Fantasy FanHouse

With Dominik Hasek Gone, Will Jimmy Howard Get His Chance?

Jes Golbez — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:18:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Wings, Fantasy Hockey

The problem with being a hockey goalie prospect is that there are so few job openings for your position. Each team carries 13 forwards and seven defensemen, but usually only two goalies. It's kind of hard to crack the big time when only 60+ positions are open at any time.

For the Wings' Jimmy Howard, it must have been a huge relief to see Dominik Hasek retire and open up a job within the NHL ranks. No prospect, no matter how good there are, is going to get a lot of playing time when Chris Osgood and Hasek are on the roster.

So, is this now Howard's time to get himself a regular spot?

"I think Jimmy Howard is very close, if not there, to playing in the NHL," Holland said. "I'm guessing Ozzie can play 50 games, maybe more. The 20-30 games that Chris doesn't play in a parity league, those are key points. The hardest thing is, we're trying to continue to be a Cup contender. How do you move young people into your team at a key position?"

The Wings have always had the mentality of breaking in their kids slowly, giving the likes of Jiri Hudler and Nicklas Kronwall tidbits of ice time while the old guys got the bulk of the work.

In Howard's case, he certainly shouldn't count on the Wings' backup job being his, given that there are a few factors working against him.

1. The Wings want to win another cup, and Osgood, as awesome as he was this past season, is hardly a sure thing in the nets, given his career track record. The Wings know that having a strong goalie in tandem with Osgood ensures that they'll get quality goaltending from at least one source. Howard just doesn't have the track record to step up in case something bad happens to Ozzy.

2. Howard's play in the pro ranks hasn't been inspiring. While Jimmy was quite the talent at the University of Maine, his play in the AHL hasn't been so good. Struggling with weight issues, Howard put up some cruddy stats in the 'A' last season: 2.83GAA and a putrid 90.7SV%.

In contrast, the best AHL goalies, such as Jaroslav Halak and Karl Goehring, tend to put up save percentages of 92% and better. Howard isn't even the top 20!

Howard is at the age where he should be getting some NHL minutes, but the Wings "win now" mentality will likely mean another season in the AHL for Howard to better develop his game. At this point, he doesn't really seem ready for a backup role on a Championship team.

With Dominik Hasek Gone, Will Jimmy Howard Get His Chance? originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit's "Mule" Pulls a Big Load

Jes Golbez — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:14:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, General NHL, Wings, Fantasy Hockey, Stanley Cup

One thing that I have always enjoyed about the NHL Playoffs are those blue-collar plumbers and grinders that go on an incredible streak and get a little bit of limelight to themselves. Guys like Chris Kontos, Dave Lowry, and John Druce were typically third line players that got little notice through most of their careers, but earned some fame for some unexpected playoff heroics.

As a Panthers fan, back in 1996, I'll never forget Dave Lowry leading the Panthers in playoff scoring with 17 points and 10 goals. This, after scoring just 24 points during the whole season. Yowsa!

This season, Detroit's Johan "Mule" Franzen has leaped into Conn Smythe contention with 11(!) goals, three assists, and +9 in 13 games, including two hat tricks. Not bad for a guy who had just 27 goals and 38 points in 72 games during the regular season.

Even more impressive is that Franzen's 11 goals scored is a Red Wings record for one playoff year. That's quite a feat, given the Wings have had many great postseason performers, such as Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Brendan Shanahan.

The Mule still has one or two more series to go, and just may put that team record out of reach for good.

Detroit's "Mule" Pulls a Big Load originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 06 May 2008 15:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Second Look at Kiprusoff, Brodeur, Lundqvist, and Osgood

Jes Golbez — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:13:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Devils, Rangers, Wings, Flames, Fantasy Hockey

We must never forget that a NHL season is 82 games, and many things can happen over the course of such a long stretch. Today's darling is tomorrow's forgotten has-been.

Sure, teams and players go on hot and cold streaks, but the true nature of the beast, in terms of statistical measures, tends to show itself as more and more games are played. Just think of NBA Jam or Super Mario Kart and the 'Rubber Band AI' that tends to smooth out things like peanut butter. Goalies that I had panned or praised earlier in the season look like far different animals now that the cage has been opened.

Miikka Kiprusoff is a perfect example of the peanut butter theory, as he's now worked his save percentage to a just-below average 90.5%, up from the depth of the 88's that he was sporting earlier this season.

