Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

March 17th - 23rd

Anaheim Ducks (2) – Expect Giguere to start both games and then enjoy time off until the 26th.

Atlanta Thrashers (3) – Lehtonen is still struggling so expect to see Hedberg appear in one game.

Boston Bruins (2) – Look for Thomas to start both games for the Bruins this week.

Buffalo Sabres (2) – Miller has a relatively easy week with only two games on the schedule.

Carolina Hurricanes (2) – Ward should be in net for both games this week.

Calgary Flames (3) – Kirpusoff has struggled lately but should receive all three starts this week.

Chicago Blackhawks (3) – With Khabibulin still hurting, the starting job goes to both Crawford and Lalime.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) – Look for Leclaire to be in net for all three games.

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Winning five of his last six starts, Theodore should get the nod for all three games this week.

Dallas Stars (2) – Expect Turco to be in net for both games this week.

Detroit Red Wings (3) – Hasek is currently day-to-day with a sore back, so Osgood will be the #1 guy until Hasek returns

Edmonton Oilers (3) – Garon has gotten hot winning three of his last four starts.

Florida Panthers (2) – Vokoun has won his last two starts and should be in goal for both games this week.

Los Angeles Kings (3) – Ersberg has been inconsistent in his rookie season but expect him to be in net for all three games this week.

Minnesota Wild (4) – Backstrom has piled on the minutes over the past few games, so expect Harding to start once during this busy week.

Montreal Canadiens (3) – Look for Price to appear in all three games this week.

Nashville Predators (3) – Ellis has clearly outplayed Mason this season and should get at least two starts this week.

New Jersey Devils (3) – Expect Brodeur to start all three games.

New York Islanders (3) – DiPietro should get the nod for all three games this week.

New York Rangers (3) – Look for Lundqvist to receive all three starts.

Ottawa Senators (2) – Gerber has won his last three starts and should be in net for both games this week.

Philadelphia Flyers (3) – Expect Biron to start all three games this week.

Phoenix Coyotes (4) – With no reliable backup, expect Bryzgalov to receive all four starts.

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) – Look for Conklin and Fleury to continue to split starts.

San Jose Sharks (3) – Expect Nabokov in net for all three games.

St. Louis Blues (3) – Legace hasn't won since March 4th, but should get a chance to turn things around with three games on the schedule

Tampa Bay Lightining (3) – With Smith struggling expect Ramo to steal one start.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – Toskala should receive all three starts this week.

Vancouver Canucks (3) – Look for Luongo to start all three games.

