For the modern day NHL bettor comes a resource that is tailor-made for the Information Age. This is Binary Breakdowns–where every NHL matchup is broken down into convenient little bits and bytes. For situational records, performance projections, and betting advice, this is a one-stop shop, as the Binary Breakdowns Database has a wealth of need-to-know info available on the go.

—

How it works:

The Binary Breakdowns Database logs team performances under various situational circumstances. Want to know how a certain team performs as an underdog, in back-to-back games, after a blowout loss, or when travelling from the East Coast to the Southeast? Information like this is stored in the database, and is recalled to make performance projections on future games which share similarities with past games.

—
Line Value Analysis:

Line value is determined by multiplying a team’s chances of winning by their moneyline odds (in decimal format). Therefore, even if a team has a less than 50% chance of winning, betting on them can still offer good value (every bet has a right price). A team’s chances of winning are calculated here using data from the database.

***

***

+ Today’s Line Value Analysis:

—

Situational Analysis:

Sometimes teams perform well but don’t win, while other times vice versa (goaltending frequently makes it or breaks it). Therefore, it also seemed prudent to take a look at win/loss records when trying to decide which teams to back (and for what dollar amounts).

***

The database stores win percentages for teams when playing under the following situational circumstances:

***

+Today’s Situational Analysis and Final Recommendations:

***
Using the situational analysis in combination with the line value analysis, the database offers betting recommendations in dollar amounts ranging from $1 to about $25 (which you can scale to your own betting range). The idea is to always bet where there is value, but to bet more where value comes with a recipe for winning (and also to bet more where there is more value)!
***
—

As with most things in life, the best way to produce consistent results (even consistently bad ones) is to have consistent methods and processes. The same goes for sports betting–it’s a science. Find your method, test your results, and then, modify your method to improve it. Repeat if neccessary.

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/RTBetting

David Desharnais, Center, Montreal Canadiens

David Desharnais is quietly putting together a great season for the Habs. While talk of their disappointing season along with a controversial new coach have captured most of the headlines in Montreal, Desharnais is one of the brighter spots in the Canadiens lineup. Desharnais currently sits third in team scoring with 36 points and trails only Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole. The undrafted 25-year-old is enjoying his first full season in the NHL after splitting the last two seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. He’s centering the Canadiens top line and averages just under 18 minutes of ice time each game including over 3 minutes on the Habs top power-play unit. Desharnais is surprisingly owned in only 17 percent of all Yahoo! leagues.

Tyler Ennis, Left Wing, Buffalo Sabres

In most drafts this fall, Tyler Ennis was probably selected fairly high depending on the depth of your league. Ennis was entering this season coming off of a very impressive rookie campaign which saw him dress in all 82 games for the Sabres while scoring 49 points. Much like the rest of the Buffalo Sabres, this season really hasn’t gone according to plan. Ennis suffered an ankle injury early in the season and came back for a few games before going back on the IR again in early January. Ennis is now back and healthy and hoping to help the Sabres get through this nightmare of a season. Ennis has yet to score any points since coming back from this injury but it will be just a matter of time before he starts finding the back of the net again. Ennis is centering the Sabres second line and is playing with Nathan Gerbe and Zack Kassian. He averages just under 15 minutes of ice time each game and when he’s playing good is highly effective on the Sabres power-play. Ennis is definitely a player to keep an eye on, when he starts finding his scoring touch again he will get snapped up by other teams.

Devan Dubnyk, Starting Goaltender, Edmonton Oilers

For those of you who still have Nikolai Khabibulin on your team, it’s time to drop him. He had a nice run at the beginning of the season but it’s now time to go with 25-year-old Devan Dubnyk. Heading into Saturday night’s game against the Detroit Red-Wings. Dubnyk had started six games in a row for the Oilers and has allowed 14 goals against and a record of 4-1-1 in that span. So far this season he has a record of 10-11-1 with a GAA of 2.92 and a save percentage of .910. With the Oilers once again looking like they’re going to miss the playoffs, they’re going to be giving their future number one goalie as many starts as possible. Dubnyk is currently owned in 21% of all Yahoo! leagues. If you need a goaltender who will get some starts down the stretch of the season than Dubnyk is your man.

