Tag Archives: Hockey

Fantasy fades: 10 early regression candidates

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here are 10 players who should see regression that will have a negative impact on their fantasy values:

D Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks

Burns has picked up where he concluded the 2015-16 season, racking up nine points through the Sharks' first six games. He has registered an astonishing 29 shots on goal, making his three goals extremely reasonable.

The biggest cause for concern is the discrepancy in his primary and secondary assists. Burns is averaging 3.14 assists per 60 minutes of 5v5 play but just 1.26 primary helpers.

C Ryan Johansen, Nashville Predators

All four of Johansen's four assists on the season have come with the Predators on the man advantage. The Predators have the league's second-worst Corsi For rating at 5v5, sitting at 44.64.

As a team they have a 47.4-percent success rate on the power play, with Johansen having factored into four of their nine goals. The Predators' talent is indisputable, but they'll need improved play at 5v5 for Johansen to maintain his production.

LW Richard Panik, Chicago Blackhawks

The most obvious name on this list, Panik is also the least controversial. Panik is leading the league with six goals through six games, but he has registered just nine SOG on the season.

Toronto Maple Leafs C Auston Matthews and Philadelphia Flyers RW Matt Read are tied for second with five goals apiece, but they have 22 and 15 SOG, respectively.

LW/RW Lee Stempniak, Carolina Hurricanes

Stempniak is off to a strong start for the second consecutive season. Last year, with the New Jersey Devils, he recorded eight points in 11 October games, then had 10 in 12 November games before dropping off.

He currently has six points in five games. His four goals have come on just nine shots.

C Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens

Galchenyuk has three 5v5 assists on the season, good for a pace of 2.87 assists per 60 minutes. Just 0.87 of those theoretical assists are of the primary variety.

He has added a goal at 5v5 and a power-play assist, but he is averaging a modest 16:01 in total ice time. He has been struggling with possession, posting a CF% of just 49.06.

RW Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Six of Kane's seven points on the year have come at 5v5, showing sustainability reminiscent of last season. Through six games he has just one power-play point, an assist - a stark contrast from last year's 37 PP points.

The Blackhawks have five power-play goals as a team, but Kane just hasn't been able to factor in on the man advantage. His luck should change, but last year's total was likely unrepeatable as it was.

C Darren Helm, Detroit Red Wings

The 29-year-old Helm has five points through six games, putting him on pace to shatter his career-high 33 points set in the 2014-15 season. He has been playing with Ws Gustav Nyquist and Thomas Vanek, two of the best offensive talents he has ever been paired with.

Still, he has four goals on just 11 shots on goal. Even if he can produce more assists, he'll lose value with fewer goals.

C Artem Anisimov, Chicago Blackhawks

While the aforementioned Kane has posted a CF% over 54 percent at 5v5, Anisimov is coming in at just 46.67. After scoring 20 goals in 77 games last season, mostly while centering Kane and LW Artemi Panarin, Anisimov already has four goals through his opening seven games.

His 12 shots thus far are ahead of last season's 77-game pace, but he has been more than twice as successful in converting for goals.

G Petr Mrazek, Detroit Red Wings

Mrazek has stopped 20 of the 21 High Danger Shot Attempts he has faced, per Corsica.Hockey. He and teammate Jimmy Howard have the top HDSV% in the league. Mrazek has allowed just five goals on the season at 5v5, but his expected goals allowed (xGA) rises to 7.80.

He has already allowed four power-play goals, as the Red Wings rank 24th in the league with a penalty-kill percentage of 73.9.

C Kyle Turris, Ottawa Senators

Turris' CF rating of 48.00 percent is actually among the Senators' team leaders. Head coach Guy Boucher will need some more time to instil his defensive system, but the talent of the forward group - and D Erik Karlsson - has come through with the sixth-highest goals-per-game average.

Ws Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman are the primary shooters on Ottawa's top line, with Turris a tertiary option.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Watch: Versteeg ends lengthy shootout with diving attempt

Kris Versteeg, Calgary Flames hero.

For one night, at least, as the winger earned his team the extra point upon getting the better of former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Corey Crawford with a vicious deke.