Washington Capitals (3) – Expect to continue to see a split between Huet and Kolzig.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• The Maple Leafs had an impressive comeback last night, but in the big scheme of things, the win doesn't really get them much closer to the playoffs, writes Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• By the third period last night, the Senators looked supremely confident, writes Roy MacGregor of the Globe & Mail.
• Mark Spector of the National Post tells readers that the Oilers organization is a model for teams looking to rebuild their rosters.
• Ted Montgomery breaks down the oddest couples in the NHL in this special to USA Today.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Leafs pulled off an amazing comeback last night, but still sit seven points out a playoff spot with eleven games to go, writes Paul Hunter. Even though they allowed the Flyers to record one point in the standings yesterday, the Leafs played a game worth remembering, writes Damien Cox. Off the ice, the Leafs have decided to not raise ticket prices for next season.
• Last night's 8-4 victory over the Islanders was a record breaking win for Lightning coach John Tortorella, as he became the winningest US born coach of all-time. Just because the Bolts acquired Mike Smith, doesn't mean that youngster Karri Ramo is going to back down and be satisfied with the back up goaltender role.
• Martin Gerber continued his terrific play yesterday in leading the Senators to a 4-1 victory over the slumping Bruins. Dany Heatley was equally as terrific last night, writes Don Brennan.
• The Islanders had an embarrassing loss to the Bolts last night, but more important to Isles fans may be the internal squabble between coach Ted Nolan and star netminder Rick DiPietro.
• "They dominated us from end to end," captain of the Devils b said after last night's 4-0 loss at Montreal. Here is a funny story about the Devils youngsters out on an adventure trying to pick up some coffees.
• The Habs were terrific in all aspects of the game yesterday, as they defeated the Devils 4-0 and took over first place in the Eastern Conference.
• Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun Sentinel has a nice feature on the smiling Brett McLean. In a bit of weird news, apparently the BankAtlantic Center doesn't have an out-of-town scoreboard.
• "It was the worst game we've played in a long time," said Thrashers coach/GM Don Waddell after last night's 5-2 home loss to the Avalanche. However, the news wasn't all bad yesterday for Waddell as the team announced he will be back for next season.
• The Bruins have scored only seven games in their past six games and continued their slump last night in Ottawa, writes Fluto Shinwaza. Make no mistake, the Senators top players would not have had as much success as they did if the Bruins had Zdeno Chara in the lineup last night.
• Ryan Miller is having a hard time figuring out why he has struggled so much in shootouts lately, writes Mike Harrington. The Sabres get Henrik Tallinder back in the lineup tonight, but will be without both Jaroslav Spacek and Dmitri Kalinin.
• The Hurricanes visit the Blackhawks tonight, which means a reunion of sorts for a number of players involved in tonight's game.
• The Rangers are rolling, but they still must address their power play, writes Larry Brooks. The Rangers have been on fire since Tom Renney tried three new line combinations on February 20, writes John Dellapina.
• Flyers coach John Stevens was furious after his team blew a 3-0 lead on the road to the Maple Leafs. Steve Downie was back in the lineup last night after being a healthy scratch.
• Marian Hossa surely wasn't complaining about lining up alongside Sidney Crosby at practice. Meanwhile, the Penguins still need to improve on their faceoff efficiency, writes Dave Molinari.
• They are still talking about Nicklas Backstrom's own goal in Washington.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks lost 3-2 in a shootout last night to Phoenix, and beat writer Dan Wood thinks their chance to win the Pacific Division title have fallen by the wayside.
• George Johnson of the Calgary Herald has a great article on Jarome Iginla and the early signs of his stardom.
• The Blackhawks played the Red Wings tough last night, but there are no moral victories this late in the season, writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
• With last night's 5-2 victory over lowly Atlanta, the Avalanche moved into a tie for top spot in the Northwest Division. Ruslan Salei sure earned the respect of his teammates, but it didn't come without a cost, writes Adrian Dater. On the injury front, it appears that Peter Forsberg and Ryan Smyth aren't too far from a return to the lineup.
• Andrew Cogliano scored his third straight overtime winner last night to lead the Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the slumping Blues. The Oilers have not been giving Mathieu Garon any time off, writes Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun.
• The Coyotes recorded a giant victory last night, after trailing 2-0 at home to the Ducks, writes Jim Gintonio. Gintonio also has a story about Craig Weller whose perseverance and work ethic have taken him farther than most anyone thought he could go.
• Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province tells readers about the burgeoning chemistry between Ryan Kesler and Alexander Burrows. Meantime, Cam Cole of the Vancouver Sun tells readers that the Canucks' loss in the broadcast booth will be Canada's gain.
• According to Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets are expected to name Rick Nash team captain today. Apparently Ken Hitchcock is ready to unveil his secret weapon tonight.
• The Stars are being cautious with both Sergei Zubov and Phillipe Boucher when it comes to their return from IR. In other Stars news, winger Steve Ott has been suspended by the NHL for three games.
• The Wings dominated the Hawks yesterday on their way to a 3-1 victory. Off the ice, the team has signed Dan Cleary to a five year contract extension.
• While the Wild have been slipping in the standings as of late, the player and management have not lost confidence in the team's abilities.
• The Predators ran into a streaking Sharks team last night, writes John Glennon of the Tennessean. New Predators owner David Freeman was unhappy with the officiating on Tuesday night.
• The Sharks made it ten victories in a row last night, with a win over the Predators. The team's recent success has brought about compliments from Sharks coach Ron Wilson.
• The Blues didn't lay down after trailing the Oilers 3-0 last night, but their comeback fell short as they were defeated 4-3 in overtime.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

