Philadelphia Flyers

Ilya Bryzgalov remains the Flyers’ starting goalie but Sergei Bobrovsky will see his fair share of starts. Even though Bobrovsky posted noticeably better numbers than his counterpart — 2.42 GAA/.919 SV% opposed to 2.87 GAA/.898 SV% — the sophomore is not expected to take the reigns any time soon. Considering Bryzgalov is a high-profile signing, the Flyers will continue to give him every opportunity to improve. For what it is worth, Bryzgalov has been much better in 2012.

New Jersey Devils

On Wednesday, Devils head coach Pete DeBoer announced he would start Martin Brodeur down the stretch. Although Marty has played in only 33 of the team’s 50 tilts, he will be the difference between sneaking into the playoffs and missing the show for the second consecutive season. While the start totals look eerily similar between himself and backup Johan Hedberg, the latter is only expected to play during backup tilts. To date, the Moose has started 90 percent of those backup contests.

New York Islanders

Evgeni Nabokov has one foot out the door as he is expected to be traded by the end of the month. In the meantime, the longtime Shark is enjoying a bounce-back season where his goals against and save percentage are both better than his career averages– it’s also his best season since 2007-2008. Once Nabokov is eventually shipped off, Al Montoya and even prospect Kevin Poulin will get their fair share of playing time. Until then, feel confident in starting Nabby.

Boston Bruins

Tim Thomas may be a perennial All Star and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner but Tuukka Rask has been superb. As of this writing, both goalies are in the top 10 in goals against and top five in save percentage. In the team’s first six back-to-back games, Rask has started in every set, which makes sense considering the Bruins want to get their younger counterpart into more games. Look for head coach Claude Julien to operate on a 60/40 basis favoring Thomas while keeping their choices very close to the vest.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Who is the goalie to ride down the stretch? If history is any indication, James Reimer will backstop the Leafs to their destined position in the standings. Following a standout, shutout performance against Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Reimer looks fully healthy and ready to start every game with the city of Toronto behind him. However, this time he has a solid safety net in Jonas Gustavsson, who may have proved himself as a capable NHL goalie.

Buffalo Sabres

The All-Star break was good to Ryan Miller. After playing perhaps the worst hockey of his career, head coach Lindy Ruff almost platooned Miller and Jhonas Enroth in January. However, allowing only one goal on 57 shots over his last two games should instill a vote of confidence in the former Vezina Trophy winner. Furthermore, if he can keep up his solid play, the Sabres may get back into the playoff picture.

Detroit Red Wings

As you know, Jimmy Howard will miss roughly two weeks with broken fingers. In his place will be backup extraordinaire Ty Conklin with journeyman Joey MacDonald backing him up. However, there were rumors that the Red Wings could be seeking a more reliable backup before the trade deadline. For now, expect Conklin to get the bulk of the starts and for MacDonald to possibly see some action in a pinch.

St. Louis Blues

Jaroslav Halak remains the big-ticket attraction between the pipes for the Blues. While Brian Elliott is an All Star, Ken Hitchcock and company want bang for their buck when it comes to Halak which explains his sudden stretch of starts. Due to the defense-heavy system implemented in St. Louis, both goalies will have their share of low-scoring games. In fact, both goalies rank in the top six in GAA. At this point both ‘tenders are very steady options.

Chicago Blackhawks

Ray Emery was brought into Chicago in order to push Corey Crawford. So far it has only hurt his counterpart’s peripherals. After a breakout rookie campaign, Crawford has been rather mediocre with a 2.94 GAA and .900 SV%. And while those statistics would be suitable for Grant Fuhr in the 80s, they probably won’t cut it come playoff time. To his credit, Crawford has managed to keep it close in important games but you should expect Emery to string together consecutive starts — especially after one of Crawford’s now-trademark blowout losses.

Minnesota Wild

After missing an entire season, Josh Harding returned to the NHL and by all means hasn’t missed a beat. Prior to his injury, he was a highly-touted, blue chip prospect who turned into a very solid backup — the same ilk as Cory Schneider and Sergei Bobrovsky. However, this season, he was given the reigns to the starting goalie gig, albeit briefly, and could not hold onto it. After Harding’s five-goal meltdown against the Predators, Niklas Backstrom took back the role and should roll with it following his 37-save shutout against the Avs. Expect Harding to get some back-to-back starts while Backstrom leads the Wild the rest of the way.

Colorado Avalanche

Plain and simple: Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been better. And while the Avs traded away their first round pick(and more) for Semyon Varlamov, the younger counterpart simply has not been consistent enough to earn the confidence of coach Joe Sacco. By that same token, Giguere has been fantastic, sporting a 2.10 GAA and .922 SV% through 24 games. More importantly, he’s allowed four-or-more goals only twice this season. Expect the mentor to remain the starting goalie unless he goes on a stretch of bad starts.

Edmonton Oilers

Devan Dubnyk has taken the job and ran with it. For the first time all season, the younger counterpart started on back-to-back nights. In addition, he’s made four starts in a row as he brings the Oilers back into the playoff picture. A couple of months ago, Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski predicted Dubnyk would take over before the end of the season, effectively keeping his team in the mix. Well, their MvsW podcast is popular for a reason as the prophecy has come true and Nikolai Khabibulin has been relegated to the bench. Hard to argue with results so as long as Dubnyk keeps the puck out of the net, he will start.

Anaheim Ducks

(Pho, @Chi, @Wpg) Considering Dan Ellis just received a start on December 10th and the Ducks don’t play back-to-back games you can expect Jonas Hiller to take all three games. However, we still haven’t found a pattern with new coach Bruce Boudreau so beware any last-minute changes from Gabby.

Boston Bruins

(LA, @Ott, @Phi) The Bruins play back-to-back games which means Tuukka Rask is guaranteed a start. Rask recently came into the game in relief and was able to backstop the team into a win after Tim Thomas simply wasn’t himself. Expect the younger counterpart to continue getting his fair share of starts as the season progresses.