Derick Brassard, Center, Columbus Blue Jackets

It hasn’t been a great season so far for Derick Brassard. In addition to it being stuck in an all-around terrible season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, he saw his ice time slashed earlier in the season in the midst is constant trade rumors. With the trade deadline just a few weeks away, Brassard has been picking up his play as of late. In the last five games he has four points and an impressive plus-3 rating. Under interim coach Todd Richards, Brassard has been given a constant role on the Jackets top two lines including currently centering their top line with RJ Umberger and Rick Nash. Brassard currently has 19 points and should have a strong second half if he stays on the Jackets top line.

Jay Bouwmeester, Defence, Calgary Flames

Sometimes with your fantasy defenceman all you can hope for is that they get to play some decent minutes. If you’re looking for a defenceman who will play in all situations and I mean literally ALL situations than Jay Bouwmeester is your man. Not only does he lead the Flames in total minutes played but he’s ranked second overall in the league and only trails Erik Karlsson in that catrgory. The biggest knock about Bouwmeester is that he hasn’t exactly been lighting the lamp since joining the Flames in 2009-2010. When he was with the Florida Panthers he was averaging 40 points per season, since joining the Flames he hasn’t scored more than 29 points. That will change this season as Bouwmeester already has 22 points including  4 points in his last 5 games and he’s currently on pace for a 35 point season.  What’s really surprising about Bouwmeester is that he’s only owned in roughly 12% of all Yahoo! leagues despite the fact that he averages 26 minutes of ice time every night.

Koivu continues to progress and is expected to return over the next week or two. When questioned today by the team’s official Twitter, Koivu simply answered: ”I don’t know, we’ll see.” Sounds like tomorrow is a possibility so make sure to check back prior to game time.

* * *

1/23/12: Koivu will not play the rest of this week, or during the All-Star Game for that matter. According to Michael Russo of The Star Tribune, the team’s captain is likely two weeks away from playing so his participation in the exhibition games, or Tuesday’s game, has been officially ruled out. As always, check back for a further update on his status as the Wild continue their free fall down the Western Conference standings.

* * *

UPDATE 1/20/12: Mikko Koivu was seen firing pucks in the shooting cage today according to the Minnesota Wild’s official Twitter. Considering the Wild insist Koivu could be ready for the All-Star Game, it makes you wonder whether he will be able to tape up his shoulder and get back into the lineup.

The Wild have now lost four consecutive games and likely won’t be getting back into the win column too frequently without their leader and leading scorer. Do you think the team forces him to lace them up?

* * *

Just a month ago, the Minnesota Wild looked like the Cinderella story of the 2011-2012 season. Due to a multitude of injuries, that story changed from contender to pretender as the team can’t kick the injury bug. Guillaume Latendresse has been out since December 14th with a concussion. Likewise, Pierre-Marc Bouchard could miss the rest of the season with a head injury. This Saturday, Mikko Koivu became the team’s latest victim, leaving the arena with his shoulder in a sling.

According to Michael Russo of The Star Tribune, the original prognosis does not look good for the team’s captain. His tentative prognosis looks like 4-6 weeks due to a separated shoulder. Russo would compare Koivu’s ailment to that of teammate Devin Setoguchi, who missed from December 6th to January 4th. Assuming Koivu misses the minimum recovery time of four weeks, the Wild would still play 27 games with their captain.

For the second time this season Mike Yeo and company will need to find a way to win without their leader and most important player. In his previous four-game stint on the sidelines, the team managed a 0-3-1 record. With just two wins in their last 10 games the Wild could be watching their playoff chances slip away if they can’t put together some wins. In fact, the Colorado Avalanche could pass them today with a win.

In the meantime, look for Matt Cullen to fill in on the top line. The Minnesota native has 11 goals and 25 points through 44 games and could fill in decently. However, the bigger question would be who replaces the secondary scoring if the team has only one scoring line. The chances of the Wild bouncing back are quite bleak.

Should you need to replace Koivu on your fantasy hockey roster, some hot picks down the middle are David Desharnais, Derek Stepan and Dave Bolland.

Finally we get some good news on the Matt Duchene injury front. Nearly five weeks after his surgery, the former 3rd overall pick took the ice according to the team’s official Twitter account. While we don’t have a timetable on his return, getting back on the ice is clearly the first step.

Stay tuned for a further update.

* * *

Colorado Avalanche leading goal scorer Matt Duchene will miss at least four weeks with a knee injury according to Adrian Dater of The Denver Post. Duchene was injured in Thursday night’s game after hitting a rut in the ice. He was relegated to just 2:23 of ice time.

