Goalies

The playoffs in the West have been a low scoring affair, and expect that to continue with defensive-minded squads LA and Phoenix squaring of the the Conference Finals. Jonathan Quick leads all goalies with a 1.55 GAA and a stellar 8-1 record. Phoenix can’t match LA’s depth so count on Quick chalking up four more victories with a sub 2.00 GAA.

In the East it is a battle of Vezina finalist Henrik Lundqvist and legend Martin Brodeur. New Jersey made quick work of the high-powered Flyers, but the Rangers should be able to come out on top thanks to a well-rounded team anchored by arguably the best goalie in the league.

Defense

Michael Del Zotto and Dan Girardi find themselves at the top of the scoring leaderboard thanks to a couple of seven games series. However, Drew Doughty is probably a better choice, with 6 points in 9 games. However, the boys in blue are good secondary options as all signs point to an extended series in the tri-state area. If you are a Phoenix fan, Keith Yandle is the choice in the desert.

Forwards

With Philly eliminated, the high scorers so far are no longer options. Ilya Kovalchuk, Brad Richards, Dustin Brown and Antoine Vermette lead the respective remaining teams. The first three are pretty safe bets, but Vermette is less likely to keep his current pace. My personal pick is Brown, but it’s tough to go wrong with any of Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar or Brown.

Aside from the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia series, goaltending has outright dominated the 2011-12 playoffs.  In fact, all 4 of the teams coming out of the West have 2 goals allowed per game or less.  The Rangers are the only team out of the East with a sub-2.00 GAA but Washington isn’t far behind at 2.14.  Only one series will actual get you any goals: Philadelphia-New Jersey.

Goalies

As you prepare for the second round of your playoff pool, who should you choose for your goalies?  By the stats, you really can’t go wrong with Brian Elliott, Jonathan Quick, Pekka Rinne, or Mike Smith.  Elliott is the best statistically, it’s hard to argue against a Blues team playing so well (especially with Halak out with an injury) and the Kings have the lowest goals per game (2.40) out of any team out of the West.  Pekka Rinne ousted the Red Wings in 5 games and many consider them the favourite in the West now but you can’t discount Mike Smith’s ability to steal a game.  The only goalie matchup out of the East worth mentioning is Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby.  Holtby stunned the Bruins in the first round, while the Sens surprised everyone by taking the Rangers to seven games.  Lundqvist and Holtby are also neck and neck statistically but Washington has more goals per game (2.49 vs. 2.00) than the Rangers.  Just stay away from the Philadelphia series.

Verdict: Rinne and Elliott.  Even if their teams don’t win, the series’ are expected to go long with low scoring.

Defense

A bonus point for a team shutout isn’t enough for me to risk putting too much stock in defensemen out of the West but there has been limited production out of any of the East blueliners.  Keith Yandle leads active playoff D-men with 5 points (all assists).  His teammate Klesla follows him with 4 points but I’m not going near that.  Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are two of the top-ranking active playoff D-men in time on ice and if you’re backing Nashville, they would be a good bet.  The Rangers have been getting good performance out of Dan Girardi and Anton Stralman (4 points each) and Girardi leads all active playoff D-men in time on ice. On that note, Braydon Coburn has also produced for the Flyers and ranks closely behind Girardi in playing time.  One wrinkle to Weber, Girardi, and Coburn’s case is they average 4+ minutes per game on the penalty kill.  The top players on the powerplay?  Drew Doughty, Ryan Suter, Michael Del Zotto, Shea Weber, Willie Mitchell.

Verdict: Shea Weber is a no brainer.  Dan Girardi, Ryan Suter, and Marek Zidlicky are good secondary options.

Forwards

This is where the Flyers and Devils shine.  Claude Giroux is tearing up the playoffs with 14 points and will be on everyone’s roster so you better pick him too.  The Flyers aren’t facing a quality goalie like 6 other teams in the playoffs so be sure to load up on other top performing teammates like Danny Briere, Jakub Voracek, Jaromir Jagr, and Brayden Schenn.  Fortunately for the Devils, Ilya Bryzgalov hasn’t been on top of his game this playoffs either.  The Flyers are expected to continue to allow a good clip of goals – at least more than 6 other playoff teams – so studs like Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise are also a good choice.  Travis Zajac had a solid first round and could be a good pick if you’re worried that Parise and Kovy will be popular.  Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin have been the only high profile Capitals to have any success against the Rangers this season.  Semin could be the attractive option here as you can expect Rangers to focus a lot of attention on shutting down Ovechkin.  Are you expecting the Caps’ third stringer to continue this level of play?  If not, Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan should be the favourites to put up some points.  Since I’ve gone with Rinne and Elliott to steal the show in the West, if I’m going to take any forwards, they will be Blues or Predators.  Andy McDonald (8 points) has been a stud these playoffs and he and teammate Patrik Berglund (7 points) have more than 2x the 3rd-highest Blues scorers (3 points).  The Kings do have scorers in Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar and you can expect Mike Richards to be in the mix but getting through St Louis’ tough defense will be a challenge.  Alexander Radulov leads the Preds in scoring with 5 points and is really the only option coming out of Nashville.