Buffalo Sabres

(Ott, Tor, @Pit) Like the Bruins, the Sabres play back-to-back games so Jhonas Enroth could get another start. However, his struggles coupled by Ryan Miller’s lessened workload could allow the latter to absorb all three turns.

Calgary Flames

(@Nas, @TB, @Fla, @Chi) With the Flames playing four games and back-to-backs, expect to see rookie Leland Irving make his first NHL start. Otherwise, Miikka Kiprusoff will continue to stand on his head for the Flames.

Carolina Hurricanes

(@Tor, Van, @Fla) Brian Boucher was just placed on IR which means Cam Ward could get all three starts. Ward has been pretty terrible, as have the Canes, so it might not hurt for new head coach Kirk Muller to try rookie Mike Murphy between the pipes.

Chicago Blackhawks

(@Min, Ana, Cal) Ray Emery has been stealing starts from Corey Crawford which is a trend that may continue if he keeps his GAA down. Keep an eye on this situation as it may mirror the past two seasons in the Windy City.

Colorado Avalanche

(SJS, @SJS, Was) One would imagine Semyon Varlamov starts against the team that drafted him and traded him away this past offseason. Nevertheless, I would not be surprised if the team sends Jean-Sebastien Giguere out there in one of the two starts against the Sharks.

Columbus Blue Jackets

(Van, LA, TB, @STL) Curtis Sanford has played well but the Blue Jackets are still the worst team in hockey. With four games in the docket, does coach Scott Arniel turn to the dreadful Steve Mason?

Dallas Stars

(@NYR, @NYI, @NJ) Richard Bachman won his first NHL start and is probably going to start against the Rangers. He played a great game in the AHL last season and could be worth something as Kari Lehtonen is out at least till the end of the month. If he doesn’t continue playing well, expect Andrew Raycroft to get back between the pipes.

Detroit Red Wings

(@Pit, @Nas, LA) Does Mike Babcock mess with a good thing and sit Jimmy Howard? Probably not. Sorry, Ty Conklin faithful.

Edmonton Oilers

(@Pho, @SJS) Devan Dubnyk played two of the last three games which should mean we see Nikolai Khabibulin in both games. Coach Tom Renney has played his goalie decisions quite close to the vest so expect a further update.

Florida Panthers

(NJ, Cal, Car) Coach Kevin Dineen likes to keep his hot goalies running so we may see Jose Theodore out there all three games. If not, expect to see a Scott Clemmensen sighting.

Los Angeles Kings

(@Bos, @Cbj, @Det) Jonathan Bernier just starting and the Kings struggling to score should make Jonathan Quick start all three games.

Minnesota Wild

(@Win, Chi, NYI) Niklas Backstrom is fully healthy and won his start last night in typical fashion. If he isn’t healthy enough to start all three games, expect rookie Matt Hackett to get another turn. One thing we know: Josh Harding will not be playing in at least one of the three games as he remains in Minnesota.

Montreal Canadiens

(NYI, Phi, NJ) Could we see a Peter Budaj sighting? Carey Price has started the last five games so check the starting goalies page to find out.

Nashville Predators

(Cgy, Det, STL) In the past we would claim Pekka Rinne would start every game. However, his overuse likely attributed to his recent struggles so expect Anders Lindback to get another look sooner rather than later.

New Jersey Devils

(@TBL, @Fla, Dal, @Mon) Johan Hedberg starts against the Bolts with Martin Brodeur starting against the Panthers. One would assume Hedberg faces his former team in the Stars while Marty faces his hometown Habs.

New York Islanders

(@Mtl, Dal, @Min) With Rick DiPietro and Evgeni Nabokov both hurting and listed as day-to-day, Al Montoya should get all three starts. If he falters for any reason, goalie-of-the-future Kevin Poulin would be a an admirable stopgap.

New York Rangers

(Dal, @STL, @Pho) A rested Henrik Lundqvist should get all three starts. Although one could make the argument to rest him before a tough week against divisional rivals.

Ottawa Senators

(@Buf, Bos, Pit) The Senators got a taste of what their season would look like without Craig Anderson and did not like it with their 5-4 loss. Andy likely gets all three starts this week.

Philadelphia Flyers

(@Was, @Mtl, Bos) Ilya Bryzgalov should be OK to play against the Capitals. The Flyers want him to play against most top teams so keep an eye out for Sergei Bobrovsky to get a turn against the Habs.

Phoenix Coyotes

(@Ana, Edm, NYR) The ‘Yotes play a set of back-to-back games but Mike Smith has only started two in a row. Expect the workhorse to get even more work.

Pittsburgh Penguins

(Det, @Ott, Buf) Considering Brent Johnson hasn’t started in four games, he probably gets a look during one of the two weekend games. The veteran was listed as day-to-day earlier this week so he might concede his turn to starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Keep an eye on the starting goalies section if you need to stream.

San Jose Sharks

(@Col, Col, Edm) Antti Niemi has been a force for the Sharks and figures to continue the trend as the team’s every day starter. Antero Niittymaki is nearing his return which could mean wholesale changes between the pipes for both Niemi and Thomas Greiss. Keep an eye out on how this situation develops over the next week.

St. Louis Blues

(NYR, @Nsh, Cbj) Brian Elliott is probably the hottest goalie in hockey and figures to take two of the three games. His counterpart, Jaroslav Halak will continue to start as long as he remains consistent as well. Hard to argue against starting Elliott at this point.

Tampa Bay Lightning

(NJ, Cgy, @Cbj) Is it time to give some starts back to Dwayne Roloson? Mathieu Garon turned in an awful performance against the Flyers so Roloson could be back on the heavier side of the workload.

Toronto Maple Leafs

(Car, @Buf, Van) If James Reimer is to sit for any of these three games, it will likely be against the Sabres. Considering he has barely played this season, coach Ron Wilson may give him an extended run between the pipes.

Vancouver Canucks

(@Cbj, @Car, @Tor) Roberto Luongo has his groove back and usually doesn’t sit when he’s winning. The best backup in hockey in Cory Schneider may change that. Keep checking the starting goalie section.

Washington Capitals

(Phi, @Win, @Col) The team has won their last two games with Tomas Vokoun between the pipes. Why mess with a good thing? If he doesn’t play, the alternative is Michal Neuvirth.

