Posted by Victoria Matiash
Backup goaltenders are funny ducks when it comes to fantasy value. Some provide a positive, if occasional, boost as a third goalie. A few ascend to starter's status during the season and become those precious fantasy commodities we all strive to find. And others are just downright wretched. A handful, with varying degrees of value, were in action Monday night.
The evening undeniably belonged to Edmonton's aging second banana Dwayne Roloson. He was nothing short of spectacular -- the broadcasters threw around the word "magnificent" a lot -- in the Oilers' 1-0 overtime loss to the Bruins. The 39-year-old stopped 35 of 36 shots and kept the Oilers in a game that should have been over by the second period. Roloson's numbers in two games this year (1.95 goals-against average and .939 save percentage) are much better than Mathieu Garon's in five, which begs the question: Could he take over the starter's role in Edmonton? Absolutely. Is he worth taking a gamble on? Yessiree. And the best part is, Roloson is at his most magnificent when he feels he has something to prove. Like now.
Andre Ringuette/NHLI/Getty Images
Could Alex Auld be working his way into a platoon with Martin Gerber?
Another positive performance came from
Alex Auld, as Ottawa's No. 2 backstopped the Senators to an inspired 5-2 victory in Buffalo. This was Auld's second solid showing in a row; he kept the struggling Sens competitive in Saturday's game versus the Maple Leafs. Coach Craig Hartsburg didn't even hesitate when asked if Auld would start Thursday night's game in Florida. Even though
Martin Gerber, who is battling a leg injury, skated earlier in the day, the answer was "yes." If Auld continues to shine, Gerber's gig as the No. 1 goaltender could be in danger. Even if that doesn't prove to be the case, Auld should be owned as a third netminder in all but the teeniest of leagues.
With Pascal Leclaire (ankle) out for at least a week, Fredrik Norrena gets the call in Columbus. Although he certainly didn't embarrass himself against Anaheim, and the Blue Jackets are solid defensively, Norrena isn't worth much. Once Leclaire is healthy again, Norrena won't make many appearances. If possible, use him to plug a hole for the next few games against Colorado, Chicago and the Islanders.
And believe it or not, the Islanders finally released a statement on the status of Rick DiPietro, albeit a hazy one. The Isles report that DiPietro sustained a lower-body injury Saturday unrelated to his previous injures. Real helpful stuff. But it doesn't really matter anyway. When it comes to fantasy goalies, you either want a mediocre guy on an above-average team or a superstar on an average team. The Isles are below average, and backup Joey MacDonald ain't no superstar. Leave MacDonald well enough alone, regardless of how long DiPietro remains out.
Ice Chips
Daniel Cleary's value is up significantly as Johan Franzen's replacement alongside Henrik Zetterberg and Mikael Samuelsson at both even strength and on Detroit's second power-play unit. With Franzen out up to a month, Cleary should start adding to his four points on the year quickly. … Chris Drury is breathing a sigh of relief after scoring his first two goals of the year against the Islanders. That will open the floodgates a good-sized crack, especially with the ever-talented Nikolai Zherdev joining Drury and Markus Naslund on the Rangers' top line. … Perhaps a trip to Buffalo was all the big boys in Ottawa needed to break out of their scoring drought, as Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson combined for seven points against the Sabres. But no one's stock is higher for the Senators right now than Antoine Vermette's. The 26-year-old didn't look a lick out of place on the top line with Spezza and Heatley. With all the incessant juggling in Ottawa, this combo could actually stick for a while. … Alexander Ovechkin will miss Tuesday night's tilt in Nashville while visiting his ailing grandfather in Russia. The Capitals don't play again until Saturday. … The trio of Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen and Andrew Brunette remains sizzling hot, combining for another seven points in Minnesota's 3-2 win over Chicago. Could this be the best line in the NHL? Hard to argue against that at the moment. … On the subject of exciting, potent groupings: Derick Brassard, Jakub Voracek and Jason Chimera contributed the only even-strength goal for the Blue Jackets versus Anaheim. The time for monitoring is over. If you have the chance and don't grab Brassard or Voracek now, one of your league mates will. Consider yourself forewarned.
