Weekly Goalie Outlook for October 19th to October 25th (Week 3)
Here is a look at each team’s goaltending situation heading into week 3 of the fantasy season (October 19th -October 25th).
Atlantic Division
| New Jersey Devils | 1. Brodeur 2. Danis |
@New York Rangers, @Pittsburgh | Safe to Start. Brodie took a loss against the Rangers a few weeks back but has been sharp ever since. Give him a go this week coming off that shutout on Saturday. He has started 7 straight but it’s a short week for New Jersey, so expect him in both games. |
| New York Islanders | 1. Roloson 2. Biron |
Carolina, @Montreal, Washington | Emergency Basis Only. Rolo and Biron just can’t seem to hold it together to help the club nab their first win. 2 tough matchups this week, so best stay away from the Islanders goaltending duo. If you absolutely have to start Rolo/Biron this week, look at that Montreal game as your outlet. Montreal has been somewhat inconsistent this season and could give New York an opportunity to steal a win. |
| New York Rangers | 1. Lundqvist 2. Valiquette |
San Jose, New Jersey, @Montreal | Safe to Start. The Rangers are still cruising. They seem to be the real deal, so don’t hesitate to start Lundqvist this week. The San Jose game is a tough one on paper, but the Sharks haven’t been very consistent this season, so don’t hesitate to start him against San Jose. |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 1. Emery 2. Boucher |
Boston, Florida, San Jose | Use Caution. Emery has been struggling immensely as of late, and with Boston and San Jose on the schedule, see if you can get away with just starting Emery (or Boucher) against Florida on Saturday. |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1. Fleury 2. Johnson |
St. Louis, Florida, New Jersey | Safe to Start. Marc-Andre Fleury is cruising. Don’t hesitate to start him. Pittsburgh has a back-to-back game on Friday and Saturday this week, so perhaps we see Johnson on Friday night against the Panthers? Double check the starter and fire at will. |
Northeast Division
| Boston Bruins | 1. Thomas 2. Rask |
Nashville, @Philadelphia, @Ottawa | Use Caution. The ups and downs continue for the Bruins this season as Thomas has not been nearly as consistent as many had hoped. Continue to proceed with caution until they can string together a few wins. They have a couple struggling teams on the horizon this week in Nashville and Philadelphia, so perhaps take a chance on one of those games. Maybe the Kobasew trade will light a fire underneath these slow starters. | |
| Buffalo Sabres | 1. Miller 2. Lalime |
@Florida, @Tampa Bay | Safe to Start. Ryan Miller is still undefeated in regulation play, so start him in both games this week as the Sabres make the trip down south for the Sunbelt Series. | |
| Montreal Canadiens | 1. Price 2. Halak |
Atlanta, New York Islanders, New York Rangers | Emergency Basis Only. We’re still seeing the fallout from Gainey’s roster shuffle this summer as the Habs can’t seem to click quite yet. It’ll come, but until then, you may want to hold off on relying too much on Carey Price. It may look an easy week early on, but both Atlanta and the Islanders should give Montreal a run for their money. | |
| Ottawa Senators | 1. Leclaire 2. Elliot |
Nashville, Boston | Safe to Start. Start Leclaire in both matchups this week as two struggling team come to the nation’s capital. | |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1. Toskala 2. MacDonald |
Vancouver | Emergency Basis Only. Those managers who drafted offense before addressing their goaltending needs may be relying on the Toronto this year between the pipes. Ooops. Only one game for the lowly Leafs this week, and for many of you, it’s a must start if you need to meet goaltending requirements. Double check your starter on Saturday night as it could be Toskala, MacDonald, or possibly Gustavsson if he’s healthy enough. Early indications are pointing at MacDonald, however. |
Southeast Division
| Atlanta Thrashers | 1. Pavelec 2. Hedberg |
@Montreal, Washington, San Jose | Use Caution. Pavelec has the Thrash off to their best start in franchise history. They have some difficult teams ahead of them this week, however, so if you’re looking for your best shot at a win, consider playing Pavelec against the Habs. | |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 1. Ward 2. Leighton |
@New York Islanders, @Colorado, @Minnesota | Safe to Start. Cam Ward and crew are on the road all week, but the schedule may play in their favor. Double check the starter each night as Michael Leighton may provide some relief on this busy road trip. | |
| Florida Panthers | 1. Vokoun 2. Clemmensen |
Buffalo, @Pittsburgh, @Philadelphia | Emergency Basis Only. Scott Clemmensen looked extremely sharp in the win against the Flyers last Friday. Keep in the back of your mind that Craig Anderson was able to gain recognition amongst fantasy managers the last two seasons taking over for an inconsistent Vokoun. We know Clemmensen’s potential from last season, so we’re aware of his ability to perform. With this is mind, we’ll continue to stress the importance of plucking goaltenders off the waiver wire. Vokoun should see the majority of the starts this week, but if he struggles, don’t expect DeBoer to hesitate when considering a goaltender swap. | |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 1. Smith 2. Niittymaki |
