NHL Player News
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Artemi Panarin LW | LA
Kings' Artemi Panarin: Picks up trio of points
Panarin tallied a goal, registered two power-play assists and placed two shots on net in Saturday's 6-4 loss to New Jersey.
Panarin was a part of history Saturday, as he slid the primary helper on Anze Kopitar's 1,308th career regular-season point to set the Kings' franchise record. Panarin's trio of points brought him up to 22 goals, 47 assists and 184 shots on net across 62 games this season. The 34-year-old's move to Los Angeles has gotten off to a strong start, as he has nine assists, 12 points and 26 shots on net across 10 games since being traded by the Rangers. As the Kings make a push for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division, Panarin is set to operate at the heart of the offense and holds elite fantasy value for the remainder of the regular season.
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Anze Kopitar C | LA
Kings' Anze Kopitar: Sets franchise record in points
Kopitar scored two power-play goals and fired five shots on net in Saturday's 6-4 loss to New Jersey.
Kopitar made history Saturday, as his pair of power-play goals elevated him to 1,308 career regular-season points, surpassing Marcel Dionne as the Kings' all-time leader in points. The latter of Kopitar's two tallies was the 450th goal of his career. The 20-year NHL veteran now has 10 goals, 30 points, 72 shots on net and 46 blocked shots across 51 games this season. He's been soaring offensively since the start of March with four goals, seven points and 19 shots on net across seven games. Kopitar is poised to thrive offensively next to Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin moving forward, giving the top-line center solid fantasy value in most league formats.
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Jake Allen G | NJ
Devils' Jake Allen: Yields four goals in win
Allen turned away 27 of 31 shots on net in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Kings.
Allen took to the ice for the first time since Feb. 25 and had his ups and downs, but he ultimately seized the win with a strong performance in the third period. Overall, he now has a 13-15-1 record, a 2.69 GAA and a .905 save percentage across 30 appearances this season. While New Jersey has leaned on Jacob Markstrom since his return from the Olympics, Allen could earn some more opportunities down the stretch if the latter can turn things around after posting a 1-4-0 record, a 3.09 GAA and an .887 save percentage over his last five outings.
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Anton Forsberg G | LA
Kings' Anton Forsberg: Allows five goals in loss
Forsberg stopped 22 of 27 shots on goal in Saturday's 6-4 loss to New Jersey.
Following a strong second period during which Forsberg helped the Kings take a 3-2 lead, he surrendered four goals in the third for New Jersey to steal the win. He drops to an 11-10-5 record, a 2.83 GAA and a .900 save percentage through 28 appearances this season. The 33-year-old netminder posted a strong stretch of play leading into the Olympic break but has had mixed results since then with a 2-3-0 record, a 3.83 GAA and an .878 save percentage across six outings. Since the return of Darcy Kuemper from an illness, Forsberg has played only once per three games, so Forsberg's next opportunity in net will likely come either March 21 against the Sabres or March 22 at Utah.
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Olli Maatta D | CGY
Flames' Olli Maatta: Finding role with Flames
Maatta recorded an assist and placed two shots on net in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Islanders.
Maatta picked up the primary helper on Calgary's opening goal of the contest near the start of the third period. He has found his stride offensively with the Flames, posting four assists in five games since the team acquired him from the Mammoth as part of the MacKenzie Weegar trade. Overall, Maatta now has five assists, 17 shots on net and 26 blocked shots across 27 appearances this season. Since the move to the Flames, he has averaged just under 23 minutes of ice time per game, which is nearly nine minutes higher than his average for the season. His role on Calgary's top defensive pairing gives Maatta some fantasy value in deep leagues.
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Blake Coleman C | CGY
Flames' Blake Coleman: Finds twine in loss
Coleman scored a goal and put four shots on net in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Islanders.
Coleman tallied the final goal of regulation near the midway point in the third period to bring Calgary within one score. Overall, the 34-year-old forward is up to 16 goals, 26 points, 133 shots on net, 128 hits and 37 blocked shots through 54 games this season. Coleman has stepped up his game offensively in March with three goals, five points and 21 shots on net across his last seven games. He should remain heavily involved in all situations moving forward and is in a solid spot to produce on the Flames' top line, giving him decent fantasy value in most league formats.
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Mikael Backlund C | CGY
Flames' Mikael Backlund: Scores in second straight game
Backlund tallied a goal and fired four shots on net in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Islanders.
Backlund started Calgary's comeback effort in the third period with the team's first goal of the game. He has scored in each of the last two games and is up to 15 goals, 38 points and 159 shots on net through 66 games this season. The 36-year-old has scored exactly 15 goals for a third consecutive regular season. He seems poised to lead Calgary's offense for the remainder of the season, giving him fantasy value in most deep leagues and various standard formats.
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Simon Holmstrom RW | NYI
Islanders' Simon Holmstrom: Tallies pair of goals in win
Holmstrom scored two goals, including the game-winning tally, and put two shots on net in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Flames.
Holmstrom found the back of the net twice in a three-minute span, and his second goal came shorthanded. With the pair of tallies, he now has 16 goals, 35 points, 79 shots on net and 41 blocked shots across 65 outings this season. The 24-year-old's two-goal effort Saturday snapped his five-game scoreless streak. New linemate Brayden Schenn recorded the primary assist on Holmstrom's first goal. Holmstrom is poised for a sizable offensive role down the stretch while skating on the second line for the Islanders.
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Casey Cizikas C | NYI
Islanders' Casey Cizikas: Nets opening goal Saturday
Cizikas scored a goal, placed two shots on net and dished out four hits in Saturday's 3-2 win over Calgary.
Cizikas lit the lamp at the midway point of the opening period Saturday for the first of the Islanders' three first-period goals. The twine finder brought the 35-year-old center up to eight goals, 16 points, 58 shots on net, 126 hits and 47 blocked shots across 66 games this season. The 15-year NHL veteran used Saturday's goal to snap an eight-game streak without a twine finder. He's just one point shy of tying the 17 points he posted in 82 games a year ago.
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David Rittich G | NYI
Islanders' David Rittich: Posts strong outing in win
Rittich turned aside 30 of 32 shots on net in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Flames.
Rittich excelled in the first two periods of Saturday's contest, keeping the Flames off the board until 42 minutes into regulation. He ultimately held on for the win and now has a 14-9-3 record, a 2.66 GAA and an .898 save percentage over 26 outings this season. The 33-year-old netminder has alternated wins and losses over his last six games and is now just two wins away from tying the 16 victories he posted with the Kings across 34 regular-season games a year ago. Rittich should continue to be viewed as a strong spot start in fantasy whenever the Islanders decide to give Ilya Sorokin a rest.