Posted by Tim Kavanagh, Special to ESPN.com
The morning after a thorough, 6-2 beating of the Rangers -- and it probably would've been 10-2 if not for the relative heroics of Henrik Lundqvist -- it is a good time to take a deeper look at some Montreal Canadiens who could offer some fantasy help going forward.
Andrei Kostitsyn -- AK46 as he is sometimes called, owing to his Belarusian background -- started this season with a whimper after a dominant second half in 2007-08 led to a pretty high draft position in many leagues. In fact, he had just seven points through the first 20 games in spite of playing on the Habs' top line with Tomas Plekanec and Alexei Kovalev, and was briefly demoted to fourth line duties although he retained a role on the power play. However, in the past three games, Kostitsyn has teamed up with Saku Koivu and youngster Matt D'Agostini and has recorded six points, including the opening goal in Thursday's game. It wasn't until December 6th of last season that AK46 started scoring consistently -- he had just eight points in the first 23 games, followed by 45 in the remaining 55 -- and a quick check of the calendar tells us that it's time for the left winger to get rolling again. He should be a solid No. 2 LW from here on out, as much for his plus-minus -- currently at plus-10 -- as for his even-strength and power-play scoring.
As of now, it appears there's only room for either Guillaume Latendresse or D'Agostini with the big club. D'Agostini was scoring at a fervent pace for the Canadiens' AHL affiliate Hamilton, notching 25 points in 20 games before being called up in late November, while "Lats" hasn't looked like he has made much progress yet, after netting 16 goals in each of his first two seasons. In the three games he's played thus far, D'Agostini has three points, as he has manned the right side of the ice with linemates Kostitsyn and Captain Koivu, while Latendresse has been a healthy scratch. It's a possibility that both players are kept on the Montreal roster, but it's much more likely that one will be sent down to Hamilton to further develop and with Latendresse's recent quote that he's "still young and learning," logic would dictate that it'd be him. As long as D'Agostini stays with Koivu and Kostitsyn, he's certainly a must-have in fantasy.
The X-Factor in all of this is Andrei's younger brother, Sergei Kostitsyn. Although also listed as a left winger, many -- including our own Sean Allen -- have long argued for the two to be put on the same line, to build on the chemistry that can only exist between two siblings; see "Sedin Twins, The" for the best case scenario. Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau hadn't been too pleased with the younger Kostitsyn's play as of late, and skated him just eight minutes in last week's game against Buffalo before sending him to the press box on healthy scratches the past two contests. Although the current Koivu-Kostitsyn-D'Agostini line has produced well, the K-cubed line could be even more lucrative.
We may get another clue as to the long-term fates of D'Agostini, Latendresse and the younger Kostitsyn by Saturday night when the Habs host the Devils. Until then, D'Agostini remains the man to target for a waiver wire pickup.
Ice chips
Craig Anderson stopped 45 of 46 shots to earn his third straight victory, furthering his case as the dominant starting 'tender in Florida and yet he's owned in only 15 percent of ESPN leagues. What's this guy gotta do to get some love? … Martin Hanzal doubled his seasonal goal total with a hat trick against the Maple Leafs, and is almost entirely unowned. Don't go crazy picking him up, but keep an eye cast upon the desert hockey for a few more games to see if this former first-rounder can sustain some production. … The Pickle Man Marc-Edouard Vlasic earned three helpers while skating nearly 26 minutes against Columbus. There's been a Black Friday-level blitz to pick up the defenseman in recent weeks, but there's still time for the late-risers too. He's owned in just more than 55 percent of leagues so there's a decent chance he might still be sitting on your waiver wire, and he's a great addition to any defensive roster. … Dany Sabourin continues to impress while Marc-Andre Fleury rehabs a groin injury. After stopping all but two of 36 Hurricanes shots Thursday, Sabourin has a 1.86 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage, and backstopped a 5-2 win that was jumpstarted by Sidney Crosby's four-assist night. … In other flightless bird news, Philippe Boucher was placed on the IR on Thursday, meaning Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski will have to continue to carry the load. … As the adage goes, "we're running out of superlatives for" Tim Thomas. Arguably the most valuable fantasy player thus far, given his low draft position compared to actual on-ice performance, Thomas added another victory to his total and the Bruins are your Eastern Conference leaders at this point. That's really great, that city hasn't had anything to cheer about sports-wise for a while. Phil Kessel had two goals in the game, and now has 13 total during a 10-game scoring streak. Don't sit him for anybody. … Two of the "outsiders" for the Red Wings tallied two goals apiece, with Daniel Cleary and Jiri Hudler leading the way over Vancouver. Unlike many of their teammates, these two will not help your plus-minus, but if you're desperate for scoring, they could be a nice add. … Patrik Elias continues to dominate the score sheet. In the past eight games -- starting with the November 14th game against Washington -- Elias has six goals and eight assists. The other beneficiaries of this streak have been Elias' linemates Dainius Zubrus and Brian Gionta, and all three should be owned while the trio continues to produce. A roster note from this game: Brian Rolston made his return to the ice after missing a month and half with an ankle injury, but played primarily on the third line with John Madden and Jay Pandolfo. Although Rolston will be a key part of the Devils' power play now that he's healthy again, it's going to be difficult for New Jersey coach Brent Sutter to split up either of his top two scoring lines, given the chemistry that's developed on both since Rolston's injury. Nevertheless, if you had to pick one guy to get demoted, it'd likely be Travis Zajac off of the line with Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner. Even with this uncertain role, Rolston is a great pickup if someone happened to drop him while he was out injured.
