This article is part of our Friday's Face-Off series.
It's Friday, so it's time to send you off to a weekend of fun and games with a review of some of the most important stories from the frozen pond.
LINE NOTES
Michael Cammalleri has only six points in 13 games with the Flames but he has recorded three points in his last three games. If he finally going to return to the offensive performer that he should be given that he is just 29 years old and back with a team that he is comfortable with?
Brendan Morrison was dealt to the Blackhawks and some quickly scooped him up after the news came out that he was slated to spend a lot of time as a top-6 forward. Consider the outcome to be about as terrible as anyone could expected. Morrison has no points in five games, is a (-1) skater and has taken all of four shots on net. In fact, he's even been a healthy scratch three times.
Magnus Paajarvi was a first round pick in 2009, and he posted a reasonable total of 15 goals as a rookie last year. Unfortunately he stunk to all hell this year with the Oilers, he had four points in 33 games, and was eventually demoted to the minors since he brings little to the game other than his scoring prowess. However, he's returned with a bang. Skating on a line with Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff, Paajarvi has recorded three points in three games. Don't overlook the fact
It's Friday, so it's time to send you off to a weekend of fun and games with a review of some of the most important stories from the frozen pond.
LINE NOTES
Michael Cammalleri has only six points in 13 games with the Flames but he has recorded three points in his last three games. If he finally going to return to the offensive performer that he should be given that he is just 29 years old and back with a team that he is comfortable with?
Brendan Morrison was dealt to the Blackhawks and some quickly scooped him up after the news came out that he was slated to spend a lot of time as a top-6 forward. Consider the outcome to be about as terrible as anyone could expected. Morrison has no points in five games, is a (-1) skater and has taken all of four shots on net. In fact, he's even been a healthy scratch three times.
Magnus Paajarvi was a first round pick in 2009, and he posted a reasonable total of 15 goals as a rookie last year. Unfortunately he stunk to all hell this year with the Oilers, he had four points in 33 games, and was eventually demoted to the minors since he brings little to the game other than his scoring prowess. However, he's returned with a bang. Skating on a line with Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff, Paajarvi has recorded three points in three games. Don't overlook the fact that he is super young as he was born about two months before I graduated from high school. You'll have to look him up to find out what year that was.
Martin St. Louis has 52 points in 52 games for the Bolts, hardly surprising given his scoring exploits for the majority of his career. Over his last 28 games he has 32 points as he's slightly picked up the pace. Check this interesting fact out. St. Louis is a +20 skater in the 22 Lightning victories in which he has participated. In the 30 loses he has taken part in he is a (-20) skater.
Alex Tanguay is finally playing well for the Flames. For the month of February he has dealt out seven helpers in seven games while adding two tallies. He's also been responsible in his two way play given his +8 plus/minus mark.
KEEPER CORNER
Jaroslav Halak is day-to-day with the flu. Seems like cooties might be the only thing that can slow him down. Halak has lowered his GAA to 1.97 for the season and he has an amazing five shutouts in his last 11 games.
Jonas Hiller has been en feugo. He has a 1.89 GAA in his last 19 appearances. It's about time Jonas. The run of excellence has only lowered his GAA to 2.69 which is still above his career rate of 2.55.
Antti Niemi was bombed Thursday night letting in six goals in an overtime loss to the Lightning. This continues a disturbing trend for the Sharks #1 option in net. Niemi has a 2.42 GAA on the year, but he has allowed at least four goals in seven of his last 13 games. The Sharks have a lot of faith in him but after Antti was dressed down in public by HC Todd McLellan it's clear that the club's patience is being severely tested.
Curtis Sanford is out with a back injury that has him downgraded to out indefinitely (he's been placed on the IR). There's no real word on how long that might be at the moment, but if your a masochist that means that Steve Mason might be someone you consider rostering (Allen York will serve as Mason's backup). Mason is just 7-20-2 on the year, and his ratios are disturbingly distasteful (3.40 GAA, .887 save percentage), but he should see the lion's share of the starts in the short-term. How has he done in his last four starts? He's been typically Steve Mason alternative impressive and disastrous appearances. Here are his goals allowed totals the last four games: one, five, one and six. Good luck with that.
