It is a quick TGIF edition of "This Day" as the All Star Break continues.  If we thought teams that got into shootouts a ton these day was odd, well we have one for you today.  This has to be one of the more surprising ones that we have ever seen in the inbox.  The moment happened 30 years ago today and still can be best described as "WTF?".  That echoes our sentiments exactly.  At any rate, we present the video first and then that gem like we always do it.

January 27, 1982

L.A. Kings set an NHL record with their sixth consecutive tie game, a 4-4 deadlock against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.

With the ASB now here, do not fret, there will be some posts like normal like "This Day" and maybe a little KHL and AHL fun too.  Here we go....

It just seemed poetic today that are moment involves firing a coach.  No one knows why this seems to work and yet it does.  The moment comes from 24 years ago today and literally resulted in the Devils first playoff berth ever and maybe a famous incident as seen below.  As always we have the video first and then the moment. 

January 26, 1988

New Jersey General Manager Lou Lamoriello fired Devils' coach Doug Carpenter, and replaced him with Jim Schoenfeld. Carpenter had compiled a 100-166-24 record in 290 games for the Devils.

Here come the videos before bedtime with only one game on the schedule tonight....enjoy ladies and gentlemen...

Have a great night everyone and a good break!

Like the little kid that robbed the candy jar, last night's Fantasy POTN was pretty academic.  Yes it was a considerable suprise but this player earned it.  Let's get down to business.

==============================================

FANTASY POTN:

Matthieu Perrault, C, Washington Capitals -- The nicest way to say this is "who saw this coming?".  All Perrault does is score a hat trick against the Boston Bruins.  With a makeshift first line that featured no Alex Ovechkin (suspension) and Nick Backstrom (concussion), somehow the Capitals were able to score five goals.  Sometimes there are mysteries and then there is what happened last night in Washington.  Maybe Boston was caught up in a "web of red tape".  Whatever it was, Perrault took advantage of it and literally waiver wires are buzzing at least a little this morning for this short term pickup.

==============================================

A LOOK BACK:

Kari Lehtonen, G, Dallas Stars -- Dallas found a way to stop a winning streak and the Anaheim Ducks played well enough to win.  Most importantly, Lehtonen held Dallas in it early when they were being badly outplayed.  In the end, he pitched a 27 save shutout and proved again why Lehtonen is one of the best goalies in the league, when healthy.  Yes Dallas has a bit of a popgun offense but Kari Lehtonen is capable and has carried a Dallas team for stretches.  Can he do it the whole second half?  We are going to find out.  They need him to!

Pittsburgh and St. Louis -- If you thought Detroit and St. Louis on Monday was a great game then you missed last night's tilt between the Penguins and Blues.  How often do you see a goalie make nine split saves in a game?  How often do you see a game have so many outstanding chances in the regular season?  This was a game that had everyone talking and may have ignited Patrick Berglund (two goals).  Marc Andre-Fleury and Brian Elliott had a pretty nice little duel.  It was nice to see some good hockey last night.

Clarke MacArthur, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs -- The MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin line clicks every so often and last night they did so to the tune of nine points.  They do this in short spurts at times and the All Star Break is here for Toronto which negates any momentum but what these guys did against the Islanders last night was impressive.  MacArthur's two goals included the game winner midway into overtime which any GWG is huge but with Week 16 shaping up the way it is, is essential.

==============================================

SCHEDULE TIME:

Yes there is only one game tonight and the reality is that it looks like a one sided rout in favor of Detroit and sure that could be a result.  However, Jimmy Howard has 30 wins, Detroit has a Top 6 that makes almost every team envious, and they just win.  On the other hand, they are a .500 team on the road and have a tendency to mail games like this (right before the All Star Break) in.  This is the type of game where Montreal's first line could actually cause Detroit enough fits to make this interesting.  Erik Cole, David Desharnais, and Max Pacioretty have to play like they did against the New York Rangers or Montreal is going to lose.  It is that simple.  Do they have to score a ton?  No.  Do they have to put a little fear in Detroit's D?  Yes. 

