October 8th Fantasy FYIs: Blues vs Predators + NHL Tidbits
The St. Louis Blues start their campaign tonight, but as fantasy hockey players know the season started Thursday. It’s hard to get back in to the swing of things in the first week and seven the first month of the season. Here’s some news and analysis you can use for today’s home opener versus the Nashville Predators as well as some tidbits from around the league.
St. Louis Blues
Safe Bets to Start: Avoid homerism when setting up your lineup. Blues and Preds games tend to be low scoring and have few special teams points to be gained. Don’t gamble early, especially in H2H leagues. Stick with David Backes, Chris Stewart Alex Pietrangelo and Jaroslav Halak in shallow leagues and ones with few lineup spots. Based on previous performance and the depth of talent available in those formats they’re the only ones deserving of a start over 90% of the time.
Low Risk, High Reward: In deeper leagues with larger rosters Patrik Berglund, TJ Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk and Matt D’Agostini are solid options. Keep in mind Dags has 3 goals in 6 games against the Preds in 2010-11 and started off that season hot with 4 goals in 9 October games. He is likely skating with Alex Steen and Jason Arnott, two more low risk options, so scoring opportunities will come his way. Berglund and Oshie are on a line with Stewart which clicked during preseason play and should generate many, many scoring chances. Andy McDonald continues to be paired with Backes which will keep his potential to earn points high while minimizing his usually weak Plus/Minus rating.
Don’t Sleep On: In the deepest of leagues Jamie Langenbrunner should be in your lineup. His numbers last season between New Jersey and Dallas were poor from a fantasy perspective. He appeared in just 70 games registering only 9 goals and 32 points with a Minus-18 rating. However, he is starting tonight alongside Backes and McDonald. If all goes well for the Blues at the start of the season his numbers will be inflated. Making him a great candidate for an early season trade selling high on value before David Perron‘s return and D’Agostini’s likely ascension back to the top 6 at some point.
Nashville Predators
There are very, very few options to start on a consistent basis in shallow leagues. That list starts with Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on the backend. It ends with Pekka Rinne in goal. Suter and Weber are no-brainers every night, but be cautious of Rinne for tonight’s game. He started against Columbus on Friday and turned away 34 shots on goal. He’s also been battling the flu. Do not assume that he will automatically start the game. Preds bench boss Barry Trotz knows he has a very capable number two in Anders Lindback.
Rinne is the unconfirmed starter. If Lindback gets the go, you have the green light to start in a deeper league if you have no other starting options.
Rinne splits vs Blues: 8-5-2, 2.02 GAA, .926 save percentage, 1 shutout. (FYI – his career October splits are nearly identical. He’s good straight out of the gate)
Lindback splits vs Blues: 1-0-0. 3.00 GAA, .914 save percentage.
Lindback Overall in 201o-11: 11-5-2, 2.60 GAA, .915 save percentage, 2 shutouts. (FYI – In October 201 he was 3-0-0 with a 2.55GAA and .925 save percentage)
The Patric Hornavist question: The Swedish agitating goal scorer was a thorn in the Blues side in 2009-10. Scoring 3 goals and registering 6 points in 5 games against. Last season he was neutralized in large part. Finishing with just 1 goal and 3 points with a Minus-3 rating in 6 games against the Note. At one time he was a sure bet when playing the Blues, now he is not. In shallow leagues, don’t roll the dice. In deeper leagues, take the chance.
Martin Erat is a usually a safe bet in deeper leagues, but his career splits against the Blues are absolutely brutal for a key scorer. In 47 games he has 3 goals, 15 points, a Mins-2 ranking and zero power play points. However, if you league counts Gamw Winning Goals, two of his three have been GWGs.
Who to Monitor: The Preds usually anemic offense hasn’t improved. At least on paper. Sergei Kostitsyn, Niclas Bergfors and Colin Wilson are three to monitor for flash in the pan production that can be sold high or rode till they cool off. Watch for them in the first week to get a better feel for where they’re going. Jon Blum is the latest highly thought of defenseman to move up the Preds blue line ranks. His offensive abilities warrant starting in the deepest of leagues. Keeper league owners should be mindful of how well he does. His role could suddenly grow in 2012-13 depending on how the contract situations with Weber and Suter pan out. Blake Geoffrion is another young player to watch that could ascend to a larger role and warrant some fantasy consideration. Not someone to pick up for tonight’s game, but watch him.
Around the NHL
Check out DailyFaceoff.com for starting goalie information.
- Al Montoya gets the start for the New York Islanders per the Isles official twitter account. He is squaring off against the new look Florida Panthers and Jose Theodore. If you’re in a deep league, its okay to roll the dice as a Montoya owner on this game if your options are slim. Theodore was not good in the preseason and there is no knowing what the cats will bring. The Isles have some goal scoring firepower with Michael Grabner, John Tavares, Matt Moulson and with Mark Streit back on the power play point, this NYI team has a good chance to run up the score on the Panthers.
If you don’t own Montoya, but need a starter, monitor this game closely. If he performs well, pick him up before someone else does. IF he and the Islanders are hot, ride them and sell high later.
- Steal of the summer Tomas Vokoun will not be starting the Washington Capitals home opener. Joe Yerdon of Pro Hockey Talk reports he is none too happy about it either. instead young Michal Neuvirth will handle the duties in net. Bottom line, don’t start Vokoun. The Caps are playing the Carolina Hurricanes and Cam Ward is the unconfirmed starter. In two career starts versus the Canes Neuvirth is 1-1-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .915 save percentage. His one win being a shutout. Go ahead and start him. The Caps are deep and the Canes are not.
- Yerdon also reports that Mathieu Perrault will start for the Caps instead of another young centerman, Marcus Johansson. With Alex Ovechkin back in the USA after attending a famliy funeral in Russia, per Dmitry Chesenokov, it appears Perrault will skate on the second line with Alex Semin and Troy Brouwer. In a fairly deep league and need a Center? Start him.
- Dave Bolland owners know he didn’t play last night in Dallas. Per the official Blackhawks twitter account, he is a maybe for tonight’s home opener.
- Per Ansar Khan of MLive.com, former Blues netminder Ty Conlin will start for the Detroit Red Wings. Don’t start him.
- Tomas Greiss is starting for the San Jose Sharks who play Mike Smith and the Phoenix Coyotes. Start Greiss in fairly deep leagues. Don’t roll the dice on Smith yet At least in H2H formats.
- According to Shawn Roarke Dustin Penner will not play for the LA Kings against the Buffalo Sabers over in Europe today. May not be back till they play the New Jersey Devils on OCtober 13th.
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Thanks for reading. As always follow @BlueNoteZone on Twitter for Blues updates and @JTQ_1 for updates from around the NHL.
