Weekly Goaltending Outlook: Eastern Conference Teams

Here is a look at each team’s goaltending situation heading in to the fantasy week of October 27th to November 2nd.

Team: New Jersey Devils
Goaltender: Martin Brodeur
Opponents: Toronto, Atlanta
Outlook: Yes and Yes.
Strategy: Safe to Start

Team: New York Islanders
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro/Joey MacDonald
Opponents: New York Rangers, @Philadelphia, Montreal
Outlook: DP has not looked good in his return from injury, so continue to consider Joey MacDonald as an option in net he will probably see a start this week. With that being said, only use either goaltender if you absolutely need to.
Strategy: Emergency Basis Only

Team: New York Rangers
Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist
Opponents: @New York Islanders, Atlanta, @Toronto
Outlook: Yes, Yes and Yes.
Strategy: Safe to Start

Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Goaltender: Martin Biron/Antero Niittymaki
Opponents: @Atlanta, New York Islanders, Edmonton
Outlook: A couple wins from Mary Biron has gotten him out of the doghouse for now, and with a favorable schedule this week, he should be able to get himself back on the right track. We may see Antero Nittymaki once, but chances are that Biron takes all 3 starts, especially Edmonton.
Strategy: Safe to Start

Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Goaltender: Marc-Andre Fleury
Opponents: @San Jose, @Phoenix, @St Louis
Outlook: Touch western swing for the Pens in the upcoming week but they should be able to come out of the jaunt with at least 4 points. Fleury should continue to get the start. That San Jose game is going to be a tough one, so you may want to save your starts for Phoenix and St Louis.
Strategy: Safe to Start

Team: Boston Bruins
Goaltender: Tim Thomas/Manny Fernandez
Opponents: @Edmonton, @Vancouver, @Calgary, Dallas
Outlook: There still is no favored goaltender in Beantown, so expect Thomas and Fernandez to share the duties on their western Canada swing. They have some tough games this week and it would be wise to proceed with caution when starting either tender.
Strategy: Use Caution (Platooning Situation)

Team: Buffalo Sabres
Goaltender: Ryan Miller
Opponents: Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Washington
Outlook: Ryan Miller is playing fantastic hockey right now and the Sabres are one of the hottest teams in the league. Miller is a must start in all 3 games.
Strategy: Safe to Start

Team: Montreal Canadiens
Goaltender: Carey Price
Opponents: Carolina, @Minnesota, @New York Islanders
Outlook: Montreal will play some tough teams this upcoming week but should bring home 4-5 points in their effort. This team is extremely hot right now, so take advantage while you can.
Strategy: Safe to Start

Team: Ottawa Senators
Goaltender: Martin Gerber/Alex Auld
Opponents: @Buffalo, @Florida, @Tampa Bay
Outlook: This Senator team has not looked good as a whole and their goaltending has been far less than stellar. Ottawa could get back on track this week during their Florida road trip, so if you need to start either tender, you may want to wait until after they play Buffalo.
Strategy: Use Caution

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Goaltender: Vesa Toskala
Opponents: Tampa Bay, @New Jersey, New York Rangers, @Carolina
Outlook: Tough tough week for the Leafs but taking in to consideration recent play, we may be seeing a the Leafs transforming themselves into a legitimate opponent for teams looking to use Toronto as an automatic 2 points this season. Toskala continues to impress and the Leafs’ defense has been quite impressive. They have some tough opponents, so be careful, but I’m ruling out benching Toskla this week. Let’s see what this team is made of.
Strategy: Use Caution

Team: Atlanta Thrashers
Goaltender: Kari Lehtonen
Opponents: Philadelphia, @New York Rangers, @New Jersey
Outlook: Lehtonen really has not been a terrible goaltender this year, it’s just that the Thrash have a very tough schedule this week and it would be best to make other arrangements for your team’s goaltending scenario.
Strategy: Emergency Basis Only

Team: Carolina Hurricanes
Goaltender: Cam Ward/Michael Leighton
Opponents: @Montreal, @St. Louis, Edmonton, Toronto
Outlook: What a showing by Cam Ward on Saturday night! 57 saves in a win? Pretty sick. He’s been feeling the heat from the excellent play of Michael Leighton, so a performance like this may have been needed to remind everyone in Carolina who is number one. A couple of tough games this week but nothing that either goaltender can’t handle.
Strategy: Safe to Start

Team: Florida Panthers
Goaltender: Thomas Vokoun/Craig Anderson
Opponents: Ottawa, @Nashville, @Atlanta
Outlook: A couple of favorable matchups this week should help the Panthers end the week above the .500 mark. Expect Vokoun to get the workload in the first 2 games, and probably the 3rd as well, but don’t rule out a Craig Anderson appearance in Atlanta on Sunday.
Strategy: Safe to Start

Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
Goaltender: Mike Smith/Olaf Kolzig
Opponents: @Toronto, @Buffalo, Ottawa
Outlook: Mike Smith has certainly been the better tender of the two and should get the nod against the tougher opponents this week. He very well may get the start against Toronto as well. Tampa is going to get going here at some point, but for now, use Smith and Kolzig wisely.
Strategy: Use Caution

Team: Washington Capitals
Goaltender: Jose Theodore
Opponents: Nashville, @Buffalo
Outlook: Theodore may have gotten the win on Saturday, but he gave up 5 goals in the effort. He’s still struggling a bit so be careful when you use him. Don’t expect to see Brent Johnson in this shortened week for Washington.
Strategy: Use Caution