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Michael Rupp or David Clarkson, anyone? Rupp has a three-game point streak and Clarkson continues to go to fisticuffs on a regular basis, while both are playing on new Jersey's "energy line" with Dainius Zubrus. That's not what makes them attractive in fantasy leagues right now, though. It's the fact that they have nine games remaining. Don't you think Clarkson could do more in nine games for your squad than Scott Walker could do in the Hurricanes' remaining six contests? Rupp could maybe even post more points than Slava Kozlov in Atlanta's half-dozen remaining games.

The point is that schedule is one of the most important things in fantasy hockey right now. Pay attention to the schedule, games remaining and linemates and you should be able to finish strong. And here are a few names to help:

Brendan Morrison, C, Canucks: He has returned, and he's skating with his traditional linemate, Markus Naslund. Although he has been quiet in four of his games since returning, Morrison has four points in the other two games. People are so down on him based on the disappointment of his last two seasons that he is actually undervalued for what he contributes. Morrison still can help squads as a No. 3 center. Just use him wisely, avoiding matchups both this Friday and next Friday against red-hot Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom and you'll be fine.

Manny Malhotra, C, Blue Jackets: You can crunch the numbers any which way you like, but the equation of Rick Nash plus Player A is always good. Right now, "Player A" is Malhotra. Relative to his draft position -- seventh overall in 1998 -- Malhotra has been a bust, never finishing with more than 31 points or better than plus-1 in a season. However, you place someone with decent awareness of the ice next to Nash and you will inevitably get results. Those results for Malhotra are six points in three games. That he qualifies only at center is a drawback, but this time of year is all about results, and you can feel free to drop a slacking star like Daymond Langkow or Andy McDonald to get this kind of sizzling production.

Jochen Hecht, C, Sabres: After turning on his jets in late January and tearing up the ice until mid-March last season, Hecht has seemingly waited till March this season to turn on his afterburners. As a team leader, Hecht will have to be an example to his fellow Sabres if they hope to catch a whiff of the postseason. Hecht has nine points in six games this month and will be on the warpath against vulnerable goalies in six of Buffalo's eight remaining games.

Jaroslav Halak, G, Canadiens: The truly desperate can consider Halak as a source of some fill-in statistics for the remaining schedule, but only because he is a Canadien. On any other team, the speculation about when he would start would make juggling him in and out of your lineup without wasting other starts a chore and a half. Coach Guy Carbonneau is never secretive about who he starts at goaltender on any given night, so you should know ahead of time when Halak will get the odd start. Remember, Carey Price is the goaltender, and although Halak's recent streak has been useful, he's not going to take the job away from the phenom.

Mikko Koivu, C, Wild: He's considered by many to be the most underrated player in the NHL, and that opinion seems to carry over to fantasy hockey as well. Owned in only 35 percent of ESPN leagues, Koivu has six points in his last five games. As the center man for Marian Gaborik and Brian Rolston, that shouldn't come as a surprise.

Mike Weber and Andrej Sekera, D, Sabres: Granted, the three games they played in were all blowout wins, but both guys finished with a plus-11, which is still an impressive feat. I've mentioned Sekera before as future captain material for his strong defensive leadership, and Weber got some fantasy attention at the end of last season. It seems combining the two creates a defensive juggernaut. If you need plus/minus, what to do should be obvious.

Dwayne Roloson, G, Oilers: Mathieu Garon should get another shot at the bulk of starts, but if he botches it, though, Roloson will be back in again. Roloson has been playing some great hockey this month, including two games in which he faced more than 40 shots and allowed just three goals in the two contests combined. Edmonton's power play has been effective lately. The remaining games might all be divisional, but the Oilers are playing good enough hockey, led by Sam Gagner, that I am not concerned about Vancouver or Calgary on the schedule (Colorado and Minnesota are another matter). Roloson was abandoned by many fantasy owners in February, but he should have some value over these final weeks.

Kyle Okposo, RW, Islanders: As expected, Okposo is making his NHL debut before the end of the season. It's a thorny issue with Golden Gophers fans, so I'll just say that after he "departed" from the University of Minnesota, Okposo has been lacing them up for the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In order to not invoke a year of his entry-level contract, the Isles waited until they had just nine games remaining to give the 2006 first-round pick a test at the NHL level. With 24 points in 29 games in "the A," Okposo has responded extremely well for a 20-year-old in the league. Lined up with Richard Park and Blake Comeau for his first NHL contest, expect Okposo to get a better assignment in the coming games so the Isles can see if he is ready to start building around next season.

Wade Dubielewicz, G, Islanders: Rick DiPietro has gone under the knife, and "Dubie" has the net all to himself on Long Island. Dubielewicz's hot streak to finish last season is well-documented, but you'd be foolish to expect a similar finish to the season. New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the Rangers are all better at scoring now than they were a season ago, and the Islanders' remaining eight games are all against these teams battling for postseason seeding. Forget about Dubie except in the deepest of leagues.

Chris Thorburn, C/RW, Thrashers: Why he is playing where he is, I don't know. But I do know that as a linemate of Ilya Kovalchuk, you are entitled to some recognition in the fantasy world. Thorburn is more of a bruiser and digging-in-the-corners kind of guy, but he could be in for some good old osmosis points by playing with Kovy. In deep leagues he could help your PIMs and plus/minus.

Sean Allen is a fantasy baseball and hockey analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.