Week 20 Fantasy Hockey Planner

No rest for the weary with the Olympic tournament having just concluded. Who might start the stretch run on a positive note? Our Michael Hurcomb gets you up to speed for Week 20 in his latest Fantasy Planner.

Week 20 (March 1-7)

Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Montreal, Nashville, N.Y. Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Vancouver
Teams playing three games: Anaheim, Calgary, Dallas, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New Jersey, N.Y. Islanders, Ottawa, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Washington
Teams playing two games: Columbus

Atlantic Division

New Jersey Devils: Defenseman Paul Martin (arm) and forward David Clarkson (leg) are both expected back on Tuesday against the Sharks. Both players have been sidelined for more than 30 games, so we might expect a little rustiness. Both players remain questionable starts ... Ilya Kovalchuk has one goal and four assists in his first six games with the Devils. He has taken 31 shots in that span ... Zach Parise scored in each of the last three games before the Olympic break to run his season total to 28. He needs 17 goals in the final 21 games to match his career-high of 45, set last season.
N.Y. Islanders: Goalie Rick DiPietro missed the last two games before the break because of the flu. He is expected to play in Week 20, so he is a low-risk start ... Josh Bailey, who has been out since Feb. 2 with an upper-body injury, is expected to return after the break. However, he remains more of a risky start than DiPietro ... Rookie John Tavares has two goals in his last 31 games after scoring 15 in his first 31 appearances ... Defenseman Andy Sutton has become a potential trade target. However, we doubt his Fantasy appeal would increase that much, even if he lands on a top contender. Offense is not his forte ... Blake Comeau has three goals, four points and a plus-4 rating in his last two games.
N.Y. Rangers: We expect Marian Gaborik (thigh) to be in the lineup Tuesday against the Senators after playing for Slovakia in the Olympics, but if he is laboring at all, we wouldn't be surprised if New York sits him down for a few games ... Erik Christensen has been even or better in 25 of 29 games since coming to New York in December. He is plus-7 in that span with five goals and 13 points. Christensen has been centering the top line as of late.
Philadelphia Flyers: Don't expect to see goalie Ray Emery back shortly after the break. He is dealing with a career-threatening hip injury, so Philadelphia will probably be extra cautious. Michael Leighton should continue to see most of the starts; however, Philadelphia could pull off a trade for a veteran goalie -- possibly Tomas Vokoun or Tim Thomas -- before Wednesday's deadline ... Ville Leino is still looking to make his Flyers' debut. Leino did not dress in the four games following his acquisition from Detroit ... Danny Briere has recently shifted to the left wing, a position he enjoys playing. Briere had a hat trick against Montreal in his final game before the break and has five points during a three-game point streak ... Jeff Carter has five goals during a four-game goal streak. He didn't have a goal in his previous five games.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Evgeni Malkin has a NHL-best 13-game point streak brewing. He has eight goals and 14 assists in that span. This comes after ending a career-worst 11-game scoring slump ... Sidney Crosby continues to add onto his career high in goals, which currently stands at 42. He is on pace for 56, which Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr are the only players in Penguins' history to score more than 56 goals in a season ... Jordan Staal has a plus-16 rating and hasn't finished under even in seven straight games.
Favorable matchup: Pittsburgh (BUF, @NYR, DAL, BOS). Mellon Arena has been kind to the Penguins, who sit third in home scoring (3.39 GFG). The Penguins are also averaging 3.00 or more goals against Buffalo, New York and Boston.
Unfavorable matchup: New Jersey (@SJ, @CGY, @EDM). The road has not been kind to the Devils, who are averaging 2.23 goals per game away from home (26th). It doesn't help New Jersey has to face two top five defenses -- San Jose (2.37 GAA) and Calgary (2.42).