If they do not, Detroit waltzes in and steals two points before the break.  Something tells me despite a better effort from Montreal, Detroit will squeeze out a road win against a team still searching for its soul.

==========================================

Good luck tonight everyone and The Program starts at 8pm ET to break down the week and look back a bit at the first half of the season.  Hopefully you can make it and listen.  Thanks again.

Good morning.  It is time for another edition of This Day.  We normally praise the streaks and milestones of players but sometimes it does not go quite so well.  Sometimes, it really does go right down the toilet.  There are streaks that just go so bad in the wrong direction, one wonders if that team can even win just one.  Our moment today comes from 15 years ago and yes this team was awful.  In the end, they would have one huge laugh but here is a video and moment from "This Day".

January 25, 1996

The Ottawa Senators set an NHL record with their 16th consecutive home game without a win (0-15-1) in a 4-2 loss to Detroit at the Palladium. They broke the old record of 15 shared by the 1928 Black Hawks & 1939 Canadiens.

Its a busy night in the NHL and here are the videos before bedtime on a Tuesday....

Have a great night everyone!

It is time to pony up and play Pick The Winner on a busy Tuesday Night....here are just a few of our picks.  Thanks to Kevin from NHL Predictions for all of his input and numbers as always....

===========================================

Boston Bruins @ Washington Capitals - BRUINS -1.5 [Puck Line] (+175)
(Note: I'm risking 1 unit to win 1.75 units)

**For those that don't know - Bruins -1.5 is a puck line bet, which means the Bruins must win by 2 goals or more for us to win the bet. This may be called a spread or handicap bet at the sports betting site you use**

The Boston Bruins beat the Flyers in Philadelphia on Sunday 6-5 in shootout, which was a huge Eastern Conference game. The Bruins have won 5 of their last 8 games making them 31-13-2 on the season (great record for having a rough start to the season). The Bruins don't mind playing away from home as they are 15-6 on the road. Washington lost in overtime in Pittsburgh on Sunday and have now dropped 3 of their last 4 games. To make things worse for the Caps they are without Alexander Ovechkin for 3 games, as he was suspended for a high hit. Take note that the Bruins average 3.57 goals per game on the road, while giving up just 2.19 against. T he Bruins are averaging 3.5 goals per game on the season. The Capitals are averaging just 1.60 goals per game over their last 5, and without Ovechkin, Backstrom and Green I expect more troubles scoring against a tough defensive Bruins team.

These two teams have yet to play each other this season but the Bruins took 3 of 4 meetings last season. Note that 9 of the Bruins 15 wins on the road have come by two goals or more. Also note that the Capitals are just 1-5 in their last 6 vs a team with a winning % above .600. The Bruins will definitely be getting up for this game against the Capitals, and with Washington not scoring many goals lately I love the value on the road team puck line at +175.

Winnipeg Jets @ New York Rangers - UNDER 5.5 GOALS (-149)
(Note: I'm risking 1.49 units to win 1 unit)

Most sportsbooks will allow you to buy this game back to a total of 5.5 which I have done. If you don't have the option I do still like the UNDER 5 at +110 or better. Despite out playing the Canes, the Jets lost 2-1 last night which was their 6th loss in their last 8 games. The Jets are averaging just 1.70 goals per game over their last 10, and just 2.5 goals per game on the season (2.33 on the road). Winnipeg is just 7-13-4 on the road this season. The Rangers enter tonight's off a 3-2 overtime win in Boston on Saturday. New York has won 8 of their last 11 games. The Rangers averaging 2.80 goals per game this season, and allowing just 2.02 goals against per game.

Also note that they have gone 13 games without seeing a total higher 5. The UNDER is 11-3-8 in the Rangers last 22 overall and 4-0-2 in their last 6 home games. The UNDER is also 13-4 in the Jets last 17 overall and 8-3 in their last 11 games as an underdog. The UNDER is 5-0 in their last 5 meetings overall and 7-2 in their last 9 meetings in New York. Take the UNDER in this one.