The Avs will be hard pressed to replace the Haliburton, Ont., native. Although he is not their leading scorer or top minutes eater, the former 3rd overall pick has helped the Avs to a respectable 20-18-1 record through 39 games.

Mike Green was not spotted on the ice this morning. Furthermore, Green has not skated for three consecutive days according to Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times. And while we knew Green had no timeline following surgery, it looked like he would return over the next couple of weeks.

So, has Green suffered from a setback? Check back for a further update from the team’s media.

* * *

UPDATE 2/3/12: Over three weeks ago Green went under the knife. Although he is expected to miss another couple of weeks, the once-elite defenseman was spotted on the ice, working out with strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish according to Katie Carrera of The Washington Post, via Twitter. Number 52 remains a ways away from returning to the lineup but seeing him on the ice is certainly a good sign.

* * *

UPDATE 1/16/12: Just when it couldn’t get any worse for Mike Green, well, it got worse.

Mike Vogl of WashingtonCapitals.com reported over Twitter that Green requires abdominal surgery and will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. The former All-Star defender likely misses all of February due to the injury making his chances of playing at least 41 games pretty slim.

If you can get any value for the offensive defender, now is the time to make the deal. If not, keep him out of your plans and hope that he can give your team a boost during the stretch run.

* * *

UPDATE 1/9/12: According to Katie Carrera of The Washington Post, via Twitter, Green will not play tonight. In fact, he was seen in street clothes this morning and is returning to Washington D.C., completely ruling him out from any on-ice activity. Stay tuned for a further update from the team.

* * *

Just two games since getting back into the lineup, Mike Green’s wonky groin is once again giving him problems. Green was limited to only 7:11 of ice time last night as his groin once again acted up. However, this time, coach Dale Hunter claims it was simply precautionary to take his All-Star out of the lineup.

According to Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times, the injury has nothing to do with a hard hit from fourth-line center Andrew Desjardins. ”It got a little tight, so we’re being careful with him,” Hunter told the media. “We took him and pulled him out.” When asked about the hit, Hunter retorted that the groin was “just tightening up a bit.”

If the team used enough precaution to play five defensemen for the rest of last night’s game, they likely will hold him out of a game or two. As always, check back for a further update from the team.

* * *

According to Brian McNally of The Washington Examiner, via Twitter, Green will draw in for tonight’s game. It will be only his ninth game of the season as the Calgary native last played on November 11th.

* * *

UPDATE 1/2/12: Will Mike Green play tomorrow night in his hometown Calgary? At this point, we’re not sure.

Green has participated in full practices over the last week, including taking reps on the power play. All he needs now is the OK from team doctors. Although the 26-year-old would love to play he understands he needs to take it slow. From Capitals Insider:

“I would love to. I’ve got to get back in to games,” Green said, but acknowledged that the decision will not be his alone but made in conjunction with the team’s doctors and athletic trainers. “Got to make sure we do this right. If it means not playing tomorrow and taking another week then we’ll do it. As of right now I feel good and we’ll assess it today.”

We should get a further update from the team tomorrow before game time.

* * *

UPDATE 12/29/11: Mike Green continues to practice with his teammates and has even taken power play reps with his regular unit. At this rate, it sounds like he should get back into the lineup shortly. From Capitals Insider:

“I’ll skate tomorrow again, see how I feel. You never know. Maybe I could play [this weekend]. But it looks like next week. I think we want to play this safe,” Green said. “Obviously been out for a long time and I want to get back, but I want to make sure I’m ready to play. No need to put myself in a dangerous situation if I’m not ready.”

While fantasy hockey owners would like him to get back into the lineup, rushing his last return sidelined him for another six weeks. The Caps play both Friday and Saturday but the consensus is that Green returns against his hometown team, the Calgary Flames.

* * *

UPDATE 12/22/11: Mike Green continues to take steps in the right direction as he was spotted on the ice for the fourth consecutive day. Although he remains out indefinitely and has not taken part in any drills, this news remains positive for the Calgary native.

According to Chuck Gormley of CSN Washington, Green will be made available to the media once his status changes. In the meantime, he has been instructed to focus on his recovery.

