start to the night, giving up two goals on 11 first-period shots. He ended up settling down, though, stopping all 19 he faced in the third period. Halak has won five games in a row.

— Nick Foligno is not slowing down any time soon. He scored Saturday, and he now has three goals over his past five, and points in five in a row.

— Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky scored the other goals. Atkinson has four goals over his past five games, so he might be worth taking a chance on now. I thought he’d break out this season after he burst on the scene with 21 goals and 40 points last year.

PREDATORS 3, DEVILS 1

— Colin Wilson and Craig Smith scored in the third period to help Nashville down the Devils. But really, it was only a matter of time yet again for the Devils, who continue to generate very little offensively. Pekka Rinne needed to make only 21 saves.

— Smith also had a helper on Matt Cullen’s first period goal. Wilson is the guy you want to own, though. He has three goals over his past five games, as the 25-year-old’s career year continues with 18 goals and 37 points.

— Can’t help but feel a little bad for Cory Schneider, who despite 35 saves has now lost three games in a row. Schneider has proved he’s more than capable of being a number-one goalie (.924 SV%), but the goal support has been so bad he has just 19 wins. That will probably help discount his price next year.

WILD 6, HURRICANES 3

— Thomas Vanek’s arrival in Minnesota was supposed to provide a jolt of offense to the Wild’s top six. Let’s just say 12 goals and 36 points are a little less than what Minnesota hoped for. Hard to totally count out a player like him, but he’s not even on pace for 20 goals or 50 points this season. His shot volume (120 in 55 games) has dropped off this year, too.

— The Wild also got goals from Jordan Schroeder, Nate Prosser, Erik Haula and Zach Parise (empty net). Parise has three points over his past four games, and ranks 10th in goals with 23.

— Devan Dubnyk has hit the jackpot in Minnesota. Even on an "off" night in which he gave up three goals on 27 shots, he still wins. Dubnyk is 10-1-1 since the trade. He should be started with a ton of confidence at this point.

— Jeff Skinner scored his 12th goal of the season. That seems like a mistake, I know. He’s another guy who could be a bargain addition next year in fantasy drafts. Skinner has 151 shots on goal, so it’s not like he isn’t creating chances.

— I was a big fan of Anton Khudobin (18 saves) entering the season. He has not made me look smart with that one.

RANGERS 5, COYOTES 1

— The Rangers used four unanswered goals in the third period to knock off the Coyotes for their third win in a row. More importantly, Alain Vigneault became the 21st coach to reach the 500-win mark.

— Kevin Hayes is showing why he was a first-round pick (of the Blackhawks). The 6-foot-5 center is playing the best hockey of his rookie season, and getting more comfortable by the game. He has goals in three consecutive games — this one coming shorthanded, a sign of his increased trust from the coaching staff — and points in five in a row. He won’t win the Calder trophy but sustained play like this will get him some votes.

— Another day, another Rick Nash goal, too. He leads the league with 35 goals, now with six points over his past three games. His 55 points place him sixth in the overall points race, too.

— By far Cam Talbot’s (34 saves) best performance as the Rangers’ number-one with Henrik Lundqvist hurt. That he is 4-1-1 speaks to how well the Rangers’ offense has played. Talbot should continue to be a pretty good second option in fantasy leagues.

— Antoine Vermette scored for the Coyotes. As one of the "better" forward options available this trade season, I think he’s being vastly overrated. I see him more as a third-liner, but I’m sure some team will pay a premium to acquire him.

AVALANCHE 4, STARS 1

— The Stars played this game without Seguin, Ales Hemsky and Patrick Eaves because of injuries, and Antoine Roussel because of a suspension. Even when the reinforcements come back, life without Seguin will not be easy. It’s an unfortunate break for a team that had clawed its way back into playoff contention.

— Jason Spezza scored, and he should benefit from playing with Jamie Benn while Seguin is out. He gets a value bump as a result.

— Alex Tanguay had a two-point night with a goal and an assist. Jarome Iginla, Dennis Everberg and Gabriel Landeskog picked up the other markers. Even during a disappointing year for the Avalanche offense, Iginla is finding ways to stay productive, now with 18 goals (but only 36 points). He does have points in three consecutive games, though, with five in that span.

— Jhonas Enroth did not endear himself to his new team, making only 26 saves. Even on an injury plagued team such as the Stars, Enroth still probably felt like he he has a new lease on life after the trade. While Kari Lehtonen has been a little better lately, overall he has endured a very tough season. Thus, expect Enroth to get more action than a typical backup goalie.

FLAMES 3, CANUCKS 2

— Sean Monahan has not fully arrived as a bonafide point producer in the NHL, but the fact he has 19 goals (two more in this one) at age 20, hints at what the future upside is once it all comes together. With 36 points, he has surpassed his points total from last season by two. He needs three more goals to tie last season’s total. Also promising is that he has started more in the defensive zone this year, against tougher competition, and he’s carried the play at a better rate.

— The Flames are now tied with the Canucks with 65 points. Calgary still occupies the final wild-card spot in the West, though that might soon be the Canucks’.

— One of the reasons for Vancouver’s slip is the play of Ryan Miller. He has won three of his past nine games, posting a save percentage of .900 or better in just four of those nine. The Canucks need to bite the bullet for a bit here and let Eddie Lack get more time between the pipes. Miller has just a 2.46 GAA and .913 SV%.

KINGS 3, CAPITALS 1

— I have no doubt that if the Kings get average goaltending the rest of the way, they will make the playoffs. They are three points behind the Flames. Jonathan Quick made 27 saves in this one, for his fourth win in a row. Don’t get too excited, though, as he’s been pretty bad in two of those four wins.

— Los Angeles got goals from three players its leaning on a bit more now: Dwight King, Trevor Lewis and Jarrett Stoll. King has scored in three consecutive games, but he still only has 10 goals. Five of his 18 points have come in this span, too. I wouldn’t get too excited about any of these guys.

— Alex Ovechkin scored his 34th of the season. For a guy who gets as many pucks on net as he does, I can’t count out Ovechkin for another 50-goal season just yet. He can put them up in bunches.