Tricks or Treats- Week 4

Happy Halloween Week!

Tricks-

Fighting controversy has now exploded into boarding hit suspensions. Tuomo Ruutu was suspended for his hit on Darcy Tucker, while Mike Richards escaped punishment for his hit on David Booth. Even though suspensions are being handed out like Halloween candy, the Flyers-Canes game on Halloween posted 30 PIMs for fighting and 18 PIMs for roughing. Teams were fighting off the demons in the West with the Coyotes-Ducks game scaring up 30 PIMs for fighting and 4 for rouging. Crosby even came to the party with his dukes up. Treats- The NHL Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Luc Robitaille. New Jersey Devil’s legend Lou Lamoriello was also inducted.

The crazy roller coaster ride in the first four weeks of the NHL season with the Colorado Avalanche sitting on top of the Western Conference, followed in second by the Los Angeles Kings. In the Eastern pack, Pittsburgh and Washington dominate but Buffalo sits in the number three spot. Greatest hockey game watching ever!

Treats-

The NHL Hockey Hall of Fame inducted  Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Luc Robitaille.  New Jersey Devil’s legend Lou Lamoriello was also inducted.

The crazy roller coaster ride in the first four weeks of the NHL season with the Colorado Avalanche sitting on top of the Western Conference, followed in second by the Los Angeles Kings.  In the Eastern pack, Pittsburgh and Washington dominate but Buffalo sits in the number three spot.  Greatest hockey  watching ever!

Wingers with a Punch

It’s not quite time to draft your fantasy hockey team, but the training camps are starting and the rosters are adjusting.  Start your lists for draft day soon.  These are my picks to watch or pick up; not defensemen, but can pull the punches and the power points.

Western Conference:

David Backes -STL-was a free agent pick up because he had a great fight and was kicked out of the game.  He topped the PIM category, so I gave him a shot at RW.  Backes is a Minnesota boy, so being from Michigan I tend to favor my fellow hockey states. The St. Louis Blues will be a contender.  If they pick up Kesel, they will go further than last season and break into the second round. Backes took 165 PIMs and 54 points.  Lots of blood.

Alex Burrows -VAN-kicked some serious roster rising for my team. The left winger gave me a boost with 150 penalty points with an extra 51 for great power play.  His reputation on the ice made him seem like a bad guy, but he countered the hype with some generous displays of kindness.  When you watch him skate, he’s the loner.  Burrows plays with emotion, so you never know what you’ll get each game.  The odds are in your favor with this pick up.

Eastern Conference:

David Clarkson-NJ -LW-  Super solid winger who posts decent goals and even better PIMs.  He was my breakout candidate with a powerful punch and counted on points last year. My league had talent and I fought my way up with Clarkson. I could guarantee a fight once a week keeping the lanes open with 164 PIMs and 32 points.   New Jersey Devils are playing well because of the additional help Clarkson provides.

Milan Lucic -BOS- I never paid attention to this LW until he bounced around our league, but I couldn’t catch him.  The Boston Bruins formed a talented group with strong players who are playing for the team, and the city.  Each player has solid stats, but Lucic stood out with penalties totaling 136, but an added bonus of 42 points.  Keep an eye on him as you draft.

Tuomo Ruutu-CAR- the left-winger with the power to strike from any side.  That includes boarding, roughing, and scoring.  Last season he profiled with 79 penalty minutes and some of the best fights of the season, plus 54 pts equally divided. He’s a dual type of player that you pick up on your fantasy roster, but you hesitate to drop him because he produces.  He’s probably won some of those odd ones like SHA, and PPP.   The Carolina Hurricanes will be a stellar team this season with amazing talent and great coaching.  Strong possibility.