San Jose, Buffalo | Emergency Basis Only. Short, tricky week for the Bolts. If you have better options out there, you’re advised to take them. It’s worth noting that Niittymaki has looked sharp between the pipes when he gets the nod, so flag him to see if his next spot start is successful. | |
| Washington Capitals | 1. Varlamov 2. Theodore/Holtby |
@Atlanta, @New York Islanders | Safe to Start. Caps don’t play ‘til Thursday, so there’s a good chance we good see Theodore back in uniform. Either way, double check the starter for each game this week and fire away. |
Central Division
| Chicago Blackhawks | 1. Huet 2. Niemi |
Vancouver, Nashville | Safe to Start. Another situation to keep an eye on. Niemi landed himself two wins last week for Chicago while Huet was only able to generate one. While we believe it’s still too early in the season for a goaltending issue to unfold in Chicago, it’s worth owning Niemi for spot starts as he has been quite successful so far this season. Check your starters this week and give ‘em a go. | |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 1. Mason 2. Garon |
@Calgary, @Edmonton, @Anaheim | Safe to Start. Steve Mason is cruising. Don’t hesitate to start him this week. Perhaps we see a spot start from Garon with the Jackets on the road all week. | |
| Detroit Red Wings | 1. Osgood 2. Howard |
@Buffalo, Los Angeles, Colorado | Safe to Start. Interesting matchups this week for a Red Wing team that could really use a nice little winning streak. Bryzgalov and crew have been on point so far this season; the same can be said about Anderson and Colorado. If you have some early games this week, see if you can generate some wins in those matchups before you go relying on these two too much. | |
| Nashville Predators | 1. Ellis 2. Rinne |
@Boston, @Ottawa, @Chicago | Emergency Basis Only. Certainly a week to forget if you’re Dan Ellis or Pekka Rinne. 18 Goals against and 4 losses isn’t going to win very many fantasy hearts. Nashville has a difficult schedule this week, and while they have the offensive prowess to keep it competitive, it may be best to avoid the two this week (although the schedule for next week isn’t the most forgiving either). It may be tough as many managers are relying on these two as their number one tenders, but until the water clears, try to gather a win elsewhere. | |
| St. Louis Blues | 1. Mason 2. Conklin |
@Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Dallas | Use Caution. Play the matchups this week if you’re a Mason owner. Avoid that game against Pittsburgh and give Friday night against Minnesota a shot. If you’re able to land a win, maybe it’ll allow you to avoid the Dallas game on Saturday. |
Northwest Division
| Calgary Flames | 1. Kiprusoff 2. McElhinney |
Columbus, Edmonton | Safe to Start. Start him. He should play in both games. |
| Colorado Avalanche | 1. Anderson 2. Budaj |
@Minnesota, Carolina, Detroit | Safe to Start. We told you to avoid ‘Lanche last week based on their matchups. Hopefully you did the exact opposite. While many are asking when Chicago is going to “come back down to earth,” they appear to be the real deal right now. Give ‘em a go. |
| Edmonton Oilers | 1. Khabibulin 2. Drouin-Deslauriers |
Vancouver, Columbus, @Calgary | Use Caution. Up down, up down, win loss, win loss. Expect Khabibulin this week, but it should be a guessing game as to how they perform. |
| Minnesota Wild | 1. Backstrom 2. Harding |
Colorado, @St. Louis, Carolina | Emergency Basis Only. The Wild are skidding haaaaaaaard. If you absolutely need a start this week, maybe play Backstrom against St. Louis. Maybe… It kills us to have to advise managers to bench an all-star caliber goaltender, but it’s important to play it smart early on. Don’t worry. They’ll get back on track. Until then, just try and weather the storm. |
| Vancouver Canucks | 1. Luongo 2. Raycroft |
@Edmonton, @Chicago, Toronto | Safe to Start. It’s not like you’re going to bench Luongo. Edmonton and Toronto for sure. |
Pacific Division
| Anaheim Ducks | 1. Hiller 2. Giguere |
Dallas, Columbus | Use Caution. Hiller has looked the sharpest of the two this season, but two tricky opponents this week should keep managers guessing. If you had to pick a game, give Hiller the nod against Columbus. |
| Dallas Stars | 1. Turco 2. Auld |
Los Angeles, @Anaheim, @Los Angeles, @St. Louis | Safe to Start. Busy weeks allow for managers to pick and choose their games. 4 games on the horizon for Dallas. We will see Auld without question this week, so double check your starters on game night. Anaheim and St. Louis are two good places to look for wins this week. Play the matchups. |
| Los Angeles Kings | 1. Quick 2. Ersberg |
@Dallas, Dallas, @Phoenix | Use Caution. Perhaps the Kings are coming back to earth a little quicker than some anticipated. Anticipate a split between Dallas and a tough game against the ‘Yotes. |
| Phoenix Coyotes | 1. Bryzgalov 2. LaBarbera |
Detroit, Los Angeles | Safe to Start. Give Bryzgalov the nod in both games. He’s really playing well. |
| San Jose Sharks | 1. Nabokov 2. Greiss |
@New York Rangers, @Tampa Bay, @Atlanta | Safe to Start. Go for it. If you’re looking for the best opportunities for a win, Start Nabby against the Lightning and Thrashers. Let’s hope that San Jose can shake their inconsistencies. |
If you have any questions or comments shoot an email over to: contact@saucerpass.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
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