Posted by John Pereira
Although they were missing Marian Gaborik for the sixth straight game due to injury, the surprising Minnesota Wild lost for just the first time in regulation this season, a 4-2 decision to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. Minnesota remains mum on the subject of Gaborik's puzzling absence, saying only that it's a lower-body injury. We can expect the team to continue to play it safe and rest their superstar due to his history of injury; so it is unlikely that he plays Thursday against Montreal and could very well miss a few more games. There is some good news for Gaborik owners in fantasy leagues: He is skating on his own, and team brass are unlikely to shut him down for too long due to the nature of his contract status. He is a free agent at the end of the season and is due a hefty pay raise, one that is rumored to be too rich for the Wild's blood. The team will no doubt look to have him back on the ice as soon as possible to showcase his skills to interested trading partners.
In the meantime, for owners looking to fill the void left by Gaborik's absence, here are a few players that have been playing well of late and are widely available in ESPN leagues.
Matt Stajan, Maple Leafs: Stajan scored twice and had an assist Wednesday night in a Toronto win over the New Jersey Devils, giving the 25-year-old three goals and three assists in the past seven days. He has responded well to being a healthy scratch earlier this season and has shown the intensity that could lead to a lot more points down the road should he continue to see time beside Nik Antropov. He's owned in only 0.4 percent of ESPN leagues.
Milan Lucic, Bruins: He's been a hot topic of late here at ESPN, but despite our best efforts, Lucic remains available in 70 percent of fantasy leagues. He's been impressive, showing a real ability to pick up points while still displaying his penchant for doling out punishing body checks. Just ask Mike Van Ryn. While we all know he's coming off a hat trick against Atlanta earlier this week, it's a good bet that his offense will continue. Although he didn't score against Vancouver on Tuesday, he did have five shots on goal.
Andrew Brunette, Wild: Brunette has been doing the majority of the scoring for the Wild while Gaborik is on the shelf. He scored his fourth goal of the season during a 4-2 loss in Dallas on Wednesday, and has had some great chemistry with linemates Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen. Koivu is on the verge of a breakout season, and his ability to pass the puck is the major reason Brunette will continue to score. While he won't reach his 2006-07 point total of 83, he will finish with more than the 59 he had in 2007-08. He's still available in 75 percent of ESPN leagues.
Alexei Ponikarovsky, Maple Leafs: Yes, yes, I know, another Maple Leaf on the list, but for good reason. Ponikarovsky extended his point streak to five games with a goal and an assist in the win over the Devils. The 6-foot-4 winger was another player targeted for motivation by new Leafs bench boss Ron Wilson, and the response has been real intensity on the ice. Ponikarovsky's inability to produce points on the power play is somewhat worrisome, but with his ownership level at just 2.5 percent, you might as well pick him off waivers and ride out this hot streak.
Loui Eriksson, Stars: The fact that this man is available in nearly 100 percent of ESPN fantasy hockey leagues is mind-boggling considering his recent play. In the past seven days Eriksson has scored three goals, picked up two assists and averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time. Eriksson remains a great option off the wire as long as he continues to play on a line with Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow.
Ice Chips
Stars coach Dave Tippett went unconventional Wednesday night and put backup goalie Tobias Stephan into the lineup to face the red-hot Minnesota Wild in place of slumping starter Marty Turco. Stephan made 19 saves to earn his first NHL win in only his second NHL start. Don't be surprised to see Stephan on a more regular basis if Turco continues to struggle. The Stars have shown that they are willing to bench their starter at times, as they did last year with Mike Smith and Turco splitting games. … Sean Avery is finally settling down in Dallas, as shown by his recent play. He has six points and 33 penalty minutes in 10 games this season. … While nights like this will be few and far between for the Leafs this season, the struggling team showed the ability to play offense against one of the better defensive teams in the league. They were able to pepper Martin Brodeur with 48 shots in the 6-5 win, which is a good sign for the top line of Antropov, Stajan and Ponikarovsky. … Teemu Selanne scored the 21st hat trick of his career, helping the Ducks get past Detroit by a score of 5-4. Selanne is on pace to score 44 goals this season, and is just two goals back of Guy Lafleur for 20th on the all-time scoring list. All three goals came on the power play, which of course is a great boost if you use the standard ESPN scoring format for your league. … Ryan Getzlaf certainly seemed to be the benefactor of Selanne's great night. Getzlaf was involved in each one of the Ducks' goals, picking up five assists. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume that Getzlaf will break the 90-point barrier for the first time in his career this season.