* * *

UPDATED 12/14/11: We received good news on the Mike Green injury front today as the All-Star defender is expected to join the team later this week according to Katie Carrera of Capitals Insider. While Washington Capitals GM George McPhee acknowledged that Green has taken longer than expected to return, he also explained that the worst should be behind them. From Capitals Insider:

“It’s longer than we expected, unfortunately, but it was a significant injury. It’s a groin injury and those things, they’re hard to heal quickly and know when – you just don’t know when you’re going to be ready.”

(snip)

“He’ll be joining the club on the trip. We just sent him to see somebody that might be able to help, we’re not sure [if it will]. Hopefully when he joins the club on the road he’ll be skating with the club – getting closer. He was progressing then sort of plateaued. We thought we would try something else. Don’t know if it will make a difference but we’ll know more in a couple of days.”

So in summary, Green is on the road to recovery once again and should be practicing with the team soon. However, his immediate return remains indefinite. Baby steps.

* * *

UPDATE 12/10/11: Mike Green was skating prior to practice and sparingly with the puck but that all changed over the last couple of days as the All-Star defender hasn’t been seen on the ice. Head coach Dale Hunter insists that there is no setback but that he is using a different approach. From Capitals Watch:

“We’re doing different things on the ice and off the ice,” the coach said Saturday. “So we’re going both ways with it – so a couple days off the ice and we’ll go from there.”

There remains no timetable for his return. Thus far, Green has played only eight games, forcing fantasy hockey owners to try and win without his services. If you own him, be prepared for the worst and hopefully he can help you down the stretch.

* * *

UPDATE 11/28/11: According to Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times, via Twitter, Green took the ice for the first time since November 11th this morning. Sky Kerstein of 106.7 The Fan, via Twitter, would later follow that up by announcing Green left the ice after roughly 30 minutes. While getting back on the ice remains a step in the right direction, it is safe to say Green won’t be back for a week or two.

* * *

UPDATE 11/17/11: Mike Green will likely miss the next two games which includes tonight’s road game against the Winnipeg Jets. The elite defender, who is out with a strained groin muscle — did not skate today back at the Kettler Capitals IcePlex.

When asked about his star player’s status on this road trip, head coach Bruce Boudreau did not sound encouraged. From Capitals Insider:

“I really doubt it.”

As soon as we find another update on Green we will update our readership in our player updates section and right here.

* * *

UPDATE 11/14/11: Mike Green is not travelling with the team for their upcoming road trip where they are scheduled to play the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs according to Brian McNally of The Washington Examiner, via Twitter. McNally would also note that he could join the team at some point during the road trip. For now the team holds six healthy defensemen, making their defensive pairings look like this.

* * *

UPDATE 11/12/11: No surprise here but Mike Green will not play tonight — less than 24 hours since getting injured. Look for the elite defenseman to remain a possibility for Tuesday’s tilt against the Nashville Predators.

* * *

UPDATE 11/11/11: Just one period into his return to the ice, Mike Green re-injured himself on a scary play which included his leg getting pinned against the boards. Although he failed to return in the second period, he’s actually listed as day-to-day. From CSN Washington:

“It’s a different soreness,” Boudreau said. “At least it’s not the ankle, so that’s good news. I’m pretty confident (it’s not serious). I talked to him already about it and it’s a day-to-day thing. Not a three-week day-to-day thing. It’s an actual day-to-day thing.”

Don’t expect Green to play tomorrow as the Capitals don’t need to rush back into the lineup. Stay tuned for a further update.

***

Mike Green draws back into the lineup. Start him with confidence in your starting lineup.

* * *

According to Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times, via Twitter, Green will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game. However both Whyno, via Twitter, and NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, via Twitter, admitted he likely draws in tonight. We won’t know until later but expect the elite defender to get back into the lineup.

* * *

UPDATE 11/09/11: Green took part in today’s practice and by all means did not hold back. Typically participation that includes bag skating and full-contract drills leads to a return but Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times has a better description, straight from the source. From Capitals Watch:

Boudreau had been hopeful but not overconfident about Green playing this weekend, either Friday at the New Jersey Devils or Saturday at home against them. The All-Star defenseman taking part in a tough workout Wednesday seems like a good indication.

Check this thread on Friday and Saturday as we are guaranteed to update you on his status prior to the puck dropping.

* * *

UPDATE 11/08/11: Mike Green took the scratches skate today, a solid indication he won’t play tonight. However, Sky Kerstein of 106.7 The Fan, via Twitter, reported Green is a possibility for this weekend. Stay tuned for a further update.

