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Fantasy Hockey Friday

Jan 20

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | No Comments

Two weeks ago, we brought you an in depth breakdown of team stats around the NHL that could help give a better indication on how your goalie may fare on any given night against any given opponent. This week we turn the tables a bit to analyze more team stats, but this time focus on the impact of these stats for forwards and defenseman.

A good Fantasy Hockey league setup has roster positions and bench positions so that on some nights, when most everyone on your team is playing, you have to make the tough decisions regarding who to bench and who to play. So as a Manager, how do you decide which players to play and which to sit?

Sometimes it comes down to a “hunch” or intuition. Obviously your star players will likely get spots because they are more likely to put points on the board. Players on hot streaks may also get the nod over someone that is slumping. Or you may choose to go by which team any given player is playing against that night.

For instance, if you’re trying to decide between two players, and one is playing against the New York Rangers while the other is playing against the Tampa Bay Lightning, you may want to consider playing your guy against Tampa Bay. Why? Because Tampa Bay averages 3.47 goals against per game while the Rangers average 1.98 goals against per game, meaning there is a greater probability that your player will score against Tampa Bay.

Here is a breakdown of the top five teams in the league with the lowest goals against averages per game:

New York Rangers (1.98)

St. Louis Blues (1.98)

Boston Bruins (2.02)

Los Angeles Kings (2.13)

San Jose Sharks (2.28)

Similarly, here are the worst five teams in the NHL with the highest goals against averages per game:

Tampa Bay Lightning (3.47)

Columbus Blue Jackets (3.22)

Carolina Hurricanes (3.17)

Ottawa Senators (3.08)

Toronto Maple Leafs (3.07)

The Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders also have averages of 3.00 goals against per game or better as well.

You can also get a good idea of how your players will fare by looking at which goalie he will face that night. And these numbers don’t always correlate with the team average.

Boston has a low enough team goals against per game average, but backup netminder Tuukka Rask actually has a lower goals against average than starter Tim Thomas. This means that your player is more likely to score on Thomas than on Rask, but the likelihood that he will score against Boston at all is slim.

Consider the Colorado Avalanche as well. As a whole, the team averages 2.85 goals allowed per game. However, goaltenders Semyon Varlamov and J.S. Giguere have basically split time, but Varlamov’s goals against average is much higher at 3.00 goals against per game than Giguere’s 2.12 goals against per game. So if Varlamov gets the start, play against him with confidence.

The Philadelphia Flyers have a similar issue with Ilya Bryzgalov (3.00) and Sergei Bobrovsky (2.42). Thankfully for Fantasy Managers, Bryzgalov gets the majority of the starts with 30 this season compared to Bobrovsky’s 14.

It doesn’t happen often when you have a full slate of games and have to make the tough choices as a manager on whom to bench and whom to play, but knowing the odds can help you make the right decision in the future. It’s not fool-proof by any means, but it’s a step in the right direction.

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Jack Johnson Tebowing

Jan 10

Posted by Matt in Media | No Comments

Tebowing is a growing phenomenon these days, with fans and now players continuing in Tim Tebow’s footsteps as he kneels for a prayer after a touchdown. Tebowing first made its way to the ice  in December when Colton Orr of the Toronto Maple Leafs did it gracefully after scoring a shootout goal in a Maple Leafs event.

Now, Jack Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings has become the first NHL star to tebow as a goal celebration. Johnson, who had last scored a goal on December 1st, 2011, apparently made a promise to friends that he would tebow after his next goal. Teammates and fans didn’t have to wait long as Johnson tallied last night, the day after making his deal. He added an assist on the night, and helped his team to a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals, but his goal celebration has clearly stolen the show.

Check out the video below for a full highlight of Jack Johnson’s tebowing action, along with his five-hole snipe.

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Kings fire head coach Terry Murray

Dec 13

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

A little over a quarter of the way through the season and another coaching change has been made as teams begin to assess their status in comparison to their expectations. This time the man out is Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray.