October: 12GP 6-3-3 2.97GAA 89.1SV%
November: 13GP 4-8-0 2.95GAA 87.9SV%
December: 14GP 9-1-4 2.57GAA 90.9SV%
January: 11GP 7-3-1 2.67GAA 91.4SV%
February: 12GP 6-5-1 2.51GAA 91.5SV%
March: 1GP 1-0-0 0.00GAA 100SV%

Not long after signing a lengthy contract extension, Kiprusoff started the season in a serious funk. It was if Kipper completely lost his game, and aged 10 years in one day.

As we've seen recently, however, Kipper has been above average since in the New Year, and one more solid month should bring his overall numbers to at least average.

Great? No, but at least he's back to a respectable level, and is playing well at the best time to be doing so. One could deduce that the Flames can expect a 91.5SV% goaltender come playoff time.

Martin Brodeur also started the season in an awful slump, and a horrible October brought down his overall numbers so much that he wasn't considered a true Vezina candidate for the longest time.

Well, looking at the numbers, we can see that October was a complete outlier, and now Brodeur has made himself into an uber-l33t Vezina contender. He isn't giving up his Burger King crown that easily, and we can see that he's been absolutely stellar in every other month! It's strange how a poor start skewed his stats so much until he got more games under his belt.

October: 9GP 3-6-0 3.02GAA 88.5SV%
November: 13GP 8-4-1 1.81GAA 92.9SV%
December: 12GP 8-3-1 2.13GAA 92.0SV%
January: 11GP 7-4-0 2.07GAA 92.5SV%
February: 15GP 9-3-3 2.09GAA 92.5SV%
March: 2GP 1-1-0 1.51GAA 95.5SV%

Now, how about some examples of goalies going the other way, such as Henrik Lundqvist and Chris "The Wizard of" Osgood?

King Henrik played the first two months like a man on a mission, taking away the crown from King Mabel . Then, the floor fell out from under him, and he's not even close to being one of the best goalies in the league.

October: 11GP 4-6-1 1.82GAA 93.0SV%
November: 12GP 9-3-0 1.81GAA 93.0SV%
December: 11GP 5-4-2 3.11GAA 87.5SV%
January: 12GP 4-6-2 2.55GAA 89.1SV%
February: 10GP 7-2-1 2.39GAA 91.5SV%
March: 2GP 0-1-0 4.25GAA 76.9SV%

A good February might suggest that Henrik is out of his slump, but I'd find it hard to count on a guy who has been so wildly inconsistent the entire season.

Chris Osgood, signed to be a backup/caddy to the fossilized Dominik Hasek, was a media darling for his sparking stats and fine play as the de-facto #1. Thanks to Osgood's amazing play, the Wings managed to pile up an artificially high W-L record that had everyone and their mother going bonkers.

Then, reality smacked him upside his hobbit-like head, the clock struck midnight, and Osgood and his Wings started losing game after precious game.

October: 6GP 6-0-0 1.50GAA 93.1SV%
November: 9GP 6-1-1 1.97GAA 92.0SV%
December: 6GP 5-1-0 1.67GAA 94.1SV%
January: 6GP 4-1-1 2.35GAA 91.3SV%
February: 8GP 2-5-1 2.99GAA 87.3SV%

Now that the Wings want to use Hasek for most of their remaining games, it's unlikely Osgood's overall stats will decrease significantly. Still, it was quite obvious that he was playing out of his mind, and nobody should realistically expect a repeat of his numbers from October-December. His January-February stats paint a much more realistic picture.

A Second Look at Kiprusoff, Brodeur, Lundqvist, and Osgood originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darren McCarty Wants a Comeback

Jes Golbez — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:35:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Wings, Flames, Fantasy Hockey

Darren McCarty, the 35-year old former Red Wing "Grind Liner" and part-time rock star, isn't ready to give up the lifestyle of a pro hockey player just yet.

Just when you figured McCarty had vanished into the night, the goateed one is making a comeback with the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League (formerly the United Hockey League).

"I want to play for sure," he told The News. "I'd like to give it a shot and catch on with somebody and play. I think I can still play. I still think I can bring something to the team --- that intangible stuff, leadership, a spark.

"I'm willing to start at the bottom and work my way up, prove myself. I still think there's gas in the tank."

I'm guessing McCarty's motives are mainly financial, given that he went into bankruptcy (thanks to some gambling debts) and got divorced.