Verdict: Give me the Flyers’ Giroux, Briere, and Jagr, and the Devils’ Kovalchuk and Parise for starters.  Andy McDonald is the only other no-brainer on this list as he has continued his solid regular season into the playoffs.  Richards and Radulov should provide good secondary scoring to spread it out a bit.

With Thursday’s 4-0 shutout over the Florida Panthers in Game 4, the 39-year old Martin Brodeur broke Patrick Roy’s 9-year long mark for most shutouts in the NHL playoffs at 24.  Roy’s last playoff shutout came April 14, 2003.

Most interesting about Brodeur’s shutout is it came after getting chased out of the net in Game 3 when the Panthers came back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3.  Despite fan outcry to follow suit with other playoff teams – including their opponents – and swap goaltenders to change momentum, Coach Peter DeBoer had no qualms about going back to ol’ reliable in Game 4.

Brodeur has been toying with the idea of retirement all year and he would surely love to go out with a deep playoff run – if not a Stanley Cup.  Most recent reports indicate Brodeur is leaning towards returning for one more season, in which he will turn 40.

Let’s face it, the Canucks are up against a wall and after generating only 4 goals in 3 games, need all of the offensive and special teams help they can get.  The scapegoat for the 0-3 start for the Canucks has been the absence of their perennial goal scorer – but that may change.

Daniel Sedin could make his return after suffering from a concussion four weeks ago.  He reported not feeling concussion-like symptoms for “a while” and is also in his poorest shape over the past 5-6 years.  Not exactly a resounding vote of confidence but the Canucks will take whatever help they can get at this point.  They hope to avoid being the NHL’s first 1-seed to be swept by an 8-seed since the conference playoff matchups were introduced in 1994.

Down two games to none to the Los Angleles Kings, the Canucks wiill turn to Cory Schneider to start game three Sunday night.

Schneider replaces Roberto Luongo, who has played well despite allowing seven goals on 64 shots for an .891 save percentage in the series.

As predicted, Canucks fans are all clamoring for Cory Schneider to start Game 3 after the Canucks dropped their opening two home games in the series.  However, as Ray Ferraro points out: the real problems aren’t in the crease, the team is getting outplayed.  Schneider may give the team a new identity as they try to dig out of their 2-0 hole but if the Canucks are going to start winning, the other five guys on the ice are going to need to play better.

Stay tuned as we await Alain Vigneault’s decision for Game 3.

It’s a problem that every coach and GM would love to have: two sub-2.00 GAA goalies ready to start the playoffs.  Unfortunately for the Blues, injuries may have dictated that their second choice lead the team out for the playoff opener at home against the Sharks.

Jaroslav Halak hardly stumbled down the stretch but his .890 SV% and 3.21 GAA over his last 4 starts pales in comparison to Brian Elliott’s 3 straight shutouts to close out March.  Elliott was ruled out of the opener at Wednesday’s practice with Ken Hitchcock citing an unspecified upper body injury and the Blues recalled Jake Allen.  However, Hitchcock still hopes that Elliott can dress for tonight’s game as the back-up.

The Blues won the 4-game season series against the Sharks and outscored them 11-3 including two home shutouts – one by each of the Blues’ formidable starters.

Daniel Sedin did not take part in today’s practice, instead opting to take a twirl with the Canucks’ black aces according to Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy, via Twitter. The team would later explain, however, that there is no setback for the superstar forward. Concussions, as we know, are a very tricky injury which gives Sedin somewhat of an indefinite timeline. Nevertheless, barring a setback, he will play in Game 1 if not Game 2.

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4/8/12: According to a report from Jason Botchford of The Province, Daniel Sedin will be healthy enough to return for this year’s playoffs. Although Sedin has not began skating, the team expects him to return this Monday and practice with the team. Barring any setbacks, he should be able to ramp up his training in order to play in Game 1 on Wednesday.

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4/2/12: Still no news on Vancouver Canucks’ winger Daniel Sedin according to the team’s official Twitter account. Considering it would take more than a week to get back his conditioning, Sedin is safe to drop in single-season formats.

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3/21/12: Sedin will not play tonight and has flown back to Vancouver according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, via Twitter. His departure from the team should rule him out through the weekend. Still no news on who replaces him in the lineup.

