Daily Deke: Stamkos & Ovi meet; Red hot Kings host Stars
There are some exciting matchups NHL fans should keep an eye on this evening. With ten games on the schedule tonight, let’s review some news and notes for tonight’s games.
After battling back against the Penguins last night, the Boston Bruins host the Montreal Canadians. Boston came up with a big win on the road after trailing most of the game, including goals from five different players in the third period. Nathan Horton has scored two goals in his past three games and has scored four times against the Habs during his career along with posting a plus-minus rating of plus-3 over 20 games.
Carey Price stepped up huge for the Habs against the red hot Canucks during his last outing, posting a shutout on 34 shots. Price has started 14 of the team’s 15 games this season and has a 8-5-1 record with a 2.28 GAA. If Price’s history is any indication of his performance against the Bruins, fans should expect another great game. Price is 9-2-2 with a 2.39 GAA and a .923 SV% against the Bruins during 13 career regular season games. After a three game pointless streak, winger Michael Cammalleri has collected two points over his last two games with a plus-3 rating.
Marian Gaborik will return for the Rangers tonight, as the Blueshirts hose the Buffalo Sabres. While one New York player returns, another one hits the shelf, as Michal Rozsival will miss a few games due to an injury. Buffalo is still without netminder Ryan Miller, but have managed to record wins in their previous two games, both via shootout.
Two offensive juggernauts collide in Washington D.C. tonight, as Steven Stamkos and the Bolts visit Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. Both Stamkos and Ovechkin have collected over 20 points apiece this season with Stammer scoring a pair in their last game against the Leafs. Wingers Simon Gagne and Steve Downie are both out for Tampa this evening, so expect players like Teddy Purcell and Dominic Moore to see extended ice time.
Rookie netminder Michal Neuvirth is 9-3-0 this season with a 2.46 GAA, but has allowed at least three goals during his last three games played. It will be interesting to see if the Caps continue to ride the youngster, or if they start to give him rest as the season moves on. For the Bolts, Dan Ellis is fresh off a 28-save shutout against the Leafs on Tuesday and has allowed just three goals combined over his last four games. In four career games against Washington, Ellis is 0-1-3 with a 2.90 GAA and a .916 SV%.
A well rested Philadelphia Flyers team will host a scoring machine in the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. After a seven goal performance from the Canes on Tuesday, they’ll look to match up against a Flyers team that can score in bunches too. Canes’ rookie Jeff Skinner has 15 points through his first 15 games to start the season, including eight points over his last five games. Flyers’ defenseman Kimmo Timonen has been doing a good job at helping his teammates score this season, as he’s collected five assists over his last five games. Cam Ward will go for the Canes and Sergei Bobrovsky will start between the pipes for the Flyers.
Since returning from his injury, Ottawa’s Jason Spezza has collected seven points, including two goals and an assist during his last game against the Thrashers. While Brian Elliott has been excellent for the Sens, by winning his last four starts, he’s dealing with an injury and Pascal Leclaire will start. Leclaire started the season as the number one in Ottawa, but due to injuries, Elliott overtook his number one spot.
St. Louis will need to rely on Jaroslav Halak more then ever over the next few weeks, as the injuries continue to pile up for the Blues this season. The latest injury was to winger T.J. Oshie, who is out indefinitely with a broken ankle. Winger David Perron has missed the last three games due to concussion symptoms and appears likely to miss a fourth game tonight against the Predators. Nashville fans and fantasy managers would love to see netminder Pekka Rinne find a win tonight. Rinne, who dealt with an injury earlier in the year, has lost his last four outings while posting a 4.00 GAA.
Both the Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings have had four days off between their last games, so expect a a lot of energy in this one from the Staples Center. The Kings have yet to lose at home this season, while the Stars are 3-2 on the road this year. Los Angeles has done some changing to their lines with the recent injury to defenseman Willie Mitchell and winger Alex Ponikarovsky. 34-year old winger Ryan Smyth continues to produce early on this season, posting nine points in 13 games this season, including points his last three games. Stars’ winger Loui Eriksson has four goals and a total of nine points over his five games.
Big news for the San Jose Sharks, as captain Joe Thornton will return to the lineup tonight after missing the last two games due to a suspension. Jumbo Joe will face an Islanders team that he’s had success against over his career, mostly facing the Isles when he was with the Bruins. In 31 career games against the Islanders, Thornton has collected 25 total points, including ten goals and 25 penalty minutes.
You can follow Reggie on Twitter at @fakehockey. Be sure to check out the Starting Goalies section for your fantasy starters tonight and the Team Lineups page.