1 month agoColorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon saw his fantastic home point streak end on Thursday in a 3-2 shootout loss against the Rangers. The Avalanche superstar had collected at least one point in all 35 home outings this season before the Rangers found a way to neutralize him. Casey Mittelstadt and Devon Toews scored Colorado's goals as MacKinnon came up empty-handed with five shots on goal in 27:53 of action. The 35-game run, during which MacKinnon recorded 29 goals and 77 points, is the second-longest home point streak in NHL history, behind only Wayne Gretzky's 40-game mark from 1988-89. MacKinnon likely won't be too upset by Thursday's events, as he's had a phenomenal run with the Avalanche this season, recording a career-high 123 points (45 goals, 78 assists) in 73 games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoPittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday's 3-2 victory over Columbus. He was limited to only seven shifts and 5.27 of ice time in the contest. Graves' exit left the Penguins without their leading shot-blocker. The 28-year-old has put his body on the line against 142 shots this season while also recording 72 hits in 70 games with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists). John Ludvig will likely enter the lineup if Graves can't play in Saturday's rematch versus the Blue Jackets.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Penguins
1 month agoToronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren is nursing an upper-body injury and is expected to be out of the lineup for "some time." Liljegren came out of the lineup Thursday versus Washington, and it looks like he will be forced to miss multiple games. Mark Giordano was activated from long-term Injured Reserve on Thursday and replaced Liljegren in the lineup. Morgan Rielly (upper body) missed a second consecutive game, meaning the Maple Leafs are left quite thin at the back. However, there's hope that Rielly can make a quick return, and it's possible he will be ready for action on Saturday versus Buffalo.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: The Hockey News
1 month agoFlorida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (lower body) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Thursday versus the Islanders. He will be back in action after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. Ekblad sits on 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) through 47 games while boasting 78 hits and 55 blocks. He's set to resume his normal duties on the first defensive pairing and the second power-play unit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
1 month agoTampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov set a new career high with his 42nd goal of the season in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Boston. He had the honor of icing the game with an empty-netter. Kucherov's previous best of 41 goals had stood since his MVP campaign in 2018-19. Tampa's star could very well add another Hart Memorial Trophy to his collection this season as he leads the league in scoring with 124 points in 71 games. He has 10 games remaining to also break his current overall scoring record of 128 points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoOttawa Senators center Shane Pinto had a career night against Buffalo on Wednesday, producing four points in a 6-2 win. He had three assists in the opening frame and completed his work with an empty-net goal with 3:17 left to play in regulation. The 23-year-old posted more points on Wednesday than he had managed in his previous nine appearances. However, Pinto has still enjoyed a solid campaign with 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 30 games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoColorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin is nursing a lower-body injury, making him questionable to face the Rangers on Thursday. The Russian forward might be forced to come out of the lineup after playing in eight consecutive games following a return from personal leave of absence. Nichushkin has been on fire when in the lineup, posting 26 goals and 50 points across 48 games this season. Zach Parise might move into the top six to replace Nichushkin on Thursday, which would give the veteran added fantasy value.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ewan Rawal
1 month agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard is battling an illness, leaving him with a question mark for Thursday's matchup against the Rangers. The 25-year-old has made 51 appearances with the Avalanche this season, contributing three goals and 15 assists with 66 shots on net. Defensively, Girard has tallied 92 blocks and 68 hits while averaging close to 20 minutes of ice time. Caleb Jones will be Girard's likely replacement in the lineup on Thursday if he can't shake off the illness. Forward Joel Kiviranta is also feeling under the weather, so Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar might be forced into more than one change in his lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ewan Rawal
1 month agoSt. Louis Blues center Oskar Sundqvist has been ruled out for the rest of the 2023-24 NHL season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Sundqvist is heading for surgery after hurting his knee in Monday's 2-1 overtime loss against Vegas. The team announced that he will be re-evaluated in six months. Sundqvist, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, completed his seventh full season in the NHL with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 71 games. He will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoWashington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The 26-year-old will be out of action indefinitely. Bear, who signed a two-year, $4.125 million contract with the Capitals in late December, last featured for the team on March 13. He has made 24 total appearances, recording one goal and four points with 24 shots on goal, 16 hits, and 31 blocks. Bear is already the fifth player to enter the assistance program this season, following his former Washington teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov, Columbus' Patrik Laine, and Colorado's duo of Samuel Girard and Valeri Nichushkin.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoArizona Coyotes winger Josh Doan had a dream debut in the NHL on Tuesday, scoring two goals in a 6-2 victory over Columbus. The son of former Coyotes captain Shane Doan became the first player in franchise history to net multiple goals in his league debut. Doan, who was a second-round pick in 2021, got an opportunity in the big league after recording 46 points (26 goals, 20 assists) in 62 AHL appearances. The 22-year-old forward logged 13:14 of action in his debut and registered six total shots on goal with one hit. With the Coyotes eliminated from playoff contention, we should see plenty more of him over the final few weeks of the season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoNashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg put together a three-point performance on Tuesday as the team came from 4-1 down to win 5-4 in overtime against the Golden Knights. Forsberg scored Nashville's third goal and was one of the set-up men on both the fourth and fifth markers. It was a historic night, with Forsberg becoming the first player in franchise history with multiple 40-goal campaigns and also the first with multiple 80-point seasons. 14 of his 81 points have come during Forsberg's current seven-game scoring streak. The run includes a six-game goal streak as Forsberg has been one of the protagonists in Nashville's late-season surge.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoDallas Stars forward Jamie Benn stretched his goal streak to five games in Tuesday's 6-3 win over San Jose, adding a pair of assists. Benn started the night with a short-handed helper in the first period and picked up two even-strength points in the second frame. The goal-scoring run is part of a seven-game point streak. Benn will have a chance to match his career high with a six-game goal streak on Thursday versus Vancouver. With Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven next to him on the third line, Benn is having a very strong finish to the season. He's scored eight of his 17 goals this month to get to 52 points with 73 games played.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoPittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby recorded his sixth game of the season with at least three points on Tuesday, netting a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over Carolina. The Penguins captain assisted Bryan Rust on the game-winning goal at the 18:09 mark in the second period and bagged a pair of points near the end of the game with the opposition net empty. Crosby hit the 35-goal mark with the game and now has 76 points in 71 outings. He's had a whopping seven points across the past two games, and with back-to-back meetings with the struggling Blue Jackets coming up, Crosby's numbers could get another big boost this week.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoNew York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin kept up his red-hot form with a three-assist effort in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win against Philadelphia. This was Panarin's third straight multi-point game, and he boasts eight goals and seven assists for his last seven outings. The big scoring burst has given Panarin his first 100-point campaign with 10 games still left to play. He's had 43 goals and 59 assists in 72 appearances. Considering his recent form, Panarin could very well end up as a 120-point guy when it's all said and done.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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