After making an offseason trade for center Mike Richards, the Kings had high hopes coming into the season with another legitimate goal scorer on board and enough depth to make a serious playoff run. However, the Kings have had a weak start to the season thus far going 13-12-4 in 29 games. Even though the team is currently ranked 12th in the Western Conference, the Kings have won only three of their last 10 and have dropped four straight.

“We hadn’t been playing up to the expectations of this team, and I think the last homestand was the end of it,” said Kings general manager Dean Lombardi, who flew to Boston on Monday to deliver the news to Murray at the team hotel before an intense meeting with his players. “You’re constantly evaluating everything. I don’t think you can say (there was) one glaring moment. It just kind of builds up.”

Lombardi said that Murray doesn’t deserve to be fired, but someone has to take the blame for the team’s terrible start. But the move should also come as a stern warning to the players on the roster as well.

“Ultimately, the message is that they’re accountable,” Lombardi said. “Unfortunately, the coach has to pay the price, but make no mistake, they’re the ones who are accountable for this.”

Assistant coach John Stevens will step in as the club’s interim head coach for the time being. Stevens, a former coach for the Philadelphia Flyers, was a long time associate of Murray’s. He led the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008, but was fired at the end of the season. It’s uncertain how long Stevens will remain head coach of the Kings, but Lombardi stated that the team is considering all options in terms of replacing Murray.

 

 

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Devin Setoguchi Placed on IR

Dec 8

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

The surprising Minnesota Wild has been dealt a blow as right winger Devin Setoguchi has been placed on the injured reserve.

The Wild has been a top story to follow this season as they are currently leading the Western Conference. With a record of 18-7-3 for a total of 39 points, it seems their playoff drought has finally come to an end. Minnesota’s last playoff appearance came during the 2007-2008 season where they lost in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche.

Setoguchi left in the first period of Tuesday’s game at San Jose with a lower-body injury. He is tied for a team leading 8 goals. Setoguchi has five helpers to put his point total to 13. Setoguchi has been averaging close to 17 minutes a game, a contributing part to the teams success. Still, Setoguchi has room for improvement with a team worst plus minus of negative 7.

The loss of Setoguchi will definitely hurt the Wild in their dominance of the West, but will they be able to hold onto their lead? Setoguchi’s injury is still unknown to be a lengthy or short one, but at the least, the winger will have to miss 7 days from being placed on injured reserve. The time off will see Setoguchi missing that of 3 more Wild games. The team plays the Los Angelese Kings tonight, the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday and the Winnipeg Jets next Tuesday. Tonight’s matchup will be a good test as the Wild will also be missing forward Cal Clutterbuck who is out with a thigh injury.

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Alexander Semin Trade Rumors Growing

Dec 6

Posted by Matt in News | 1 Comment

Alexander Semin and the Washington Capitals

Alexander Semin has been scrutinized a lot by the coaches in Washington this season, now the trade rumors are getting hot

As it turns out, Washington Capitals winger Alexander Semin does not have a shoulder injury. Instead, new coach Dale Hunter has told media sources that Semin has been a healthy scratch the past two games. Semin has been practicing with the team, so news of his scratches has put fuel on the Alexander Semin trade rumor fire that has existed for a while now.

One possible suitor for Alex Semin would be the Detroit Red Wings. Rumors have swirled in the past with Jiri Hudler or Dan Cleary being involved in a deal for Semin. Hudler has not been the same since his return from the KHL. His off-season training program this past summer has gotten him off to a better start than last year, but he’s still not quite the 60 point player the Wings had before he left. Cleary has been struggling this season as well, and could potentially need a change of scenery. His grit and work ethic would be a good addition to a Capitals club looking to build for the playoffs. This trade would suit the Red Wings nicely as it would give them a scoring threat with huge potential, in addition to being surrounded by a mature team with plenty of Stanley Cup experience. Semin could thrive playing alongside fellow countryman Pavel Datsyuk, and all he would have to do is find open ice and wait for the pass. Beyond this season, the Red Wings would have additional salary cap space free to either re-sign Semin, or pursue a bigger free agent such as Shea Weber or Zach Parise.

