Posted by Tim Kavanagh
A lot is written in the coverage of hockey about line combinations, and for good reason. The intangible chemistry between three players, while not always fully understood, can be the difference between a dominant offensive juggernaut and a unit that doesn't seem even to be skating on the same ice. It can leave casual fans scratching their heads, given some of what seems to be strange combinations popping up across the league. But it's vital that you, as a fantasy owner, pay attention and be sure to load up on the players on some of these "hot" lines.
Last season, Mike Ribeiro had a fantastic fantasy season -- especially given his low draft position -- scoring 83 points and finishing with a plus-21, when his previous career best was 65 points. Much of this had to do with the fact that he developed a great bond playing with Stars' captain Brenden Morrow. While the two should eventually be flanked by Jere Lehtinen once he returns from a groin injury, there has been a lot of shuffling among the top six forwards in Dallas recently.
With a new top line combination in place, including a reunited Morrow and Ribeiro, the Stars found relief against the Islanders, who were still shell-shocked after a 5-0 blanking by the Devils on Wednesday. Loui Eriksson was the man to sidle up to Morrow and Ribeiro, and his two first-period goals set the pace for an easy Dallas victory. Ribeiro's stick touched the puck on each of Dallas' five goals, and he finished the night with a power-play goal and four assists. Morrow had a goal and two assists.
Of the three, Eriksson is the biggest "buy now" candidate, given his nearly universal non-ownership in ESPN fantasy leagues. Even if the fellow doesn't score any more goals, the fact that he's on that line will yield some healthy additions to your plus-minus amalgam. But it's important to make that move right now to capitalize on the full extent of this combination, as Lehtinen will be returning to the lineup soon and should be taking back that wing spot on the top line. Eriksson could have some value if he gets shifted to the Brad Richards-Sean Avery line, but it would not be nearly as high.
As far as Morrow and Ribeiro, the window to "buy low" on them with a softball trade offer to their owners is closing, but it still might be possible to grab them on the cheap. If so, do it. The Stars are off to pretty horrid start in spite of the win Thursday, but the trend is going to shift in the other direction, as this team packs way too much scoring punch to be mired in the 15th position on the NHL team scoring list.
Ice Chips
Andy Marlin/Getty Images
Despite giving up three more goals, there are signs that Marty Turco is recovering from his poor start.
In the same game, Marty Turco had a mediocre statistical night (24 saves on 27 shots) but got the victory after the debacle a night earlier in New Jersey. A key was his solid start to the game, which is something you, the fantasy owner, have no control over, but it is a key indicator of success if you happen to be watching the game. … Sean Bergenheim is playing on the top line for the Isles now, although I'm not sure that really gives anyone a need to run out and pick him up. … Dallas returns home to host the Caps on Saturday, then are off until Wednesday after a big four-game week. … Two of the young Coyote pups (Mikkel Boedker and Peter Mueller) scored for Phoenix as they rode backup Mikael Tellqvist to a close win. Ilya Bryzgalov will be back in goal when the Flames come to town, but the team needed a little shakeup, according to coach Wayne Gretzky. Calgary has scored seven more goals than Phoenix this year, but they've also given up eight more, so expect a Wild West shootout in that game, meaning hide your goalies and start all your skaters. … Patrice Bergeron netted his first goal of the season, and the first since his brutal head injury last season. He should be good for about 20 more by season's end. Fret not, Bergeron owners, about the slow start. … Our own Victoria Matiash lists Nik Antropov as her fantasy "kryptonite," and he's been showing us lately why people love to hate him so much: four goals in his last three games. … A wild third period for Pittsburgh prevented Michael Leighton from getting another victory starting in place of Cam Ward. The second goal for the Penguins came from Ruslan Fedotenko with assists from Jordan Staal and Petr Sykora, a troika that will become lethal if Staal can (broken record alert) find some of the magic he showed in his rookie campaign. … While the Islanders are good for what ails most teams, the Predators are another nice team to see on the upcoming schedule. Jarome Iginla led the Calgary attack with a hat trick to erase Thomas Vanek is off to a great start after sputtering out of the gates last season. With a goal and an assist Thursday, he sits at 11 points through seven games, a scoring threshold he didn't reach until the 18th game last season. Kudos to those who took a chance in the draft, as he was avoided like the plague in all three of my leagues. … The young captain of the Avalanche and the team's elder statesman both scored a goal in a solid win over Edmonton. For Joe Sakic, it's nine points in seven games, while Paul Stastny has put up 11 points through that same period. … In goal, Peter Budaj said "My starting job! Mine!" by holding the Oilers to just one tally. The battle is not over, but this was a huge effort for him to hold off Andrew Raycroft for the role of starter. … Ian Laperriere is a goon at whom you might take a gander if you're in need of a penalty-minute boost. In spite of having seven stitches on his nose from a fight earlier in the week, Laperriere did not back down from a challenge from Zach Stortini in the third period. That type of produce-at-all-costs effort is what we like to see from our goons, no?
