This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the League
It was a busy Thursday night with 10 games on the slate. By the end of the month, the 2014-15 season will have reached the halfway mark. Slow starters like the Blues have finally caught up and are in the midst of a race for the division title while fast starters like the Flames and Predators are seeing teams nipping at their heels and seeing their leads slowly diminish.
Without further ado, here's recapping last night's action:
- In Boston, the B's tried to stage a late comeback but fell short 3-2 against the Hawks, winners of eight straight. Klas Dahlbeck scored his first NHL goal to open the game on a night where Chicago's superior depth won the game with Marcus Kruger and Ben Smith each netting two points. Scott Darling made 32 saves to improve to 5-1-0 while Tuukka Rask and the Bruins fall 10 points out of contention for the division title. It's not even the halfway mark and the Bruins lack of depth is already starting to show. The defense is banged up and they have few minor league forwards that can be significant contributors.
- Buffalo's top line of Zemgus Girgensons, Matt Moulson and Tyler Ennis combined for seven points as they upset the Flames, 4-3. It was Moulson's first multi-goal game of the season while Ennis' three assists gives him a respectable 20 points in 29 games. Jhonas Enroth was the key difference maker for the game – though his stats don't show it, the Swedish Olympian is actually quite a strong goalie and saves a lot of shots his defense allows through. He made 42 saves for the win while the Flames' three-game losing streak may see them get leapfrogged by the Sharks and Kings soon.
- Ray Emery had an easy night in Philadelphia with the Devils mustering only 18 shots in a 4-1 loss. Sean Couturier and Matt Read wreaked havoc all night and finished with a goal and an assist each while Claude Giroux and Mark Streit recorded two assists apiece. Scott Gomez picked up an assist on Martin Havlat's tip-in to give him three points in six games on the season, showing once again that the Lou Lamoriello is the real Ra's al-Ghul and has the Lazarus Pit somewhere in his backyard. However, no amount of magic may save Peter DeBoer's job this year as the Devils are 2-5-3 in their last 10. He's certainly on the hot seat, but, to be fair, like MacLean in Ottawa he doesn't have a whole lot to work with.
- He's back! Sergei Bobrovsky made 39 saves, into a couple key ones in overtime, to march the Blue Jackets to their fifth straight win with a 3-2 triumph over Washington. The Jackets have quickly clawed back into the playoff race while the Caps keep enjoying a comfy cushion as the Metro's third best team. Nick Foligno was channeling some Brett Hull last night with two goals, including a laser beam one-timer to end the game in overtime. Kevin Connauton, who is emerging as a power play option, scored a goal for the second straight game.
- The Kings offense came alive in Ottawa, pumping four goals past Craig Anderson to spoil Dave Cameron's debut. Jake Muzzin notched three assists and Anze Kopitar scored his first goal since Nov. 15. Chris Neil left the game and did not return, dealing a blow to the Sens, who will have to adjust to a new coach. I'm not convinced Cameron can turn the Sens around, especially since Paul MacLean seemed to have been fired for his poorly timed self-deprecating comments about his underperforming team rather than the team's performance itself. Cameron was a big name during his days with Mississauga with the OHL, noted for his yelling from the bench and sourpuss face. He doesn't smile much and he's even worse in interviews if he doesn't want to talk. It's no fun land in Ottawa right now.
- All the bounces went the Lightning's way with Nikita Kucherov scoring goals off deflections to give them a 2-1 win over Carolina. Evgeni Nabokov made 29 saves for his third win of the season as the Bolts maintain a one-point lead in the Atlantic Division. Jon Cooper's squad may have been the toast of the Atlantic for much of the season, but Mike Babcock's Red Wings squad is really chomping at the heels and looking like a real motivated group.
- When Jaroslav Halak is good he's great, but when he's not he's just not very good. Halak allowed five goals on 32 shots in the Isles' 6-3 loss to the Blues, squandering a chance to take the Metro Division lead. Meanwhile, the Blues, winners of three straight, sit just one point behind division-leading Chicago. Alex Steen and T.J. Oshie had three points apiece.
- Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene bailed out the Avs in a 4-3 shootout win after coming back from a 3-1 deficit. Say what you want about the Avs and their expected regression, but Patrick Roy's squad doesn't quit many games. Andrew Ladd extended his points streak to four games while Ryan O'Reilly notched his fifth of the season.
- The Predators didn't have much trouble dispatching the Coyotes in a 5-1 win with Mike Smith taking the loss yet again. The return of Mike Fisher has afforded Peter Laviolette to really beef up his roster and spread the minutes around. Only seven of his players failed to register a point.