Winnipeg Jets

(Min, Was, Ana) Chris Mason just started a game so expect Ondrej Pavelec to put together another string of starts.

A look ahead to the following week: December 19th-25th*:

Three Games: Cgy, Col, Dal, Det, Fla, LA, Min, Mtl, Nas, NYI, NYR, Ott, Phi, Pho, Tor, Van, Win

Two Games: Ana, Bos, Buf, Car, Chi, Edm, NJD, Pit, SJ, STL, TB, Was

One Game: Cbj

There are no games scheduled on December 24th and 25th so be prepared for a shortened fantasy hockey week.

(LA, @StL, @Nsh) Backup goalie Dan Ellis is suffering from a groin injury so Jeff Deslauriers has been called up to serve as the backup. The Ducks have struggled so far but will look to change their luck this week. Jonas Hiller will remain in the top goalie spot and likely get all three starts this week with Ellis unable to play.

Boston Bruins

(@Pit, @Wpg, Fla, @Cls) Tim Thomas did not see a loss in the month of November as he continues to impress us all with his netminding abilities. The Bruins face four games this week, including back-to-back games, which means Thomas will get the majority of starts but Tuukka Rask will step in to give him a break at some point as well. Need I say to play Thomas without hesitation?

Buffalo Sabres

(Phi, Fla, NYR) The Sabres face back-to-back games this week but Ryan Miller should get the bulk of the starts, if healthy, putting Jhonas Enroth back in the backup spot.

Calgary Flames

(Car, Col, Edm) Miikka Kiprusoff will continue in net this week for the Flames. He managed to shutout the Predators last week and will seek victory this week at home. There should be little question of whether or not he will start all three games as backup Henrik Karlsson was recently placed on IR and will be unavailable all week

Carolina Hurricanes

(@Cgy, @Edm, @Wpg) Despite Back-to-back games, Cam Ward should get all three starts this week.

Chicago Blackhawks

(Pho, @NYI, SJ) Although Crawford was pulled in the Phoenix game last week, he’ll continue to start this week for the Blackhawks, where he’ll face the Coyotes again. The poor performance wasn’t entirely Crawford’s fault, it’s still safe to set him in your lineup for the week.

Colorado Avalanche

(@Van, @Cgy, @Edm) Back-to-back games this week likely means that Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere will both make appearances. Varlamov has only allowed two goals or less in the games he played last week but be cautious when setting your lines as the Avs will start the week off with a matchup against the Canucks.

Columbus Blue Jackets

(@Mon, Nsh, Bos) Curtis Sanford has been solid for the Blue Jackets, or maybe it’s that we saw such a horrible performance from Mason that it makes the journeyman seem like a miracle. Mason is healthy again and will be ready to step in when called on, but the Blue Jackets would be crazy to take away the No 1 spot from Sanford; he’s hasn’t been outstanding but he is better than the other option. Nonetheless, if you picked him up, play him cautiously as the Blue Jackets face some tough teams this week.

Dallas Stars

(@SJ, @LA) The Stars have a light week, facing only two teams, which is good for the Stars who are missing their No. 1 goalie due to groin injury. Andrew Raycroft has stepped in for Kari Lehtonen in the meantime and has done a good job so far of defending the net. If you picked him up, play him this week.

Detroit Red Wings

(@StL, Pho, Wpg) Jimmy Howard and the team in front of him are hot right now. He’ll get the starts this week, as he’s definitely earned them. Play him confidently, he won’t let you down.

Edmonton Oilers

(Car, Col, @Cgy) The Oilers face back-to-back games this week so Devan Dubnyk and Nikolai Khabibulin will both make appearances. We’re still waiting for Khabibulin to disappoint, although the Oilers haven’t seen many wins in the past couple of weeks, the Bulin Wall has been solid and he’s definitely safe to keep active in your lineup this week.

Florida Panthers

(Was, @Bos, @Buf, @NYR) Scott Clemmensen is healthy again and will likely make an appearance as the Panthers face a busy, back-to-back game week. So far his two appearances have been successful so it will be interesting to see what he can do if he’s given some more playing time. Jose Theodore has been solid for the Panthers, however, so keep an eye on the situation, to see if they begin sharing time or if Theodore keeps that No. 1 spot.

Los Angeles Kings

(@Anh, Min, Dal) Jonathan Quick shutout the Sharks last week and followed that performance by allowing only one goal on 42 shots against the Panthers. But should we really expect anything less? He’ll be in goal this week, keep him active in your lineup or you’ll regret it.

Minnesota Wild

(@SJ, @LA, @Pho) Niklas Backstrom has been solid in net, allowing no more than three goals in any game since mid October. However, he’s been hurt, paving the way for 1A option Josh Harding. Keep an eye on the starting goalies page for this situation.

Montreal Canadiens

(Cls, Van, @NJ) Carey Price allowed three or more goals in the games he started last week, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep him active. He’s still solid in net for the Habs and for your fantasy team. With Peter Budaj getting a start last week, expect Price all three times.

Nashville Predators

(Pho, @Cls, Anh) Pekka Rinne surrendered five goals to Vancouver last week, but that doesn’t say much about the goalie he is. He’s hit a bit of a losing streak lately, but he’ll bounce back in no time and this week, he’s likely to get you the wins you expect from him.

New Jersey Devils

(@Tor, Ott, Mon) Martin Brodeur allowed six goals against Colorado last week but the Devils will likely stick with him this week, hoping that the Marty we know and love will break through. If not, backup Johan Hedberg has been better and could steal some starts.

New York Islanders

(TB, Chi, Pit) Evgeni Nabokov remains on IR putting Al Montoya at the top of the list. He’s been the Islanders best option and will likely get all three starts this week, if he’s still lingering out in fantasy land, you may want to consider a pickup if you need a backup goalie.

New York Rangers

(Tor, TB, @Buf, Fla) Henrik Lundqvist will be in net for most of the week and fantasy owners should always keep him active, you can’t go wrong with King Henrik. You can also expect an appearance from Martin Biron as the Rangers face a busy week with back-to-back games.

