This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
Generally speaking, when it comes to the NHL, I only care about how one team finishes, and that's the Detroit Red Wings. However, on occasion, another team will catch my fancy in some regard, and I find myself rooting for them, albeit in a less vociferous sense. When the Columbus Blue Jackets were vying for their first playoff appearance, for example, I was pulling for them. Then they got swept by the Wings and I was happy with that too. This year, though, I'm rooting for the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets are one of the few teams still fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. There are currently nine teams that still have a chance to make the playoffs, which means one of these teams will be the odd one out. It will likely be the Jets, the defending champs the Los Angeles Kings, or the surprising Calgary Flames that miss out.
Winnipeg has not played the playoffs since the 1995-1996 season. That's also the last season they had a team in Manitoba for many years. The original Jets headed for the sunnier confines of Arizona, and it was not until the Atlanta Thrashers fled Georgia, much like the aforementioned Flames once did, 2011-2012 that the Jets got a team back. There has been a real honeymoon period going on, but eventually that will end. However, if the Jets make the playoffs this year, obviously these long suffering, and briefly abandoned, fans will be ecstatic. That'd be pretty cool to see. With all due respect to the Flames and Kings, I hope one of them will be sitting at home when the postseason begins.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Maple Leafs (James Reimer*) at Blue Jackets (Sergei Bobrovsky*) 7:30
Bruins (Tuukka Rask) at Capitals (Braden Holtby) 8:00
Stars (Kari Lehtonen) at Ducks (Frederik Andersen) 10:30
*Confirmed Starters
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News For Teams Playing Wednesday
Maple Leafs
Jonathan Bernier, G (personal) – Not starting Wednesday.
Nathan Horton, RW (back) – Out for season.
Roman Polak, D (hernia) – Out for season.
Stephane Robidas, D (shoulder) – Out for season.
Trevor Smith, C (upper-body) – Day-to-day.
Blue Jackets
Rene Bourque, LW (back) – Out for season.
David Clarkson, RW (oblique) – Likely out for season.
Ryan Murray, D (lower-body) – Likely to play Wednesday.
Jack Skille, RW (shoulder) – Out for season.
Fedor Tyutin, D (undisclosed) – Game-time decision.
Bruins
Zdeno Chara, D (undisclosed) – Day-to-day.
Dougie Hamilton, D (upper-body) – Out for regular season.
Kevan Miller, D (shoulder) – On long-term injured reserve.
Dennis Seindenberg, D (illness) – Did not practice Tuesday.
Capitals
Jay Beagle, C (upper-body) – Expected back for playoffs.
John Erskine, D (neck) – On injured reserve.
Eric Fehr, RW (upper-body) – Day-to-day.
Dmitry Orlov, D (wrist) – May play this season.
Tom Wilson, RW (head) – Day-to-day.
Stars
Rich Peverley, C (chest) – On injured reserve.
Ducks
Matt Beleskey, LW (lower-body) – Day-to-day.
Tim Jackman, RW (lower-body) – May return soon.
Patrick Maroon, LW (illness) – Day-to-day.
Clayton Stoner, D (lower-body) – Did not play Friday, day-to-day.
Hot
Mark Streit, D, PHI – The Flyers don't really have anything to play for, but they've been playing spoiler recently, and Streit has been a part of that. In his last two games, he has five assists, and he has six in his last four games. Streit has been one of the better point producing defensemen in the NHL during his career, and he's still got a little something left in the tank clearly, as he has another 50 points season under his belt.
Mark Stone, RW, OTT – The Senators may finish their amazing end of season run by making the postseason and, if they do, the breakout season of Mark Stone will be a major reason why. Stone potted two more goals on Tuesday in a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, giving him 24 goals on the season. He has a four game goal scoring streak, and a point streak that extends beyond that. The Senators have a ton to play for, so if your fantasy team still has something to play for, Stone may help.
Cold
Alexei Emelin, D, MTL – Emelin's point totals on the season are poor, and that hasn't changed recently. He only has one point in his last 10 games. He has developed some fantasy value from his penalty minutes, but he doesn't have any of those in his last 10 games either. At this point in the year, there's no reason to have any faith in a short-term turnaround.
Cory Schneider, G, NJD – Schneider has had a very good season, he almost singled handedly kept the Devils from being horrendous, elevating them to merely bad. However, recently he's taken a dive in terms of his performance. He has zero wins in his last seven games, and he has let in at least three goals in five of those games. Of course, that is not entirely his fault, but his save percentage has also been pretty poor recently. As such, given that New Jersey has nothing to play for, it may be wise to just let Schneider sit on the bench the rest of the way. The Devils would be wise to do the same thing.
Recommended Pickup
Brian Gionta, RW, BUF – It may seem strange to pick up a Sabre at this time of year, what with the team being in a desperate drive to lose and all. However, that's about the front office, not the players, and Gionta is certainly doing his best to get the Sabres a win or two. He has 12 points in his last 10 games, and he's taking a bunch of shots on goal. His plus/minus is, obviously, pretty poor, but he can still score, and at this point of the year, if you are picking anybody up, it's a bit of a last ditch effort. Why not go with Gionta?
