Schedule Analysis: New York State of Mind

Howdy, folks. I'll be stepping into the lineup for Brian for this edition of Schedule Analysis, bringing you your weekly dose of scheduling analysis. Or is it schedule analyzing? Let us now explore the answer to this and other enduring mysteries of the modern world.

Four Aces

Only one team gets to play four games this week, and it's my very own New York Rangers – between them and the Mets in the NLCS, you should probably just not even try to call me in the evenings. If you need to find me approximately between the hours of 7 to 11 p.m. Eastern, you should start by finding my television. With any luck, you'll find me sitting very comfortably about 10 feet north-northeast of it. (If not, check the kitchen, then the bathroom, in that order.)

The Rangers started the season with three consecutive wins, only to see their typical October inconsistency kick in, as they've now dropped three straight, including an overtime loss against old friend Lee Stempniak and the Devils in Sunday's matinee. Still, as the only team playing four games, pretty much all your Blueshirt forwards and defensemen are automatic starts in weekly formats. (I take no blame if you take this to mean you should start Dominic Moore. Don't be silly.) Expect Henrik Lunqvist to draw three starts, with Antti Raanta finally getting into the action in one game of their weekend back-to-back set.

The opponents are a mixed bag – you've got the impressive Sharks coming in with rising star goalie Martin Jones; the surprisingly solid Coyotes, featuring former Rangers prospect Anthony Duclair among their stable of young studs; the so-so Flyers; and the Flames, who have struggled both defensively and in net early on. There's plenty of fantasy potential to be found in these matchups, except for the Sharks, who've already become a team to avoid in my book when Jones is starting.

Three of a Kind

Hold 'Em

If the Sabres can get through their middle game of the week, Friday at home against Montreal, without killing you in goalie ratios or plus-minus (as the case may be), you'll be sitting pretty with the two tasty matchups sandwiching that game – home contests against the Leafs and Devils.

It's been a tough start for the Kings, but they started turning things out with a win Friday. (With the caveat that we'll have to see if they can keep looking good Sunday night against the Avs.) After three days off and a tough Thursday draw in San Jose, things get a whole lot more manageable with a home game against Carolina and a road game in offense-friendly Edmonton.

The only undefeated team in the league, the Canadiens, incredibly lucks out with a highly user-friendly schedule this week. A home matchup with the Blues is tough, but winnable, but things really heat up after that, as the Habs head to Buffalo, then face the Leafs at home. I thought that this team had reached its ceiling last year, but I may have been wildly wrong. And Tomas Plekanec has been a goal-scoring machine. What's up with that? A world where Plekanec is tied for the NHL lead in goals is a world gone mad. I'm just saying.

The Wild have come off the line at 3-0-1, and all the games have been one-goal affairs. This week offers an enticing (and DFS-friendly) opportunity against the Jackets, but Devan Dubnyk owners should enjoy a second start against the offensively struggling Ducks before Darcy Kuemper likely spells him in Winnipeg for the second of a back-to-back set.

That other New York team – I believe they're called the Icelanders* – also benefits from a couple intriguing matchups. John Tavares & Co. will travel a lot this week, heading to Columbus before bouncing home for a game against Boston, then dipping back out into the Midwest for a game with the Blues. That last one's not such a great draw, but the Isles could pile up goals against the Jackets and Bruins, who have been absolute sieves defensively.

*10 points if you get the reference. No googling! Also, the points don't count for anything. But that doesn't mean you should be intellectually dishonest about it.

Fold 'Em

Your Flames have a tough draw this week – though two of their three games comes at home, they face two all-world goalies in the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist and Washington's Braden Holtby, and their other game is against the Red Wings, who have gotten very strong play in net from both Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek. That said, it's impossible to sit Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler, and not much easier to sit Sean Monahan. But both Jonas Hiller and Kari Ramo have been bad, and the defense has been suspect, so pursue other options.

Not that you were running out there to start Hurricanes, but this is an especially bad time, as they're continuing their lengthy road trip with a swing out west to Colorado, Los Angeles and San Jose. While the Avs and Kings have hardly ben opponents to fear, it's hard to imagine Carolina marching across the nation and picking up anything more than one lucky win, if that.

The Panthers get a rough ride on the road themselves, heading to Pittsburgh, Chicago and Dallas. Those teams don't necessarily have impenetrable netminders, but they definitely do a lot of winning. This week will be an early proving ground of sorts for the Cats – they're a young, high-upside team off to a 3-2 start with a plus-7 goal differential, but they haven't exactly played the class of the league so far.

Too Pear? To Pare? Oh, Right, Two Pair

Unfortunately, you're going to find a lot of your best players with only two games on tap this week. The Ducks' skaters will have a lot more practice time than game time to find their scoring touch, the Blackhawks have a quiet week with the two Florida teams visiting, Ottawa's got a pair of interesting home matchups against the Devils and Coyotes, the Blues have a pair of tough ones against Montreal and the Isles, and the Jets can take a four-night Caribbean vacation before returning home to a pair of tough matchups against the Bolts and Wild.

That's it for me. You'll have Brian back next week. Let him know you miss me.