Week 10 Fantasy Hockey Planner

Week 10 (Dec. 7-13)

Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington
Teams playing three games: Anaheim, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Nashville, N.Y. Islanders, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Vancouver
Teams playing two games: Boston, N.Y. Rangers

Atlantic Division

New Jersey Devils: Defenseman Johnny Oduya is close to returning from a lower-body injury that has kept him out since Oct. 29. He might be a low-risk start for Week 10 ... Zach Parise failed to record a point in one of 12 November games. He finished the month with nine goals, 16 points and a plus-13 rating. He also had a career-high 10-game point streak in that span. His early-season surge has solidified Parise as an elite Fantasy forward ... Niclas Bergfors was runner-up for Rookie of the Month in November after he had four goals and 10 points in 12 games ... Center Travis Zajac has two goals and eight assists in his last nine games ... Right wing Jamie Langenbrunner has three goals and 12 assists in his last 13 outings.
N.Y. Islanders: Doug Weight is targeting a late December return from an upper-body injury ... Injured goalie Rick DiPietro (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Bridgeport (AHL) on Saturday and is also targeting a late December return. That is not good news for either Dwayne Roloson, who has won four of his last five starts, or Martin Biron ... Left wing Matt Moulson had his first career hat trick on Thursday against the Thrashers. He had only one goal in his previous six games. He leads the Islanders with 14 goals in 28 games ... Trent Hunter continues to exceed expectations as he is now up to 13 points in his first 13 games this season.
N.Y. Rangers: The Erik Christensen carousel continues as New York claimed him off waivers earlier this week from Anaheim. The Rangers are the third team in the last year for Christensen. Coach John Tortorella said Christensen will get a fair chance to play with Brandon Dubinsky sidelined by injury ... The Rangers have sent struggling backup goalie Steve Valiquette to the minors to work on his game. Chad Johnson will pull backup duty to Henrik Lundqvist in the meantime ... Trying to send his team a message, Tortorella banished struggling forward Ales Kotalik to the fourth line on Monday against the Penguins and only put him on the ice for 3:14. The power-play specialist logged no man-advantage time and has no goals in his last nine games ... Defenseman Wade Redden is day to day with a shoulder injury.
Philadelphia Flyers: James van Riemsdyk earned Rookie of the Month honors for November after posting four goals and nine points in 12 games. All four of his goals were game winners and that gave him the advantage over Niclas Bergfors ... The Flyers are struggling to score goals. They have been shut out in their last two games and have scored only four times in their last four appearances. It unfortunately cost head coach John Stevens his job ... Claude Giroux has been a disappointment for not only the Flyers but for Fantasy owners with just three goals in 25 games ... Jeff Carter has scored only once in his last nine games ... Defenseman Kimmo Timonen has gone 22 games without a score ... Fellow blueliner Chris Pronger has only one assist in his last nine games. The Flyers' slump is affecting the entire team.
Pittsburgh Penguins: It took defenseman Alex Goligoski only one game to go back on the injury report. After returning from a groin injury on Nov. 28 against the Rangers and tallying two assists in 21 minutes, Goligoski suffered another undisclosed ailment and has missed the following two games. Coach Dan Bylsma said Goligoski is progressing, but unsure of when he will play again ... Chris Kunitz, who hasn't played since Nov. 12 because of a lower-body injury, is also progressing, but Pittsburgh said they will continue to take it easy with the veteran. Don't put him back in lineups for Week 10 ... Sidney Crosby is on a serious scoring tear with seven goals in his last three games and nine in his last six. He is now tied for second in the NHL with 19 goals. He is finally developing into the elite scoring threat Pittsburgh always envisioned and becoming that more valuable for Fantasy owners.
Favorable matchup: Pittsburgh (CAR, @MON, FLA). The Penguins have won 8 of 10 games and the winning run could stay alive in Week 10. Pittsburgh is facing three of the league's 10 worst defenses. All three teams are allowing 2.96 or more goals per game.
Unfavorable matchup: N.Y. Rangers (@CHI, BUF). The Rangers are going the opposite way of Pittsburgh with losses in 13 of their last 19 games after opening the season 7-1-0. They are going to have a tough time breaking out of their slump in Week 10 as they face two top five defenses. Chicago is tops in the NHL with a 2.15 GAA and Buffalo is fourth at 2.28.