Mike Smith has recorded two shutouts in his last two starts. Moreover, Smith has won each of his last six starts. What do you know, that run has catapulted him to the point that four shutouts, more than Ryan Miller, Cam Ward and Miikka Kiprusoff (each of those three has three shutouts). He's also lowered his GAA to 2.28, better than Roberto Luongo (2.31), Marc-Andre Fleury (2.34) and Pekka Rinne (2.41). Yes, Smith has been phenomenal for the Coyotes.
YOU GOTSTA KNOW
Sidney Crosby is still experiencing headaches though his balance issues are gone. He did skate for 30 minutes with his teammates Friday, but he's still not able to get over the hump. If you're still counting on him returning to action this year you might need to have your head examined.
WHEELING AND DEALING
Predators Receive: Hal Gill
Canadiens Receive: Blake Geoffrion, 2nd round pick.
About the only exciting part of this deal is that the Canadiens get to welcome a name from the past (Boom Boom Geoffrion, a Habs legend, is Blake's grandfather). Geoffrion has 11 points in 42 NHL games and bares no attention. Gill, a solid blue liner who will help the Predators, is only of value in leagues that count blocked shots as his total of 122 is 14th among all blue liners. The leader by the way is Josh Gorges with 166, 25 more than #2 man Ryan McDonagh.
THE NUMBERS GAME
0: The number of points that David Krejci has recorded in his last seven games. With Rich Peverley likely to miss 4-6 weeks with a third degree MCL sprain, the Bruins really could use some point production from Krejci. The Bruins' center has averaged 62 points the past three years and with 39 points in 52 games he's on pace for an 80 game total of 60 points, even with his recent slump.
2: The number of games in the month of February that Tom Sesisto has recorded at least 24 penalty minutes. He had 25 on February 5th and then 24 on February 11th. Sesisto suffered a lower body injury during a fight Thursday night so he's being listed as day-to-day. In 14 games this year he has 83 PIMs, and during 27 games in his career he's at 147 PIMs, a pace that would lead to 446 penalty minutes, just short of the all-time record of 472 by Dave Schultz in 1975.
4: Scott Hartnell had four points Thursday night and has now recorded a point in 4-straight games. Hartnell is three goals and three assists away from his second 30-30 season, and he's just 10 penalty minutes from his fifth straight effort of triple digits in the rough stuff category.
4: The number of assists that Tyler Myers has in his last six games. Myers is on pace for about 30 points, pro-rated for 80 games, which would be a step back from his total of 37 last year which was also a step back from his rookie total of 48 points.
6: The amount of goals that Corey Perry has recorded in his last five games. Oddly, those are also the only points he has in that time. Perry is up to 28 goals, his 5th straight season of at least 27, but he has no shot at all to match his total of 50 from last season (the second best mark of his career is 32). Perry also will have to pick things up to avoid his first season in four years without 70 points (he currently has 46 in 57 games). He should be able to play through a slash he took to his wrist Wednesday.
7: The amount of goals scored by David Perron the last two weeks, the most in the NHL. Perron has recorded those seven goals in six games, and he has scored a point in each of those six contests (nine total). Going back a bit further he has 13 points in his last 14 games for the Blues.
13: The number of points that Jason Spezza has recorded in the last two weeks (5g, 8a). In clearer terms, Spezza has 13 points in just five games. He's also scored a point in ever contest, at least two in four of them and three in three of them. Funny how things work isn't it? This point scoring run comes on the heels of a six game pointless streak which means he has 13 points in his last 11 games.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87, and Saturday's from 3-4 PM he hosts the SiriusXM Fantasy Hockey Show. Ray's baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys' Twitter account.To email Ray a question for next week's piece, drop him a line at [email protected].
