By Garrett Rees

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone and we saw a bunch of big names get moved this year, such as Jarome Iginla to the Penguins, Jaromir Jagr to the Bruins, Jay Bouwmeester to the Blues, Derek Roy to the Canucks, plus many more.  The deadline had some weird timing though this year for head-to-head leagues, as some leagues were already in their first week of the playoffs while the rest will be starting the playoffs this week, so hopefully some of those team changes didn’t affect your team’s chances too much. But it is what it is in this condensed season so good luck to you all who made the playoffs and are still battling it out in them. Going to be the biggest week of the season for some of you so let’s get right into it and check out the Weekly Breakdown for Week 12:

WEEKLY BREAKDOWN

Here is the weekly breakdown for the rest of this upcoming week, April 8 - 14:

• 4 GAMES:  BOS, BUF, CAR, CGY, COL, STL, TBL
• 3 GAMES:  ANA, CBJ, CHI, DAL, DET, EDM, LAK, MIN, MON, NAS, NYI, NYR, OTT, PHX, PIT, SJS, TOR, VAN, WAS
• 2 GAMES:  FLA, NJD, WPG

A very strange time to have the slowest week of the season, but that’s what all of you playoff bound folks will have to deal with during Week 12 as there are only seven teams that are playing more than three games for the week with three teams not even seeing three games. Lots of big name teams with three games, too, as you’ll see limited time for the hottest NHL teams such as the Ducks, Blackhawks, Canadiens, Penguins, and Canucks.  Let’s see how the week breaks down per day on this relatively light schedule:

• MON – 5 games
• TUES – 9 games
• WED – 5 games
• THU – 9 games
• FRI – 5 games
• SAT – 11 games
• SUN – 3 games

Pretty even week during Week 12 except of course on what’s perhaps the most important day, the last day of the week. Sunday will see matchups of CHI@STL, DET@NAS, and TBL@BUF so target players from those teams when checking the waiver-wire if you need some last minute help.

B2B: BACKUPS TO SEE ACTION?

All of these teams are scheduled to play in back-to-back games this upcoming week, so there are good chances that these teams’ respective backup/alternate goaltenders could see some action (not as many options this week as normal for 2013):

BOS, BUF, CAR, CBJ, CGY, COL, DAL, DET, OTT, STL, TBL

WHO’S HOT

• SJS – 7 wins
• STL – 4 wins
• WAS – 4 wins
• PHX – 3 wins

WHO’S NOT

• CGY – 5 losses
• NJD – 4 losses
• CAR – 4 losses
• OTT – 3 losses

STRONG SCHEDULES

Now let’s take a look at a couple of the most favorable matchups of the week:

St. Louis Blues – Opponents:  – @NAS, @MIN+@CBJ, CHI – A good four-game week for the Blues against some opponents they have had success against while coming off a week where they won four straight. Not too shabby. They have a combined record of 7-1-0 against their first three opponents where they’ve scored 26 goals in those 8 games, who they face on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Their toughest matchup of the week will come during one of the three games on Sunday versus the Blackhawks. Despite that tough game, make sure to get your Blues out there during Week 12.

Boston Bruins – Opponents: CAR, @NJD+NYI, @CAR – The Bruins have yet to lose against any of their Week 12 opponents, although they have only played one-game so far against the ‘Canes, who they play on Monday and Saturday, however they are in the midst of a four-game slump so the opportunity is good for the Bs. They also have back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday versus the Devils and Islanders respectively where they are 2-0-0 so far this season against both of them.  Newly acquired forward Jaromir Jagr has already provided a new scoring element to the Bruins roster so they should have good week.  Make sure to get them into your lineups.

WEAK SCHEDULES

...And the least favorable matchups of the week:

Florida Panthers – Opponents: WPG, PIT– Two games on the two busiest nights, Thursday and Saturday, won’t bode well for your fantasy lineups during Week 12. The Panthers have pretty much been a disaster during this shortened season and are sitting only one point ahead of last place in the league. Things won’t be getting any better for fantasy owners during Week 12 so look elsewhere for help off the waiver-wire for your playoff run.

New Jersey Devils – Opponents: BOS, OTT – The Devils seem to really miss their offensive catalyst Ilya Kovalchuk as they have now floundered only a 0-3-4 record since he’s been out of the lineup and now find themselves on the outside looking in as they currently sit in 10th place in the East after coming out incredibly strong to start the season. It doesn’t help that they have yet to earn a ‘W’ against their only two opponents during Week 12 while being outscored 4-8 in four games against them both. The only thing saving them for fantasy owners are the days they will play, as they face the Bruins on a pretty slow Wednesday, who they are 0-1-1 against so far, and then face the Senators on another slow day on Friday, who they are 0-0-2 against this season.  Regardless of the days they are playing, I’d definitely look elsewhere for help during Week 12.

