April 3rd – Fantasy Hockey Goalie Rankings

There are nine games on the NHL schedule this evening. After tonight, there are only 10 days left in the regular season. For most fantasy matchups tonight could make or break your championship. Below are my goalie rankings for tonight to help you decide which goalies to start. I will add blurbs to explain why I have each goalie ranked where. Good Luck to everyone.

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1. Ben Bishop (vs. CGY) -Bishop has won eight of his last 10 starts and holds the leagues 4th best SV% (.927) and sixth best GAA (2.16). There is absolutely no reason to bench him tonight vs. Calgary.
2. Brian Elliott (vs. BUF) – Elliott has been nothing but excellent in his first three years with St. Louis. He has gone 54-23-7 with a 1.87 GAA and .926 SV%. It is safe to say he can be trusted, especially vs. the Sabres.
3. Kari Lehtonen (@ CAR) – Lehtonen has won three in a row and five of his last six starts with a 1.67 GAA and .950 SV%. He is red-hot right now while the Hurricanes are playing average puck.
4. Steve Mason (vs. CBJ) – Mason has won five of his last seven starts and the Flyers have been playing great hockey during a tough stretch in their schedule. Tonight’s game won’t be easy but have to love when goalies face their former teams.
5. Henrik Lundqvist (@ COL) – King Henrik has been exceptional as of late, winning nine of his last 12 starts while holding his opponents to 1.83 goals per game. He catches a break with Matt Duchene out of the lineup tonight.
6. Marc-Andre Fleury (@ WPG) – Fleury has his ups-and-downs, but overall he has been really good this season. The Penguins get Paul Martin back on the blueline which should help immensely. Good matchup, should make M.A.F a good play tonight.
7. Sergei Bobrovsky (@ PHI) – Much like Mason, the motivation of playing you former team should help Bob tonight. However, the Jackets have shown an inability to close out games and that won’t bode well against Claude Giroux and the Flyers.
8. Semyon Varlamov (vs. NYR) – It was tough to put Varly this low because he has won his last four starts. However, the Rangers have won seven of eight and the Avs are without Duchene.
9. Antti Niemi (vs. LA) – I don’t know if it is the Sharks as a team or Niemi as a tendy, but wow is he ever streaky. He has alternated wins and losses in his last seven and has struggled vs. LA this season (1-1-1 / 3.21 GAA / .895 SV%)
10. Anton Khudobin (vs. DAL) – Khudobin has been money for the Hurricanes this season, it is a shame that offence can’t put it together. As good as he has been, he is a risky start against a Dallas team who has 3.83 goals per game in their last six (5-1-0).
11. Corey Crawford (vs. MIN) – Crawford has dropped three of four, and the Hawks are missing Johnathan Toews and Patrick Kane at the same time for the first time ever. He could still get the W but there are safer options.
12. Jonathan Bernier (vs. BOS) – The Maple Leafs are fighting for the playoff lives and tend to play the Bruins well. But at the same time this is the same team who just lost eight in a row and barely beat the Flames… Your call here, but this is what you would call a gamble.
13. Ilya Bryzgalov (@ CHI) – Bryzgalov has won back-to-back games and four of six with a 2.16 GAA and .909 SV%, However, even a Hawks team without Kane and Toews still carries some pretty talented names.
14. Karri Ramo (@ TB) –  Ramo is 3-3-0 with a 2.65 GAA and .917 SV% since returning from a strained MCL, but Bishop and Steven Stamkos are a tough bunch to beat.
15. Ondrej Pavelec (vs. PIT) – Pavelec is so inconsistent. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-like. With the Penguins in town, there are 16 better options.
16. Nathan Lieuwen (@ STL) – The kid looked good on Tuesday. But hey… That was the Devils this is the Blues.

Unconfirmed

Boston – Chad Johnson / Tuukka Rask – Rask started last night so there was no morning skate for the Bruins today. Rask has started both games of the back-to-back a couple of times this season, but Johnson has been plenty good enough to start tonight vs. the Maple Leafs

Los Angeles – Martin Jones / Jonathan Quick – Quick posted a shutout last night and clinched a playoff spot for the Kings in the process. With only five games to go they sit nine points behind the Sharks. They will need to run the table and have the Sharks lose out. That seems unlikely so expect to see Jones tonight.