Week 13 Fantasy Hockey Planner

Week 13 (Dec. 28-Jan. 3)

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

Atlantic Division

New Jersey Devils: David Clarkson (ankle) is expected to return to the lineup in Week 13, but he is still somewhat of a risky start because his conditioning might not be up to par since he last played on Nov. 27 ... Defenseman Paul Martin had a setback with his broken arm and will now miss an additional four weeks ... Zach Parise has gone 12 games without a goal. He has taken 54 shots during his drought ... Travis Zajac is also struggling without a goal in eight games and one in his last 11.
N.Y. Islanders: Kyle Okposo ended an 18-game goal drought with the overtime winner on Saturday against the Rangers. He also had a career-high three points ... Frans Nielsen has moved up to the second line in between Okposo and Josh Bailey. He has responded with two goals, three assists and a plus-6 rating in his last five games ... Injured goalie Rick DiPietro (knee), who suffered a setback earlier in December on a rehab stint with Bridgeport (AHL), is back practicing. However, he will need at least one full start with Bridgeport before returning to the NHL. Keep him reserved for Week 13.
N.Y. Rangers: Since being dropped off the scoring lines, center Chris Drury has responded positively. He has three goals and five points in his last five games. Drury credits a simpler approach at both ends of the ice for his recent turnaround ... Defenseman Michal Rozsival has five points in his last five games after getting seven in his first 33 appearances ... Center Brandon Dubinsky has three goals, two assists and a plus-5 rating during a three-game point streak.
Philadelphia Flyers: Goalie Brian Boucher is available for action despite suffering a cut on his finger earlier in the week. However, he is not 100 percent and says vibrations off the stick are fairly painful. That means Michael Leighton could see a few starts in Week 13. There is some risk to starting Boucher ... Mike Richards has three goals in his last two games after going seven contests without a score.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Chris Kunitz has two goals and five assists in his last four games and looks fully recovered from a lower-body injury that kept him out until mid-December.
Favorable matchup: N.Y. Islanders (CLB, @OTT, ATL). All three of the Islanders' opponents rank in the bottom 10 for defense, allowing 2.89 or more goals per game. Also, the Islanders have scored 10 goals in two games against Atlanta this season.
Unfavorable matchup: Philadelphia (@NYR, @BOS, @OTT). The Flyers finish up a six-game road trip in Week 13. They are averaging only 2.53 goals per game on the road (17th). Philadelphia is also averaging 2.50 or fewer goals against the Rangers and Senators.