* * *

UPDATE 11/05/11: Don’t look for Mike Green to return to the lineup tonight as several members of the Washington Capitals media inferred he would not play. If Green needs just one good practice, it doesn’t sound like today was the day. From Capitals Watch:

One day after scoring his first career NHL goal, Eakin is set to be a healthy scratch Saturday night at the Islanders. He was doing extra work on the ice with D.J. King and Mike Green – both of whom are expected to be out of the lineup – after the Caps’ already optional morning skate at Nassau Coliseum.

Keep Green on your bench / IR until further advised. For the team’s full lines, click here.

* * *

UPDATE 11/01/11: Mike Green will not play tonight, this much we know. However, he managed to skate today which is certainly an encouraging sign. From Capitals Watch:

“If I feel good enough to play, I’ll play. There’s no date set yet,” he said. “I want to make sure I take care of it.”

Green said he would need one good practice to feel comfortable again.

“I don’t want to be bag-skating too long,” he said with a smile. “One good practice I think I’ll be fine. It’s more about the game – the speed of the game – and the quicker I can get into that situation the better I’ll be in the long run.”

Stay tuned for a further update on Green’s status. At this point it looks like a Friday or Saturday return may not be out of the question…

* * *

UPDATE 10/31/11: Green did not practice for the seventh consecutive day and barring a ‘miracle’ will not play tomorrow night against the Ducks. From Capitals Watch:

And the defenseman again missed practice Monday – for the seventh straight day of workouts – with a twisted right ankle.

Coach Bruce Boudreau all but ruled Green out for Tuesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.

“He’s improving. He’s just not going on the ice yet,” Boudreau said. “So it’d suffice to say he probably won’t be playing tomorrow – unless we have a miracle.”

I suppose you can, and should, check back tomorrow before game time on his status, but don’t hold your breath. Without Green in the lineup, Boudreau used Roman Hamrlik, Dennis Wideman, John Carlson and Mike Knuble on the points.

* * *

UPDATE 10/28/11: According to Katie Carrera of The Washington Post, via Twitter, Green’s injury is not deemed long term. I suppose that could be construed as good news although it guarantees his absence from tomorrow night’s game. Green did not practice today and is still a few days away from returning to the ice.

* * *

UPDATE 10/27/11: Mike Green will not play tonight according to Katie Carrera of The Washington Post. He did not practice with the team today, failing to practice for the fifth consecutive day. Update your lineup accordingly.

* * *

UPDATE 10/26/11: Well, it looks like Green made the trip to Edmonton. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like that matters as the defenseman failed to skate today. From Capitals Watch:

Agent Craig Oster, said Monday that Green twisted his right ankle on the same play he was hit in the chin with the puck Saturday against the Red Wings. Oster was optimistic that Green would play against the Oilers Thursday, something that is now in doubt.

Stay tuned for an official update on his status tomorrow. If he can’t play, look for Dennis Wideman to move up a pairing and Sean Collins to round out the top six.

* * *

One has to wonder when Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green will get a break.

While Green was never the most durable player — playing 70, 82, 68, 75 and 48 games over his first five seasons — his offense generally made up for it. Outside of last season, where the Calgary native went through various ailments, Green was a lock to score at least 18 goals with the potential to hit 30. He was a modern-day Paul Coffey.

But last season put enough doubt in our minds to question his long-term value. If he regressed into the 40-point range he would no longer be an elite blue-liner. Through his first six games he scored a goal and an assist, leading his doubters to come out of the woodwork. He was a modern-day Sandis Ozolinsh.

Then in last Saturday’s game he broke out — scoring two goals and finishing the night with four points — putting him slightly below the point-per-game mark. With elite skills, outbursts like these happen — and Green certainly possesses elite skill.

Today was another story, when Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times noticed Green limping around with his right foot wrapped. From Capitals Watch:

Mike Green did not practice Monday, but when he was walking around Kettler Capitals Iceplex, he had a pretty significant limp.

Green’s right foot appeared to be wrapped, though the defenseman said it was not a cast. He said he was doing OK.\

“I’ll be fine,” he added.

Asked if he’s playing Thursday in Edmonton, Green’s response was: “We’ll see.”