Honorable Mention: Winnipeg Jets – only two games for the week Tuesday and Thursday, two of the busier nights of the week.

Good luck out there, everyone.  Follow me on Twitter @G_Rees

Goaltending Dilemmas Heading To The Playoffs

With the trading deadline having passed, some teams traded for goalies, hoping to help their playoff push. Now, more than ever, goalies are crucial, as you are either in your final regular season week, or the fantasy playoffs right now.

Columbus Blue Jackets- The playoffs aren’t just a joke anymore as Columbus has been playing well and made the biggest splash at the deadline acquiring Marian Gaborik from the Rangers. They also shipped Steve Mason to the Flyers for Michael Leighton, which gives them a proven backup. Despite only playing in one game this season, Leighton proved three years ago how valuable he can be, backstopping the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, Bobrovsky is still the man in Columbus.

Ottawa Senators-  Craig Anderson was the Vezina favorite before an ankle injury sidelined him in February, and he hasn’t played since. But he backed up Robin Lehner on Friday and should be starting very soon. He’s owned in almost all leagues, so if you have him, be sure to activate him, especially if you’re in a weekly league. Lehner is the backup with Ben Bishop having been traded, and probably won’t serve much purpose the rest of the way, although his goals against average (2.34) and save percentage (.934) are very good

Philadelphia Flyers- Mason is the new backup in town, and definitely could benefit from a change of scenery. Since winning the Calder trophy in 2009, he’s had four awful seasons. Only one time did he have a winning record and his goals against average was over 3.00 each of the last three seasons. He’s had nine shutouts in four seasons after he had 10 his rookie year. Any way you slice it a 3-6-1 record, 2.95 goals against average and .899 save percentage won’t cut it.  While you can expect his numbers to be better in Philadelphia, this season is a lost cause for Mason and he isn’t worth a waiver wire pickup.

Tampa Bay Lightning- After starting half of the Senators games with Anderson on the shelf, Bishop was having a fine season before his trade to the Lightning. His first start was an excellent one, stopping all 45 shots in a 5-0 shutout over the Hurricanes. Tampa Bay isn’t out of the playoff picture with the eighth seed and Southeast Division in reach. He will probably start majority of their ga

By Garrett Rees

Playoff time!  For those of you in head-to-head leagues, the playoffs are starting (for most of you) during Week 11 so I hope you’re prepared!  Don’t be afraid to do whatever it takes to earn that win, including using the maximum amount of weekly pickups allowed.  No time to waste, let’s get right into it.  Here’s how the week stacks up…

WEEKLY BREAKDOWN

Here is the weekly breakdown for the rest of this upcoming week, April 1 - 7:

• 5 GAMES:  NAS
• 4 GAMES:  ANA, CAR, CGY, CHI, COL, DAL, DET, EDM, LAK, MIN, MON, NJD, NYI, NYR, SJS, STL, TBL, WAS, WPG
• 3 GAMES:  BOS, BUF, CBJ, FLA, OTT, PHI, PHX, PIT, VAN
• 2 GAMES:  TOR

Good time to be an owner of Predators players as their five games this week could definitely be a boost for the first week of the playoffs. The Leafs on the other hand are the exact opposite, so I hope you weren’t depending too much on them. Otherwise, it’s going to be a busy week so let’s check out how it breaks down per day:

• MON – 9 games
• TUES – 7 games
• WED – 5 games
• THU – 10 games
• FRI – 6 games
• SAT – 10 games
• SUN – 8 games

It’s going to be a great week for head-to-head playoffs as the week is pretty even and busy throughout.  Wednesday is the slowest day of the week with 5 games consisting of matchups of DAL@ANA, EDM@CGY, MIN@SJS, MON@PHI, and PIT@NYR.  Having at least 10 teams to choose from on any given night should make for a fun week with plenty of opportunities across the board.

B2B: BACKUPS TO SEE ACTION?