- In San Jose, Christian Folin scored his first NHL goal for Minnesota's lone tally in a 2-1 loss. The Sharks aren't a dominant force in the season anymore and Todd McLellan is likely on the hot seat, they're still a playoff team. On an unrelated note, Joe Pavelski is rumored to be the front-runner to be the team's next captain after the team's hilarious and bewildering attempts in trying to figure out which player is most deserving of wearing hockey's glorified 'C'.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
Calgary Flames (Jonas Hiller*) at Pittsburgh Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury), 7:00 PM
Los Angeles Kings (Martin Jones) at Montreal Canadiens (Carey Price), 7:30 PM
Florida Panthers (Roberto Luongo) at Detroit Red Wings (Jimmy Howard*), 7:30 PM
Anaheim Ducks (Frederik Andersen) at Edmonton Oilers (Ben Scrivens), 9:30 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Friday
Calgary Flames
Mikael Backlund, C (abdomen) – week-to-week; no return date set.
Sam Bennett, LW (shoulder) – will resume skating in January.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Scott Wilson, LW (leg) – no timetable for return.
Beau Bennett, RW (knee) – no timetable for return.
Olli Maatta, D (upper body) – will not play this weekend.
Pascal Dupuis, RW (blood clots) – out six months.
Chris Kunitz, LW (foot) – no timetable for return.
Sidney Crosby, C (illness) – did not practice Thursday; game-time decision.
Los Angeles Kings
Slava Voynov, D (suspension) – no return date set.
Montreal Canadiens
Bryan Allen, D (illness) – no return date set.
Mike Weaver, D (concussion) – did not play Tuesday; doubtful.
Lars Eller, C (upper body) – will miss 1-2 weeks.
Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov, C (hand) – will not play this weekend.
Aaron Ekblad, D (undisclosed) – did not skate Thursday; questionable.
Detroit Red Wings
Justin Abdelkader, LW (upper body) – no return date set.
Jonas Gustavsson, G (dislocated shoulder) – no return date set.
Danny DeKeyser, D (upper body) – will not play this weekend.
Anaheim Ducks
Corey Perry, RW (left knee sprain) – out 3-4 weeks.
Sheldon Souray, D (wrist) – out for the season.
Eric Brewer, D (foot) – no return date set.
Francois Beauchemin, D (finger) – out 3-4 weeks.
Dany Heatley, LW (groin) – on loan for conditioning stint in AHL.
John Gibson, G (lower body) - no return date set.
Stefan Noesen, RW (Achilles) – out four months.
Edmonton Oilers
Nikita Nikitin, D (back) – no return date set.
Boyd Gordon, C (back) – did not play Tuesday; questionable.
Benoit Pouliot, LW (foot) – no return date set.
Hot
Mika Zibanejad, RW, Ottawa – He was held pointless against the Kings last night but the Swedish forward had seven points in four games prior to that, including a four-point effort against Vancouver. The 21-year-old was the sixth overall pick from 2011 and touted as one of the most offensively gifted in his class, though bouts of inconsistency led to a demotion at the beginning of last year. He has 13 points in 26 games this year and should have a bigger role going forward.
Paul Stastny, C, St. Louis – The Avs certainly miss his presence and the Blues still haven't seen the best of him yet, but Stastny has four goals and one assist in his past four games. It's no surprise that Stastny's return and recent offensive surge has coincided with the team's hot streak. He certainly plays a different role in St. Louis, but considering how deep the Blues roster is, he'll get his chances to put up points on any of the top three lines.
Cold
Tyson Barrie, D, Colorado – Just days after taking over the scoring lead for the Avalanche, Barrie has just one assist in his past four games and a minus-6 rating in that span. Inconsistency is to be expected with young players, especially for a player playing in such a difficult position with the team struggling in all facets. Barrie's still a great fantasy player but these cold stretches will come every now and then.
Eric Staal, C, Carolina – The last time the Canes captain scored was on Nov. 20 and the last time he registered a point was Nov. 29. Yes, for the entire month of December, Staal has yet to record a point. The entire team is struggling with injuries and still await the return of Jordan Staal, but there's no excuse for such middling production from the team's best player. He's no longer considered one of the league's elite power forwards with his point-per-game days clearly over, but 15 points on the year just won't cut it.
Recommended Pickup
Nick Bjugstad, C, Florida – He's been featured in this space before, but the 6-foot-6 center is becoming quite the garbage cleaner around the net. Using his big frame and quick hands, Bjugstad is well on his way to his first 20-goal season and 30 goals is certainly a possibility. A three-year standout with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Bjugstad was envisioned as the team's power forward center, forming the first of a 1-2 punch with Aleksander Barkov down the middle. He's a decent play this year and a worthy draft target next year – bonus points if he meshes well with Jonathan Huberdeau or another scoring winger.