Another rumored landing spot is Los Angeles. The Kings, however, have much less cap space available currently. They would be forced to make a pretty bold trade in order to acquire Semin. Nashville has been included in rumors as well, and would add a great scoring threat to the team. They have plenty of cap space available. The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes are being thrown into the mix too. The Islanders have a lot of young talent they could offer to the Capitals, but Washington is probably looking for players who can contribute to a long playoff run. The Hurricanes are in a similar spot with plenty of cap space, but not a lot in terms of trade bait.

While it seems the Caps would love to unload Semin sooner rather than later, his $6.7 million per season salary will make him difficult to trade. However, it is possible that the team could waive Semin in an attempt to remove his salary. If no other teams claim him, Semin would join the Hershey Bears in the AHL where his salary would not count against the big club.

Where do you think Semin will land? Leave us a note in the comments with your thoughts on his future.

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Did Jeff Carter ask for a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets?

Nov 20

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets are off to a horrendous start with a 4-13-2 record – good enough for last place in the Western Conference. This is certainly not what Columbus had in mind after spending a ton of money to lure defenseman James Wisniewski to Columbus and trading for center Jeff Carter. Well, now rumor mongers are suggesting that Columbus may be looking to flip an underachieving Carter or that Carter himself has asked for a trade out of Columbus.

Carter himself has been a disappointment thus far with only one goal and three assists, but Carter has also missed half of the season with injuries making it difficult for him to establish himself with the team. Still, rumors are lingering that Carter isn’t happy playing in Columbus and has asked management for a trade, which harks back to over the summer when Carter was initially traded and rumors swirled after he failed to address the media that he was unhappy with the trade and didn’t want to play for Columbus.

Teams rumored to be interested include the Boston Bruins, who would love to have another goal scorer added to their lineup, the Montreal Canadiens and the LA Kings. Yes, the Kings may be in the running with Mike Richards rumored to be leading the charge to have LA trade for his friend and former teammate.

Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson, Jeff Carter’s agent Rick Curran and Carter himself have all denied that he has requested a trade, but that certainly won’t stop speculation around the web that Carter wants out.

Carter did comment, however, that he is unhappy with his team’s performance thus far.

“I don’t think anybody is happy (in the dressing room) right now,” Carter said. “If anybody is happy in this room, they shouldn’t be. We’ve won (four) games.”

Personally, I have to call the bluff on this rumor. While the initial trade to send Carter out of Philadelphia caught everyone by surprise, it’s highly unlikely that Carter will be passed on by the Blue Jackets after only nine games. Injuries have hindered his ability to get comfortable on the ice with his teammates, thus causing his performance to suffer.

Besides, the Blue Jackets are more likely to fire their head coach, Scott Arniel, before they make any significant lineup changes. The team gave up a lot in order to acquire Carter. While he makes an easy scapegoat out of the gate because the team expects so much from him, it’s highly unlikely that they are willing to give up on Carter after so little time.

 

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Kings Look to Prove Their Worth

Oct 29

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Jonathan Quick, net-minder for the Los Angeles Kings has topped the charts for fantasy goalies. Going 6-0-1 in his first 7 starts, his play could be an early indicator of the Kings success this year.

Tonight, the Kings will face the Phoenix Coyotes in a division showdown. The Coyotes are off to a rough start, 4-3-2 in 9 games so far, look to build upon their recent win over the New Jersey Devils. With Ray Whitney, Keith Yandle and Captain Shane Doan leading the team, it is only a matter of time before the Coyotes fight for first place within the division. Factor in a new netminder Mike Smith, after Ilya Bryzgalov went to the Philadelphia flyers (3-4-1 and a 3.44 goals against average this season), and the team is definitely hungry.