Anaheim Ducks @ Dallas Stars - DUCKS TO WIN (+103)
(Note: I'm risking 1 unit to win 1.03 units)

The Anaheim Ducks have been playing great hockey winning 8 of their last 9 games, none of which needed overtime or shootout. During that span of 9 games the Ducks have been averaging 4 goals per game. On the other hand the Stars have dropped 5 straight and 6 of 7 with their most recent 5-2 loss against the struggling Wild. Dallas is scoring just 1.20 goals per game over their last 5, and that won't get things done for them. Bad news for a team struggling to score is facing a goalie like Honas Hiller who has won 5 straight starts and has allowed just 8 goals against in his last 6 starts.

Dallas is just 1-4 in their last 5 home games after a good start to the season on home ice. Dallas has taken 2 of these two teams 3 meetings this season, but Anaheim won the latest on January 10th by a sore of 5-2. Tonight's game comes down to the Ducks playing very solid hockey right now, and the Stars struggling. Dallas will have troubles getting anything by Hiller and the Ducks should provide enough offense to pull of the upset tonight. Take the Ducks.

San Jose Sharks @ Calgary Flames - FLAMES TO WIN (+100)
(Note: I'm risking 1 unit to win 1 unit)

The Sharks have lost three straight games of 4 of their last 5, which includes a 2-1 shootout loss in Edmonton last night. The Sharks heavily outplayed the Oilers (outshooting them 45-18) but couldn't get anything past Dubnyk. It is going to be tough for the Sharks to come back with the same effort again tonight. The Flames won two straight road games, and have won 5 of their last 7 overall (getting points in 6 of those 7). Although Calgary is scoring just 2 goals per game over their last 5 they are geting great goaltending from Kiprusoff and are averaging just 1.60 goals against per game over that same span. Kiprusoff has allowed just 7 goals against over his last 5 starts where he is 3-1-1.

Take note that the Flames are 13-6-2 at home this season and are 8-1 in their last 9 home games. The Flames are also 5-0 in their last 5 home games vs a team with a winning road record and 8-3 in their last 11 vs Western Conference opponents. Although San Jose does ok on 0 days rest, you can note that they are 1-6 in their last 7 games when they went to OT the previous day. The Sharks are 2-2 on the road this season with 0 days rest, but 0-2 in their last 2. The Sharks won the first meeting between these two teams in San Jose via a shootout just a week ago and I think the Flames will get things done this time at home.

==============================================

Good luck and remember to get those picks in.  Also all six unders hit last night but expect a bit more of an even spread tonight.  The law of averages will catch up hockey bettors.  

Occasionally we like to bring the goodies of RotoRob hockey over to The Program because the readers have always been good to us.  Here is the latest covering Week 16.

=============================================

Because of the All Star break, there will be no Wire Troll next week. Please keep in mind that we are setting up for a Week 16 that will stretch into a second week, ladies and gentlemen. Check your leagues accordingly for wavier acquisitions and trade deadlines because in some leagues, those deadlines are approaching quickly.

For example, I have two leagues that have a trade deadline of February 4. Most of my deadlines are closer to the NHL trade deadline of February 27. People will be looking for pieces to trade, but sometime the best gems are the ones still left on the good old waiver wire and that is why we “troll” hard here at RotoRob.com for you.

As promised, our focus this week is a bit different as we look for players that could help your points or rotisserie leagues. Most of these will be category specific so if you are staring at one of these players and wondering why he’s on this list, that is perfectly normal.

Now it is time to expect the unexpected with our offerings. Again, remember the break.

FORWARDS

David Clarkson, RW, New Jersey Devils: Yes, he is a bit of a loose cannon, but if you are looking for goals and penalty minutes then Clarkson may just be your guy. The 16 goals and 86 PIMs put him on a pace for around 30 tallies and a little over 150 minutes in the sin bin. Clarkson’s availability is around 20-to-30 per cent in the several major Fantasy leagues (Yahoo!, ESPN, FanTrax). This is crazy to say but Clarkson’s reputation among referees is not exactly the greatest which may pad his penalty totals over the second half and is actually a positive for his owners. As an added bonus, do check out his 121 shots on goal. How’s that for the cherry on top?

