January is coming to an end and you are running out of time to make the right move to ensure that your team has a place in the playoffs. Big decisions are on the horizon as you need to choose the final make-up of your team. Around the Eastern Conference will do its best to give you as much information as possible, but if there is anything I miss or you have any additional questions then please e-mail me. This article covers a week-by-week analysis of each Eastern Conference team including; injury updates, transactions and the upcoming schedule.
Washington Capitals 35-12-6 76 points (3-0-0 this week)
Washington has won eight games straight, they won their three games this week by a combined score of 16-5. As usual there are a plethora of red hot Capitals forwards to pick from, but Alex Semin is particularly notable for continuing his hot streak this week, he registered five goals and three assists in three games. Eric Fehr also had a pretty solid week with a goal and three assists; Fehr has already set career highs in all offensive categories this season and is one to watch over the last 25 games. Who knew Washington had so much goaltending depth? With Jose Theodore DTD and Semyon Varlamov still out, Michal Neuvirth has once again taken the starting reigns and is doing an excellent job after a couple of disappointing performances in the first half of January.
New Jersey Devils 34-16-2 70 points (1-1-1)
New Jersey has had a tricky schedule in January, they finished 1-1-1 on their recent road trip and will be glad to close out the month with two games at home. Dainius Zubrus returned to the line-up on Tuesday, Zubrus’ return from a long-term injury is a welcome relief for a forward group currently deprived of David Clarkson and Patrik Elias, but don’t necessarily expect big numbers from the centerman. Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner were all firing in a 4-2 win over the Islanders last Saturday, but the Devils offense was held to just one goal in their other two games this week. Martin Brodeur was pulled after a disappointing outing against Ottawa giving Yann Danis only his seventh appearance all season.
Buffalo Sabres 31-14-7 69 points (1-2-0)
Buffalo will be glad to have that seven-game road trip in the rear view mirror, they finished 2-3-2 culminating in regular starters Steve Montador, Clarke McArthur and Toni Lydman being benched by coach Lindy Ruff. Ruff has not been happy with his team’s performance despite their strong position in the standings and he will be looking for them to build off a 2-1 shootout win against New Jersey on Wednesday. Tim Connolly’s 17-game point streak was snapped in the win over New Jersey. Tyler Myers racked up two more assists this week and now has 30 points on the season. Jason Pominville has been playing better of late and jumped up to second on the team for scoring with a goal and an assist this week. Buffalo’s schedule leading up into the Olympic is not easy, so perhaps some quiet fantasy numbers are to be expected.
Pittsburgh Penguins 33-21-1 67 points (2-1-0)
Pittsburgh claimed two critical wins over division rivals Philadelphia and the Rangers on the road last weekend, and will be happy with the results of their week. Alex Goligoski and Tyler Kennedy have both found their way back to the injury list, but the Penguins have a four-day break looming after back-to-back matches on Sunday and Monday. Crucially Marc-Andre Fleury returned to the line-up on Monday in the 4-2 win over the Rangers. With both Fleury and back-up Brent Johnson fit; Pittsburgh has re-discovered its stability in net. Sergei Gonchar had a strong offensive week with a goal and three assists, the Penguins power-play has been improved of late and Gonchar’s play has been critical to that.
Ottawa Senators 30-21-4 64 points (3-0-0)
Look out for the Ottawa Senators, they are on an incredible eight-game winning streak and have propelled themselves into a very strong position within the Conference. Pascal Leclaire is still out injured, but the Senators are not missing him with Brian Elliot in outstanding form; he has a .966 save percentage over his last six games. A word of warning though; Elliot is a solid pick-up, but he is playing way over his head at the moment and could still make way for Leclaire when he returns. Jason Spezza had one of his best weeks of the season with three goals; Spezza has been enduring a disappointing year so far, but could get hot over the final 25 games. Nick Foligno has quietly had a very successful year, he is an excellent +12 and had four points this week to take his season total to 23 in 47 games.
Atlanta Thrashers 24-21-8 56 points (2-0-1)
Two wins on the trot and points in four of their last five games has given Atlanta a new lease of life after a poor run of form. A 4-3 win over Philadelphia last night moved the Thrashers from 13th to 6th in the Conference, symbolising the East’s closeness. Johan Hedberg made all three starts this week and provided Atlanta with some consistently excellent goaltending conceding just four goals while making 96 saves. Interestingly Atlanta’s recent good form has not been about offensive dominance, but offensive depth. No one player has been hot, but many have been contributing. Rich Peverley and Nik Antropov each registered a goal and an assist this week and they are particularly crucial in providing consistent offense in support of Ilya Kovalchuk. Atlanta plays five of their seven games before the Olympic on the road.
Philadelphia Flyers 26-23-3 55 points (1-2-0)
Philadelphia have hit somewhat of a stumbling block since they exploded into the playoff picture and are a slightly disappointing 3-2 on their current six-game home stand. They have no major injury concerns, but they will be tested with six of their eight games in February being on the road. Ray Emery’s hot streak has come to an end as he has been outdueled in each of his last two outings; his form is something to watch carefully. Jeff Carter was one of the few Flyers who enjoyed a strong week offensively with three goals and one assist, Carter now has 22 goals and 46 points on the season. Mike Richards has been ice cold of late with just two assists in his last seven games.