Northeast Division

Boston Bruins: It's like Marc Savard never left the ice. After missing 15 games with a broken foot, Savard has totaled four points in five games since returning. Boston has rewarded the veteran center with a seven-year extension ... Marco Sturm has surpassed his point total (13) from 2008-09 thanks to two goals on Wednesday against the Lightning. Sturm has eight goals in his first 27 games since returning from major knee surgery that limited him to 19 games last season ... Patrice Bergeron has two goals and six assists in his last six games ... Tuukka Rask also earned some Rookie of the Month runner-up honors after going 5-1-0 with a 1.80 GAA in November.
Buffalo Sabres: Defenseman Andrej Sekera, who has been playing some at left wing, has one goal and three assists during a three-game point streak ... Jason Pominville and Derek Roy also have three-game point streaks. Pominville has one goal and four assists in that span, while Roy has two goals and three assists ... The Sabres have sent backup goalie Patrick Lalime to the AHL on a conditioning assignment. Jhonas Enroth will pull backup duty to Ryan Miller for the next few weeks. It's not like Miller needs much help. He has won four straight starts and hasn't allowed more than two goals in six straight outings.
Montreal Canadiens: Fed up with his lack of production, the Canadiens shipped 2004 first-round pick Kyle Chipchura to Anaheim for a future draft pick. Chipchura totaled only 14 points (four goals) and a minus-17 rating in 68 games with the Canadiens since 2007-08 ... At least another former first-round pick, Max Pacioretty, is starting to live up to expectations. The 22nd pick in the 2007 draft has one goal and four assists in his last five games ... Defenseman Andrei Markov, who has been out since the opener with an ankle laceration, said he is going to return earlier than expected. Markov is aiming for a January return, so he can be ready to play for Team Russia in the Olympics. Markov wasn't expected to be back until February.
Ottawa Senators: Defenseman Alexandre Picard went down with an upper-body injury on Thursday against the Kings. He is day to day. His injury, however, could get Chris Campoli back in the lineup after he has been a healthy scratch for two games ... Nick Foligno is also looking to draw back in the lineup as he was a healthy scratch for the first time on Thursday since coach Cory Clouston took over last season. With five goals and nine points in 25 games, Clouston is demanding Foligno to be more aggressive on offense ... Daniel Alfredsson dodged a real bullet Thursday after getting struck in the head by a puck during warm-ups. Alfredsson was able to play and remains a safe start in Fantasy ... It's surprising to see someone else besides Alfredsson and Jason Spezza leading the scoring charge in Ottawa. Milan Michalek leads the team with 15 goals and Mike Fisher is second with 12.
Toronto Maple Leafs: You have to feel for goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who will have his second heart procedure in the last few months. He is expected to miss anywhere from 2-3 weeks, so at least it seems his time out of the lineup will be short. Vesa Toskala is due back from a groin injury over the weekend, so he will likely resume starting duties over Joey MacDonald ... Toronto is another team fed up with an underachieving first-rounder. Toronto shipped Jiri Tlusty, who was taken 13th overall in 2006, to Carolina after he managed only 20 points (10 goals) and a minus-14 rating in 74 games since 2007-08 ... Phil Kessel has 10 goals in his first 15 games since returning from offseason shoulder surgery ... Defenseman Tomas Kaberle already has 25 assists in 27 games.
Favorable matchup: Ottawa (MON, @PHI, CAR). The Senators haven't scored more than three goals in any of their last five games, but they could be in for a treat in Week 10 as they face two of the league's worst defenses in Montreal (2.96 GAA) and Carolina (3.59 GAA).
Unfavorable matchup: Buffalo (NJ, WAS, CHI, @NYR). Buffalo is averaging 4.5 goals per game over their last four contests -- all wins -- but the goals won't come easy in Week 10. Not only does Buffalo faces the league's top defense in Chicago (2.15 GAA), but they get the second best defense in New Jersey (2.20) and only one team -- N.Y. Rangers -- allowing more than 2.79 goals per game.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Thrashers: Slava Kozlov is starting to show some life on the ice. Kozlov, who went scoreless in his first 16 games, netted the lone goal in Thursday's loss to the Islanders. The Russian now has five goals in the past nine games.
Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina is hoping to have goalie Cam Ward (leg) back in the lineup by Wednesday against the Devils. He is still somewhat of a risky start for Week 10, but now is the time to start adding Ward in Fantasy ... Defenseman Joe Corvo will be out at least two months after he needed surgery to repair a laceration on his right leg as a result of getting cut by a skate ... Center Matt Cullen has scored a goal in three straight games.
Florida Panthers: Goalie Tomas Vokoun remains day to day after suffering an ear laceration thanks to a freak accident involving teammate Keith Ballard, who struck Vokoun in the head with his stick. Coach Peter DeBoer said Vokoun will be back in net as soon as he can get his helmet over his stitched up ear comfortably. Vokoun practiced on Thursday and might play over the weekend. A few days after the Vokoun incident, Ballard was also responsible for taking out Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson during a late-game collision. It seems Ballard is becoming the "Goalie Terminator." No NHL goalie is safe ... DeBoer said Wednesday that forwards David Booth (concussion) and Cory Stillman (knee) are both weeks away from returning ... Nathan Horton has four goals and nine assists in his last 12 games.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Defenseman Kurtis Foster is playing as a fourth-line winger thanks to a glut of blueliners. He has three goals in his last six games ... Jeff Halpern has two goals in his last three games and is starting to look a little bit like the 20-goal threat he was before tearing up his knee during the summer of 2008 ... Ryan Malone has not scored in his last four games and has only one point in that span. He is also at minus-4. Malone is now only on pace for 46 goals after being on track for 50-plus goals in mid-November ... Goalie Mike Smith has allowed four or more goals three times in his last five starts and has a 1-2-2 record in those games. For the season, Smith is 4-5-5 with a 3.28 GAA in 14 starts. His struggles are allowing Antero Niittymaki to continue to steal starts.
Washington Capitals: Two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin is expected to return to the lineup on Monday against the Lightning after serving a two-game suspension for kneeing Tim Gleason. Keep Ovie active for Week 10 ... Alexander Semin returned in a big way on Thursday against the Panthers. After missing seven games with a wrist injury, he scored twice and finished with four points. He is a safe start for the upcoming scoring period ... Nicklas Backstrom seems to be emerging from his slump. With three goals and five points during a three-game point streak, Backstrom has put behind him a slide that featured only one point in seven appearances ... Tomas Fleischmann has come back down to earth. After scoring seven times in his first nine games, he has only one goal in his last eight appearances.
Favorable matchup: Washington (@TB, @BUF, CAR, @TOR). It could be a very good week for the Capitals during the upcoming scoring period. They face two of the league's three worst defenses in Toronto (3.44 GAA) and Carolina (3.59). They are already averaging 3.00 or more goals against both teams this season. The league's highest-scoring offense is also on the road for three games, where they are averaging 3.21 goals per game (5th).
Unfavorable matchup: Carolina (@PIT, @NJ, @WAS, @OTT). Unlike the Capitals, the Hurricanes dread playing away from home. They are dead last in road GFA (1.62). It doesn't help their cause they also face three teams ranked in the top 15 for defense in Week 10.

Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks: Looking to jump start Patrick Sharp, coach Joel Quenneville put him on a line with Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews on Tuesday against the Blue Jackets. Sharp responded with a power-play score and five shots. He had only one goal in his previous 12 games ... Defenseman Duncan Keith, who signed a 13-year extension on Thursday, has five assists in his last four games and leads Chicago with 18 helpers. His all-around play has taken him near the top of the Fantasy rankings for defensemen.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Defenseman Rostislav Klesla has been lost for several weeks after sustaining a lower-body injury on Tuesday against the Blues ... Goalie Steve Mason was pulled for the fourth time this season on Thursday against the Maple Leafs. The Blue Jackets have been very bad on defense this season. They have allowed a league-high 102 goals and have allowed six or more goals seven times this season. Mason has an ugly 9-7-5 record with a 3.46 GAA and .888 save percentage. He also has no shutouts after recording a NHL-best 10 last season. Mason has fallen down the Fantasy rankings to a No. 2 netminder.
Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings breathed a sigh of relief on Friday after learning defenseman Jonathan Ericsson would be OK after injuring his knee on Thursday against the Oilers. It's safe to keep him active for Week 10. Detroit also hopes to get back Brian Rafalski soon. He is day to day with a sore back. Consider Rafalski a low-risk start for Week 10 ... Jakub Kindl is up long as Rafalski is out. While Detroit believes the 22-year-old blueliner will be a staple in Detroit for years to come, he still needs work in the minors. Consider Kindl nothing more than a long-term Fantasy keeper ... Even though Chris Osgood is healthy, Detroit has started Jimmy Howard in net three straight games. He had won his first two before losing to Edmonton on Thursday. That should open the door for Osgood to jump back in net. Detroit has no issues playing Howard as long as he gives the team a chance to win. It also helps keep Osgood fresh for the playoffs, if Detroit can find some way back there this season ... Coach Mike Babcock switched left wingers on Thursday, bumping Ville Leino up to the top scoring line with Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom and sliding Todd Bertuzzi down the second line. Leino hasn't scored in 11 games and has only three scores in 26 contests. Leino has not been the breakout start Detroit and Fantasy owners have envisioned.
Nashville Predators: Top-line center Jason Arnott has six goals and 10 points in his last eight games ... Steve Sullivan snapped out of a scoring funk with four points (one goal) on Wednesday against the Wild. He has no goals and one point in his previous four games.
St. Louis Blues: Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo missed only one game with a foot injury before returning to the lineup on Thursday against the Sharks. He scored a game-tying, short-handed tally with seven seconds left that propelled St. Louis to the shootout win. Colaiacovo has 10 points in 17 games ... Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has been loaned to the Canadian national junior hockey team. Pietrangelo has not played in a NHL game since Nov. 19 and has dressed for only nine games this season. If he plays one more game, the first year on his entry-level contract kicks in. By sending him to the junior camp, St. Louis can delay making a decision on whether to keep the 2008 first-round pick or send him back to his junior club for the second straight season.
Favorable matchup: St. Louis (COL, @DET, EDM). This could be risky since the Blues are one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL, but they could catch a break in Week 10. They face two teams -- Colorado and Edmonton -- allowing 2.93 or more goals per game and they are averaging 4.00 goals per game against Detroit (three games).
Unfavorable matchup: Detroit (STL, ANA, @NSH). It's hard to believe that the Red Wings have been held to one or zero goals in six of their last nine games. That number might increase in Week 10 as they face two very good defenses in St. Louis (2.54 GAA) and Nashville (2.70). The Predators were also one of the teams to hold Detroit to one goal during their recent slide.

