The Daily Puck: Malkin Dominates Coyotes

Projected Goalie Starters

Anaheim (Jonas Hiller) vs. Buffalo (Ryan Miller), 7 p.m.
St. Louis (Jaroslav Halak) vs. Atlanta (Chris Mason), 7 p.m.
Calgary (Henrik Karlsson) vs. Columbus (Mathieu Garon), 7 p.m.
New Jersey (Martin Brodeur) vs. Washington (Michal Neuvirth), 7:30 p.m.
Montreal (Carey Price) vs. Dallas (Kari Lehtonen), 9 p.m.
Los Angeles (Jonathan Quick) vs. Colorado (Craig Anderson), 9:30 p.m.
Edmonton (Nikolai Khabibulin) vs. San Jose (Antero Niittymaki), 10:30 p.m.

Injuries for Teams Playing Tuesday

Day-to-Day (Includes players on IR that are close to returning)

Rostislav Klesla (D) Columbus – (Ankle) Coach Scott Arniel has said that Klesla will possibly be able to go against the Flames on Tuesday night. Consider him questionable and a game-time decision.
Matt Taormina (D) New Jersey – (Ankle) Suffered slight setback recovering from a sprained ankle and is not expected back before Christmas.
Tyler Sloan (D) Washington – (Hip/Flu) Appeared ready to return to the lineup for the Caps, but then caught the flu bug that has been floating around the dressing room.
Eric Fehr (RW) Washington – (Personal) Fehr won't be with the Caps on Tuesday as he attends to a death in the family.
Alexander Semin (LW) Washington – (Lower Body) Skated in Monday's optional team skate but is doubtful to play Tuesday night against the Devils.
Marco Sturm (Knee) Los Angeles – (Knee) A target date of December 23rd has been set for Sturm, meaning he'll obviously sit out on Tuesday night, but is closer to making his debut for the Kings.
Matt Greene (D) Los Angeles – (Head) Will not play Tuesday nightafter returning to L.A while the Kings finish their road trip in Colorado.
Gilbert Brule (C) Edmonton – (Illness) Brule did not accompany the Oilers on their brief two-game road swing.
Douglas Murray (D) San Jose – (Lower Body) Reports say that it is a "distinct possibility" the Murray will be in the lineup Tuesday night against the Oilers.

Injured Reserve (including long-term)

Jason Jaffray (RW) Anaheim – (Knee) Won't even begin to think about returning to the ice until February at the earliest.
Aaron Voros (RW) Anaheim – (Eye) Fractured orbital bone in fight ten days ago, and will be on the shelf two-to-three weeks.
Shaone Morrisonn (D) Buffalo – (Concussion) Resumed skating with the team over the weekend but still has not participated in contact drills.
Tim Connolly (C) Buffalo – (Nose) Due to undergo reconstructive surgery on his face after suffering a severly broken nose over the weekend.
T.J Oshie (LW) St. Louis – (Ankle) Is working out and rehabbing the ankle off the ice with hopes that he will be able to return at some point before the season's end.
Andy McDonald (C) St. Louis – (Concussion) Has made little progress in his recovery from a concussion that he suffered on December 3rd.
Dave Scatchard (C) St. Louis – (Knee) Will miss 4-to-6 weeks after injuring his knee on Saturday night against the Sharks.
David Perron (RW) St. Louis – (Concussion) Out indefinitely as he battle post-concussion symtpoms.
Daymond Langkow (C) Calgary – (Neck) His career may be over after being shut down by the Flames after experiencing numbness after a workout early in November.
Raitis Ivanans (LW) Calgary – (Concussion) Again, another player struggling to recover from a concussion. Out indefinitely.
Steve Staios (D) Calgary – (Upper Body) Was placed on IR earlier this month and no firm timetable has been established for his return.
Derek MacKenzie (C) Columbus – (Groin) Remains on IR with groin injury but is very near a return to the ice, and is eligible to come off IR.
Bryce Salvador (D) New Jersey – (Concussion) Out indefinitely battling post-concussion symptoms.
Mark Fraser (D) New Jersey – (Hand) General Manager Lou Lamoriello does not expect Fraser back before Christmas.
Jacob Josefson (C) New Jersey – (Hand) Is skating, and shooting the puck, but has not taken up contact drills and remains out.
Zach Parise (LW) New Jersey – (Knee) Remains on schedule for February return after killing many a fantasy roster this season.
Jeff Schultz (D) Washington – (Thumb) Still on the shelf for 2-to-4 weeks with fractured thumb.
D.J King (LW) Washington – (Undisclosed) Placed on IR last week to seemingly clear up roster spot for Andrew Gordon. Coach Bruce Bourdreau has not stated what exactly is wrong with King.
Boyd Gordon (C) Washington – (Undisclosed) Another Capital on the shelf with an undisclosed injury, and coach Bruce Boudreau is in no hurry to discuss what exactly ails Gordon.
Andrei Markov (D) Montreal – (Knee) Had season-ending surgery on his knee earlier in December.
Scott Parse (RW) Los Angeles – (Hip) Out 2-to-3 months.
Willie Mitchell (D) Los Angeles – (Lower Body) Has vaguely been labelled as "week-to-week."
Chris Stewart (RW) Colorado – (Hand) His return is still two weeks away, at the very least.
Peter Mueller (C) Colorado – (Concussion) Still has not made any significant process from the concussion that he sustained in training camp.
Shawn Horcoff (LW) Edmonton – (Knee) On the shelf for at least the next two months as he rehabs a severely sprained knee.
Jim Vandermeer (D) Edmonton – (Ankle) Reports says Vandermeer will miss "a couple weeks" after injuring his ankle on January 12th.
Ales Hemsky (RW) Edmonton – (Groin) Edging closer and closer to a return after skating hard over the weekend, but still remains a week off at the very least.

Hot

Evgeni Malkin (Casa) Pittsburgh – Malking was ridiculous Monday night, scoring twice and dishing out three assists as the Pens' whipped the Coyotes. After a three-game pointless streak, Malkin has now put his name on the scoresheet in three straight contests. After only two games on the schedule last week, Malkin and Crosby owners have to be pumped up that the Pens have a four-game week.

Jonas Hiller (G) Anaheim – Hiller stopped all 45 shots he saw on Monday night in Boston to start the week off right for his fantasy owners.

Loui Eriksson (RW) Dallas – Loui has six points (2G, 4A) and is plus-2 in his last three games.

Cold

Gilbert Brule (C) Edmonton – Maybe Brule staying home sick while the Oilers are on the road is a good thing. He hasn't recorded a point in eight straight and has fallen into head coach Tom Renney's doghouse.

Niclas Bergfors (RW) Atlanta – Bergfors had 13 points (5G, 8A) in Atlanta's first 15 games this year, but now he is the only thing going wrong in Atlanta. The Thrashers are apparently shopping Bergfors, who has seen his playing time cut severely and has been a healthy scratch the last two games.

Tyler Ennis (C) Buffalo – Ennis has been dropped in a fair share of leagues with owners no longer waiting to see him live up to the preseason Calder Trophy hype. Ennis just is not getting it done; and as the Sabres get healthier at forward, Ennis is slipping down the pecking order and seeing less ice time.

Recommended Pickup

Mikhail Grabovski (C) Toronto – Grabovski has seven goals in Toronto's last eight games after scoring again on Monday night. He is getting snatched up fast in a lot of leagues and is definitely worth taking a flyer on if you need help at the center position.