The Kings come into this season with a lot to prove after an early exit last year in the playoffs. This was largely in part to the injury to Captain Anze Kopitar. This season, Kopitar looks to have recovered from his broken ankle, as he is tearing it up with 4 goals, 8 assists and a plus 5 overall rating. Furthermore, new addition Mike Richards has 1 goal and 8 helpers so far. Richards had 23 goals last season and 31 the season before that, fans are just waiting for the dam to break.

You cannot speak about the Kings without mentioning defensman Drew Doughty. Doughty had a rough start to the season, holding out for more money then now having an upper-body injury. Tonight he is expected to suit back up against the Coyotes, and hopefully tries to prove he is indeed worth his contract.

The season is young, still too early to see who really has what it takes this year to go all the way. Still, the Kings are looking really good early on. Once all the puzzle pieces start coming together, it will be interesting to see if any team in the Pacific division stands a chance.

 

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Zach Parise Shootout Goal vs. Kings

Oct 14

Posted by EB in Media, News | 1 Comment

Last night the New Jersey Devils took on the Los Angeles Kings on home ice. What ended in a 1-1 tie after regulation and overtime, the two teams went to a shootout.

New Jersey put on a show with Ilya Kovalchuk going first and making it look easy, Johan Hedberg stacking the pads very nicely on Simon Gagne, and about 1:15 in Zach Parise pulling of a nice move that looked effortless. Hedberg cleaned up with a stop on Anze Kopitar who tried the one-hander. Check it out below.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Los Angeles Kings

Sep 17

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Los Angeles Kings Goalie Jonathan Quick

Can Jonathan Quick lead the L.A. Kings back to the playoffs in 2011-12?

Key Offseason Additions: Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Ethan Moreau

Key Offseason Losses: Alexei Ponikarovsky, Michal Handzus, Ryan Smyth, Wayne Simmons, Brayden Schenn

Last Season Ranking: 7th in the West

Offense: The Los Angeles Kings are lead by Anze Kopitar, who saw a slight drop in production last season after picking up a career high 81 points in 2009-10. He finished last season on the IR after breaking his ankle during the end of March, and consequently missed the Kings playoff series again San Jose. Kopitar is an immensely talented player and I’ve said before that he could break the 100 point mark. While I could continue to say “this is the year,” it seems more likely that Kopitar will top off in the 80-90 point range this season to lead the team once again.

The biggest change in L.A. this year is the addition of Mike Richards, who was once an 80 point player himself. While he has struggled the past two seasons to hit that level again, playing alongside a few new faces should help the cause. Alongside Richards, the Kings also picked up Simon Gagne and Ethan Moreau via free agency, and added Dustin Penner via trade late last season. Gagne and Penner will be counted on to be big scoring threats on the top two lines, each having produced a career-high 79 and 63 points, respectively. Moreau, on the other hand, will be a solid depth player contributing about 20 points if he remains healthy.

The newly acquired talent will hopefully not get overshadowed by the loss of depth over the summer. Alexei Ponikarovsky, Michal Handzus, and Ryan Smyth all went to play elsewhere, while Wayne Simmonds and highy regarded prospect, Brayden Schenn, were sent to Philadelphia in the Richards trade. Kings captain, Dustin Brown, will have to show his leadership qualities in rallying the squad together, and pick up a few extra points, to help make up for any losses.

Of the offensive players not mentioned above, expect Justin Williams to increase his output next season. If he remains healthy, a season total above the 60 point mark will not be a stretch. Beyond that, the Kings will roll along with a solid threat of depth players such as Jarret Stoll, Brad Richardson, Kyle Clifford, and Trevor Lewis.

Defense: The Kings solid defense continues to be held up by Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson. Doughty, at the time of writing, is still a restricted free agent, and awaits a long term deal from Kings management. The deal will come, and Doughty will be back on the ice proving his worth every shift. His production dipped a bit last season, but without contract negotiations to worry about, hockey can be the number one focus. Skating on the blue line with Doughty will be Jack Johnson. While Johnson managed to record a career-high 42 points last season, he also finished with a career-low plus/minus at -21. The number one focus for Johnson this season will be turning that number around and getting into the positives.