The winning - and only - shootout goal came in the seventh round, mercifully ending the proceedings.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Radulov, Weber spark unbeaten Canadiens past Flyers

MONTREAL - Brendan Gallagher scored midway through the third period as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 on Monday night to extend their winning streak to four games.

First-place Montreal (5-0-1) remains the only team unbeaten in regulation time.

Shea Weber and Alexander Radulov, into the empty net, also scored for Montreal. Carey Price made 31 saves for his third consecutive win to start the season.

Jakub Voracek scored the lone goal for the Flyers (2-3-1). Steve Masonstopped 30 of 32 shots.

Gallagher scored on the power play at 13:08 of the third period, just four seconds into Montreal's man advantage. The pesky wing deflected Radulov's shot from the point past Mason.

Gallagher got the play going after winning the faceoff to the left of Mason before scoring his team-leading fourth goal of the season.

The Canadiens came into the game 3 for 21 with the man advantage (20th in the NHL). As a result, coach Michel Therrien tried to jumpstart Montreal's stalled power play by shuffling some players around.

One of those changes was putting Radulov on the point with Weber on Montreal's first power play. The new strategy paid dividends in the third.

Montreal finished Monday's game 1 for 4 on the power play.

Radulov finished with one goal, two assists, five hits, and he drew a penalty in the second period.

Weber got Montreal on the board at 5:28 of the second period with his second goal of the season.

After good work behind the net by Radulov to get the puck back to the point,Weber fired a slap shot that broke Brayden Schenn's stick and deflected into the net.

The Flyers tied it when Voracek deflected Claude Giroux's shot past Price at 11:47. The goal came just seconds after Price denied Voracek all alone in front of goal.

Voracek has three goals in six games this season.

Notes: Price played his 450th game with the Canadiens. . This was the first of three meetings between the teams this season. They meet again Nov. 5 in Montreal.

UP NEXT:

Flyers: play the second of a back-to-back at home against Buffalo On Tuesday.

Canadiens: are at the New York islanders on Wednesday.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Radulov tickled by Canadiens’ fans chanting his name

Someone in Montreal probably has a new nickname.

That would be Alexander Radulov, who described his feeling as Canadiens fans chanted his name during a win over Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Radulov recorded assists on Montreal's first two goals and capped the win with an empty-net goal of his own. He's certainly providing good value on the one-year, $5.75-million contract he signed back in the offseason.

"Tickles," it is.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Blackhawks allow another power-play goal, reach Thrashers-level ineptitude

Let's check in on the Chicago Blackhawks.

In the first period of their seventh game of the new season, Chicago allowed the Calgary Flames to score a power-play goal, putting themselves in unwelcome company.

Yes, that's the Atlanta Thrashers, who finished that season with a 27th-ranked penalty kill (78.8 percent), and who were never known to be, well, anything resembling a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Heading into Tuesday's game against Calgary, Chicago had successfully killed only 42.9 percent of penalties taken, well below the next worst team, which just so happens to be the former Thrashers turned Winnipeg Jets (68.6 percent).

How fitting.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Commodore really is an Uber driver

A quick look at Mike Commodore's Twitter feed over the weekend may have confused fans of the former NHL defenseman.

As it turns out, Commodore actually is spending time driving folks around Scottsdale, Arizona.

"I'm single, I've got no kids, I was just looking for something to get me out of the house and keep me out of the bars," Commodore told TSN's Bob McKenzie. "I don't really do too much except play golf or go to the bar, so I figured this would be a good social thing for me.

"I don't mind driving. I like to meet people and I like to talk to people. I'll definitely do it again, one night a weekend or maybe even during the week."

Commodore appeared in 484 career games from 2000-2012, including a stint in Columbus, which proved to be a talking point.

As told to McKenzie:

I asked them where they're from and they say, 'Columbus,' and I say, 'I used to live in Columbus.' They asked me what I did and I told them I played hockey. They say, 'For who?' I say, 'The Blue Jackets. They thought I was full of s--- and asked me what years, so I told them.

They say, 'So you know Rick Nash then?' I say, 'Yeah, Rick is a good friend.' They say, 'What about Jared Boll?' I say, 'Yeah, I know Jared...I can do the whole roster if you like. Why don't you just look me up?'

Perhaps he'll be able to talk hockey with another passenger soon.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.