Northeast Division

Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron wasn't living up to the billing prior to the break. He hasn't scored in his last 11 games and has found the back of the net just once in 13 games since returning from a broken thumb ... Michael Ryder's name has come up in trade rumors, and it will be interesting to see if he is moved before Wednesday's deadline. Boston has soured on the veteran since his scoring hasn't been up to par in 2009-10.
Buffalo Sabres: Thomas Vanek is on pace for only 25 goals after averaging 40 scores the last three seasons ... Derek Roy has totaled five goals in his last seven games.
Montreal Canadiens: Defenseman Andrei Markov (undisclosed) should be ready to go Tuesday against the Bruins after playing for Russia in the Olympics. He is a low-risk start for Week 20 ... Montreal is hoping Andrei Kostitsyn (knee) and Benoit Pouliot (shoulder) will be back on Tuesday as well, but it is not a given. Consider them risky starts for the upcoming scoring period. Mike Cammalleri is still out until at least mid-March with a knee injury ... Scott Gomez has three goals and four assists in his last six games.
Ottawa Senators: Alexei Kovalev has three goals and four assists during a four-game point streak. The Russian forward has finally hit his stride for Ottawa. He has 10 goals and 25 points in his last 22 games and has emerged as a solid Fantasy start again. Kovalev will be a key scoring presence for Ottawa down the stretch ... Defenseman Erik Karlsson is expected to return Tuesday against the Rangers after missing five games with a shoulder injury.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Alexei Ponikarovsky is a candidate to be traded by Wednesday's deadline. A trade could alter Ponikarovsky's Fantasy appeal since he is currently one of the top wingers for Toronto, and if he goes to a contender, his scoring chances could decrease ... Enforcer Colton Orr has totaled 44 penalty minutes, four fights and two game misconducts in his last three games. The first-year Maple Leaf is up to 161 penalty minutes, the third most for any Toronto player in the last eight years.
Favorable matchup: Boston (MON, TOR, @NYI, @PIT). This might not be a popular pick since Boston is the worst-scoring team in the NHL, but the Bruins did head into the break averaging 3.50 goals in their previous four games. Pittsburgh is averaging 4.00 goals against Pittsburgh and Toronto. Also, three of the Penguins' four opponents -- Pittsburgh, New York and Toronto -- all rank in the bottom 10 for defense, allowing 2.87 or more goals per game.
Unfavorable matchup: Montreal (@BOS, @SJ, @LA, @ANA). The Canadiens haven't been a consistent team scoring on the road, averaging just 2.32 goals per game away from home (22nd). Montreal also hasn't had a lot of luck against Western Conference opponents, averaging 2.36 goals in 14 games. To pile it on, Montreal has scored only seven goals in four games against division-foe Boston.

Southeast Division

Hurc's top sleepers for Week 20
	Player	Start %
1.	Tuukka Rask, G, Bruins	29
2.	Tuomo Ruutu, C, Hurricanes	8
3.	Joe Pavelski, C, Sharks	61
4.	David Krejci, C, Bruins	19
5.	Kris Letang, D, Penguins	67
6.	Jussi Jokinen, LW, Hurricanes	62
7.	Antti Niemi, G, Blackhawks	31
8.	Matt Duchene, C, Avalanche	48
9.	Sami Salo, D, Canucks	37
10.	Chris Kunitz, LW, Penguins	36

Atlanta Thrashers: Atlanta is expected to finish out the season with Johan Hedberg and Ondrej Pavelec in net after the trade of Kari Lehtonen. If Atlanta makes another deal before the deadline it will likely be for a goalie prospect and not a rental ... Niclas Bergfors has three goals and four points in five games since being acquired from New Jersey ... Evander Kane has three goals and four points in his last four games.
Carolina Hurricanes: Coach Paul Maurice is pleased with the two-way play of second-year forward Brandon Sutter. Even when he is on a defensive line, Maurice commented that Sutter still has the potential to contribute on offense. Sutter had one goal and six points in seven games before the break ... Goalie Cam Ward (back) will be re-evaluated in early March, but he is not recommended start for Week 20 ... Ray Whitney is expected to be traded by Wednesday's deadline. However, he is looking for a two-year extension before he waives his no-trade clause.
Florida Panthers: Nathan Horton, who has been out since Jan. 21 with a fractured leg, is hoping to play on Tuesday against the Thrashers. It's still not a given, so there is some risk to starting the veteran forward ... The new year has not been kind to Stephen Weiss, who has only three goals and 10 points in 18 games since the calendar year hit 2010. Weiss had 10 goals and 19 points in December. Coach Peter DeBoer blames a nagging lower-body injury on Weiss' struggles, but added the Olympic break should help his top-line center for the stretch run. The return of linemate Horton should also help.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos has tied the franchise record with a point in 13 straight games. He has 10 goals and 13 assists in that span ... Steve Downie has four goals and six assists during a seven-game point streak ... Martin St. Louis, the other skater on the Lightning's potent top line, has nine goals and seven assists in his last 10 games ... Vincent Lecavalier has fallen into another slump. He has only one goal and three points in his last nine games. General manager Brian Lawton has said Lecavalier is not on the trade block, but with new ownership set to inherit the Lightning, Lecavalier could end up as trade bait.
Washington Capitals: Defenseman Tom Poti (groin) is expected to play in the first game after the break, so consider him a low-risk start for Week 20 ... Mike Knuble has 13 goals in his last 16 games ... While Alex Ovechkin gets lauded for his scoring ability, it should also be noted that he has taken his defense to another level in 2009-10. The two-time MVP is at a career-best plus-43 through 54 games.
Favorable matchup: Carolina (@TOR, OTT, @FLA, @ATL). Carolina has been one of the better scoring teams since late January and finished February fourth in scoring (3.29 GFG). The Hurricanes will look to carry that momentum into March. Lucky for them that they are averaging 3.00 or more goals against each of their first four March opponents.
Unfavorable matchup: Florida (@ATL, PHI, CAR). The Panthers have totaled just 15 goals in their last 13 games. They won't have an easy time getting back on track in Week 20. Florida is not scoring more than 3.00 goals per game against any of its Week 20 opponents.

Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks: Marian Hossa skated for Slovakia in the Olympics, so he should return from a head injury right after the break. Keep him active for Week 20 ... Defenseman Kim Johnsson has one goal on six shots since coming over in a trade from Minnesota ... Goalie Antti Niemi won the last four games before the break and has won eight of his last 10 games. He appears to have unseated Cristobal Huet as the team's No. 1 goalie -- at least for the time being. There are rumors that Chicago is looking to beef up its goalie situation heading into the stretch run.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Jakub Voracek has one goal and five assists in his last four games. He has been a player to benefit from the new leadership of interim coach Claude Noel ... Derick Brassard has an assist in four straight games and is another player that seems re-energized since the coaching change. Both promising forwards could be sleepers for Fantasy owners down the stretch.
Detroit Red Wings: Valtteri Filppula (groin) has been playing with Finland in the Olympics, so he should be prepared to play after the break. Keep him active for Week 20. Filppula has four goals and 15 points in his last 20 games ... Tomas Holmstrom is also expected back after the break from a knee injury, but he is not a recommended start until he proves healthy and productive ... Brian Rafalski, who starred for Team USA at the Olympics, has six assists in his last six games.
Nashville Predators: Defenseman Dan Hamhuis is being actively shopped and should be traded by Wednesday's deadline ... Shea Weber leads NHL defensemen with nine goals on the road.
St. Louis Blues: It seems being left off the Team USA roster was all the motivation T.J. Oshie needed to get his game on track. Oshie has six goals and 17 points in 22 games since the USA roster was announced on Jan. 1. While that might have been an underlying motivation for Oshie, the coaching of Davis Payne has also been a helpful tool ... Cam Janssen was a busy man before the Olympic break. He totaled 42 penalty minutes, four fights and two game misconducts in his final two games heading into the break. Janssen has been creating a lot of problems since the calendar hit 2010. He has 85 penalty minutes in his last 12 games.
Favorable matchup: Chicago (@NYI, EDM, VAN, DET). Chicago will enjoy playing three times at the United Center since it ranks seventh in home scoring (3.13 GFG). The Blackhawks are also averaging 4.33 goals against Edmonton and 3.07 goals against Eastern Conference opponents.
Unfavorable matchup: Columbus (VAN, @SJ). Columbus is the only team with two games in Week 20, and it has to face two top 10 defenses -- San Jose (2.37 GAA) and Vancouver (2.46). Enough said.