Also included on the defensive depth chart are Willie Mitchell, Rob Scuderi, Matt Greene and Alec Martinez. Mitchell and Scuderi, the veterans of the group, will be counted on to help continue development of the Kings younger defenseman.

Goaltending: Back in net this season for the Kings is Jonathan Quick, who continued his strong play last season. A third round draft pick by the Kings in 2005, Quick posted career-bests in shutouts, save percentage, and goals against average last season. Look for the young netminder to to hover around those numbers again this season, while starting around 60 games. Serving in the back-up role will be Jonathan Bernier. He’ll serve as a solid number two and give Quick some rest on occasion, keeping him fresh for the final stretch of the season.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Playoff Bound. The Kings lost a few pieces to their puzzle, but picked up some healthy scorers as well. The additions will be enough to overcome what they lost, and the Kings make a return to the playoffs. The strong play of Kopitar, Quick, and the free agent signings, however, will be imperative to their success.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Phoenix Coyotes

Sep 16

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: Daymond Langkow, Raffi Torres, Mike Smith

Key Offseason Losses: Eric Belanger, Lee Stempniak, Vernon Fiddler, Ed Jovanovski, Ilya Bryzgalov

Last Season Ranking: 6th in West

What do you mean Ilya Bryzgalov is gone? We're screwed!

Offense: The Phoenix Coyotes were in the middle of the pack last year as a team for offensive statistics. Averaging 2.76 goals per game, it is going to be interesting to see if the team can better last years numbers with the amount of changes to the lineup.

The Coyotes are still lead by the great work ethic of Shane Doan. Doan is a player you would love on your team but hate to play against. Averaging 64 points over his last five seasons, it seems likely he will meet that number again this year.

Doan will be supported by an assortment of players, most notably Martin Hanzel, Ray Whitney, Radim Vrbata, Taylor Pyatt and new addition Daymond Langkow. Hanzel is coming into his 5th season and has been looking to break into the 40 point threshold. Whitney brings the veteran presence as well as great playmaking capabilities. Vrbata has jumped to a few teams but it seems Phoenix is the place for him. Vrbata has averaged 49 points in the three seasons with the Coyotes. Pyatt brings good depth to the team, not exceling, but manages to stay positive in +/- over his years.

The final piece of the puzzle comes from Daymond Langkow who previously played for the Calgary Flames. He has been suffering from a neck injury, but if healthy, can add another 40+ points to the team. The positive for Coyote fans is that his production is a good combination of assists and goals.

Defense: When you look at Phoenix’s defensive pairings you cannot help but notice the team has depth. Sure they lost gritty Ed Jovanovski, but that can be easily overlooked by giving more ice time to sophomore Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Ekman-Larsson only played 48 games last season, needing time to develop with the San Antonio Rampage. Expected to play a full season this year without any unforeseen hardships, Ekman-Larsson could develop into a very good defenseman.

Most of the weight of the defense will be carried by Keith Yandle. Yandle had a breakout season posting 11 goals and 48 assists for 59 points. Include a plus 12 rating and 103 blocked shots, Yandle does what it takes for the team to win.

Goaltending: The biggest change for the team comes in the net. Ilya Bryzgalov has gone to the Philadelphia Flyers to be replaced by Mike Smith from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Smith did not play much last season for the Lightning as Dwayne Roloson stole the show. It is expected the time out of the number one spotlight, as well as replacing Bryzgalov’s shoes, will make Smith hungry to be the best goalie and the right choice for the Coyotes.

If, however, Smith falters, backup Jason LaBarbera will be there to assist. While playing for the Los Angeles Kings, LaBarbera was expected to be a great goalie. The hype far outweighed the production, and he will forever be just a backup.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not Playoff bound. With the loss of Ilya Bryzgalov and no real added stars, the Phoenix Coyotes will not make the playoffs. Poor performance will increase the low attendance, expect rumors to be spreading all year about a potential city change.

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