Tyler Kennedy, C/RW, Pittsburgh Penguins: Kennedy may not be the flashiest player, but he does have some viable Fantasy statistics that can help you in some categories. Our two key points to look at are assists and shots on goal. Kennedy’s 15 helpers and 120 shots have come in only 36 games. Those are numbers that cannot be ignored in the least. The 5-to-10 per cent ownership rate is really what could keep GMs at the very least interested in taking a flyer.

Peter Mueller, C/RW, Colorado Avalanche: Mueller is a player that just seems destined to rack up goals and eventually power play points along with shots on goal. He has 19 shots in his last five games and four points in his last two and at this current juncture, he will help you in shots on goal and goals. Now, Mueller’s ownership rate is around 5 per cent, but should be heading upward. It is time to hop on this bandwagon before it actually becomes too late.

DEFENSEMEN

Eric Brewer, D, Tampa Bay Lightning: This has the feeling of a guy who does not strike the offensive fancies much, but does have 13 assists on the season. However, when a defenseman has what I like to call the double century early in the season, that is encouraging. With 105 hits and 101 blocks at this juncture, Brewer is commanding Fantasy owners to take notice. With him getting nearly 25:00 a game lately, that is a third category that makes a guy with a less than 5 per cent ownership rate attractive. Fantasy fans need to be ready to move on guys like these.

Douglas Murray, D, San Jose Sharks: This is another case of a player who really only has two strong categories — hits and blocks. When you consider that Murray has 82 hits and 84 blocks in just 34 games, that is an encouraging sign as he is also owned in under 1 per cent of all Fantasy leagues. Remember that with defensemen and comprehensive scoring leagues only one or two roster spots can be utilized here so choose wisely.

GOALIES

Ray Emery, G, Chicago Blackhawks: Now the gamble here is that Emery is a backup for a Stanley Cup contender in Chicago. Considering the Hawks’ potent attack, the goaltending does not have to be great in Chicago, it just has to be “good enough.” Emery’s ownership rate is around 20-to-30 per cent but rising in Yahoo! and ESPN leagues especially. The key stat for Fantasy GMs looking for solid backup goalies is wins. When this Blackhawk starts, that is just what he does. In 15 starts, Emery has 11 wins. If you need wins, simply put, he is your guy.

===========================================

Ice Chips

• If we were unimpressed by Kurtis Foster’s play last season, we’re even less thrilled this season. He was doing next to nothing in Anaheim and while his numbers have been better since getting dealt to the Devils, we’re still waiting for this “power play specialist” to notch his first PPG of the season. And if Foster isn’t producing with the man advantage, he’s a serious liability. Over the last two games, he’s gone a combined -5 to drop his season plus/minus mark to -9. Yuck. Foster is a deep league option only at this point.
• The New York Rangers continue to roll, recently soaring to the top of the Eastern Conference standings and perhaps the biggest reason has been their goaltending. We all know about what a stud Henrik Lundqvist is, but how about their backup? As we discussed above, you need a backup goalie that wins games, and while Martin Biron sure doesn’t play a lot, when he does, you can pretty much pencil in a W. He’s got nine wins in 11 starts with career bests in GAA and save percentage. Hell, Biron’s even racked up a couple of goose eggs already. Two shutouts in 11 starts? Yikes, he’d managed just one shutout in 41 starts over the previous two seasons combined. Biron deserves more playing time, but unfortunately it’s not coming in New York, which caps his Fantasy value.

Last night was a lot of fun hockey fans and just think tonight we get 13 games to pour over.  There really has been an amazing amount of fantasy hockey craziness as well.  Muscles have been flexed and matchups have been well documented.  This is the first big pivotal night in Week 16, then there is one Wednesday game and a long extended weekend hockey vacation. 

So what happened Monday Night in the hockey world?  There were six games and it went a little something like this.  It is time to take a quick look back.