Ottawa Senators

(TB, Was, @NJ, Van) Craig Anderson continues to be somewhat inconsistent so play him cautiously and be mindful of the matchups coming up. With a busy week, Alex Auld may also make an appearance.

Philadelphia Flyers

(@Buf, Pit, TB) Back-to-backs likely mean Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky will both be in net at some point this week. Check back on game days to be sure, Bryz was battling inconsistency but played well this weekend so we should be seeing more of him again.

Phoenix Coyotes

(@Chi, @Nsh, @Det, Min) Mike Smith has been solid in net for the Coyotes. Regardless of the team’s offensive output in his performances, he’s still a good fantasy option and should be active on your roster. Note that Jason Labarbera will likely step in this week to play in one of the back-to-back games.

Pittsburgh Penguins

(Bos, @Phi, @NYI) The Penguins has a light three-game week with no back-to-back games, so Marc-Andre Fleury will likely be in net all week.

San Jose Sharks

(Min, Dal, @StL, @Chi) Four games, including a back-to-back, could allow for Greiss to make an appearance, but expect to see reliable goaltender, Antti Niemi, in net for the majority of the week.

St. Louis Blues

(Det, Anh, SJ) It seems sharing time in net between Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott is working for the Blues and it will likely continue that way this week. Check the Starting Goalies page on game days to set your lineups accordingly.

Vancouver Canucks

(Col, @Mon, @Ott) Roberto Luongo played last night and will likely be the go-to guy for the Canucks this week. Cory Schneider did a great job holding down the fort while Luongo was out; he’s proven to be a reliable backup, time and time again.

Tampa Bay Lightning

(@Ott, @NYI, @NYR, @Phi) Back-to-back games or not, you’ll likely see both goalies this week. Mathieu Garon’s last performances were better than the ever-inconsistent Dwayne Roloson’s but they’ve got a strong team in front of them, most days, it’s safe to activate either one.

Toronto Maple Leafs

(@NYR, NJ, @Was) Jonas Gustavsson goes tonight with James Reimer playing on Tuesday. From there we can only assume Reimer takes the reigns.

Washington Capitals

(@Fla, @Ott, Tor) The Caps seems to be struggling since acquiring a new coach and with a lackluster team in front of him. TomasVokoun isn’t doing much better, paving way for Michal Neuvirth to start against his former team. Hopefully they will pick up this week, as they face teams that normally, wouldn’t give them much of a problem.

Winnipeg Jets

(Bos, Car, @Det) Ondrej Pavelec shutout the Coyotes last week and will continue to defend the net this week. Hopefully the shutout surged a spark in Pavelec that the Jets and fantasy owners have been waiting for.

Looking ahead to next week, December 12th-18th:

Four Games: Blue Jackets, Devils

Three Games: Ducks, Bruins, Sabres, Flames, Hurricanes, Blackhawks, Avalanche, Stars, Red Wings,
Panthers, Kings, Wild, Habs, Predators, Islanders, Rangers, Senators, Flyers , Coyotes, Penguins, Sharks,
Blues, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Canucks, Caps, Jets

Two Games: Oilers

Alexander Monaghan also contributed to this article.

Tuukka Rask needs to play more than he did last year. As the future of the Boston Bruins he only found his way into 29 games while he watched Tim Thomas simply dominate the opposition. Well, this season should be different. No level of dominance will keep Rask out of games, leading to making consecutive starts despite Thomas coming off a shutout.

A full week after that shutout, Thomas is listed as confirmed to start against the Sabres on Saturday night which is a clear indicator that he still is the starting goalie in Boston. Nevertheless, Rask will be used more which makes him an inevitable handcuff to one of the best goalies in the League. Don’t call it a controversy, call it reality as Rask will get upwards of 35 starts by the end of the season.

Without further ado, here’s the rest of the goalie controversies around the League:

Al Montoya vs. Rick DiPietro vs. Evgeni Nabokov

Montoya got the most recent start when the Isles lost in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche. Aside from a relief appearance against the Boston Bruins, Montoya did not start since October 20th after allowing four goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the team plays better behind him, he has a very limited margin for error.

Most likely Evgeni Nabokov gets the next start when the Islanders face the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, mainly due to his experience against the Western Conference foe. Until he is inevitably shipped out you can expect Nabokov and Rick DiPietro to split most of the work as the Islanders continue their up-and-down play.

Jonas Gustavsson vs. Ben Scrivens

Scrivens shut the door on the St. Louis Blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs losing streak on Thursday, stopping 38 of 40 shots. The Spruce Grove, Alberta is a relative unknown, much like the player he replaced in James Reimer but his minor league numbers were solid. We can only expect he gets the start against the Sens on Saturday night.

On the other hand, ‘The Monster’ has left many opportunities on the table with an decent 4-4-0 record in spite of his 3.78 GAA and .878 SV%. It has taken a top-5 offense, provided by Phil Kessel and company to keep the team in the game. At this point, coach Ron Wilson and company can only continue to monitor James Reimer’s status as they pray his makeshift goaltending duo can keep his team in the running.

Jhonas Enroth vs. Ryan Miller

Don’t look now but Enroth won again, earning his fifth win and improving an already stellar 1.44 GAA and .952 SV%. Right now he has just been stellar and makes a compelling case to take a few more starts away from Ryan Miller. More impressively, he has not allowed more than two goals in any of his six appearances. Furthermore, his minor league track record could allow him to stay in the NHL for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, Miller picked up the win in his last start but allowed five goals to the Winnipeg Jets in the process. He is expected to start against the Bruins on Saturday night but that plan could change if coach Lindy Ruff wants to ruffle a few more feathers (Ed note: which he won’t as Miller is confirmed). Is Enroth this year’s Brent Johnson? Only time will tell.

Mathieu Garon vs. Dwayne Roloson

Garon has just been awful over his last two starts. He allowed five goals through 32 minutes against the Nashville Predators and three goals in 15 minutes against the Florida Panthers. Suffice to say he would remain the backup if Dwayne Roloson showed even a modicum of consistency.

