RADIO
Nikita Kucherov Picks Up Trio Of Points On Saturday
1/13:Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov registered a goal and collected a pair of assists in his team's 5-3 defeat of the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Last year's Hart Trophy candidate just continues his scorching hot run since the beginning of December and with Saturday's three points, now has 40 points (12 goals, 28 assists) in 19 games over that time span. Kucherov leads the NHL scoring race with 75 points (seven points ahead of second place's Mikko Rantanen) and is on pace to rack up an unbelievable 137 points this season. He's an undisputed top-five asset in fantasy hockey and should be a lock in all fantasy lineups no matter the circumstance.Source: NHL.com
Jordan Binnington Wins Thirds Consecutive Start
1/13:St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington picked up his third career victory in his team's 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. The 25-year-old was relatively untested in this one but was able to make timely saves when called upon, turning aside 21 of 22 shots against. Filling in for struggling netminder Jake Allen, Binnington has now won each of his three NHL starts and now flashes an impressive 1.45 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage in five total appearances on the season. Considering the Ontario native looks to have grasped the starting role for the time-being, Binnington's low ownership in Yahoo! leagues (17%) will likely continue to climb.Source: NHL.com
Vladimir Tarasenko Scores Two Goals In Saturday's Win
1/13:St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko buried two goals in his team's 3-1 defeat of the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. The 27-year-old opened the scoring just 34 seconds into the game and then closed the contest out with a late power-play marker late in the third period. It's undoubtedly been a disappointing season for the Russian sniper in 2018-2019 (just 27 points in 42 games) but Tarasenko is starting to show life with five points (three goals, two assists) in his past five games. Fantasy owners who have remained patient with the talented winger are hoping this recent hot streak is a sign of continued scoring throughout the second half. Tarasenko will look to find the scoresheet again on Monday versus the Capitals.Source: NHL.com
Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter Cool Off Pens
1/13:Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter combined five points in Saturday's 5-2 win over Pittsburgh. Kopitar scored twice, including a short-handed goal, while Carter had a goal and two assists. Jake Guentzel notched both goals for the Pens, who suffered only their second loss in the last 12 games. With the team struggling, Kopitar and Carter have both been major disappointments this season. The Slovenian sits on 31 points through 45 games, while Carter has only 22. The latter has registered points in only four of the last 15 games. Kopitar has provided offense a lot more regularly, but after a 92-point year, he's on pace to finish with fewer than 60.Source: ESPN
Braden Holtby Injures Eye In Saturday's Loss
1/13:Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby was forced to leave Saturday's 2-1 loss to Columbus early after injuring his left eye. He took a stick to the eye from Cam Atkinson through his mask in the second period. Pheonix Copley replaced Holtby, and he played a perfect game until getting beaten by Artemi Panarin on a power play in overtime. It's not yet known how much time Holtby is forced to miss. His absence will be a blow for the Caps, although Copley has done very well this season, posting a 10-2-3 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.Source: ESPN
Artemi Panarin Makes Franchise History On Saturday
1/13:Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Artemi Panarin made franchise history in Saturday's 2-1 win over Washington, becoming the first Jackets player to register four overtime goals in a single season. The Breadman finished the game on a power play 3:30 into the extra frame, with Seth Jones picking up the lose assist. Cam Atkinson also scored for Columbus, while Evgeny Kuznetsov sent the game to overtime with a late strike. Panarin has been red-hot lately, getting 14 points in the last 10 games. He's up to 16 goals and 48 points for the season. The Russian has struck on the power play in two consecutive games.Source: ESPN
Carey Price Posts Third Shutout Of The Year
1/13:Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price proved once again why he's known as Mr. Saturday Night, posting a 28-save shutout in a 3-0 win against Colorado. Brett Kulak, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordie Benn all scored in the third period, with Kulak registering the game-winner in a short-handed situation. Price improved his record for the season to 17-13-4. He's recorded two of his three shutouts in his last five starts, so Price has started 2019 off in great form. He has failed to win only seven appearances since the start of last month.Source: ESPN
Ben Bishop Facing Blues On Saturday
1/12:Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop will start for his team in net against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. The 32-year-old last saw action against this same Blues team back on Tuesday - in which he turned aside 26 of 27 shots against to earn his 15th victory of the 2018-2019 season. The second-year Star is in the midst of a very strong campaign in Dallas, ranking fifth in the NHL in goals-against average (2.36 GAA) and seventh in save percentage (.923 SVP). He's made a case for himself as a top-ten fantasy goaltender and deserves to be started against a bottom-tier Blues offense on Saturday.Source: Sean Shapiro