===============================================

A LOOK BACK:

Blues and Wings Playoff Like Clash -- St. Louis and Detroit really played one hell of a game and although Detroit did win 3-1, this was a game that absolutely felt like a late round playoff tilt.  It had fights, clutch goals, and physicality to the max.  Hits were 31-29 but with the intensity hits felt more like 51-49.  It was that kind of game but in the end, Detroit was the more disciplined squad and two power play goals keyed a hard foughts 3-1 win over St. Louis.  Though the Blues were more than game, in the end, it was Detroit playing smart that was the different.  Jimmy Howard made 21 saves to get his 30th win (on pace for 50) and Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and assist in a game that will make you salivate until April (when the two teams play next).

A Monster Lays Claim -- We have killed Jonas Gustavsson quite a bit this year but its time to give credit where credit is due as the guy is playing with a .920+ save percentage since Mid-November and posted a 25 save shutout in a 3-0 Toronto win over the Islanders last night.  Phil Kessel scored once and Matthew Lombardi tallied twice for the Maple Leafs who outshot the Isles 35-25 and just peppered Isle goalie Evgeni Nabokov all night.  Can you consider "The Monster" a viable fantasy goalie?  That answer right now is actually yes and that may shock quite a few but the facts are the facts.  He is getting the job done for Toronto in the here and now.

LA Story -- In a rare offensive explosion and support for Jonathan Quick, the Kings scored four times in the first 40 and coasted to a 4-1 home win over the Ottawa Senators.  Yes there were a few very questionable calls but the Kings converted on one power play and a penalty shot on their way to victory.  Quick by the way stopped 28 of 29 shots as Daniel Alfredsson scored a power play goal midway in the final period to spoil the shutout bid.  Ottawa did bog down a bit on the road trip but LA did play much better tonight.  Kyle Clifford, Drew Doughty, and Colin Fraser all had two points tonight in the victory with guys like Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards noticeably absent from the boxscore.  It was just one of those nights.  Let's dig into the schedule....

===========================================

SCHEDULE TIME:

There are just no gamedays needed for this Tuesday Night.  With the 13 game schedule, there will be scores, previews, and updates flying all over the place.  Yes also to add to the bread and circuses will be how Tim Thomas comes out against Washington.  With the "political/sports" fallout, who knows if anything will happen.  However, it could be much ado about nothing and then again maybe not.  Either way, the action will be intense.

Next up is Ian Gooding with his Pick Six.  It is that last big night before the break and Mr. Gooding is raring to go.  Here he is unleashed.....

==========================================

PICK SIX:

A total of 26 teams are in action on Tuesday – all teams except Carolina, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Montreal. Detroit and Montreal are the only two teams playing on Wednesday, which is the last day before the All-Star break. Plan accordingly.

ESPN and Yahoo leagues are all operating under extended weeks, so there should be no worry about a three-day week in most formats. However, one CBS league I play in (and a money league at that) is operating on a three-day week, for some strange reason (hello Commissioner Jack?) Check your league settings to be sure.

Oh yeah, wasn’t there something about an Alex Ovechkin suspension that got lost in the Thomas-gate scandal? Don’t forget to bench Ovie for tomorrow’s game, although his three-game suspension won’t affect his status for the All-Star Game (would the NHL really do that?)

Onto the Tim Thomas situation, now that everyone else has issued their two cents’ worth by now. Shouldn’t it be an honor to carry the Stanley Cup into the White House and meet the President? Can’t he put aside his political allegiances for just one day? His decision takes away from the entire event, and only gives people one more reason to dislike the Bruins. (I know that as a Canucks fan, I have plenty of reasons, but I’ll spare you those right now.)

Those of you that argue in favor of freedom of speech and freedom of thought have a point. However, haven’t we all been forced to attend a work function, a family gathering, or a party against our will? We attend as a favor to someone else, or we simply to put the group or team ahead of our own self-interests. We crack a smile, imagine that we are someplace else, and hope that it will be over soon.

Thomas may have attempted to send a message standing up for better (read between the lines: Republican) government. In the process, he snubbed another long-standing organization with a proud tradition. That organization is the Boston Bruins, who no doubt preferred not to be dragged into a heated political debate on what was supposed to be an enjoyable day recognizing a major accomplisment.