All of these teams are scheduled to play in back-to-back games this upcoming week, so there are good chances that these teams’ respective backup/alternate goaltenders could see some action:

CAR, CBJ, CGY, CHI, COLx2, DET, EDM, FLA, LAK, MIN, MON, NASx2, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, STL, TBL, WAS, WPG

WHO’S HOT

• PIT – 15 wins
• SJS – 4 wins
• EDM – 3 wins
• TOR – 3 wins

WHO’S NOT

• STL – 3 losses
• COL – 2-8-0 last 10 games
• PHX – 2-5-3 last 10 games
• NYR – 3-6-1 last 10 games

STRONG SCHEDULES

Now let’s take a look at a couple of the most favorable matchups of the week:

Anaheim Ducks (Opponents: @DAL, DAL, DAL, LAK) and Dallas Stars (ANA, @ANA, @ANA, @SJS) – It’s going to be an interesting week for these two teams. Not only are they both playing their four games every other day on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday but they both just happen to also be playing each other in the first three of those. The Stars have won one of their two meetings in regulation while the Ducks won the other in the shootout.  Only 6 goals total were scored in those two games, but I’d expect to see more in the games that follow with a good chance to see some solid PIM totals.

San Jose Sharks – Opponents: VAN, MIN, CGY, DAL – The Sharks are playing on the same days as the Ducks and Stars while also having the benefit of playing all four of their games at home, a perfect combination for fantasy owners. Look for the red-hot Antti Niemi to start all four games during Week 11.  Get your Sharks out there.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Opponents: BUF+@NYR, NYR – It appears that Pittsburgh is the new Chicago in the 2nd half of the season as they appear unstoppable right now while also being the winners of the Jarome Iginla sweepstakes. Some bad news for owners of Sidney Crosby though as he had to have surgery on his broken jaw that was the result of a puck to the face and is currently out “indefinitely.” However, they have a healthy Evgeni Malkin back to take his place for now.  I’d remain doing what you should be doing and get your Penguins out there on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

WEAK SCHEDULES

...And the least favorable matchups of the week:

Florida Panthers – Opponents: @TBL, WAS+OTT – It’s not looking to be a very fun week for the Panthers.  They have yet to win a single game in a total of 8 tries against their Week 11 opponents, whom they face on Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday, while allowing a total of 39 goals and scoring only 16.  When scouring the waiver-wire for some playoff help, I’d stay away from Panthers’ players.

Toronto  Maple Leafs – Opponents: PHI, @NJD – Of course the only team playing two games during Week 11 is going to be on here.  It doesn’t help that each game falls on the ever busy Thursday and Saturday either.  However, things won’t be all bad with their matchups, as they have actually yet to lose to the Flyers or Devils so far this season and are currently on a three-game winning streak as well. On this important week, do what you’ve got to do with your Toronto players (for instance starting the hot Nazem Kadri) but I’d definitely look elsewhere for help via the waiver-wire.

Good luck out there, everyone.  Follow me on Twitter @G_Rees

NET EFFECT

By David Satriano

We’re coming down the homestretch in fantasy hockey. Whether you’ve clinched a playoff spot and have a bye, or are struggling just to get in, goalies these next few weeks will be key. Here’s a few backups who could come in handy:

Edmonton Oilers- Nikolai Khabibulin has started two of the past three for the Oilers. One was a 3-0 loss, the other was a 3-0 win, in which he stopped 43 shots for a shutout.  His record might only be 3-3-1, but he has a 1.93 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. He will definitely help the goalie categories (maybe not wins so much), and Devan Dubnyk has been struggling, so we could see more of the Bulin Wall.

Phoenix Coyotes- As a Mike Smith owner, I can tell you fewer players have left me more frustrated and perplexed. He got off to an awful start, started to turn it around, but has had an injury-plagued season. Smith was put on IR with an upper body injury and could return on Saturday, but expect him to miss more time. So enter backup Jason LaBarbera. His numbers (1-5-1, 2.57 GAA, .918 SV%) aren’t good, besides the save percentage so maybe the Coyotes, who are quickly slipping out of playoff contention, will let Chad Johnson make a few starts. In his two this year he’s only allowed two goals and has a shutout. True, a small sample size, but during the fantasy hockey stretch run, even one good start can mean the difference in a win and a loss.

Pittsburgh Penguins- Marc-Andre Fleury only played two periods Tuesday night, leaving the game with a neck injury. It’s not sure how much time he will miss but backup Tomas Vokoun got the start Thursday night after stopping all 12 shots he faced in relief of Fleury as the Penguins beat the Cana

By Garrett Rees

Last week until the Playoffs in standard Head-to-Head leagues! Hope you’re all in good position down the stretch and good luck to those that need a solid week to land a playoff spot. A little late to the fight (sorry about that) but I’ll try to help you through the rest of the week to maximize the output of your roster.