What else does McCarty bring other than 'intangibles', now that he is clearly well past his prime?

Last season, McCarty didn't score a single point in 32 games with the Flames. The prior two seasons? Just 24 points in 110 games. There certainly isn't much tangible, other than nasty-looking facial hair.

I understand McCarty's popularity and why people will pull for him to succeed, but I'd be hard-pressed to find an NHL club that could really use somebody to does a whole lot of nothing. McCarty doesn't really fight a lot, or that effectively, and his lone positive attribute appears to be laying the occasional hit. I'd be shocked if McCarty played another NHL game, but stranger things have happened ...

Darren McCarty Wants a Comeback originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ice Sheet: Pascal Leclaire, Shutout Savant

Jes Golbez — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:12:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Wings, Fantasy Hockey

Every day from Monday to Saturday, The Ice Sheet will take a look at the biggest stories in the league that happened on the ice and elsewhere the night before.

It wasn't so long ago that Pascal Leclaire was a struggling young goaltender who let in more things between his legs than a Parisian call girl. All of a sudden, Leclaire is stingier than Scrooge McDuck and continues to pile up the shutouts.

Last night was blank sheet #7 (a 2-0 win over the Thrashees) for the young Blue Jackets netminder this season, continuing a string of dominating performances that Pascal has put out since the season started.

At 25 years of age, Leclaire is at the point where most goalies are just starting to establish themselves. It shouldn't be a surprise that Leclaire is finally showing his potential, even after years of being shell-shocked behind a poor Jackets D. With his skill-set, Leclaire should be able to maintain a high level of performance as long as his team can continue to play a stifling style for coach Ken Hitchcock.

What a difference a year can make ... from struggling goalie to Vezina candidate.

05-06: 33GP 3.23GAA 91.1SV% 0 shutouts
06-07: 24GP 2.97GAA 89.7SV% 1 shutout
07-08: 24GP 1.97GAA 92.8SV% 7 shutoutsAs if the 5-0 butt-kicking the Wings gave Blues fans last night wasn't bad enough, but now Nicklas Lidstrom has signed a nice 2-season contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings. This ensures the continual pwnage and torment the Wings give the Blues every frickin' game :(

Lidstrom will earn US$7.45-million a year under terms of his new deal. He is making $7.6 million this season.

The extension means Lidstrom will be under contract with the Red Wings through the 2009-'10 season.

"Nick has been the best defenceman in the world for several years," Red Wings general manger Ken Holland said in a statement. "He's a great captain and role model who does everything right both on and off the ice."

What a shock!!!111oneone!! Humpty Havlat is back on the Injury Reserve after suffering another groin injury.

*sigh* Havlat would be such a force in this league if he wasn't more brittle than the week-old Gingerbread House sitting on your kitchen table.

A list of maladies Havlat has suffered in recent months.

23-Dec-07: Groin, sidelined indefinitely.
28-Nov-07: Missed 22 games (shoulder injury).
09-Apr-07: Missed the last 3 games of the regular season (shoulder injury).
13-Jan-07: Missed 3 games (groin).
09-Dec-06: Missed 19 games (right ankle injury).
21-Oct-06: Right ankle injury, early December.
15-Apr-06: Missed 58 games (shoulder surgery).
26-Nov-05: Missed 1 game (hamstring).

While I think expansion or relocation to Kansas City would be a bad idea (small population, overexposed market), Patrick Lalime, who played there for a season, begs to differ with this blogger.

"I think it's (Kansas City) a great place to play," Lalime said.

"We were in the minor leagues there, but I had a lot of fun. It's a beautiful city.

"We had a couple of (NHL) exhibition games there, too. I played one with Anaheim, and the crowd was unbelievable, so I'm sure it could work."

So, they had good attendance for a couple of exhibition games and they could support an NHL club? In that case, why aren't we expanding to London, England? Sheesh.

Gratuitous YouTube Embed: Canada Rules, everyone else drools. End of story.

The Ice Sheet: Pascal Leclaire, Shutout Savant originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Wonderful Wacky Stat Pack

Jes Golbez — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Islanders, Rangers, Flyers, Bruins, Wings, Ducks, Fantasy Hockey

We're near the quarter point of this fine NHL season, so let's have a peek at some statistical odds and ends, trends, and other useless information you can impress your co-workers with.

While no coach would have much of a reason to put Jamal Mayers on the power-play, it's quite amazing that Mayers has played 532 NHL games and never had a single goal with the man advantage (63 career goals in that time). Not one! Even Donald Brashear, a man with far less offensive skill, has four power-play goals in his 'distinguished' career.

Are the refs asleep on Long Island? The New York Islanders have both the least amount of power-play opportunities for (67) and against (69). Meanwhile, the Ducks have the second most power-plays with 107 and most against with 111. So much for that laid-back West Coast mentality.

When the Detroit Red Wings won a Stanley Cup with Chris Osgood as their #1 goaltender many moons ago, many opined (including myself) that Osgood was, perhaps, the worst #1 goalie of a Cup winner, ever. This season, the Wings are rolling, despite having not getting good goaltending. With Osgood filling in for Dominik Hasek, who is injured again, the Wings have the 5th worst save percentage with 89.3%, but still have a 14-5-1 record. Go figure.

Bizarro World: Speaking of goaltending, the top three save percentages belong to Dan Ellis, Tim Thomas, and Martin Gerber ... and the bottom three belong to Miikka Kiprusoff, Alex Auld, and Dominik Hasek. Apart from Auld, I don't think many telephone psychics would have predicted these names to be where they are.

One reason the Rangers have struggled so far this season is the fact that their star players just can't score. Apart from chemistry issues, the Rangers have a league-worst 6.7% shooting percentage. You'd have to figure that number will increase naturally, and the Rangers will eventually capitalize on all of the chances they generate. The Rangers are 3rd overall in shots on goal, so it's not as if they aren't peppering opposing goalies with shots.

On the other side of the coin, one must figure the Flyers are due for a bit of a fall. As of today, they rank #1 in shooting percentage with 12.2%, but 4th worst with 469 shots on goal. In fact, the Flyers have one of the worst shot differentials in the entire league, which leaves one to believe that they are being outplayed quite often.

The Boston Bruins have been known to be a stingy franchise, so it's kind of fitting that they are the lone NHL club not to let in an empty net goal this season. The Kings and Blue Jackets are the most generous with 4 yawning cage goals apiece.

The Wonderful Wacky Stat Pack originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Year of the Rat,' One of the Worst in Stanley Cup Finals History?

Greg Wyshynski — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:42:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Islanders, Flyers, Bruins, Senators, Hurricanes, Panthers, Capitals, Blackhawks, Wings, Flames, Avalanche, Oilers, Canucks, Kings, Eastern, Western, Fantasy Hockey, Stanley Cup

Although it's one year too late -- and what former NHL player is going to give up a fishing trip for this? -- the Florida Panthers will celebrate their Cinderella run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals this weekend. Panthers alumni like John Vanbiesbrouck, Ray Sheppard and Bill Lindsay will join the majority of the players (sans schedule-conflicted Rob Niedermayer and Robert Svehla) who led Florida to the Finals in only the third year of the franchise, before being swept away by the Colorado Avalanche. There's a golf tournament, player appearances and an exhibition game at BankAtlantic Center on Saturday that will give hockey fans something they've long dreamed about: another chance to witness the majestic skating of Terry Carkner on NHL ice.

The Panthers, who will unveil their new uniforms at Saturday's game, have dubbed the celebration "Weekend of the Rat" after the single most significant memory from the team's Stanley Cup run. The Sun Sentinel remembers the fun:

In 1995-96, they finished third in their division (41-31-10, 92 points) and fourth in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, then beat in the Bruins 4 games to 1 in a seven-game series, the Flyers 4-2 and the Penguins 4-3 before losing to the Avalanche in four games in the finals.

Right winger Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the dressing room with his stick minutes before the home opener that season, then scored two goals that night, prompting Vanbiesbrouck to declare Mellanby's feat a "Rat Trick." Throwing plastic rats on the ice after goals soon became a phenomenon.

"We accomplished some pretty lofty things with a group of guys who were considered mediocre players at the time," Lindsay said.

"Mediocre players at the time?" Has history been that kind to Johan Garpenlov and Jody Hull? Florida Panthers fans have every right to celebrate this unexpected season of meteoric success, lest they fall deeper into the depressing reality that their franchise is now known more for losing Roberto Luongo and failing to make the playoffs in the Southeast Division than plastic rodents. But for the rest of us, this weekend begs the question:

Are the Florida Panthers the most mediocre Stanley Cup finalist of the last 25 years?