Mid-Afternoon Injury News

Just a couple of tidbits that may be of interest to fans and poolies:

• Marty Turco (sore neck) is not accompanying the Stars to Minnesota for their game against the Wild tonight.
• Ducks forward Samuel Pahlsson (abdominal inflamation) may return to the team's lineup either tonight in New York but more likely for tomorrow's game in New Jersey.
• Bruins forward Peter Schaeffer (shin contusion) is out for tomorrow night's game at Buffalo.
• Glen Murray (hip flexor) is expected to be a game-time decision for tomorrow night's game against the Sabres.
• Mark Parrish (concussion) is still not ready to return to the Wild lineup.
• Josh Harding (illness) most likely will not back up Niklas Backstrom tonight against Dallas.
• Dany Heatley (separated shoulder) is returning to the Senators lineup tonight when they take on the Panthers.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• “I’m a buyer for sure,” said Thrashers GM Don Waddell when asked about the upcoming trade deadline. In other Thrashers news, Ilya Kovalchuk may start the NHL All-Star Game after all, writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Chuck Kobasew was the star in the Bruins' 4-3 shootout victory over the Rangers yesterday afternoon. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe has a very good article on the physicality and grinding nature of a full NHL season.
• The Sabres ended their ten game winless streak on Friday, and then reverted right back to their losing ways on Saturday with a 4-2 loss at Toronto. Thomas Vanek was benched for the third period of last night's game.
• The Southeast continues to be the weakest division in the NHL, writes Luke Decock of the News Observer.
• The Panthers were defeated 5-3 by the Capitals last night but there was a bright spot, as rookie Shawn Matthias scored twice.
• Crosby or no Crosby, the Penguins shutout the Habs last night in Montreal by a score of 2-0. Although they defeated the Habs without Crosby, his loss is a big blow to the Penguins.
• Colin White can hardly see out of his right eye but he has not let that get in the way of his hockey career, writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger. The Devils know they need to score more, but they are content winning games 1-0 and 2-1.
• While the Rangers received one point for their 4-3 shootout loss at Boston yesterday, they will not make the playoffs if they continue to play the way they currently are, opines Larry Brooks of the NY Post. With his #2 due to be retired on Thursday, John Dellapina of the New York Daily News has a must-read article about Brian Leetch and his family.
• Here is Larry Brooks of the NY Post with his weekly Slap Shots column.
• "It was just a total team fall-apart," said Islanders coach Ted Nolan after his team blew a 3-1 lead at home to the Flyers and ended up losing the game 5-3.
• With Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley on the sidelines, it was difficult to determine who was the best team in the Eastern Conference and who was the worst last night as the Lightning defeated Ottawa 2-0. Apparently John Paddock can be sarcastic, writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Meanwhile, Erin Nicks of the Sun wonders if Senators fans even want Marian Hossa back.
• The Flyers stormed back from a two-goal deficit on the road by riding the Scott Hartnell train, as the power-forward tallied a hat trick in his team`s 5-3 victory over the Islanders.
• Dany Sabourin shut the door last night in Montreal, leading the Penguins to a 2-0 victory and first place in the Atlantic Division. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette analyzes the fast-appoaching trade deadline from the Pittsburgh perspective.
• The Lightning shutout Ottawa last night, making it two straight shutout road wins, writes Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune.
• In the face of adversity, the Leafs have now won three straight games, after their 4-2 victory over Buffalo last night. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star says the Leafs are playing themselves out of top draft position. Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle doesn't want to think about all the trade talk.
• The Capitals rode Nicklas Backstrom's first career four point night to a 5-3 victory over Florida, and a .500 record.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks are thoroughly enjoying their current road trip because their dads are along for the ride, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register.
• Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun brings to light the fact that the Flames may not be able to re-sign Daymond Langkow this off-season. When it comes to re-signing the team's free agents this off-season, Jean Lefebvre of the Calgary Herald shares the same concerns as Francis.
• The Hawks defeated the Coyotes 2-1 in a shootout last night, making it four straight victories for the young club.
• Jose Theodore will start his eighth straight game tonight as the Avalanche host Columbus.
• "Those are two points we lost that we should have had," said Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock after yesterdays 3-1 loss at Dallas. It appears that Duvie Wescott's time in Columbus has come to an end.
• Mike Smith is one of the top backups in the NHL, and he strutted his stuff yesterday by leading his team to a 3-1 victory over the streaking Blue Jackets.
• The Wings went into San Jose last night and only allowed 18 shots against in defeating the Sharks 6-3. Wings star Henrik Zetterberg is far more popular in Sweden than his is in his NHL hometown, writes Shawn Windsor.
• With both teams coming off blowout losses, it should be a spirited affair this afternoon in Atlanta between the Oilers and Thrashers. Here is Jim Matheson's weekly Sunday column.
• Wild coach Jacques Lemaire had encouraging words for his team yesterday as they are set to head out on a west coast road trip. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune examines the possibility of the Wild looking into acquiring Marian Hossa.
• The Predators defeated the Blues 5-2 on Saturday and set two franchise records in the process.
• "I liked our effort throughout," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team's 2-1 shootout loss at home to the Blackhawks.
• The Sharks continued their struggles against the Red Wings last night with their third loss against them this season.
• The Blues can take very little from their 5-2 loss to the Predators on Saturday.
• The Kings continue to have the Canucks number after defeating them 4-3 at GM Place last night.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