Certainly a rather cryptic message to give the media. Ominous almost. So what seems to be the ailment? Again, from Capitals Watch:

His agent, Craig Oster, told The Washington Times that Green suffered a twisted ankle on the play in which he got hit in the face with the puck Saturday. Green told Oster that he expects to play.

“It’s a little bit swollen, but he thinks it’s fine,” Oster said.

Oster added that he doesn’t think it’s a severe injury, as long as no setbacks occur in the next few days.

The Caps don’t play until Thursday in Edmonton which may not be enough time for him to recover and then return to practice. Their next game after that is Saturday in Vancouver. Of course, if Green fails to make the trip, it should be a stronger indication he’s not ready.

For the modern day NHL bettor comes a resource that is tailor-made for the Information Age. This is Binary Breakdowns–where every NHL matchup is broken down into convenient little bits and bytes. For situational records, performance projections, and betting advice, this is a one-stop shop, as the Binary Breakdowns Database has a wealth of need-to-know info available on the go.

—

How it works:

The Binary Breakdowns Database logs team performances under various situational circumstances. Want to know how a certain team performs as an underdog, in back-to-back games, after a blowout loss, or when travelling from the East Coast to the Southeast? Information like this is stored in the database, and is recalled to make performance projections on future games which share similarities with past games.

—
Line Value Analysis:

Line value is determined by multiplying a team’s chances of winning by their moneyline odds (in decimal format). Therefore, even if a team has a less than 50% chance of winning, betting on them can still offer good value (every bet has a right price). A team’s chances of winning are calculated here using data from the database.

***

***

+ Today’s Line Value Analysis:

—

Situational Analysis:

Sometimes teams perform well but don’t win, while other times vice versa (goaltending frequently makes it or breaks it). Therefore, it also seemed prudent to take a look at win/loss records when trying to decide which teams to back (and for what dollar amounts).

***

The database stores win percentages for teams when playing under the following situational circumstances:

***

+Today’s Situational Analysis and Final Recommendations:

***
Using the situational analysis in combination with the line value analysis, the database offers betting recommendations in dollar amounts ranging from $1 to about $25 (which you can scale to your own betting range). The idea is to always bet where there is value, but to bet more where value comes with a recipe for winning (and also to bet more where there is more value)!
***
—

As with most things in life, the best way to produce consistent results (even consistently bad ones) is to have consistent methods and processes. The same goes for sports betting–it’s a science. Find your method, test your results, and then, modify your method to improve it. Repeat if neccessary.

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/RTBetting

Philadelphia Flyers

Ilya Bryzgalov remains the Flyers’ starting goalie but Sergei Bobrovsky will see his fair share of starts. Even though Bobrovsky posted noticeably better numbers than his counterpart — 2.42 GAA/.919 SV% opposed to 2.87 GAA/.898 SV% — the sophomore is not expected to take the reigns any time soon. Considering Bryzgalov is a high-profile signing, the Flyers will continue to give him every opportunity to improve. For what it is worth, Bryzgalov has been much better in 2012.

New Jersey Devils

On Wednesday, Devils head coach Pete DeBoer announced he would start Martin Brodeur down the stretch. Although Marty has played in only 33 of the team’s 50 tilts, he will be the difference between sneaking into the playoffs and missing the show for the second consecutive season. While the start totals look eerily similar between himself and backup Johan Hedberg, the latter is only expected to play during backup tilts. To date, the Moose has started 90 percent of those backup contests.

New York Islanders

Evgeni Nabokov has one foot out the door as he is expected to be traded by the end of the month. In the meantime, the longtime Shark is enjoying a bounce-back season where his goals against and save percentage are both better than his career averages– it’s also his best season since 2007-2008. Once Nabokov is eventually shipped off, Al Montoya and even prospect Kevin Poulin will get their fair share of playing time. Until then, feel confident in starting Nabby.

Boston Bruins

Tim Thomas may be a perennial All Star and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner but Tuukka Rask has been superb. As of this writing, both goalies are in the top 10 in goals against and top five in save percentage. In the team’s first six back-to-back games, Rask has started in every set, which makes sense considering the Bruins want to get their younger counterpart into more games. Look for head coach Claude Julien to operate on a 60/40 basis favoring Thomas while keeping their choices very close to the vest.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Who is the goalie to ride down the stretch? If history is any indication, James Reimer will backstop the Leafs to their destined position in the standings. Following a standout, shutout performance against Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Reimer looks fully healthy and ready to start every game with the city of Toronto behind him. However, this time he has a solid safety net in Jonas Gustavsson, who may have proved himself as a capable NHL goalie.