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Earlier this evening, Vancouver Canucks left wing Daniel Sedin took an elbow to the face from Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith. The hit, which came at approximately 6:27 of the first period, immediately removed the superstar forward from the contest. Sedin will not return to the game according to Hosea Chung of 24 Hours Vancouver.

Clearly an injury to Daniel would be devastating to the team’s Stanley Cup hopes. It certainly could be a concussion, or his absence could be precautionary. At this point, all we know is he misses the rest of this game.

Check out the video below and let us know what you think in the comments. How long will he miss? Should he be suspended?

Despite still feeling concussion-like symptoms, Toews was centering the top line during today’s practice according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, via Twitter. It seems like the captain will gut through his injury in order to play in the playoffs. Those of you who haven’t drafted Toews yet may want to give him a look.

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4/6/12: After today’s practice, Toews admitted to local media that he still feels concussion-like symptoms when getting on the ice. Needless to say, he will not be playing tomorrow and is questionable for the rest of the playoffs. And while the team is hopeful he can return during the postseason, it would not be prudent to add him in your playoff pool at market value.

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4/4/12: Jonathan Toews will not return to the lineup tomorrow according to Chris Kuc of The Chicago Tribune, via Twitter. Toews remains an option to play in Saturday’s regular season finale as he continues to travel with the club. 

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4/3/12: Toews continues to practice and is hoping to return this Thursday according to Adam Jahns of The Chicago Sun-Times, via Twitter. The captain was reportedly in excellent spirits this morning, violently throwing himself into the glass after scoring a goal in practice. Should the Blackhawks hold him out for one more game, it would only be for precautionary measures.

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3/31/12: Chris Kuc of The Chicago Tribune reports, via Twitter, that Toews is cleared for contact. Using Nicklas Backstrom and Sidney Crosby as an outlier, the Blackhawks captain should be able to return within a week. Excluding tonight’s game, the team plays three more times during the regular season with Game 82 coming against Detroit next Sunday. Expect Toews to play then, or to be ready for the first game of the playoffs.

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3/26/12: Jonathan Toews skated this morning. That much is not unusual.

However, today he was on a line with Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa– a sign that he is nearing a return. Following the skate, Chris Kuc of The Chicago Tribune reported, via Twitter, that Toews was ”feeling pretty close” to being cleared for contact. Great news for the Blackhawks captain although you should continue to temper your expectations on a regular season return as the team plays only six more games.

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3/13/12: Toews is once again not skating. According to the Chicago Blackhawks’ official Twitter account, the captain is resting today and quite doubtful for tomorrow’s tilt. By the sounds of it, number 19 could have suffered a setback in his haste to get back on the ice.

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3/8/12: Jonathan Toews took to the ice today for what is being reported as a “good skate.” According to Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago, the captain felt good afterwords which is certainly an encouraging sign. We can only expect Toews needs a few more days to get his conditioning back and practice with the team but this step is certainly progress after missing the last eight games (and counting) with a concussion mystery injury.

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3/3/12: The good news is Toews participated in off-ice workouts. The bad news is he still hasn’t gotten on the ice. By that same token, Toews will miss the next two games according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago, via Twitter. And considering he’s yet to hit the ice, it’s probably even longer.

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3/1/12: Toews will not play tomorrow night when the Chicago Blackhawks travel to Ottawa according to NHL.com’s Brian Hedger, via Twitter. However, he could meet up with the team at some point in their three-game road trip. Clearly his presence will be indicative of the captain becoming an option. But for now, prepare for the worst, which is at least three more games out.

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2/28/12: Looks like Wednesday was too ambitious for Toews as the captain still did not skate today.

According to Chris Kuc of The Chicago Tribune, via Twitter, Toews has been officially ruled out for tomorrow night’s tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In addition, he continues to carry the frustrating ‘day-to-day’ status.

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2/25/12: Toews is aiming to return on Wednesday according to CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers, via Twitter. At the moment, the captain has not started skating, which could mean he misses even more action.

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2/24/12: Progressing, shmishgressing.

Despite progressing, Toews will not play for the next two games according to Chris Kuc of The Chicago Tribune, via Twitter. The next possible date he can return is Wednesday, February 29th.

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2/22/12: Toews is progressing reports ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers, via Twitter. However, the team’s captain will not play tomorrow night. We should have another update shortly after the game wraps up.

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Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews did not practice this morning and was officially ruled out of tonight’s contest according to the team’s official Twitter account. He is officially listed as day-to-day.

More Position Primers: F | D | G

In fantasy hockey there are very few short things. But with the Vancouver Canucks capturing the President’s Trophy, Henrik Sedin is a sure bet to produce throughout the postseason. Sedin and 40-goal scorer Marian Gaborik, are basically locks to make it past the first round. As mentioned ad nauseam, it will be either Claude Giroux or Evgeni Malkin/Sidney Crosby emerging as studs during this year’s playoffs. We gave the slight edge to Malkin and Crosby since they are, well, Malkin and Crosby.