Northwest Division

Calgary Flames: Left wing Rene Bourque returned to the lineup on Thursday against the Coyotes after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. He played on the top line with Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen despite having great success to start the season alongside Daymond Langkow and Nigel Dawes. Coach Brent Sutter said Bourque will continue to play on the top line and David Moss will remain on the second line. Moss has two goals and five points during a career-best five-game point streak ... Speaking of Iginla, he was named the NHL's top star for November after he finished the month with 13 goals and 20 points in 14 games ... Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff's shutout streak ended at two games on Thursday against the Coyotes. Although he took the 2-1 loss, Kiprusoff has allowed only seven goals in his last six games.
Colorado Avalanche: Goalie Craig Anderson is day to day with a neck injury suffered Wednesday against the Panthers (see Keith Ballard above). If he is not back by the weekend, then he is an injury-risk start for Week 10. Peter Budaj is starting in his absence ... Tough break for forward David Jones. In the midst of a breakout season, Jones is now out 4-6 months after tearing his ACL ... Milan Hejduk is back in the lineup after missing three games with a knee injury ... Coach Joe Sacco made some lineup changes on Thursday against the Penguins after his team's sloppy play on Wednesday against Florida. Matt Duchene and Chris Stewart both moved to the top line with Paul Stastny. Marek Svatos got the brunt of Sacco's disdain by being demoted to the fourth line. Svatos has only six goals in 30 games this season.
Edmonton Oilers: There is no good news on goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. He continues to be plagued by a back injury and doesn't look like a good start for Week 10. Jeff Deslauriers will continue to start in his absence ... Robert Nilsson, who returned from a concussion on Thursday, could be down to his last chance with the Oilers. The former first-round pick has not lived up to the hype and was a team-worst minus-12 before his injury. Nilsson knows he is hanging in the balance, but he made up some brownie points with an athletic goal during a 4-1 win against Detroit on Thursday ... The Oilers expect defenseman Denis Grebeshkov back in the next two weeks after he has begun to make progress with his injured knee ... Patrick O'Sullivan scored twice on Thursday, his first goals in six games. With Ales Hemsky out for the season, Edmonton coach Pat Quinn is expecting the veteran O'Sullivan to pick up the slack.
Minnesota Wild: The Wild have moved James Sheppard to the wing, in hopes of stirring up more offense from the former first-rounder. It seems to be working since in four games at wing, Sheppard has more shots (nine) than he did at 16 games at center (eight) ... Martin Havlat returned to the lineup on Wednesday against the Predators after missing four games with a hamstring injury. However, it was a shock to see him as a left winger on the fourth line with Andrew Ebbett and Derek Boogaard. Havlat has been a grave disappointment since signing in the offseason. He should make his way back to the scoring lines eventually, but he is definitely not paying dividends for Fantasy owners in the early season.
Vancouver Canucks: Jannik Hansen was rewarded for his stellar play lately and bumped to the second line on Thursday against the Flyers. Although, we aren't sure if it was really a reward and more a message to Mikael Samuelsson, who replaced Hansen on the third line. Samuelsson has only two goals in his last 12 games ... No one is happier to see Daniel Sedin back from a foot injury than Alexandre Burrows, who has scored in four of the last five games since he was reunited with the Sedin twins on the top line ... Defenseman Mathieu Schneider has been a healthy scratch for the first two games of December and is still a bit sluggish coming off shoulder surgery ... Fellow blueliner Alexander Edler is having no such struggles on the ice. He has two goals and eight assists in his last eight games.
Favorable matchup: Calgary (@LA, ATL, MIN, @COL). The good news for Calgary is that they face four teams in the bottom half of defense in the NHL. All four squads are allowing 2.80 or more goals per game.
Unfavorable matchup: Minnesota (@PHO, @COL, @CGY, @VAN). The Wild really have their work cut out in Week 10. They face three top 10 defenses in Phoenix, Calgary and Vancouver. All three teams are allowing 2.50 or fewer goals per game. Minnesota is already averaging 2.00 or fewer goals against Phoenix and Vancouver this season.