November 12th - 18th

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Bryzgalov has hit a slump, winning only one game since October 15th.

Atlanta Thrashers (2) – Expect Lehtonen to handle both starts for this short week.

Boston Bruins (2) – Fernandez has been sidelined with a knee sprain, so unless he comes back, expect Thomas to get both starts.

Buffalo Sabres (2) – Miller should be the recipient of both starts.

Carolina Hurricanes (4) – With a busy schedule and back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, backup John Grahame should receive one start.

Calgary Flames (3) – The Flames may elect to give Kiprusoff a rest on back-to-back away games.

Chicago Blackhawks (3) – Khabibulin should appear in all three games this week.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) – Look for Leclaire to get the nod for all three games this week.

Colorado Avalanche (2) – It appears the Avalanche are going with a 50/50 split between Theodore and Budaj.

Dallas Stars (2) – Turco should receive both starts this week.

Detroit Red Wings (3) – Hasek has not played since October 24th.

Edmonton Oilers (3) – Expect Garon to appear in one game due to Roloson's struggles.

Florida Panthers (4) – With a busy week, backup Anderson may see some time in net.

Los Angeles Kings (3) – LaBarbera and Sebastian-Aubin have been splitting time.

Minnesota Wild (4) – Backstrom has been superb in his first year as Minnesota's starter.

Montreal Canadiens (3) – The last time Montreal had back-to-back games, backup Carey Price
received a start.

Nashville Predators (3) – If Mason continues to play poorly, then expect to see more of backup Dan Ellis.

New Jersey Devils (4) – Weekes may see some action with a busy schedule.

New York Islanders (3) – DiPietro has gotten off to a fast start going 7-3-0.

New York Rangers (3) – Lundqvist is the only thing keeping New York out of last place.

Ottawa Senators (2) – Gerber has been the man in Ottawa thus far.

Philadelphia Flyers (3) – Expect Biron to appear in all three games this week.

Phoenix Coyotes (3) – Auld and Tellqvist have been splitting time.

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) – Fluery has gotten off to a rough start, but is bound to pick it up shortly.

San Jose Sharks (4) – Nabokov has started San Jose's first 15 games, but may get a rest this week with four games on the scheduale.

St. Louis Blues (3) – Legace has struggled recently, but is still the #1 guy in St. Louis.

Tampa Bay Lightining (2) – Expect Holmqvist to start both games.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – Even though Toskala has struggled, the Leafs continue to ride with
him.

Vancouver Canucks (3) – Luongo should receive all three starts this week.

Washington Capitals (2) – With a short week, Kolzig should appear in both games.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis