Week 17 Fantasy Hockey Planner

Week 17 (Jan. 25-31)

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

Atlantic Division

New Jersey Devils: Niclas Bergfors has hit a rookie wall in January. He has not scored in 11 games and has one point in that span. He is also minus-1 and has been spending time as a fourth-line winger while he tries to break out of his slump.
N.Y. Islanders: Kyle Okposo has the team lead with 35 points. He has surpassed both Matt Moulson and John Tavares, who have 32 points. Okposo has 21 points in his last 25 games ... Defenseman Mark Streit has been playing his best hockey since the calendar hit 2010. He has a season-high three goals (all power play) in 10 January games. He also has eight points and a plus-5 rating in that span..
N.Y. Rangers: Coach John Tortorella continues to push inconsistent center Brandon Dubinsky. Tortorella says Dubinsky's biggest issue is getting past the bad games or when he gets into trouble. He likes Dubinsky's drive and work ethic, but added the young center needed to mature ... Ales Kotalik has denied he requested a trade because of his diminishing role in New York. Still, he was a healthy scratch for a fifth consecutive game on Saturday against the Canadiens.
Philadelphia Flyers: Although Brian Boucher's agent has assured him he is safe, the fact remains Boucher has been a healthy scratch for seven straight games and could end up on waivers instead of Michael Leighton ... Defenseman Chris Pronger has been on a roll in January. He has a point in nine of his last 10 games (three goals, 10 assists) ... Jeff Carter has also been playing well as of late. He has five goals and two assists in his last four games ... Arron Asham has been a surprise wealth of offense in January. He has two goals along with a season-high seven assists and nine points in 11 games. He is enjoying life on the third line with Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (fractured finger) is off injured reserve and able to play. Unfortunately, he was a backup on Sunday against the Flyers. Still, Fleury is a low-risk start for Week 17 ... Evgeni Malkin is already past the worst slump of his career. After failing to score in 11 games, Malkin has four goals in his last three games and three assists in that span. It has helped that he is seeing time as a wing again on a line with Sidney Crosby.
Favorable matchup: N.Y. Islanders (WAS, @CAR, @PHI, @FLA). It might be a little tough to wrap your head around, but the Islanders are in the playoff hunt and rank sixth in offense (3.40 GFG) in January. They will look to keep the momentum going in Week 17. New York is averaging 3.33 goals in three games against Washington and 3.50 goals in two games against Carolina. The Flyers and Panthers are also allowing 2.80 or more goals per game.
Unfavorable matchup: N.Y. Rangers (PIT, CAR, @PHO, @COL). The Rangers continue to be a schizophrenic offensive team. After scoring 14 goals in a two-game span from Jan. 17-19, New York managed to get shutout in its next two contests. It's just tough to gauge when they are going to break out and Week 17 presents an obstacle. New York is averaging only 2.00 goals in three games against Carolina, who has been one of the worst defensive teams this season, and 2.33 goals in three games against Pittsburgh. New York also gets Phoenix and Colorado, who are both in the top 10 for defense -- allowing 2.62 or fewer goals per game.

Northeast Division

Boston Bruins: Daniel Paille, who has been moved up to the second line, has three goals in his last five games after going nine without a score. All three goals have come at even strength and Paille is still not logging power-play time ... Patrice Bergeron still has a splint on his injured right thumb and isn't being used in the faceoff circle ... Milan Lucic hasn't scored in eight games since returning from a sprained ankle. He is missing the presence of Marc Savard, who hopes to return from a knee injury on Friday against the Sabres. Still, Savard is an injury-risk start for Week 17.
Buffalo Sabres: Tim Connolly's point streak has reached 15 games, the fifth longest run in Sabres' history. The team record is 18 games set by Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault in 1971 ... Jason Pominville has points in nine of his last 14 games. He has five goals and eight assists in that span. Jochen Hecht, who was recently named to Team Germany for the Olympics, also has points in eight of his last 14 games (seven goals, five assists). It's no surprise either player is doing well since they are linemates of Connolly, who has seven goals and 15 assists during his point streak.
Montreal Canadiens: The Canadiens assigned struggling Max Pacioretty, the 22nd pick in the 2007 NHL draft, to Hamilton of the AHL. The 6-2, 196-pound forward had only 14 points in 52 games with the Habs ... With the return of Sergei Kostitsyn from a sprained knee on Saturday against the Rangers, coach Jacques Martin made a brave move to split up his most productive line of Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez and Benoit Pouliot. Martin promoted Gionta to the top line with Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri, who have struggled at even strength since losing Andrei Kostitsyn to a knee injury on New Year's Eve. The move didn't backfire as Montreal cruised to a 6-0 win. Cammalleri scored twice and had four points. Pouliot, Plekanec and Gomez also scored.
Ottawa Senators: Center Jason Spezza made an early return from a knee injury on Saturday against the Bruins. Spezza was expected to be out until at least March with a torn MCL. But he made a quick recovery and made an even quicker impact as he scored the game winner on Saturday against Boston. He has now scored in three straight games ... Alexei Kovalev has one goal and six assists during a six-game point streak, his longest run of the season ... Daniel Alfredsson has five goals and four assists in five games since his return from a separated shoulder.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Coach Ron Wilson said he is going to play Jonas Gustavsson as much as he can down the stretch. Wilson said the scheduling and Gustavsson making an appearance in the Olympics clouts the picture a bit, but it definitely appears Toronto is looking toward the future with Vesa Toskala set to become a free agent.
Favorable matchup: Montreal (@FLA, @TB, @OTT). The Canadiens have scored three or more goals in four of their last six games and have totaled 12 goals in their last three games. Montreal faces three opponents in Week 17 in the bottom half of the league in defense, allowing 2.81 or more goals per contest.
Unfavorable matchup: Buffalo (@VAN, NJ, BOS). The Sabres could have some defensive battles on their hands on Week 17. Buffalo is facing three teams in the top 10 for defense, allowing 2.41 or fewer goals per game. Buffalo is also averaging 2.00 goals in two games against New Jersey and 1.50 goals in two games against Boston.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Thrashers: Goalie Kari Lehtonen has been sent on a conditioning stint with Chicago of the AHL. Lehtonen is likely to make a few starts with the Wolves before Atlanta evaluates when to bring him back. Don't start Lehtonen in Week 17, but now is the time to start adding him in Fantasy ... Coach John Anderson sent his struggling team a message by benching veteran Slava Kozlov during Saturday's game against the Lightning. It was the first time in 251 games Kozlov was not in the lineup. Anderson is most upset with Kozlov's inconsistent effort and poor defensive play lately. It just adds further insult to his down season.
Carolina Hurricanes: Perhaps the Hurricanes should have made the switch to Eric Staal being captain earlier. He had a hat trick in his first game as captain on Thursday against the Thrashers and has four goals in two games since replacing Rod Brind'Amour in that role.
Florida Panthers: Nathan Horton will be sidelined 4-6 weeks with a fractured tibia suffered Thursday against the Islanders as he was hit in the leg late in the game with a puck. Coach Peter DeBoer initially called the injury a bruise, but he turned out to be way wrong ... Goalie Tomas Vokoun has three shutouts in his last eight games to tie his single-season mark of six shutouts.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Goalie Mike Smith (neck) is practicing with the team and appears close to a return. But there is still some risk to starting him in Week 17 ... Rookie Victor Hedman returned to the lineup on Saturday against the Thrashers after being a healthy scratch for one game ... Steven Stamkos scored his 50th goal of his career on Saturday. Stamkos is one of three other active players to score 50 career goals before turning 20 -- Sidney Crosby, Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash. That's pretty elite company to join.
Washington Capitals: Goalie Semyon Varlamov (knee) continues to refrain from on-ice workouts. He is hoping to resume activities on Monday, but he is definitely not a recommended start for Week 17, especially with Jose Theodore riding a five-game winning streak ... Eric Fehr has set new career highs in 2009-10 with 14 goals and 26 points. He has scored five times in 10 January games ... Alex Ovechkin has managed 20 points in three of the first four months of the '09-10 season. He has all of his 20 points in January during a 10-game point streak.
Favorable matchup: Washington (@NYI, ANA, FLA, TB). We went against the Capitals in Week 16 because it looked as though they would struggle against some respectable defenses. All they did was scored 13 goals in three games. We are definitely not going to oppose Washington Week 17. The Capitals are averaging 3.33 or more goals against the Islanders, Panthers and Tampa Bay. Washington also has three games on home ice, where it is first in home GFG (3.96).
Unfavorable matchup: Carolina (@NYR, NYI, CHI). The Hurricanes face two defenses in the top 11 in the NHL -- Blackhawks (2.23 GAA) and Rangers (2.65). Carolina has also scored only four times in three games against the Rangers this season.

Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago's fourth line of Tomas Kopecky, Ben Eager and Colin Fraser had combined for 23 points and a plus-15 rating in its previous 15 games before Saturday's 5-1 loss against Vancouver ... Marian Hossa has a season-high seven goals in 11 January games ... Defenseman Duncan Keith also has a season-high five goals in 12 January contests ... Patrick Sharp has quietly posted his third month of double-digit points with 11 in 12 January games.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Jakub Voracek is day to day with an upper-body injury. The Blue Jackets are being mum on the issue since Voracek took an elbow to the face on Thursday against Boston. However, he has not been sent to get tested for a concussion ... Goalie Steve Mason hasn't won consecutive starts since Oct. 17 ... Antoine Vermette has already tied his goals total (16) from last year. His career-high is 24 goals, set in 2007-08 with Ottawa ... Rick Nash has scored in four of his last five games after going 11 games without a score.
Detroit Red Wings: Rookie defenseman Jonathan Ericsson was a real spark for Detroit in the playoffs last season. Unfortunately, it has been tough sledding in his first full NHL season. Ericsson has a team-worst minus-11 rating. He has lacked consistency and physicality, turned the puck over too much and has been caught out of position. His defensive shortcomings haven't allowed him to be a strong option at the offensive end either ... Tomas Holmstrom, who has been out since Jan. 6 with a fractured foot, is skating lightly and hopes to return in Week 17. He still remains a risky start for the upcoming scoring period ... Todd Bertuzzi is the team's surprise leader in penalty minutes with 60 ... Top-line center Pavel Datsyuk is on pace for only 17 goals and 58 points in 77 games, far off his 97-point average the last two seasons. Coach Mike Babcock isn't as concerned as Fantasy owners since Datsyuk is doing a lot of other key things for Detroit. Datsyuk lack in production has been because the shortage of quality wingers due to offseason attrition and injuries.
Nashville Predators: Cody Franson is third among rookie defensemen with five goals and fourth with 15 points ... Patric Hornqvist has 21 points (14 goals) in his last 18 games. He leads the team with 20 goals and he became just the third player in franchise history to score 20 goals in less than 50 games ... Martin Erat has two goals and no assists in seven games since returning from a knee injury.
St. Louis Blues: T.J. Oshie moved back to his natural position of center on Saturday against the Ducks after playing on the wing for most of the year. He responded with a goal. Oshie has three scores and four assists in his last eight games ... Andy McDonald has eight goals in his last 16 games after scoring eight times in his first 32 contests ... David Backes remains day to day with an upper-body injury.
Favorable matchup: Nashville (@CLB, @DET, ATL). We haven't had many instances this season to highlight the Predators, so this might be as good as time as any. Nashville is set to face two of the worst five defenses in the NHL -- Atlanta (3.18 GAA) and Columbus (3.19). Nashville is averaging 3.25 goals in four games against Columbus.
Unfavorable matchup: Columbus (NSH, LA, @STL). The Blue Jackets don't face a team allowing more than 2.78 goals per game in Week 17. Columbus is also on home ice for two games, where it is averaging 2.42 goals (27th).

