Weekend Warriors: Dec.30th-Jan.1st (RESULTS)

Posted by daledupuis on December 30

Gearing up for your weekend stretch to win your week in a head-to-head Fantasy League? You came to the right spot.

The Combined scoring totals of the players we recommended this past weekend:

27 GP
18 points (5 G, 13 A)
11 0f 14 recommended players registered at least a point (79%)

Overall Grade: B-
We were pretty accurate in recommended players, but the scoring results lacked quantity. There was no Matt Moulson 4 goal performance to help pad our stats.

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*Team records and Special Teams rankings are accurate as of Thursday December 29, 2011

Here are the teams that play twice this this weekend (Friday to Sunday, home games in Green, road games in Red):

Buffalo Sabres – Fri @ WSH, Sat vs. OTT
Calgary Flames - Fri @ OTT, Sun @ NSH
Colorado Avalanche – Fri vs. DET, Sat @ ANH
Detroit Red Wings - Fri @ COL, Sat vs STL
Florida Panthers – Fri vs NYR, Sat @ MTL
Nashville Predators - Fri @ STL, Sun vs. CGY
Ottawa Senators - Fri vs. CGY, Sat @ BUF
St. Louis Blues - Fri vs NSH, Sat @ DET
Washington Capitals - Fri vs. BUF, Sat @ CBJ

Article by MindPuck.ca Contributors:

Dale Dupuis –> Follow @MPdaledupuis
Steven Wild –> Follow @StevenTWild

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Scorers to Pick-Up

Going into your weekend, those 1 or 2 points off of the Waiver Wire can be the difference between winning and losing your head-to-head matchup. Here are the Waiver Wire pickups to keep an eye out for.

Results in Green = player who produced at least a point
Results in Red = player who produced at least a point

Buffalo Sabres (17-16-3)

Home (9-9-3), Away (8-7-0), Last 10 (3-5-2)
Fri @ WSH, Sat vs. OTT

Drew Stafford: He has been a weekend warrior lock this season, as he is only owned in 43% of Yahoo! Leagues. He has been receiving 3:29 minutes of PP time over the past 5 games, and he’s gonna face Washington’s 16th ranked and Ottawa’s 25th ranked PK units this weekend. Also, he has a small 2-game point streak going into this weekend.
Results: 2 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, EVEN rating

Calgary Flames (18-15-4)

Home (10-5-2), Away (8-10-2), Last 10 (6-2-2)
Fri @ OTT, Sun @ NSH

Curtis Glencross: After suggesting the internet masses get on the Glencross express in the last edition he has rewarded the faithful with three multi point games in his last 5. How he is only picked up in 26% of leagues seems almost criminal but we all make mistakes.
Results: 2 GP, 1 Goal, 1 Assist, -1 rating

Colorado Avalanche (19-18-1)

Home (12-10-0), Away (7-8-1), Last 10 (6-4-0)
Fri vs. DET, Sat @ ANH

Ryan O’Reilly: The third year centre has already matched his season totals from each of his first two seasons (26 points) in 38 games. He also is looking at the most power play ice time on the team at an average of 3:44. He tends to score multiple points in a game or none at all but facing a weak Ducks team on Saturday might be a prime opportunity for him to chip in a few points.
Results: 2 GP, 0 goals, 2 assists, EVEN rating

Kyle Quincey: This is only for the biggest riverboat gamblers out there. Since his groin injury coach Sacco made him a healthy scratch for four games opting to “not mess with success” with the team on a 5 game win streak. After a loss the other night he is coming back into the lineup and look for him to be in absolute top form to prove he doesn’t want to be in the press box again.
Results: 2 GP, 1 Goal, 1 Assist, EVEN rating, 2 PIM

Detroit Red Wings (23-12-1)

Home (14-2-1), Away (9-10-0), Last 10 (7-3-0)
Fri @ COL, Sat vs. STL

Drew Miller: The far less famous Miller bro has been enjoying life under the radar in Hockeytown. Enjoying 5 points in the last 6 games with only around 12 minutes again is nothing to sneeze at. Don’t expect that streak to run forever but always play a hot hand.
Results: 2 GP, 0 goals, 2 assists, +2 Rating

Valtteri Filppula: A touch more talented that lil’ Miller the slick Fin has been cashing in on the second line with the help of a talented linemate named Pavel Datsyuk with 4 points in the last 5 games. He clocks 17-20 minutes a night with 2:30 avg on the PP. Kicking around half of Yahoo leagues out there.
Results: 2 GP, 1 goal, 1 assist, -1 Rating