Florida Panthers 23-21-9 55 points (2-0-0)
There is something admirable about the fight that Florida has shown so far this season. With leading scorer Nathan Horton sidelined for over a month, the Panthers enjoyed two victories this week and have in fact jumped up to eighth in the tight Eastern Conference. Shawn Matthias had an unexpected two-goal game in a 2-1 win over Montreal, but no-one has really ‘stepped’ into Horton’s shoes, no-one has really needed to so far. Why? Because of Tomas Vokoun; Vokoun enjoyed another superb week and has been dominant all season long. His season numbers rank him amongst the best in the league; he has a .931 save percentage and a 2.33 GAA on a team that has often relied solely upon him. The road leading up to the Olympic break will still be challenging without Horton, but don’t expect this Panthers team to capitulate.
New York Rangers 24-23-7 55 points (0-3-0)
It was a week to forget for the Rangers as they lost three out of three while conceding 15 goals in the process. New York now heads out on a three-game Western road swing visiting in-form teams in Colorado, Phoenix and LA. Henrik Lundqvist endured his worst week of the season as he managed just a .805 save percentage over the three games; expect much better things from Lundqvist this week. Marian Gaborik was held pointless this week and the Rangers offense continues to struggle mightily; expect additions to the forward group at the trade deadline. Artem Anisimov scored two goals in a 4-2 loss against Pittsburgh on Monday; the goals ended a 17-game point drought for the young Russian. The Rangers are injury free, but this group just doesn’t seem capable of producing enough consistent offense to solidify their position.
Montreal Canadiens 25-25-5 55 points (1-2-0)
It was a slightly disappointing week for Montreal as they trounced the Rangers 6-0, but then only managed one goal in losses to Florida and Tampa Bay. The Canadiens have one game left on a three-game road trip, but then play five of seven in February at home. Tomas Plekanec had two goals and an assist this week, while line-mate Mike Cammalleri also produced well with two goals and three assists. Benoit Pouliot has been held pointless in his last two games after scoring 10 goals in his previous 14 games; the verdict is still out on him for now, though he has always had the talent to succeed in the NHL. Jaroslav Halak recorded his third shutout in the win over New York and continues to impress while getting the majority of starts. Jaroslav Spacek and Paul Mara are both considered doubtful for Saturday’s match.
Boston Bruins 23-20-8 54 points (0-2-0)
Boston are on a five-game losing streak and have won just one of their last eight, their current form has seen them slide to 11th and they are in real danger of entering the Olympic break on seriously poor form. No-one is hot offensively and even the previously reliable goaltending of Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask has been slightly sketchy of late. The good news is that the Bruins are now starting to get healthy, Marc Savard is expected to be back in the line-up on Friday and the long injury list that includes Marco Sturm, Andrew Ference and Steve Begin are all progressing towards fitness. Boston starts a four-game home stand against LA on Saturday and they will need to take advantage of it as they look to jump back into a playoff position.
Tampa Bay Lightning 22-20-10 54 points (2-0-0)
Tampa Bay is playing the sort of hockey that they are capable of and need to play if they are to be a playoff team. They are 3-0 on their current four-game home stand after playing some excellent defensive hockey. Mike Smith has returned from injury, but Antero Nittymaki has picked up his form just in time, he made 70 saves this week while conceding just one goal. Steve Stamkos scored two goals and now has 28 goals on the season. Vincent Lecavalier had a goal and an assist in the 3-0 win over Montreal and his recent form continues to be commendable. Few teams have been more difficult to predict than the Lightning this season, they have another four-game home stand in February so could potentially move themselves into good position by the Olympic break.
New York Islanders 23-23-8 54 points (0-3-0)
The Islanders had a poor week after a strong run of form; they finished 1-2 on their three-game home stand and have lost the first game of their current four-game road trip. The margins in the Eastern Conference are so small at the moment, New York currently sits in 13th position, but they are only two points out of 6th! Rick DiPietro started two of the three games this week and made an appearance in relief of Dwayne Roloson in the other, DiPietro will be keen to establish full-time #1 duty before the Olympic break so that he can lead the Islanders in the playoff race. Kyle Okposo had two goals and an assist this week and he continues to enjoy a good season, Okposo leads the Islanders with 36 points. John Tavares had two assists this week and is showing signs of breaking out of his mid-season slump.
Toronto Maple Leafs 17-27-10 44 points (0-2-0)
The season is slowly slipping out of Toronto’s hands; they’ve won just two of their last 11 games and are dropping out of playoff contention. A fact that was perhaps highlighted by the trade requests of veterans Jamal Mayers and Garnet Exelby. Mayers’ and Exelby’s trade requests may reflect a disappointment in their playing time more than simply the Leafs falling out of the playoff race, but it does reflect a team that is falling apart. Good news for Toronto comes in the form of Mike Komisarek’s improving fitness, Komisarek could return as early as Saturday. Jonas Gustavsson made both starts this week with Ron Wilson so far following through on his promise to give the Swedish goaltender the majority of the remaining starts. Niklas Hagman scored two goals in a 5-3 loss to LA on Tuesday to reach the 20-goal mark for his third consecutive season, Hagman could even break his career high of 27 goals set in 2007/08.
Carolina Hurricanes 18-28-7 43 points (3-1-0)
Carolina are on an excellent run of form having won four of their last five and could leapfrog Toronto into 14th in the Eastern Conference, it will be the first time that the Hurricanes have been off the East’s basement since November. Cam Ward has been rock solid so far in 2010, he conceded just four goals in four games this week. The Hurricanes top line has been on fire offensively with Eric Staal scoring five goals and adding an assist this week, Ray Whitney scored a goal and picked up four assists, while Jussi Jokinen scored twice and had three helpers. Joni Pitkanen also picked up four assists to bring his points total to 30. Joe Corvo could return this week after being held out of the line-up for two months with a leg laceration. The Hurricanes recent good form will be severely tested as they start February with a four-game road trip, including a trip to Alberta.