First off, this list will be limited to teams that did not win more than one game in the Stanley Cup Finals. This could eliminate some contenders; the 2006 Edmonton Oilers and the 1991 Minnesota North Stars, for argument's sake. And forget about teams like the 1983 Oilers, the 1984 Islanders, the 1988 and 1990 Boston Bruins and the 1995 Detroit Red Wings -- great teams, all of them. The 1997 Flyers and the 2007 Senators were more talented than the Panthers' Cup finalist, and were just overwhelmed in the last round. Ditto the 1993 Los Angeles Kings and the 1992 Blackhawks.

With that narrow focus, we find ourselves with:

The 1982 Vancouver Canucks, coached by Roger Neilson and 4-0 losers to the New York Islanders.
The 1985 Philadelphia Flyers, coached by Mike Keenan and 4-1 losers to the Oilers.
The 1986 Calgary Flames, coached by Bob Johnson and 4-1 losers to the Montreal Canadiens.
The 1996 Florida Panthers, coached by Doug MacLean and 4-0 losers to the Colorado Avalanche.
The 1998 Washington Capitals, coached by Ron Wilson and 4-0 losers to Detroit.
The 2002 Carolina Hurricanes, coached by Paul Maurice and 4-1 losers to Detroit.

Let's drop the Flyers from that list -- 110 regular-season points and some great goaltending. The Capitals can also come down, unless you can find two offensive players on the '96 Panthers that could carry either Peter Bondra's or Adam Oates's stick bags. The 1986 Flames beat the Gretzky Oilers to get to the Finals, and had Gary Suter and Al MacInnis on the blueline -- that's good enough for me. Which leaves us with the 1982 Canucks, the 1996 Panthers and the 2002 Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes had Irbe in goal, but Ron Francis and Rod Brind'Amour up front. The amazing Roger Neilson/Harry Neale switcheroo and the recent passing of Gary Lupul give me some nostalgia for that Canucks team, but the bottom line is that it was as devoid of star talent (leading scorer: Thomas Gradin) as the Panthers were. Which brings us to Florida.

Unlike the other two contenders, the Panthers were a blatant neutral-zone trap team, which is the reason for the franchise's quick maturation as an expansion newbie. They had one 30-goal scorer in Scott Mellanby. Their roster was filled with players who will need to buy a ticket to get into the Hall of Fame. And, in spelling out the three greatest sins of the 1996 Florida Panthers, LCS Hockey writer Michael Menser Dell explains the Rat Pack's greatest offense to hockey:

The Panthers smothered the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals, clutching and grabbing the vastly superior Birds into submission in a seven-game shocker. Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, and Petr Nedved combined for an absurd 203 goals and 528 points in the regular season, but the Pens could only muster 15 goals total in the seven- game defeat. The Florida upset once again deprived the world of a potential Mario Lemieux- Patrick Roy Stanley Cup showdown.

In a dead-heat between the Canucks and the Panthers, this fact might provide an edge to the boys from the Sunshine State...

'Year of the Rat,' One of the Worst in Stanley Cup Finals History? originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dallas Drake Does Detroit

Jes Golbez — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, General NHL, Wings, Blues, Western, Fantasy Hockey

It didn't take "Dirty" Dallas Drake long to find work after being bought out by the St. Louis Blues.

His new destination? Detroit Red Wings, the division rival with which he started out his long NHL career.

"He's a very physical player who will add grit to our lineup and make our team even more difficult to play against," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said in a statement. "He's a veteran player, and you can never have enough experience and leadership on a team."

At this point in his career, Dallas Drake is an absolute zero on offence.

SEASON TEAM GP G A PTS
03-04 STL 79 13 22 35
05-06 STL 62 2 24 26
06-07 STL 60 6 6 12

The benefit? Dallas Drake can still kill penalties (he led Blues' forwards in PK time last season), get under the skin of opposing players, and generally be a pain in the ass.

Detroit has always been extremely good at bringing in tossed-away players (Larry Murphy, Joey Kocur, and Daniel Cleary, for example) and getting the most out of them in specific roles. Just don't expect more than 10-15 points.

Dallas Drake Does Detroit originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Wings to be Without Mathieu Schneider

Jes Golbez — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Wings, Western, Fantasy Hockey, NHL Injuries, Stanley Cup

It appears that the Red Wings have suffered a big blow to their chances against the Anaheim Ducks. Stalwart defenseman Mathieu Schneider apparently suffered a broken wrist in Game Five vs. the San Jose Sharks, and will not be available in the 3rd round series.