WEEKLY BREAKDOWN

Here is the weekly breakdown for the rest of this upcoming week, starting Tuesday March 3/26 – 3/31:

• 4 GAMES:  BUF, CBJ, PHI
• 3 GAMES:  ANA, BOS, CAR,  CGY, CHI, COL, EDM, FLA, LAK, MIN, MON, NYI, NYR, PHX, PIT, SJS, TOR, VAN, WAS, WPG
• 2 GAMES:  DAL, DET, NAS, NJD, OTT, STL, TBL

BUF, CBJ, and PHI are the lucky teams for the rest of Week 10 with four games apiece the next six days.  Managers are going to want to fully utilize their players on those teams while you might want to look elsewhere on the waiver-wire for the two-gamers depending on the days they are playing, which I’ll discuss… now:

• TUES – 9 games
• WED – 4 games
• THU – 10 games
• FRI – 4 games
• SAT – 11 games
• SUN – 5 games

More big ups and downs coming at you during Week 10.  Watch out for the slow days of Wed. and Fri. where you’ll see matchups of ANA@SJS, COL@CGY, MON@BOS, PHX@MIN and then ANA@CHI, CBJ@CGY, MIN@DAL, and NJD@TBL respectively.  Notice that both ANA and CGY are both playing on each of those days so look for your Ducks and Flames when targeting the waiver-wire if you are wanting to maximize your roster’s output and minimizing the number of players you will have to keep on your bench during the busy days.

B2B: BACKUPS TO SEE ACTION?

All of these teams are scheduled to play in back-to-back games this upcoming week, so there are good chances that these teams’ respective backup/alternate goaltenders could see some action:

BOS, BUF, CBJ, CGY, COL, LAK, MIN, MON, NJD, PHI, PHX, SJS, WAS

WHO’S HOT

• PIT – 12 wins
• MIN – 6 wins
• VAN – 4 wins
• BUF – 3 wins
• WAS – 3 wins
• NAS – 3 wins

WHO’S NOT

• TBL – 3 losses
• PHX – 3 losses
• COL – 2 losses (3-7-0 last 10)
• FLA – 2 losses (2-7-1 last 10)

STRONG SCHEDULES

Now let’s take a look at a couple of the most favorable matchups of the week:

Pittsburgh Pengiuns – Opponents: MON, WPG, NYI – The Pens have been insanely hot lately and picking up Brenden Morrrow and Douglas Murray in separate deals recently should only bolster them further.  They play MON on Tuesday, WPG on Thursday, and NYI on Saturday which should provide a chance at earning their fantasy owners some points. The little owned Brenden Morrow is planned to be slotted on a line with former teammate James Neal and Evgeni Malkin (when he returns from injury sometime soon) so the opportunity to earn some points down the stretch is definitely there.

Anaheim Ducks – Opponents: @SJS, @CHI, @CBJ – The Ducks have a very fantasy friendly schedule for the rest of Week 10 as all of their games fall on the slow days of the week. They face SJS on Wednesday, CHI on Friday, and CBJ on Sunday to make sure to get your Ducks out there to maximize your weekly output.

Minnesota Wild - Opponents: PHX, @DAL, LAK – The Wild have finally found their groove this season and just in time for fantasy owners. Playing on two slower nights is just an added bonus. The will face PHX on Wednesday, head back to DAL on Friday (whom they beat 7-4 on Monday night), and then face LAK at home on Saturday. Make sure to get your Wild out there.

WEAK SCHEDULES

...And the least favorable matchups of the week:

Edmonton Oilers – Opponents: @STL, CBJ, VAN – 3 games on the 3 busiest nights against 3 tough opponents won’t do anything to help the Oilers recent record nor fantasy owners. First up is STL on Tuesday followed by a surprisingly hot CBJ (7-1-2 last 10 games) on Thursday and finishing up against a division leading and hot VAN on Saturday.  Look for help elsewhere from the waiver-wire, and possibly your roster, during the rest of Week 10.

Nashville Predators (Opponents: PHX, @COL), Ottawa Senators (NYR, TOR), St Louis Blues (EDM, LAK) – All of these teams play only two more games during Week 10 and they all happen to fall on the busiest nights of the week; Tuesday and Thursday for STL, Thursday and Saturday for NAS and OTT. Not saying you shouldn’t start your Preds, Sens, and Blues -you most likely should - but look elsewhere on the waiver-wire when searching for additional help to boost your last week before the regular season ends.

Good luck out there, everyone.  Follow me on Twitter @G_Rees