The second tier is where things get a bit more interesting. Facing the porous goaltending in Florida, Ilya Kovalchuk should finally show his worth where it matters; he could be the darkhorse of the entire postseason. His countryman, Alex Ovechkin, could similarly dominate and prevent a Boston Bruins repeat. David Backes had a breakthrough season and should be seriously considered to win the Selke Trophy. The Blues are hoping that success extends to the postseason. Daniel Sedin, if healthy, should be able to post around a point-per-game, and at a discounted rate since he finished the regular season concussed. Pavel Datsyuk has all the moves, and more, so he gets a bump based on his reputation. Make no mistake, the Red Wings will still have trouble making it past rival Nashville. James Neal, who broke out with his 40-goal, 80-point season missed the last two games of the regular season but should be able to score with frequency this postseason. Similar to Kovalchuk, you can’t ignore what Zach Parise can do against shoddy starting goalies in Florida. Both Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin know how to score in the playoffs, making them very valuable picks. Finally, now is the time for Ryan Kesler to turn it up into beast mode.

Regardless of the third tier being below the elite, there is still plenty of value to go around. Henrik Zetterberg finished his season with the better line in Detroit, making himself a nice value pick. Brad Richards similarly went to a new level with Marian Gaborik and should be able to replicate that against an average goaltender like Craig Anderson. Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa both comprise the top line in Chicago but if they want to repeat their success of 2010, they will need to make it past the hottest starting goalie in the league in Mike Smith. Brad Marchand led all Bruins in scoring during the regular season and was the breakout star of last year’s playoffs; you can’t go wrong with the ‘Little Ball of Hate’. Johan Franzen has proven to be an immovable object in front of the opponent’s net; you can bet he just dominates at least one game from the paint. Scott Hartnell, Milan Lucic and Alex Burrows are all similar players in that they play a much more physical game from the top line. However, all of their values take a hit since most playoff pools don’t count PIM. All three should remain productive but they are not elite offensive weapons. By that same token, Patrick Sharp found a way to get by without Jonathan Toews but he takes a bump down while playing with Victor Stalberg and Marcus Kruger.

Our next tier features players who can produce but are less likely to advance into the second round. Jason Spezza regained his status as a top-line center with his 84-point campaign but his Senators will face the tough task of the Eastern Conference’s best team. Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture both emerged as the Sharks two best weapons down the round. And while the team currently holds the seventh seed, they boast a similar core to the one that made the Western Conference Finals in consecutive seasons. Anze Kopitar and his long shot Los Angeles Kings face the tough task of taking on the Vancouver Canucks; if anyone can produce on this team, expect it to be the Slovenian superstar. Alexander Radulov remains such a enigma after scoring three goals and seven points in nine games. Can he start dominating the NHL like he did the KHL or is he still in a transition? Joe Thornton is once again looking to drop the ‘choker’ label, which will only disappear if he wins the Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, teammate Patrick Marleau will look for the approval of NBC analyst Jeremy Roenick. Mike Richards showed in the past that he can lead the best team in hockey but do the Kings have enough for a deep run? Nicklas Backstrom looks to finally get back his offensive timing after playing the final four games of the season. He could be a very nice value pick. Ryan Callahan didn’t get to help his team in last year’s playoffs, expect him to help take the Rangers to another level.

Radim Vrbata finished his season with 35 goals, scoring five in his last five games. Should the Coyotes steal a round or two, expect him to be the main offensive weapon. David Perron could be the most dangerous weapon in St. Louis after scoring 21 goals in only 57 games. He could score at an elevated pace on the big stage. Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias both know what it takes to win, making each of them intriguing picks for the playoffs. Elias has competition for his place as top center as both Adam Henrique and Travis Zajac could become the team’s top center while Jagr is firmly entrenched on the top line. Stephen Weiss is just pumped to finally make the playoffs; expect him to show the world what he can do. Alexander Semin is as inconsistent as he is talented, he mainly gets a selection here due to his high-end ceiling. Dustin Brown will probably take a  hit in value with fringe categories like hits and PIM excluded but the captain is known for showing up in big games. Milan Michalek is finally making the Dany Heatley trade look good, which is a feat in itself. The scoring winger finished the season with 35 goals playing next to Spezza. T.J. Oshie hasn’t become the 60-70 point player we always thought he would be but playing next to David Backes has made him a much more consistent player. Kris Versteeg rounds out our rankings mainly because he’s shown he can win in the postseason in the past– that type of experience remains invaluable at this point of the season.

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