Northwest Division

Calgary Flames: Rene Bourque (shoulder) is expected to return following the Olympic break, but no date has been announced. He was struggling prior to getting hurt, so it's best to keep Bourque reserved until he is back on the ice and being productive ... Matt Stajan has two goals and four points in seven games since being acquired from Toronto.
Colorado Avalanche: Right wing Milan Hejduk (knee) is expected to return on Monday against the Red Wings. Consider him a low-risk start for Week 20 ... Defenseman John-Michael Liles could be moved by Wednesday's trade deadline, if Colorado can find someone to take on his hefty contract ... Wojtek Wolski has two goals in his last 24 games. The coaching staff has stressed to Wolski to shoot more and pass less, so he can snap his scoring slump ... Chris Stewart has eight goals and nine assists in his last 19 games.
Edmonton Oilers: Center Sam Gagner, who has missed four games with a sore knee, is expected to play Tuesday against the Predators. He is a low-risk start for the upcoming scoring period. Gagner is a notorious second-half player, so he could help Fantasy owners down the stretch ... Defenseman Sheldon Souray could be moved at the trade deadline despite being sidelined by a hand injury ... General manager Steve Tambellini is looking to clean house by Wednesday's deadline, so a lot of veterans will be made available. Among the names being floated around are Steve Staios, Ethan Moreau, Patrick O'Sullivan, Lubomir Visnovsky and Shawn Horcoff ... Goalie Devan Dubnyk is expected to return from the AHL after the break and get plenty of playing time down the stretch. He should share goaltending duties with Jeff Deslauriers.
Minnesota Wild: Center Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who has been sidelined since the first game with a concussion, is hoping to play at some point during the team's final 21 games. However, there is no need to add him in Fantasy since Bouchard's return is not a foregone conclusion ... Center Mikko Koivu has seven assists in his last six games and already has his second straight 40-assist season ... Andrew Brunette has reached 30 assists in eight of his last 10 seasons.
Vancouver Canucks: Ryan Kesler's 10 goals and 22 points on the power play lead Vancouver in both categories. He is also top 10 in the NHL in power-play points. The Olympian is an unsung hero in Vancouver and is often overshadowed by top-line center Henrik Sedin. However, Kesler managed 10 or more points in each of his first four months and should eclipse 60 points for the first time in his career ... The Fragile Finn, Sami Salo, has three goals, 12 points and a plus-7 rating in his last 15 games. Unfortunately, it hasn't been a clean 15 games as Salo has missed time due to injury ... Alex Burrows has one goal and one assist in his last seven games after totaling a season-high 22 points (15 goals) and plus-17 rating in 13 January games.
Favorable matchup: Colorado (DET, @ANA, @PHO, STL). Really no teams in the Northwest Division have overwhelming favorable matchups, but Colorado gets the nod here since it's the least of all evils. The Avalanche is averaging 2.67 or more goals against Detroit, Phoenix and St. Louis.
Unfavorable matchup: Calgary (MIN, NJ, @MIN). The Flames have scored only twice in two games against the Wild. Calgary is also 28th in scoring against Eastern Conference opponents (2.31 GFG). It doesn't help its only Eastern Conference opponent for Week 20 is also the second-best defense in the NHL -- New Jersey (2.33 GAA).

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks: Jason Blake has only three points in seven games since being acquired from Toronto ... Corey Perry has three goals, nine points and a plus-6 rating in his last seven games ... Scott Niedermayer has one goal and five assists during a four-game point streak. He has been at even in all four games and has finished in the minus in only three of his last 13 games. He is finally turning a corner defensively after struggling for most of the year.
Dallas Stars: Goalie Marty Turco is apparently sticking around after being involved in trade rumors leading up to the break. Turco is 4-1-1 in his last six appearances with a 1.15 GAA in that span ... Mike Ribeiro has three goals, two assists and a plus-3 rating in three games since returning from a tracheotomy. It appears safe to start him again in Fantasy ... Rookie Jamie Benn continues to make a smooth transition to playing center. He finished February with five goals and six points in six games.
Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar has rediscovered his scoring touch. He has a point in 11 of his last 12 games (nine goals, nine assists). After slumping to six points in December, Kopitar has been on a roll since January. He has 12 goals and 25 points in his last 20 games.
Phoenix Coyotes: Matthew Lombardi has six points in his last four games. However, five of those points came in one game against Edmonton. The numbers are a tad misleading ... Radim Vrbata has 13 goals in his last 36 games. He is also a plus-14 player in that span.
San Jose Sharks: San Jose is hopeful Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who has been out since Jan. 28 with a lower-body injury, will play after the Olympic break. However, there is no need to activate him in Fantasy until his offensive game gets on track.
Favorable matchup: San Jose (NJ, MON, CLB). San Jose is fourth in home scoring, averaging 3.35 goals per game. The Sharks are also second in scoring against Eastern Conference opponents (3.87 GFG).
Unfavorable matchup: Phoenix (STL, COL, ANA). The Coyotes won't leave Arizona in Week 20, but they might not get a favorable dose of home cooking. Phoenix has faced each of its Week 20 opponents at least twice and isn't averaging more than 2.80 goals against any of those teams. Anaheim and Colorado are also playing solid defensive hockey, as both teams were in the top 10 for defense in February.

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