Roloson won his last three appearances, cleaning up for Garon in between starts. His last win — a 14-save appearances against the Philadelphia Flyers — hopefully could be a sign of things to come for his fantasy hockey owners. However, expecting a 42-year-old to play more consistently is not an easy task. Expect a 50/30 split in Roloson’s favor over the rest of the season.

Jaroslav Halak vs. Brian Elliott

In the Ken Hitchcock era Jaroslav Halak has gotten both of the starts. The results have been much better as the Bratislava, Czechoslovakia native has stopped 49 of 51 shots. Despite his early season struggles, the former postseason star has rebounded and should look solid for the rest of the season under a strict defensive system.

Unfortunately, Brian Elliott will be relegated to bench work. His 1.72 GAA and .941 SV% are second to only Nikolai Khabibulin as he remains an excellent handcuff but he probably won’t be stealing too many starts away from Halak. At the end of the season expect him to take at most 25-30 starts away from Halak.

Josh Harding vs. Niklas Backstrom

Josh Harding is on fire with four consecutive wins allowing only three goals over that span. In the interest of fairness, he conceded a start to starting goalie Niklas Backstrom but will be back in nets against the Los Angeles Kings. As long as he remains hot he will continue getting the call between the pipes.

His counterpart Backstrom is 33-years-old with a $6 million cap hit set to run through 2013. It looks like one of the two will need to be traded unless the Wild revert back to their 40-40 splits. Until then continue to monitor our starting goalies section as this decision will be made on a day-to-day basis.

We hope you enjoyed our segment on starting goalies and fending off their backups as much as we enjoyed writing it.  If there are glaring omissions such as the awesomeness of Ty Conklin or your love affair for Andrew Raycroft, let your voice be heard in the comments. Regardless, make sure to take all of the advice in and continue to check our renowned starting goalies section, which is updated all day until game time.

In an era where most NHL starting goalies are slow starters, or mediocre, out of the gate, Brian Elliott lays it all on the line. A notoriously good first half player, Elliott’s best career months are October, November and January. This October his 1.67 GAA and .942 SV% vaulted him into a starting job, knocking incumbent starter Jaroslav Halak out of the crease.

Even though Elliott hardly beat youngster Ben Bishop for the backup job in the preseason, his calming presence between the pipes has given him an extended look in an every day role. In addition, he’s only the second goalie in St. Louis Blues history to win his first four starts — with Reinhardt Divis the only other, hat tip to Norm Sanders, via Twitter. Right now he remains the team’s starting goalie but his long-term value is questionable at best.

Halak’s best year came when he fought Carey Price for the number one role so a bounce back could be in order. Elliott’s tough-luck, 3-1 loss against Miikka Kiprusoff and the Calgary Flames could be an indication he is slowing down. Then again, allowing only two goals isn’t really grounds for someone to lose their job; neither is losing four of your first five games. Expect this competition to continue for a bit longer.

Al Montoya vs. Rick DiPietro vs. Evgeni Nabokov

Evgeni Nabokov is not expected to play tonight, out with the ‘Shark flu‘. In all seriousness, he appeared to have a hip or lower-body injury after 65 minutes against the Pittsburgh Penguins, making way for Rick DiPietro. The fact that DiPi starts tonight against the Penguins is indicative as to where Al Montoya sits on the team’s depth chart. After playing the team’s first four games to the tune of a modest 2-2-0 rec0rd, 2.01 GAA and .930 SV%, the Glenview, Illinois was quickly shuttled to the bench in favor of the veteran Nabokov.

Considering he started four straight, it certainly looked like the Isles were showcasing Nabokov — who sat out an entire season after the Isles claimed him off waivers. GM Garth Snow knows the former Calder Memorial Trophy winner should garner some interest on the trade market and posting solid peripherals to start the season — 1-2-0 record, 2.23 GAA and .927 SV% — is certainly good enough to get a few offers. Should Nabby get traded, look for the team to give DiPietro every opportunity to regain his job, resting him on back-to-back games with Montoya filling in.

Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Ilya Bryzgalov

Both goalies were just terrible in Thursday’s infamous 9-8 loss against the Winnipeg Jets. Ilya Bryzgalov will start tonight, which is a solid indication that he still holds the starting goalie position for the Flyers. Still, the younger Bobrovsky has outplayed Bryzgalov in facet possibly because he’s used to the media zoo in Philadelphia.

The team has currently won five of their 10 games and will continue experiencing growing pains as their newer personnel develop chemistry. Considering Bryzgalov signed such a costly deal, he should be given every opportunity to succeed in the City of Brotherly Love; if you drop Bryz, I would like to be in your fantasy hockey league next season. Nevertheless, young Bob earning two of the five victories is telling as to where he stands with coach Peter Laviolette. Expect him to continue to steal starts from his counterpart but remain the number two.

Jacob Markstrom vs. Jose Theodore

Jose Theodore and Jacob Markstrom may have run Scott Clemmensen out of a job. Through nine games, the Florida Panthers hold five wins thanks to an improved roster and timely goaltending. While most thought the Cats downgraded their starting goalie when they allowed Tomas Vokoun to walk, the current tandem holds a tidy 2.53 GAA and 92.4 SV% — an improvement over their 2.66 GAA and 91.5 SV% of last season.

Theodore last started on October 20th in the team’s 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres but figures to get a rematch tonight. Over the last nine days in between, Markstrom played all three contests, allowing seven goals. Coach Kevin Dineen allowed the youngster to stay in between the pipes because he was hot but also because Theo was sore. Otherwise, he expects to run his French Canadien netminder out there 50-55 time a season.

Dwayne Roloson vs. Mathieu Garon

Similar to Dineen, coach Guy Boucher prefers to keep the hot hand playing between the pipes. For four consecutive games he ran Mathieu Garon out there, allowing him to start for his Tampa Bay Lightning, as long as he produced some wins. On the fourth game, a 5-3 loss to the Nashville Predators, Garon was not as sharp, surrendering five goals on only 17 shots. He eventually got the hook and in came hero Dwayne Roloson, the team’s premier starting goalie.

