I apologize for not doing a report for the past two days; I had to frantically run my fantasy football team and talk about the NFL during that time span. BUT let’s keep rolling along with our next report!
Nine games will be played on December 16, 2008:
Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders
Colorado Avalanche vs. Philadelphia Flyers
New Jersey Devils vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Atlanta Thrashers vs. Ottawa Senators
Phoenix Coyotes vs. Dallas Stars
Calgary Flames vs. St. Louis Blues
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers
New York Rangers vs. Anaheim Ducks
So without further ado, let’s get this party started!
Ryan Getzlaf: In his last game against Minnesota, he scored a goal and had a +/- rating of +2. But facing the Rangers, who currently sit atop the Atlantic Division at 42 points, it will be a 50-50 decision whether or not to play him. If I had him on your fantasy team, I would play him if your Max & Pace for Forwards was a negative number.
Dwayne Roloson: Okay sure you can argue that he recorded a 23-save shutout in his last game against Vancouver. But do you want to bet money that he’ll get another shutout against a team like Chicago? Also add on to the fact that the goaltending situation up in Eskimo-land is very foggy; whether he plays or not is a whole different story! Odds are, he probably will, but would he be able to extend his winning streak to four? Probably, but it would be a risky move.
Jeremy Williams: Well this could be a very interesting decision to make. He’s only played two games, but he has already scored two goals and 1 assist for the Leafs while boasting a rating of +3. But if Scott Clemmensen, who is currently heating it up with a 4-game winning streak, is to start today, do you want to bet money that Williams will extend his scoring streak to three games?
Alexander Semin: I can’t stress enough but to play him. How adamant am I in this decision? Let’s just say that if you were to bench him in today’s game against the Islanders, you can kiss your fantasy season goodbye…okay that’s probably not true, but you get the point.
Nicklas Backstrom: He’s had a migraine headache since Saturday, but you can expect him to play today against New York. Plus, how can you say no to the guy who has averaged one point per game?
Mike Green: In case you didn’t realize, Mike Green has BEEN back. Since his return, he has scored one goal and two assists. With his next matchup against a weak Islanders team, put him on the starting roster even if your Max & Pace for defensemen is at a positive number.
Christopher Higgins: If you have him on your team, put him on the IR as soon as you can. His injured shoulder will keep him off the ice for about five weeks.
Marty Turco: I guess our good friend Fibonacci was right. He did secure a win against a now-cold Detroit Red Wings team. This time, however, Fibonacci will be wrong as Turco will be playing against a weaker Coyotes team. If Fibonacci is right, then we’ll notice the inconsistency of not only the Dallas netminder, but also Dallas sports.
Daniel Carcillo: Well like I said before, Marty Turco is probably gonna light it up between the Dallas pipes. If your fantasy league awards points for PIM, play him. Otherwise, sit him.
David Backes: He actually managed to score a goal and an assist against the San Jose Sharks. But would you want to bet any money on him scoring against Calgary? Sure Calgary might be a tough team, but if you get muchos puntos for PIM, go ahead and play him. If you do play him in a league that awards no points for PIM, make an Indiana Jones leap of faith across a chasm.
Vesa Toskala: Okay so he’s won his last two games. But how do you think he’ll do against a New Jersey Devils team that scored eight times against the New York Rangers? You could argue that Toskala has been on fire recently, but it would be a risk to say that the Devils don’t have enough fire of their own to counter the flames of the Toronto netminder.
Kyle Okposo: He hasn’t been playing since mid-November, so if you still have him on your fantasy team, either move him to the IR or drop him. He won’t come back until next month.
Jeremy Roenick: Put him on the Injured Reserve too. His injured shoulder will keep him off the ice for three weeks.