Buffalo Sabres

The All-Star break was good to Ryan Miller. After playing perhaps the worst hockey of his career, head coach Lindy Ruff almost platooned Miller and Jhonas Enroth in January. However, allowing only one goal on 57 shots over his last two games should instill a vote of confidence in the former Vezina Trophy winner. Furthermore, if he can keep up his solid play, the Sabres may get back into the playoff picture.

Detroit Red Wings

As you know, Jimmy Howard will miss roughly two weeks with broken fingers. In his place will be backup extraordinaire Ty Conklin with journeyman Joey MacDonald backing him up. However, there were rumors that the Red Wings could be seeking a more reliable backup before the trade deadline. For now, expect Conklin to get the bulk of the starts and for MacDonald to possibly see some action in a pinch.

St. Louis Blues

Jaroslav Halak remains the big-ticket attraction between the pipes for the Blues. While Brian Elliott is an All Star, Ken Hitchcock and company want bang for their buck when it comes to Halak which explains his sudden stretch of starts. Due to the defense-heavy system implemented in St. Louis, both goalies will have their share of low-scoring games. In fact, both goalies rank in the top six in GAA. At this point both ‘tenders are very steady options.

Chicago Blackhawks

Ray Emery was brought into Chicago in order to push Corey Crawford. So far it has only hurt his counterpart’s peripherals. After a breakout rookie campaign, Crawford has been rather mediocre with a 2.94 GAA and .900 SV%. And while those statistics would be suitable for Grant Fuhr in the 80s, they probably won’t cut it come playoff time. To his credit, Crawford has managed to keep it close in important games but you should expect Emery to string together consecutive starts — especially after one of Crawford’s now-trademark blowout losses.

Minnesota Wild

After missing an entire season, Josh Harding returned to the NHL and by all means hasn’t missed a beat. Prior to his injury, he was a highly-touted, blue chip prospect who turned into a very solid backup — the same ilk as Cory Schneider and Sergei Bobrovsky. However, this season, he was given the reigns to the starting goalie gig, albeit briefly, and could not hold onto it. After Harding’s five-goal meltdown against the Predators, Niklas Backstrom took back the role and should roll with it following his 37-save shutout against the Avs. Expect Harding to get some back-to-back starts while Backstrom leads the Wild the rest of the way.

Colorado Avalanche

Plain and simple: Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been better. And while the Avs traded away their first round pick(and more) for Semyon Varlamov, the younger counterpart simply has not been consistent enough to earn the confidence of coach Joe Sacco. By that same token, Giguere has been fantastic, sporting a 2.10 GAA and .922 SV% through 24 games. More importantly, he’s allowed four-or-more goals only twice this season. Expect the mentor to remain the starting goalie unless he goes on a stretch of bad starts.

Edmonton Oilers

Devan Dubnyk has taken the job and ran with it. For the first time all season, the younger counterpart started on back-to-back nights. In addition, he’s made four starts in a row as he brings the Oilers back into the playoff picture. A couple of months ago, Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski predicted Dubnyk would take over before the end of the season, effectively keeping his team in the mix. Well, their MvsW podcast is popular for a reason as the prophecy has come true and Nikolai Khabibulin has been relegated to the bench. Hard to argue with results so as long as Dubnyk keeps the puck out of the net, he will start.

Not the best news on Wings’ starting goalie Jimmy Howard. Despite participating in today’s morning skate, Howard will need around six weeks to fully heal from a broken finger according to Ansar Khan of Mlive.com, via Twitter. However, Howard would later explain that he should return in around two weeks.

Clearly Howard won’t be up to 100 percent which may effect his excellent season. Stay tuned for a further update.

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2/3/12: Detroit Red Wings starting goalie Jimmy Howard will be sidelined for at least two games according to the team’s official Twitter account. Originally reported by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, via Twitter, Howard was originally expected to miss around two weeks. However, the team is claiming he will sit out for two games before being reevaluated by team doctors.

This injury comes in the middle of a career season for Howard. The Ogdensburg, New York native leads all goalies in wins and is second in shutouts. He also places in the top five in goals against and top 10 in save percentage.

In the meantime, look for Ty Conklin and Joey MacDonald to split time between the pipes.