Roli would stop all 10 shots faced, which earned him the starting nod tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. He should turn in a solid effort against the Jets considering his 9-0-1-1 career record against them en route to reclaiming his job. If Roli can’t hold onto the job, it looks like GM Steve Yzerman will explore trade options before resting his season’s hopes on Garon — a player who has not held a starting role since 2007-2008.

Cory Schneider vs. Roberto Luongo

Is there anyone unfamiliar with this goalie controversy? Roberto Luongo always stinks in October; Cory Schneider has been better this season. If you own one, I suggest you buy the other, and vice versa. Check the starting goalies section on a nightly basis to find out which of these guys play in nets.

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We hope you enjoyed our segment on starting goalies and fending off their backups as much as we enjoyed writing it.  If there are glaring omissions such as the awesomeness of Ty Conklin or your love affair for Andrew Raycroft, let your voice be heard in the comments. Regardless, make sure to take all of the advice in and continue to check our renowned starting goalies section, which is updated all day until game time.

This is a salary cap league where everyone tries to assemble the best team out of the available players. You will have a $100,000 budget to build a team of 2 LW’s, 2 RW’s, 2 Center’s, 2 Defensive players, 1 Goalie, and a FLEX. Each NHL player has been allocated a price based on their expected fantasy performance. For example, star LW Alex Ovechkin costs $14,331 where as RW Jarome Iginla costs $12,256.

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By Alexander Monaghan
Editor-in-chief

On Thursday, Washington Capitals starting goalie Tomas Vokoun was asked how he felt about starting the season opener with his new team. His response: I’m not scheduled to play that day.

As fantasy hockey addicts, and likely Vokoun owners, we responded with a resounding ‘Huh?’

Huh? indeed. Michal Neuvirth, the incumbent starting goalie following the departure of Semyon Varlamov, has been scheduled to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. It could be because of his track record against the Canes — 2.50 GAA, .915 SV%; it could also have to do with Vokoun’s poor preseason (Judging by their preseason save percentage, shouldn’t be massive surprise: .949 vs .870).

With Vokoun expected to start no less than 50 games, this situation deserves a tiny bit of monitoring. In this case I would recommend any and every Vokoun owner to acquire Neuvirth as a handcuff. Leagues are not won in the second round but they sure can be lost there so get some insurance on your investment.

Jonathan Bernier vs. Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Quick, by all accounts, looked sharp in his team’s 3-2 OT win against the New York Rangers yesterday. While he was barely tested — facing a whopping 26 shots — he got the job done and pulled through with a W. His reward the following day: the bench.

When asked, coach Terry Murray claimed to be riding the hot hand all season, opposed to using Quick as his starting goalie and giving Bernier the mop-up duties. From LA Kings Insider:

“We talked back home, in the early part of the training camp, where I’ve said that I’m not going to lock myself in, to where i have designated games for the goaltenders. I’m going to play it out right here at the start of the year. Everything is so critical. If we get a goaltender that’s on a roll, to me that’s going to be the right way to go.”

Apparently the first win was not enough to deem Quick the “hot hand” which will give Bernier a shot. If Bernier wins in a more decided manner, perhaps he gets that esteemed distinction. One thing is for certain, these two are acting in tandem, not a #1 and #2 scenario.

Jason LaBarbera vs. Mike Smith

The past two seasons, Phoenix Coyotes goalies combined for a 2.34 GAA and a 2.64 GAA. The common denominator was of course Ilya Bryzgalov, who now tends the nets in Philadelphia and saw the above statistics dragged down by his counterpart Jason LaBarbera.

Therefore it should come as no surprise that Mike Smith won the starting goalie gig despite both players having a “good camp.” His impressive 3-1 win in the team’s last preseason game gave him the nod for tonight’s rematch but keep in mind the Sharks fielded about half of their regulars in all situations; he should have a harder challenge in the regular season.

After tonight, who starts in Phoenix is anyone’s guess. Keep that in mind when deciding which player to keep in the long run.

Devan Dubnyk vs. Nikolai Khabibulin

Who will start for the Oilers when they open the season Sunday night in Edmonton? Dubnyk has certainly earned his keep as the team’s starting goalie at the tail end of last season and should get the nod. Nevertheless, with the team still invested in Khabibulin for two more seasons at $3.75 million, he will see his fair share of playing time. Right now it sounds like Khabibulin’s job to lose.

When questioned by reporters, coach Tom Renney enjoys the dynamic between the two. From the Edmonton Journal:

If he does struggle, head coach Tom Renney will quickly turn the net over to Devan Dubnyk, who in his first full season in the league, posted a .916 save percentage through 35 games. “I still think that there’s a mentorstudent thing happening here,” said Renney. “There’s a real good giveand-take between the two guys. I see it being very healthy.”

Neither netminder sounds like a good fantasy hockey option at this point. However, the youngsters could turn some heads, the veterans could stay healthy and the current defensive corps could keep some pucks out of the net. Certainly a situation to monitor closely (you will definitely enjoy watching top prospects as well).

Al Montoya vs. Rick DiPietro vs. Evgeni Nabokov

Montoya gets the surprise start tonight but from there it is anyone’s guess.

DiPietro, if healthy, is expected to get the majority of starts but coach Jack Capuano needs to keep all three of his ‘tenders fresh. Montoya finished the season with an impressive 2.39 GAA and .921 SV%. Out of the three, he certainly holds the highest upside as the youngest option, and one that succeeded already in the current system.

Until the New York Islanders can prove themselves a better team than last season, keep one of the three on the waiver wire or on the bench. At this point it seems like Montoya is the short-term add.

Tuukka Rask vs. Tim Thomas

Tim Thomas posted one of the more prolific fantasy hockey performances last season, finishing with a 2.00 GAA and .939 SV% over 57 games. Despite winning his second Vezina Trophy in three seasons, he is not ranked the top fantasy hockey goalie or even in the top five.

Why? Because fantasy hockey addicts aren’t willing to trust a repeat of one of the strongest performances in NHL history. The last time Thomas won the Vezina, he lost his job to Tuukka Rask — who followed with an impressive season of his own, posting a 22-12-5 record with five shutouts, a 1.97 GAA and .931 SV%.

