Friday, February 16, 2007
The goalies below have been confirmed by a source:
Chris Mason, Nashville Predators - Mason is the probable starter for Friday's game against the Blues, reports the Nashville Tennessean. We forecasted this start several days ago so those in daily fantasy leagues should probably have seen it coming. Tomas Vokoun will get the start on Saturday against the Wild. Probability of start occurring: 90%
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins - Fleury is the probable starter for Friday's game against the Devils, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Probability of start occurring: 90%
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils - Brodeur is the probable starter for Friday's game against the Penguins, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Backup Scott Clemmensen commented earlier this week that he wouldn't be surprised if Brodeur started every game for the rest of the year. Probability of start occurring: 90%
The goalies below have not been confirmed by any sources:
Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks - Nabokov is the probable starter for Friday's game against the Blue Jackets. Probability of start occurring: 75%
Pascal Leclaire, Columbus Blue Jackets - Leclaire is the probable starter for Friday's game against the Sharks. Probability of start occurring: 75%
Manny Legace, St. Louis Blues - Legace is the probable starter for Friday's game against the Predators. Probability of start occurring: 75%
Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks - Luongo is the probable starter for Friday's game against the Blackhawks. Probability of start occurring: 85%
Nikolai Khabibulin, Chicago Blackhawks - Khabibulin is the probable starter for Friday's game against the Canucks. Probability of start occurring: 75%
Year-to-date: 1647 / 1736 = 94.9%
Friday, February 16, 2007
Peter Forsberg, Nashville Predators - Forsberg was traded by the Flyers to the Predators on Friday in exchange for winger Scottie Upshall, defenceman Ryan Parent, a first round pick and a third round pick, reports the AP. It's an awfully steep price to pay for an soon-to-be unrestricted free agent who has full intentions of testing the free agent market come July. However, on the flip side, this trade makes the Predators a very dangerous team to contend with in the post-season and the organization is hoping that Forsberg is the missing piece that will lead them to the Cup. From a fantasy perspective, Forsberg's value should increase as he has a more talented supporting cast to work with in Nashville, but as is always the case with him - the big issue is if he can stay healthy for the remainder of the year. And for those who are eager to see him in a Preds' uniform, it appears as if the veteran center will suit up for his new team on Saturday rather than Friday.
Todd Bertuzzi, Florida Panthers - Bertuzzi suffered a slight setback in his recovery from back surgery and is now expected back in the lineup sometime next week, reports the Miami Herald. He was originally supposed to be back by this weekend but had to ease off the throttle a little bit after experiencing some minor pain.
Hockey Today - February 16
Fri, Feb 16, 2007
By Associated Press
Pittsburgh at New Jersey (7:30 p.m. EST). The top two teams in the Atlantic Division meet.
Oddsmakers list the Devils as -140 home faves and have set the total at 6 goals.
STARS Thursday
-Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk, Avalanche. Sakic scored twice, including his 600th career goal, and added three assists and Hejduk had three goals to lead Colorado to a 7-5 win at Calgary.
-Teemu Selanne, Ducks, scored his second goal on a power play with 3:07 left in overtime and Anaheim rallied for a 5-4 win at Phoenix.
-Daniel Briere, Sabres, scored 62 seconds into overtime to lift Buffalo to a 2-1 win over Edmonton.
-Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, Lightning. Lecavalier scored two goals and St. Louis had the lone shootout tally, leading Tampa Bay past Washington 3-2.
-Mike Sillinger and Randy Robitaille, Islanders. Sillinger scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and Robitaille added two goals to seal New York's 4-1 win over Boston.
PETER THE PREDATOR
Philadelphia finally traded Peter Forsberg, sending the star center to the Central Division-leading Nashville on Thursday night for forward Scottie Upshall, defenseman Ryan Parent and two draft picks. The 33-year-old Swede, who can become an unrestricted a free agent at the end of the season, had 11 goals and 29 assists in 40 games for the Flyers this season, his second with Philadelphia after 10 years with Quebec and Colorado.
NO ORDINARY JOE
Joe Sakic scored twice, including his 600th career goal, and added three assists to lead the Avalanche to a 7-5 win over Calgary on Thursday night. Sakic reached the 600-goal mark by scoring into an empty net, becoming the 17th player in NHL history to get there. Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr also reached 600 with the Rangers earlier this season.
COMES IN 3'S
The New York Rangers scored three power-play goals and extended their winning streak to three games with a 4-1 victory at Carolina on Thursday night. The Rangers moved within three points of idle Montreal for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
STREAKS
Buffalo won its fourth straight game and pushed its home winning streak to six with Thursday night's 2-1 overtime victory over Edmonton. The Sabres' home run is their longest since winning seven straight early into the 1999-2000 season.
GETTING TIGHT
The New York Islanders recorded at least one standings point for the 11th time in 12 games (7-1-4) Thursday night after a 4-1 victory over Boston. The Islanders, starting their second seven-game homestand of the season, moved into a three-way tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with Montreal and Toronto - one point behind Carolina.
LIGHTNING STRIKES
Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier scored twice in a 3-2 shootout win over Washington on Thursday night, giving him 15 goals in 19 games and a career-high 39 on the season. His season total is three shy of Brian Bradley's team record set during the 1992-93 season.
ONE-SIDED SERIES
Anaheim beat Phoenix for the fifth time in six tries this season after rallying for a 5-4 overtime victory on Thursday night.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Jarome Iginla and Matthew Lombardi had two goals each for Calgary in a 7-5 loss to Colorado on Thursday night.
SPEAKING
''When it was 4-1 I was thinking, 'What's going on? There's no intensity, no passion, none whatsoever. But it takes 20 guys getting frustrated to get their work boots on and start working. We started battling and the momentum totally changed for us.'' - Anaheim's Teemu Selanne after the Ducks rallied from 4-1 down to win in overtime 5-4 at Phoenix on Thursday night. Selanne scored twice, including the overtime winner.
Devils trade F Korolyuk to Sharks
Fri, Feb 16, 2007By Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils traded left wing Alexander Korolyuk back to the San Jose Sharks on Friday for a third-round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Korolyuk has been playing this season for a team in Russia, Vityaz Chekhov, where he has 14 goals, 24 assists and 56 penalty minutes in 39 games.
The Devils had acquired Korolyuk on Oct. 1 from the Sharks.