Collin Delia Gets The Call On Saturday
1/12:Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Collin Delia will take the crease as his team faces the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. The rookie last suited up in a road meeting with the Predators on Wednesday - stopping 33 of 37 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss. Delia has taken advantage of an opportunity (with Corey Crawford out indefinitely due to injury) and has put together six very strong starts for the Hawks, earning three wins and posting a 2.49 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage. While one could argue that he's not the greatest starting option on Saturday (against a lethal Golden Knights team), he's still available in 74% of Yahoo! leagues and could serve as a valuable short-term add.Source: Charlie Roumeliotis
Marc-Andre Fleury To Start On Saturday
1/12:Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will assume starting duties for his team against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. The 34-year-old was on the wrong side of a 3-2 loss to the Sharks in his last appearance on Thursday, giving up three goals on 27 shots against. Fleury has been a workhorse in Vegas this season and is leading the NHL in both appearances (40) and wins (25) coming into Saturday's tilt. The three-time Stanley Cup champ is proving that his spectacular first season in Vegas was no fluke and has posted an impressive 2.48 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage thus far. He's a top fantasy goaltender and should be an automatic start for fantasy owners on Saturday.Source: David Shoen
Mats Zuccarello Pushes Rangers Past Islanders
1/12:New York Rangers right wing Mats Zuccarello scored the game-winning goal in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Islanders. The Isles, who beat the Rangers on Thursday 4-3, found themselves ahead following an Anthony Beauvillier strike, but Filip Chytil tied the game and Zuccarello provided the winner with a little over five minutes left in regulation. It's been a really tough season for Zuccarello, who's been limited to just 31 games. He's got only 16 points and carries an awful minus-19 rating. Zuccarello has been a consistent 60-point scorer in recent seasons, but he faces a big challenge to even get to 30 in 2018-19.Source: ESPN
Miles Wood Continues Good Form With Game-Winner
1/12:New Jersey Devils left wing Miles Wood scored the decisive goal in Saturday's 3-2 win over Philadelphia to continue his good recent form. The 25-year-old has finished pointless just twice in his last seven outings, finding a warm spot on the team's second line alongside Travis Zajac and Blake Coleman. Wood is also skating on the second power-play unit, so he's a decent addition in deep leagues at the moment. Nico Hischier had a goal and assist on Saturday, while Demon Severson also scored. Mackenzie Blackwood returned from a spell on the sidelines with a 32-save performance. James van Riemsdyk and Sean Couturier both registered a goal and an assist for the Flyers.Source: ESPN
Hat Trick Tops Five-Game Point Streak for Jake Guentzel
1/12:Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel pocketed three goals on seven shots Friday night in the win over Anaheim. Guentzel has now picked up points in each of his last five games, including five goals, giving him 42 points in 44 games. He is now only seven points away from establishing a new career high even though his power-play production has dropped slightly from last year. Guentzel is riding a high shooting percentage (18.3 percent), so his goal production may level off at some point, but it seems pretty clear that any opportunity to buy low on the young forward has passed. Even though he has proven that he can be valuable based on his own skill, he is a must-start as long as he is lined up alongside Sidney Crosby.Source: NHL.com
Big Game for Evgeni Malkin in High-Scoring Victory
1/12:Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin recorded a goal and three assists on Friday night as the Penguins put seven goals by Gibson and the Ducks. Malkin now has nine points in each of his last five games, with seven of those points coming as assists. With only 10 points in the 14 games preceding his latest point streak, Malkin has been productive but seems to finally be settling into his elite form again. After scoring more than 30 goals in each of the last two seasons, Malkin is on pace to fall just short of that this year but his increased assist rate will keep him as a top-end center option in all formats.Source: NHL.com
Jeff Skinner Scores 30th Goal In Return To Carolina
1/12:Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner deposited his 30th goal of the season in a 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The tally was likely special for the 26-year-old who was skating in his first game in Carolina since being traded (for three prospects and a draft pick) over the summer. Despite his team taking the loss, Skinner has flourished this season in his new organization, posting 43 points (30 goals, 13 assists) in 44 games while cementing himself on the team's top line alongside Jack Eichel. The Ontario native looks primed to best his previous career-high in goals (37 in 2016-2017) and has become perhaps the greatest fantasy draft bargain of the current campaign. He's a must-start option and will look to keep finding the back of the net in his next game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.Source: NHL.com