If you own Thomas, you should grab Rask with a later pick as a handcuff. It certainly won’t hurt. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins seem poised for another successful season so make sure you place a bet on both horses in order to maximize your wins.

Roberto Luongo vs. Cory Schneider

If you were to ask coach Alain Vigneault or any member of the Vancouver Canucks organization about a goaltending controversy, they probably would all tell you the same thing. “Roberto Luongo is our guy, our number one.” However, if his opening night 4-3 OT loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins are any indication, Cory Schneider is a better goalie.

Luongo makes plenty of netminding gaffes, including the first period goal by James Neal. The Penguins clearly watched tape of those gaffes during the Stanley Cup Finals and utilized them during the game. How long until the rest of the League catches onto him?

Schneider posted a 16-4-2 record with one shutout, a 2.23 GAA and .929 SV% over 25 appearances last season which makes him an option even in shallow fantasy hockey leagues. If you own Luongo, you should own Schneider. If you need a number three goalie, you should own Schneider. Overall, you probably should own Schneider.

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We hope you enjoyed our segment on starting goalies and fending off their backups as much as we enjoyed writing it.  If there are glaring omissions such as the awesomeness of Ty Conklin or your love affair for Andrew Raycroft, let your voice be heard in the comments. Regardless, make sure to take all of the advice in and continue to check our renowned starting goalies section, which is updated all day until game time.

Luongo's home and road split is one for the ages.

Hey that is Keith Primeau.  Remember how people thought he would be the next elite player?  Well despite some of his best efforts, Primeau sadly never did quite achieve the promise though he showed many flashes of what he may have been.  The scary thing is Primeau never even led a team to the Stanley Cup Finals, although he made one short appearance against the New Jersey Devils in the 1995 Finals.  Roberto Luongo can at least say he brought a team within one win of a Stanley Cup or really can he?

In honor of his fantasy contributions that were other worldly and near legendary at home but oh so rather ordinary on the road, we came up with the Keith Primeau Award which is given every so often to home playoff excellence and road playoff ruin.  Technically there was an added variable this year but if said Vancouver netminder could have played a little better on the road in the Stanley Cup Finals, maybe the Canucks would be celebrating instead of wondering what could have been.

First we should take a look at Primeau’s career quickly, thanks to Hockey Database.

Yes we did put up the entire body of work for Primeau with the emphasis on the 1999-2000 and 2003-04 playoff runs.  In the 99-00 run, Primeau had 10 points on the home and 3 points on the road.  Then the 2003-04 run featured 13 points at home and only 3 on the road including 8 of the 9 goals scored at home as well.  Primeau only had one goal and two assists away from the friendly confines in the 2003-04 playoff season.

Now it would seem to be unfair to pigeon hole Luongo at this stage of his career.  He was 9-5 at home in this year’s playoffs but only 5-5 on the road.  Nearly every road experience seemed to be an adventure and all three in the Finals were an unmitigated disaster.  When you have a 3.49 GAA and .885 save percentage on the road compared to a 1.80 GAA and .933 save percentage at home.  That comes out to nearly a .05 difference (.048 to be technical).

Some will try to poke holes into this argument.  For example, it would be noted that Primeau just executed a little better at home than on the road as his shots and scoring chances were about the same.  Some will say he fed off the crowd.  Whatever it was, Luongo fed off the crowd and the minute the crowd doubted, one could almost see the Stanley Cup heading over to the Bruins side.

The last sentence was an unfair thing to say or was it?

By the way Luongo’s save percentage difference between home and road during the regular season was .02 (.937 home and .917 road).  From the March 15th until the end of the season stretch, that did spread a bit to a .038.  For those scoring at home, Luongo’s save percentage was .943 at home and only .905 on the road.  Could we have seen all this coming or were we just blinded at first by the near Chicago comeback and then by all sorts of excuses of injuries and/or fatigue.

It is not enough to give Luongo our first annual Keith Primeau Award.  However, it is clear that the numbers have to be poked into a bit more to get into the psychology of the netminder who was rattled several times during the playoffs and now questions have to be asked.

Question 1:  Is it all in Luongo’s head?

This had to be asked.  Goaltenders are a wacky bunch and just ask Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur that very question anytime.  Mentally there is a certain block that threatens Luongo and whether this is unwarranted or not, there is some relevance.  Look at how he played early on against Chicago where they did not play physical and then after Dave Bolland returned.  It was like night and day.  Suddenly Luongo played tentative and on his heels more often which led to more goals.  If he can be kept reasonably aggressive, then Luongo can play lights out like he did against Nashville (or not very threatened).

Even the San Jose Sharks did not threaten Luongo all that much.  Vancouver was winning the battle of attrition in most of the first three rounds.  Yes they did lose a few players but it seemed Vancouver rallied anyway.  However what was quietly not realized is that if San Jose had been a little less banged up, they may have defeated the Canucks.  Chicago went seven against Vancouver on half the team they used to be and even Nashville extended Vancouver to six games.  Part of that was because of Luongo.  He had this penchant in the playoffs for being elite in stretches and then flat out AHL level in others.

Too often that swing would happen in the same game.  It really was like a good bit of this was in Luongo’s head.  Especially in the Boston series, it became mental but this was apparent throughout the playoffs.  Even the first goal that Luongo gave up in Game 7 against Boston was a shot that would have been stopped with a little more aggressive play.  Patrice Bergeron did get a pretty good shot off but it was almost as if Luongo was not quite ready for it.

That happened too many times in the playoffs and look Luongo is not the whole reason why Vancouver lost but today we are focusing on him.  After that first goal, Luongo was not as keen on his angles and Boston seemed to get a scoring chance on almost every shot.  There were a few misses and a post by Boston that could have made the score worse in the first 20 minutes of Game 7.  Luongo’s mental and body language were not the same while he looked across and surely saw Tim Thomas playing loose yet mentally sound.