Red Wings defenseman Mathieu Schneider broke his wrist in the first period of Detroit's Game 5 victory over San Jose on Saturday in the Western Conference semifinals, knocking him out of the remainder of the playoffs.

Schneider, who scored the overtime goal in San Jose on Wednesday night that evened the series at 2, was hurt when checked by Sharks captain Patrick Marleau.

"He's a big part of our game. He's a top-four defenseman who plays a lot of minutes," Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "He's a big part of our power play, so yeah, he'll be missed."

While the Wings have good depth on the blueline, Schneider's offence (52 points in 68 games this season) will be impossible to replicate.

As my AOL colleague James Mirtle notes, the Wings were forced to use forward Mikael Samuelsson on the point during Power Plays, as well as the ancient Chris Chelios. The Wings best hope in the series was to take advantage of the man advantages the Ducks were bound to give them. Without Schneider blasting bombs from the point, it's going to be hard for the Wings to have an effective Power Play unit.

Schneider plays almost 24 minutes of night, and his time will have to be distributed to poorer defensemen such as Brett Lebda and Kyle Quincey. Given the physicality of the Ducks' forwards, the Wings will be at a real disadvantage when these two youngsters are facing some immense pressure.

This will be a good test for Detroit's superior depth on D. Who knows? Maybe they can pull it together.

Red Wings to be Without Mathieu Schneider originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 10 May 2007 13:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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San Jose Expecting a Holmstrom Eclipse of the Heart

Jes Golbez — Wed, 02 May 2007 15:42:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Wings, Sharks, Western, Fantasy Hockey, NHL Injuries, Stanley Cup

Some good news for Wings fans as Tomas Holmstrom, who has missed the first three games of the Sharks/Wings series, is expected to be back in the lineup for Game Four.

Holmstrom, like so many NHLers, suffered an eye injury due to his utter refusal to wear a VISOR. Yes, Holmstrom could have lost vision in one eye thanks to the lack of protection in that region of his body.

Holmstrom has been out since April 22, when Calgary's Craig Conroy hit him with his stick in Detroit's series-winning victory over the Flames. The left wing had 30 goals and 22 assists during the regular season, but missed the first three games against the Sharks.

Holmstrom lost vision in the eye on the night of the incident, and his sight remained cloudy for a few days while team doctors evaluated him. He wasn't allowed to skate or work out because the doctors feared the increased blood flow could cause further damage.

"Of course I was scared," said Holmstrom, who had just one assist in six games against Calgary. "They didn't know how badly injured the eye was. They didn't want to get the blood going and hurt the eye."

Although Holmstrom had just one lone assist in the series against Calgary, his big Swedish booty causes major problems for opposing goaltenders and defenders alike.

The Wings are just 1-for-10 on the Power Play against the Sharks, and don't have anyone else nearly as effective as Holmstrom at creating havoc.

Bertuzzi? He's now a finesse forward, apparently ... Evgeni Nabokov can expect some blocked vision in the hours to come.

San Jose Expecting a Holmstrom Eclipse of the Heart originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Wed, 02 May 2007 15:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Bertuzzi Return for Game Two?

Jes Golbez — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: General NHL, Wings, Western, Fantasy Hockey, NHL Injuries, Stanley Cup

Todd "Grumpy Bear" Bertuzzi hasn't exactly been a primo pickup for the Detroit Red Wings thus far.

In just 8 games with the club, Bertuzzi had a modest 2 goals and 2 assists, as he was recovering from back surgery. Before the playoffs, Bertuzzi suffered a minor concussion and battled through more back pain.

So, is he going to be ready soon?

Bertuzzi didn't play in Thursday's Game 1, which Detroit won 4-1, or in the regular-season finale because of a concussion and a neck injury. "He's been cleared medically," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "Now, he has to get cleared by our therapy people as far as being ready to play.

"If he's ready to go, he'll be in."

Bertuzzi skated briefly on his own Thursday and took part in an optional practice Friday. "It felt pretty good," he said. "We'll see how it feels tomorrow after another hard skate."

If Todd does return, he'll need to be a lot better than he's been in past playoffs.

In 24 career playoff games, Bertuzzi has just 6 goals and 8 assists. More importantly, Bertuzzi has been undisciplined, taking 82 minutes in penalties, and displaying his usual disdain for backchecking.

Could Bertuzzi Return for Game Two? originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Fri, 13 Apr 2007 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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