Florida Panthers (19-11-7)

Home (9-3-5), Away (10-8-2), Last 10 (4-3-3)
Fri vs NYR, Sat @ MTL

Jason Garrison: He’ll be in tough against the Rangers’ 6th ranked and Montreal’s 3rd ranked PP units, but the d-man has been averaging 24:15 minutes of TOI per game and 2:39 of PP time this season. If any Cat on the waiver wire is going to get some points this weekend it’s Garrison.
Result: 2 GP, 0 goals, 1 assist, EVEN Rating

Shawn Matthias: Ever since Steven Weiss went down with an injury, Matthias has been shouldering #1 center duties in Miami. His Ice time over the past 5 games has been around the 20 minutes per game mark and with Weiss on the shelf for the weekend, Matthias could put up some numbers.
Result: 2 GP, 1 goal, o assists, -2 Rating

Nashville Predators (19-14-4)

Home (10-6-3), Away (9-8-1), Last 10 (7-3-0)
Fri @ STL, Sun vs. CGY

Jonathon Blum: With the captain joining the concussion crew somebody needs to step up on the leagues number 3 ranked power play and the offensive minded Blum should fit the bill. He has two points in the last two games and look for points to come more consistently until his ice time starts to drop as the depleted blue line in the music city starts to heal up.
Result: 1 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists, EVEN Rating

Jordan Tootoo: Legend has it he is good for more than plowing into goalies and biting players, not sure if I believe it but the box scores keep telling me I have to. So I have to take notice of his 3 points and 4 pim in the last 4 games and decided he might be a contributor in the Trotz machine.
Result: 2 GP, 0 goals, 2 assists, +2 Rating

Ottawa Senators (17-15-5)

Home (10-8-1), Away (7-7-4), Last 10 (4-4-2)
Fri vs. CGY, Sat @ BUF

Daniel Alfredsson: It is a travesty that one of the best two-way players over the last couple decades is only owned in 41% of Yahoo! Fantasy Leagues. That being said, he has been averaging 2:31 minutes of PP time on ice over the past 5 games, not to mention 18 points in the past 16 outings. The old Swede is not done scoring yet.
Result: 2 GP, 1 Goal (GWG), 0 Assists, -1 Rating

St. Louis Blues (21-11-4)

Home (14-3-1), Away (7-8-3), Last 10 (7-2-1)
Fri vs. NSH, Sat vs. DET

David Perron: No justifiable reason you don’t have him. 10 points in 11 games since coming back and he is going to keep doing this people.
Result: 2 GP, 0 Goals, 1 Assist, -1 Rating

Patrik Berglund: In a more reasonable suggestion the Berg (not to be confused with Leafs legend Aki Berg) has been good for 4 points in the last 5 games and is at the top of the power play ice time list in the last 5 games. The power play has not been a hallmark strength for the Blues this season but it is finally starting to get on track and Berglund will be a key component of the turn around.
Result: 2 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, -1 Rating

Washington Capitals (18-15-2)

Home (12-5-1), Away (6-10-1), Last 10 (5-4-1)
Fri vs. BUF, Sat @ CBJ

Marcus Johansson: Is ranked 4th on the team in PP time over the past 5 games with 2:50 minutes per night. He also has 3 points in the last 4 games, so look for the Caps to get their PP going against Columbus’ force-of-a 29th ranked PK unit. Johansson has an opportunity to break out.
Result: 2 GP, 0 Goals, 1 Assist, +1 Rating

Backup Goaltenders likely to get a start

Leland Irving: Likely to start tomorrow against Ottawa on the second half of a back-t0-back after Kipper got the nod tonight

Jaroslav Halak: Confirmed starter tomorrow against Nashville

Jhonas Enroth: Expect Enroth to get the nod against Ottawa on Saturday, Senators not as feared as Caps so Miller will get the first half of the back-to-back

Jean-Sebastian Giguere: Jiggy will most likely get the second half of back-to-back against his former team and almost-dead-last Anaheim.

Ty Conklin: Should get the easier of the two starts in Colorado on Friday, Howard will be saved for divisional showdown vs. St. Louis on Saturday

Scott Clemmensen: Montreal faces a lot of backup goaltenders due to their struggles, and although they seem to have turned a corner, Scotty Clementine will likely relieve Theodore on Saturday.

Michal Neuvirth: What better opportunity to regain his rattled confidence than against the powerhouse (read that: “dead-last”) Blue Jackets.