Northeast Division

Boston Bruins: Milan Lucic (ankle) is expected to return in Week 13, but it could come later in the scoring period. He is still a risky start ... Defenseman Derek Morris (undisclosed) is traveling with the team and is a low-risk start for Week 13.
Buffalo Sabres: Center Derek Roy joined the walking wounded on Saturday against the Senators with an upper-body injury. He is being further evaluated and is a risky start for Week 13 ... Thomas Vanek is back in action after missing three games with an abdominal injury. The talented goal scorer is having a tough season, but Vanek remains a viable Fantasy start when healthy. He has scored in his past two games ... Drew Stafford was benched on Saturday after being on the ice for both of Ottawa's second-period scores. Stafford hasn't scored in 15 games.
Montreal Canadiens: Brian Gionta, who has been out since Nov. 14 with a broken bone in his foot, will return either Monday against the Senators or Wednesday against the Lightning. Start him in Fantasy, if you are feeling lucky. The Canadiens are hoping Gionta's return will spark slumping center Scott Gomez ... Defenseman Roman Hamrlik, who has missed five games with a knee injury, is also expected back in Week 13 ... Defenseman Andrei Markov has three goals and three assists in four games since returning from a cut tendon in his ankle. It's safe to activate him in all Fantasy formats ... Goalie Jaroslav Halak has won his last four starts and that has kept Carey Price on the bench. Price hasn't played since Dec. 17. Halak has been rumored to be on the trade market, so Montreal could be playing him to attract potential suitors. Unfortunately, that hurts Price's Fantasy appeal ... Center Tomas Plekanec has two goals and eight assists during a four-game point streak. He leads Montreal with 44 points and is back to being a reliable Fantasy option after a down season in 2008-09.
Ottawa Senators: Already down Jason Spezza (knee) until March, the Senators lost another top-line forward in Daniel Alfredsson, who is out 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury. The Senators top line on Saturday against the Sabres consisted of Mike Fisher, Ryan Shannon and Alexei Kovalev ... In a bit of good news, goalie Pascal Leclaire is back in net after missing several weeks with a broken cheekbone. He is usually a No. 2 Fantasy goalie when healthy... Milan Michalek has scored only once in 13 games since scoring twice on Dec. 1.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Fatigue might be settling in for forward Phil Kessel, who missed the first month of the season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Kessel hasn't scored in five games and is minus-5 in that span ... Nikolai Kulemin replaced Alexei Ponikarovsky on the team's top line Saturday against the Canadiens. It will be interesting to see how long the formation lasts since coach Ron Wilson did say it would be good for the third line to play with Ponikarovsky and Wilson likes the way Kulemin fights for pucks.
Favorable matchup: Montreal (@OTT, @TB, @FLA, BUF). The Canadiens have won the first four games of their seven-game road trip and have scored at least three goals in each victory. It's no surprise their offense is getting on track since Markov's return. The good times could continue in Week 13 as their three road opponents are in the bottom 10 for defense.
Unfavorable matchup: Toronto (@EDM, @CGY). The Maple Leafs are on the road for both of their games in Week 13. They have scored a total of seven goals in their last four road contests. They also likely to face one of the best goalies in the league in Miikka Kiprusoff.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Thrashers: Ilya Kovalchuk has six goals and eight assists during a nine-game point streak ... Nik Antropov has eight goals in his last nine games after going without a score in his first 17 contests ... Rookie forward Evander Kane is day to day with a shoulder injury ... Goalie Kari Lehtonen (back) has been doing some on-ice workouts, but there is still no timetable for his return.
Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes have been changing their forward formations trying to spark a sluggish offense and an interesting move has been using Eric Staal on the wing at times. He doesn't have a goal in four games, but Staal did pick up two assists on Saturday against the Flyers ... Ray Whitney hasn't scored in six games, but he did play a season-high 23:50 on Saturday.
Florida Panthers: Cory Stillman (knee) did not return to the lineup on Sunday against the Bruins, but coach Peter DeBoer said he will play on Thursday against the Canadiens. DeBoer just wants Stillman to partake in a few practices before his activation. You can start Stillman in Week 13, if you choose ... David Booth (concussion) is expected to return to the lineup within the next 3-4 weeks ... Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is still out with a knee injury and not a recommended start for Week 13 ... Stephen Weiss is having a heck of a December with 10 goals and 18 points in 13 games ... Steve Reinprecht has three goals in his last 27 games after scoring eight times in his first 12 contests.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Goalie Antero Niittymaki is on a personal leave, but he is not a high-risk start for Week 13. He is expected back on Monday against the Bruins after his wife gave birth to their second child ... Forward Martin St. Louis has one goal and six assists during a four-game point streak ... Ryan Malone has a NHL-best seven game-winning scores ... Alex Tanguay stopped an 18-game goal drought with a score on Saturday against the Thrashers.
Washington Capitals: Center Nicklas Backstrom is having one of the finest months of his young career. He has nine goals, 18 points and a plus-11 rating in 11 December contests ... The Capitals are expecting goalie Semyon Varlamov (groin) to return in Week 13. However, he is still a risky start since his return was already delayed one time.
Favorable matchup: Washington (CAR, @SJ, @LA). There aren't a ton of favorable matchups in the Southeast Division for Week 13, but the Capitals do face a pair of teams in the bottom half for defense -- Carolina (3.58 GAA) and Los Angeles (2.84). Washington is also averaging 3.50 or more goals against Carolina and San Jose.
Unfavorable matchup: Carolina (@WAS, NYR, @NYR). The Hurricanes are mired in a three-game losing streak, and they might not be able to snap their slump in Week 13. They are averaging only 2.50 goals per game in two losses to the Capitals this season and lost 3-1 to the Rangers on Dec. 21.

Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks: Kris Versteeg has been a bit under the weather, but he is still a low-risk start for Week 13 ... Defenseman Cam Barker was back in the lineup on Saturday against the Predators after missing three games with a lower-body injury ... Patrick Kane has scored in three straight games and hasn't been bothered since getting cut on the face in mid-December ... Jonathan Toews is up to plus-17 on the season.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Defenseman Marc Methot is expected to miss at least a week with a shoulder injury ... The Blue Jackets have scored only 15 goals during a nine-game winless streak ... Defenseman Mike Commodore was taken out of the top defensive pairing on Saturday against the Red Wings and dropped to the third pairing with Kris Russell. Mathieu Roy replaced him alongside Jan Hejda ... Defenseman Anton Stralman is active again after missing three games with the flu.
Detroit Red Wings: Detroit got one injured player back on Saturday against Columbus as Valtteri Filppula returned from a broken wrist. Detroit is hoping Filppula's presence will snap slumping Ville Leino out of his offensive funk. Leino did have success earlier in the season playing alongside his fellow Finn ... Both Daniel Cleary (shoulder) and Henrik Zetterberg (shoulder) skated on Saturday. Cleary is closer to returning to the lineup, but both players hope to return during a four-game West Coast road trip that begins on Saturday against the Coyotes. Still, they are far too risky to play in Week 13 ... Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom had just his third multi-point game of the season on Saturday against Columbus.
Nashville Predators: Martin Erat has nine goals and 16 points in 12 December contests. He has taken over the team lead with 13 goals and 25 points. He is loving life on the top line with Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan.
St. Louis Blues: Andy McDonald has three goals in his last three games and is second on the team with 10 scores ... Patrik Berglund has scored in three straight games after scoring only three times in his first 28 appearances.
Favorable matchup: Chicago (@DAL, NJ, @STL, ANA). There aren't a lot of overwhelming favorable matchups in the Central Division in Week 13, so we go with the Blackhawks as they have won seven of their last nine games. They are averaging 3.00 or more goals against Dallas and St. Louis. Anaheim is also in the bottom 10 for defense (3.11 GAA).
Unfavorable matchup: St. Louis (NSH, VAN, CHI). The Blues are home for three games in Week 13, but that isn't necessarily a good thing. They are dead last in home GFA (2.26) and have to face two top 10 defenses in Chicago and Vancouver. St. Louis was shutout in their previous matchup against Chicago and is averaging only 2.00 goals in two games against Nashville.