For a deeper probe into Thomas’ personality, check out this read from Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com.

Enough political commentary – how about that Pick Six?

Kyle Okposo, RW, NYI – add/start
Before Monday’s shutout at the hands of the Leafs, John Tavares was on a 12-game point streak. Okposo, who recently moved onto the Tavares line, has points in 10 of his last 12 games. Okposo has 8 points in 13 games against the Leafs, so he is definitely worth a look again in fantasy leagues.

Martin Erat, RW, NSH – add/start
The Predators mean business again this season, in no small part to Erat. The streaky Czech is having a January to remember, scoring 10 points (3g-7a) in 10 games this season. With 33 points (11g-22a) in 40 games this season, he has a chance to reach 60 points for the first time in his career.

Wayne Simmonds, RW, PHI – add/start
As I mentioned on Twitter, weekend injuries to Danny Briere and Jaromir Jagr create a big-time opening for Simmonds. He paid immediate dividends on Saturday, scoring a goal and two assists against New Jersey. The Flyers have a strong schedule for the extended fantasy hockey week, so Simmonds is worth at least a short-term pickup.

Francois Beauchemin, D, ANA – add/start
Beau’s season total (18 points in 47 games) isn’t great, but he is having stellar January (7 points and +10 in 10 games this month) along with the Ducks. He didn’t record a point Sunday against Colorado, but the icetime eater logged 29 minutes in that game. If you need a fourth defenseman, he could be your guy.

J.S. Giguere, G, COL – start
Jiggy is at it again with another fabulous run (wins in three of his last four starts). He has also been confirmed as the starting goalie for Tuesday’s matchup against the struggling Wild (Mile High Hockey). The Avs appear to be going with the hot goalie, Jiggy for a few games, then Semyon Varlamov for a few more. Right now it’s Jiggy’s turn on the merry-go-round.

Nathan Horton, RW, BOS – bench
The Bruins have been recently been accused of being on the wrong end of some thuggish play, but Horton has found himself the victim of another concussion (CSNNE). Mild concussion or not, expect Horton to rest until at least after the All-Star break.

=============================================

KEEP AN EYE ON:

Pekka Rinne, G, Nashville Predators -- Rinne is going to face the kitchen sink (if he thought last night was bad against Columbus) at Chicago tonight especially after those nice Barry Trotz comments.  Thanks to Nashville Examiner Jim Diamond for the link by the way.  More importantly Chicago will try to prove a point even without Captain Jonathan Toews who is out with an injury which may have been caused by a Nashville player.  The subplots are many in this one and Chicago will be out to prove a point.  Rinne will have to be at his best if Nashville expects to come out on top.

St. Louis Blues -- The Blues have an important game against Pittsburgh tonight and honestly Brian Elliott is likely to get the start.  With their disciplined style and how Pittsburgh wants to play things, expect another fairly low scoring affair.  How St. Louis plays this one could go a long way in determining their fate.  It really is how you get back up after a tough loss that makes a team but also the fantasy parts of St. Louis need this game more than most think.  Can they bounce back?  We will find out.

=============================================

Well with that, we wish everyone good luck tonight and of course to follow us on Twitter for the latest hockey and fantasy hockey updates.  Lastly, Weekly Slapshot comes at you at 9:30pm ET tonight with fantasy hockey news in a rapid fire 30 minute slant.  Thanks for reading.

Its a Tuesday Edition of This Day and today we found a moment with a sublime name.  It is weird how some of these just find a way into the inbox and yet they do.  When we saw this name, no one could really even believe it.  Yet there it was for all to see.  So today's moment really does come from 35 years ago and involves a gem from the Vancouver Canucks.  Granted, this one is nothing glamorous but everyone gets the idea.  First, we have the video and then our golden oldie like we always do it here on The Program.

January 24, 1976

Chris Oddleifson became the first Vancouver Canucks' player to score two shorthanded goals in a game, when he scored twice in the second period of a 5-5 tie against Toronto.