Northwest Division

Calgary Flames: Although the Flames have already denied trade talk surrounding underachieving defenseman Dion Phaneuf, the rumor mill has started up again and one source said Calgary is "desperate" to move Phaneuf. One team that has been mentioned as a potential suitor is the Rangers ... Calgary is the worst scoring team in January, averaging 1.82 goals through 11 contests.
Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene has taken the rookie scoring lead with 34 points (16 goals). He has five goals and two assists in his last five games... Brandon Yip has six goals and four assists in 14 games since his recall from the minors on Dec. 18. He might have been up earlier had he not missed the first two months with a hand injury suffered in a preseason game.
Edmonton Oilers: Coach Pat Quinn has packaged underachieving forwards Ethan Moreau, Shawn Horcoff and Fernando Pisani on a checking line. Quinn said if they aren't scoring they might as well help in other areas ... Sam Gagner, who has three goals in his last two games and eight points in nine January contests, is day to day with a knee injury.
Minnesota Wild: Backup goalie Josh Harding was on the bench Saturday against the Blue Jackets after hurting his hip on Thursday against Detroit. He was expected to be sidelined up to two weeks but the injury wasn't as bad as initially feared ... Minnesota is 9-0-1 in the last 10 games Robbie Earl has played. He has scored in two straight games ... Brent Burns returned to the lineup on Thursday after missing 29 games with a concussion. Burns has the ability to be a high-end Fantasy option, so consider adding him in Fantasy ... Eric Belanger has a season-high five goals in 11 January games. He is also up to 10 points in that span.
Vancouver Canucks: Defenseman Sami Salo continues to be a royal pain in Fantasy. He once again gets injured (groin) as soon as he starts to heat up. Salo, who has two goals and five assists in his last six games, continues to live up to his namesake -- The Fragile Finn ... It seems Alex Burrows has no intentions of slowing down. He has 13 goals and 18 points during a 11-game point streak ... Pavol Demitra has no goals and one assist in four games since making his season debut following two shoulder operations.
Favorable matchup: Vancouver (BUF, STL, @TOR). Aside from Vancouver totaling 18 goals in its last four games, the Canucks are home for two games in Week 17. Vancouver is third in home GFG (3.59). The Canucks also get to play the NHL's worst defense -- Toronto (3.40 GAA).
Unfavorable matchup: Minnesota (DET, @COL, @SJ). Minnesota is in the top 10 in offense in January, averaging 3.27 goals (t-7th). But the Wild could get cooled off in Week 17 as they face three teams in the top 10 for defense, allowing 2.62 or fewer goals per game. Minnesota is also not averaging more than 3.00 goals against any of its Week 17 opponents.

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks: Center Saku Koivu (knee) has resumed skating and could be in the lineup on Tuesday against the Thrashers. Still, there is some risk involved with starting the veteran ... Bobby Ryan has four goals in his last four games after netting one in his previous nine outings. It's no surprise he is heating up as Teemu Selanne (jaw) is back on IR. Ryan does his best work when Selanne is sidelined.
Dallas Stars: Brenden Morrow remains day to day with an oblique injury ... Two players to benefit from the absence of Mike Ribeiro (throat) have been Steve Ott and Mike Modano. Ott has three goals and three assists in his last six games, and Modano has scored in three of five games.
Los Angeles Kings: Brad Richardson has made the climb all the way from the Kings' fourth line to the top unit with Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds. Richardson, who had the game winner on Saturday against Detroit, has scored in two straight games and has totaled 18 points and a plus-11 rating in his last 24 games ... Kopitar has 10 goals in his last 39 games after scoring 10 goals in his first 12 games. He has really been affected by injuries to Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams, which has disrupted the early-season chemistry Kopitar had with those two wingers.
Phoenix Coyotes: LW Lauri Korpikoski has a pair of two-goal games in 2009-10. However, those are the only two times the Finnish forward has scored in 42 games with the Coyotes ... Scottie Upshall had a hat trick on Thursday against the Predators. However, it was the only game in seven January appearances Upshall has scored. He had a season-high seven goals and 12 points in December.
San Jose Sharks: Defenseman Dan Boyle hopes to play on Thursday against the Blackhawks after missing two games with an upper-body injury. He is a low-risk start for Week 17 ... Defenseman Rob Blake has points in four straight games (two goals, three assists) after going 10 without a point ... Center Joe Pavelski has three goals and six assists in his last five games.
Favorable matchup: Anaheim (@ATL, @WAS, @TB). We know Anaheim is not a very efficient team scoring on the road (2.23 GFG), but the Ducks are doing pretty well in January. Anaheim has scored 35 times in 12 games (2.92). It also gets to face two teams in the bottom 10 for defense -- Tampa Bay (2.96 GAA) and Atlanta (3.18). The Ducks scored four times in their lone game against the Lightning.
Unfavorable matchup: Phoenix (@DET, CGY, NYR, @DAL). Dallas is the only team not ranked in the top 11 for defense that Phoenix has to face in Week 17. The Coyotes are also averaging 2.00 or fewer goals against Detroit, Calgary and New York.

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