Northwest Division

Calgary Flames: The Flames have moved Craig Conroy to the right wing on the top line with Olli Jokinen and Jarome Iginla, who has moved to his off-wing. Conroy has had some success on a line with Iginla in the past, so coach Brent Sutter will experiment with the formation for the time being. That means Dustin Boyd has returned to the fourth line ... Defenseman Mark Giordano has replaced Jay Bouwmeester on the first power-play unit. Giordano has had good chemistry with Dion Phaneuf in the past.
Colorado Avalanche: Chris Stewart scored twice on Saturday against the Stars and has five goals in his last six games. He is having his finest month as a pro with nine goals and 13 points in 12 December appearances ... Milan Hejduk has three goals and five points in four games since returning from a knee injury.
Edmonton Oilers: Patrick O'Sullivan remains banished to the fourth line. He is minus-6 in five games since the demotion ... Dustin Penner has cooled off in the last few weeks. He has only one goal and two points in his last six games.
Minnesota Wild: Guillaume Latendresse has scored six times in 13 games since coming over via a trade from Montreal ... Derek Boogaard is only day to day due to general soreness. The Wild have said their enforcer is not seriously injured. However, the team doesn't know the severity of forward Chuck Kobasew's knee injury. He was dinged up on Saturday against the Blues.
Vancouver Canucks: Defenseman Mathieu Schneider remains out of the lineup with what general manager Mike Gillis calls "personal reasons." There is speculation that the 40-year-old blueliner might retire since he is unhappy with his limited playing time. Clearly, Schneider is a poor Fantasy option until further notice ... Defenseman Alexander Edler has played in two straight games after missing a few weeks with an upper-body injury. It's safe to activate him for Week 13.
Favorable matchup: Calgary (@EDM, LA, EDM, TOR). It could be a good week for the Flames. Calgary is home for three games, where it is scoring 2.82 goals per contest. They face two of the worst defenses in Edmonton (3.24 GAA) and Toronto (3.44). They are also averaging 4.00 or more goals against both the Oilers and Maple Leafs.
Unfavorable matchup: Vancouver (@PHO, @STL, @DAL). This is one of the few times you might consider benching your Vancouver skaters. The Canucks play all three games in Week 13 on the road, where they are averaging 2.63 goals. Vancouver is also averaging 2.00 or fewer goals against St. Louis and Dallas, and Phoenix is third in GAA (2.21).

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks: All-Star center Ryan Getzlaf is day to day with a leg laceration suffered on Saturday against the Sharks. Getzlaf cut himself while falling awkwardly to the ice. However, an exam revealed no muscle damage or tears. Still, there is some risk involved to starting Getzlaf in Week 13. He said Sunday "there is some healing to do." ... Bobby Ryan has taken over the team goal scoring lead from Corey Perry after netting his 17th goal on Saturday against the Sharks. He has four goals in seven games and at least one point in eight of his last nine appearances ... Perry hasn't scored in six games and has only three goals since Nov. 14 ... Teemu Selanne (hand) has resumed skating and could return in early January, but he is still a risky start for Week 13 ... Rookie Dan Sexton has cooled off after his hot start. He has only one point in his last five games and is minus-5 in that span.
Dallas Stars: Brenden Morrow is day to day with an illness, but he is a low-risk start for Week 13 ... Goalie Marty Turco is also battling an illness but is available off the bench, so keep him active for Week 13... Loui Eriksson has scored three times in his last six games after going 12 contests without a score.
Los Angeles Kings: While the Kings got back one of their top-line forwards -- Ryan Smyth -- on Saturday against the Coyotes, they lost another one in the oft-injured Justin Williams, who broke his leg on the second shift of the game. It's safe to start Smyth for Week 13, but it looks as though you might have to dump Williams onto waivers if you need the roster spot. Wayne Simmonds, who was back after missing four games with a knee injury, was elevated to the top line after Williams left the game ... Defenseman Randy Jones (headaches) and center Jarret Stoll (groin) remain day to day.
Phoenix Coyotes: Struggling forward Peter Mueller might not be scoring (one goal on the season), but at least he is contributing offensively in some manner. He has five assists in his last seven games ... Scottie Upshall has six goals in his last 10 games.
San Jose Sharks: Coach Todd McLellan has rewarded Jed Ortmeyer for his solid play this season by moving him to the second line with Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski ... Patrick Marleau has a pair of multi-goal games in his last three appearances. He has seven games with two or more goals this season.
Favorable matchup: San Jose (PHO, WAS, @PHO, EDM). The Pacific Division has a lot of tough matchups in Week 13, but we go with the Sharks since they are home for three games. San Jose is sixth in home GFA (3.29).
Unfavorable matchup: Phoenix (@SJ, VAN, SJ, DET). All three of the Coyotes' opponents are in the top 10 for defense, allowing 2.55 or fewer goals per contest. Phoenix is also averaging 2.50 or fewer goals per game against San Jose and Detroit.

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