Luongo lost the gamesmanship battle as well with Thomas.  It was not smart at all to get into a game of trash talking.  Without getting into who pumps who’s tires, maybe Luongo should have kept his yap shut perhaps.  Thomas and the city of Boston were already in his head so why make it worse?  Sometimes common sense is a better course of valor and that attitude is why personally Luongo never ever should have been named Captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Captains do not lead that way but then again look at Henrik Sedin.  Maybe there is something wrong there.

Let us get back to the Luongo at hand here.  While Luongo is a very good goaltender in the National Hockey League, I actually do not believe he is even an elite fantasy goalie in the league.  Can he put two elite level seasons together?  His regular season was elite level this year but can he do it again for the next?  The same assertion can be made against Thomas but he now has a Stanley Cup ring, something Luongo does not have.

Question 2:  Will Luongo have a Finals hangover?

That answer is yes he will.  This may sound nuts but Luongo is likely to have some sort of ill effects from this sour taste left in his mouth.  Yes he may work harder in the offseason but in the same token, the hardest thing to work on is your mental approach.  That is his biggest weakness at this juncture.  If you think it is not, then I have a bridge to sell you in the far reaches of Manhattan.

How to quantify that into actual numbers for next year is very premature.  However, there is almost a guarantee that a 2.11 GAA and .928 save percentage is not in the cards and again he may split even more time with Cory Schneider.  There is still even some sentiment that this kind of hangover could be the type that will cost Luongo his starting job down the road.

Is Luongo an elite goalie?  Is there really any goalie that could be considered elite these days?  That is going to be the golden question asked in fantasy hockey circles.  This is something that will be asked all summer and beyond.

The first month by the way, just expect Luongo to be even more below average than his usual numbers.  That is almost a given at this point.  It may even drop him a few spots to a round in some fantasy drafts.  If that mental outlook does not change, it will only get worse.

Question 3:  Is there anything physically that Roberto Luongo can do?

That is the last question.  Luongo is honestly 32 right now and goalies like Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur have won Cups already.  Now both of these goalies did experience a “second prime” in their mid 30′s.  This has been informally dubbed the “French-Canadian Goalie Prime”.  Will Luongo experience this?  Yes I think he does.  Will it be to an extent that Roy and Brodeur achieved?  That is a question that has an unknown answer.  Physically these two goalies made a commitment to a next level that many did not expect.  Their fundamentals became heightened and that is what Luongo has to do, no questions asked.

Taking a deeper look at Luongo’s numbers as seen here shows the need for that “prime” to hit soon.  He has just played his third season of 70 or less starts and for Luongo to continue to evolve, he does not need to ever have a another year of 70 or more starts.  It serves him no purpose and even Vancouver management has seen that.  Even the great Martin Brodeur now knows he cannot play 70 games anymore and maybe not even 60.  The years of having to get in shape “real quick” probably has hurt him.  If Luongo had kept doing that, he would have been done in the NHL by age 35.

Patrick Roy never started more than 70 games at all in his career and he won four Stanley Cups playing a butterfly style while Martin Brodeur used a more hybrid style that allowed him to play a little more but even then the effectiveness in the playoffs waned for Brodeur and that is something Vancouver clearly saw.  Not all of it was Brodeur’s fault mind you but surely a goalie has to be alert all the time and playing all that hockey does not help matters.

What Brodeur and Roy did that Luongo is not doing physically is this.  Luongo still plays too deep and on his heels at times.  At their best, Brodeur and Roy rarely did that at all.  It is such a natural reflex however.  Anyone that has played in the nets at any level has experienced the feeling.  You go back back and then before you know it, far too back.  The great ones do it far less than Luongo has which is part of what has kept Luongo from that elite level.

Some will disagree and say he is already there but some will say he has never stayed there consistently.  The book is still unfinished on Roberto Luongo but he has a good bit of physical and especially mental work to do if he wants to come remotely close to achieving the stature of his “idols” better known as Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.

Again physically Luongo has to look at what those two did and learn from this humbling experience.  If he can, Luongo could still win a Cup or two.  Not all hope is lost but if Roberto Luongo does not change mentally and at least a little physically, that contract could be an albatross and Luongo could start hurting fantasy hockey owners.

If you have any questions at all, just fire away.  We take on questions from all comers and none are too big or too small.  It is the summer, so bring the fantasy hockey heat.  Just because it is the off-season does not mean we take time off.  If anything, we are just getting warmed up.

This year has been an exciting season for us at Daily Faceoff. Thanks to you and all of your loyalty to our site we have reached success we could never dreamed of. As an industry source we provided accurate and timely information for all 2,460 games (2,460 starting goalie confirmations) which included every team’s starting goalie, injury update and team lineup both before game time and after the tilt. We hope that our real-time updates combined with strong staff of dedicated analysts were enough to get you to your championship and win your fantasy league!

Since we had such a fun time, we will continue to cover the NHL during the playoffs, NHL Entry Draft and the offseason leading back into next year’s fantasy hockey season. Over the next two-three days we will begin priming our playoff picks but first we would like to cordially invite you to our official playoff pool, courtesy of our affiliate HockeyDraft.ca. To sign up, it is free, simply click this link.

One on the landing page, enter the username: DailyFaceoff with the password: password followed by filling out the entry form. We hope that in the upcoming season we will have live games of our own, but for now this is just a small way for us to give back to our fans and readers. In addition, the starting goalies section will be updated with the playoff schedule so feel free to continue using it as a message board.

On behalf of myself and the rest of the staff, thank you kindly and we look forward to your further support.

Cheers,

Alexander Monaghan
Editor-in-chief DailyFaceoff.com

For the first time this season both Corey Crawford and Semyon Varlamov move into the top 10 on the newest edition of the NHL Goalie Ladder.

Both young starting goalies currently sit in the top five in GAA and move up in ranks while other netminders like Ondrej Pavelec, Kari Lehtonen and Jimmy Howard struggle. Antti Niemi tops all risers, moving up seven spaces while Pavelec looks to have fallen the most, dropping 13 places.

Feel free to debate our decisions in the comments, to access the article either click here or chose NHL Goalie Ladder from the Player Rankings tab on the above navigation.