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks have no timetable yet on injured forward Teemu Selanne, who fractured his left hand on Thursday against the Stars ... Joffrey Lupul is skating again and could return to the lineup in the coming days for Anaheim. He has been sidelined for seven games with back spasms ... Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere has allowed three or fewer goals in his last five starts. Giguere is 3-1-1 with a 1.77 goals-against average during that span. Jonas Hiller better get his act together or fear Giguere leaving him in the dust.
Dallas Stars: James Neal has cooled off after his hot start to the season. He has only one goal in his last seven games ... Neal's slump has allowed Brenden Morrow to tie him for the team lead in goals with 12 after Morrow has scored in five straight games ... Steve Ott was a breakout offensive star in 2008-09 as Dallas dealt with a rash of injuries. But now that everyone is back healthy, Ott has returned to being a wallflower. He has scored only three times in 22 games and went the entire month of November (13 games) without a score.
Los Angeles Kings: Left wing Ryan Smyth delivered some bad news on Thursday. His upper-body injury was only supposed to keep him out for up to four weeks. However, Smyth said Thursday that he will be out a minimum of four weeks and up to six. He is still not expected back until mid-to-late December. The reason for the change is that coach Terry Murray doesn't want to rush back one of his star contributors ... Justin Williams has three goals in his last two games after going eight contests without a score ... Defenseman Drew Doughty set a career-high in goals on Thursday as he recorded his seventh of the season against Ottawa. He has four power-play scores and three game winners ... Fellow blueliner Randy Jones continues his tear with the Kings since arriving via waivers from Philadelphia. He has scored in his last two games and has nine points in 11 contests.
Phoenix Coyotes: Defenseman Ed Jovanovski is still day to day after aggravating a lower-body injury that has kept him sidelined for 10 games this season.
San Jose Sharks: Ryane Clowe has four goals and nine points during an eight-game point streak. He has put behind him a severe scoring drought to begin the season with six goals and 17 points in his last 17 games ... Top-line center Joe Thornton has three goals and 15 assists during a 10-game point streak.
Favorable matchup: Phoenix (MIN, @LA, SJ). The only tough challenge ahead for Phoenix is a showdown with San Jose. Minnesota and Los Angeles are allowing 2.92 goals or more per game. Phoenix is also averaging 3.00 goals against Minnesota and 4.00 goals against Los Angeles (three games).
Unfavorable matchup: Los Angeles (CGY, @SJ, PHO, DAL). The Kings could have a tough time scoring goals in Week 10 as they face three top 10 defenses and none of their opponents are allowing more than 2.75 goals per game.

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