导出博客文章There was a natural progression for fantasy hockey writers taking in Auston
Matthews NHL debut on Wednesday:Goal No. 1 [with heavy sarcasm]: Of course he
scores in his first game. That should help the hype train slow down.Goal No. 2:
Wow. I mean. ... Just wow. He made Erik Karlsson look like a goof. Maybe he was
underrated a touch coming into this season. After all, no one has ever followed
his development path before. Having a skilled player forego junior hockey and
play in the professional ranks in Europe for his draft year is a path forged by
Matthews. This is technically all new. Perhaps we should reassess his value.Goal
No. 3: Sweet. Now we get to make a nice Fabian Brunnstrom reference in reminding
owners not to overreact too much. Matthews is most definitely in need of a value
boost for fantasy purposes, but the kid cant score 246 goals in a season, so the
pace will slow down. Ill just a write a little bit about Brunnstrom, boost
Matthews in the rankings next week and everything will go back to normal
soon.Goal No. 4: Matthews will score 300 goals this season. He is a fantasy
hockey titan and has caused my brain to forget how Connor McSomethings name
ends. This is entirely unreasonable. Why does the NHL not stock Matthews jerseys
in their online shop yet?There has been nothing like this for fantasy hockey
purposes before. The player tabbed as the next best thing stepped onto the ice
and blew everyones most optimistic expectations out of the water. Of course, we
do have to be reasonable in a few ways:1. This Toronto Maple Leafs-Ottawa
Senators game was a fast and loose affair and it didnt look like anyone for
Ottawa was playing defense. In 2,460 NHL games last season, only 23 times did a
team have a game with more shot attempts than the Maple Leafs had against the
Senators on Wednesday.2. Matthews wont catch anyone else off guard. Who was on
the Leafs top line coming into this game? Of course we knew the projected lines,
but which one was the top one? It could have been any of the top three, as coach
Mike Babcock has taken a balanced approach to his deployment this season. Now
everyone knows the top line to defend against is whichever one Matthews is on.3.
Does this really change everyones overall projections? Does one four-goal game
change the opinion that Matthews is going to score 25 goals and 50-some-odd
points? A little, but not a lot. Does it feel more natural to say 30 goals and
60-plus points after watching him play in an NHL game? Yes. But if thats true,
his remaining 26 goals and 56 points will be spread out over the next 81 games.
There will be valleys to counter this ultimate peak.Of course, all of this
caution goes out the window when Matthews scores four more on Saturday.Fantasy
Forecaster: Oct. 17-23As youre already aware by the title, the Fantasy
Forecaster is back for another season of NHL action.We apologize for being a
week late, but from here on out this will be your one-stop shop for planning
your transactions based on the coming slate of games. Teams can range from the
rare white whale of the NHL schedule -- when a team plays five games in a week
-- to the equally rare (but despicable) one-game week. It happens as the
schedule for NHL teams ebbs and flows with travel and days off, and its
something that can be a major factor in your league.While the most obvious use
for the Fantasy Forecaster is for those owners playing in weekly leagues of some
kind, whether that is weekly roster deadlines or weekly waiver periods. But dont
overlook the usefulness of a quick capsule review of the schedule for more
active fantasy leagues, too. Those in daily lineup leagues or DFS can still take
a glimpse at the forecaster grid and our recommendations to help decide on
moves.The annual reminder for the start of the season still applies: Take the
ratings with a grain of salt until there is enough data for the Fantasy
Forecaster to really start chewing on it. The offensive and defensive game
ratings are based on goals, shots, special teams and shot attempts for each
team, weighted with a home and road split for each club. Obviously, until some
statistics from the current season start accumulating, these numbers will
largely be based on last season. And as we know, a lot has changed since
then.Access the downloadable forecaster chart PDF hereTeam notesArizona Coyotes:
While we know very little about how NHL defenses will fare this season, we know
the Senators didnt look very solid in that department on Wednesday. The Coyotes
have four road games next week, but including the Sens on that docket helps us
-- at least for now -- view this as a favorable road trip. The early part of the
season leaves you with many question marks for how players might contribute in
new roles, but Radim Vrbata is, technically speaking, returning to an old role.
It appears as though Vrbata will open the campaign on the top line with his
former linemate Martin Hanzal as well as dynamic sophomore Max Domi. Owned in
only eight percent of ESPN leagues, Vrbata is worth a look here. His 35-goal
season in 2011-12 came while skating on a line with Hanzal and Ray
Whitney.Calgary Flames: The Flames get to hang around in Calgary to play three
home games next week, and none of them are back-to-back couplets. It should be a
nice week to get to know each other, especially since two of the players on the
top line on Wednesday didnt skate an inch together in training camp. Johnny
Gaudreaus late re-signing and Kris Versteegs last-minute addition to the team
showed clearly on Wednesday, as the Oilers thumped the Flames 7-4. Even though
he snuck in to steal the top-line role, Versteeg isnt the only name of interest.
Troy Brouwer still joined Gaudreau and Sean Monahan for the Flames first
power-play unit, and is getting time on the second line at even strength. Hell
be worth keeping a close eye on. Also of note for the Flames is that T.J. Brodie
was not paired with Mark Giordano at even strength, as new coach Glen Gulutzan
appears to favor balance. Without the role next to Giordano, Brodies chances of
value as a No. 4 fantasy defenseman are greatly reduced.Anaheim Ducks: Despite
some indications otherwise, coach Randy Carlyle isnt going to mess with what
works -- at least to start the season. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were back on
a line together to lead the Ducks on Thursday. With Rickard Rakell just
re-signing on Friday afternoon, youngster Nick Ritchie is getting an extended
look on the top line with Getzlaf and Perry. Cory Schneider is always an
imposing opponent, but the Ducks also play the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver
Canucks next week.Goalie notesThe Los Angeles Kings will be turning to Jeff
Zatkoff in the short term, and fantasy owners should follow their lead. The
success of goaltenders in the L.A. system comes naturally, as the team plays
some of the best defense in the NHL. The Kings were first in the NHL for fewest
shot attempts allowed last season, and second in the category in 2014-15. The
team makes things as easy as possible for its netminder, regardless of the name
on the jersey. Jonathan Quicks status is week-to-week with a lower-body injury,
so ride Zatkoff while you can. The same logic applies to Peter Budaj if the team
ends up looking his way for more starts over the inexperienced Zatkoff.Everyone
is expecting Connor Hellebuyck to take the goaltending job for the Winnipeg Jets
and run with it. Sure, that seems like the most likely scenario and the one you
should plan for in your fantasy hockey strategy. But those who like to hedge
their bets a little might want to at least consider the appeal of Michael
Hutchinson. Coach Paul Maurice is going to have a short leash on his goalies
this season, and any signs of struggle will mean he switches to the other one.
Hutchinson, while nothing special last season when this team was a three-headed
monster in the crease, had a sterling season in 2014-15 between the pipes. And
three of the four goals against Hellebuyck on Thursday could be described as
softies.Chicago Blackhawks backup goaltender Scott Darling will likely draw
either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Columbus Blue Jackets in a set of
back-to-back games for the club later next week. Either is a quality matchup for
a backup if you are able to stash him for a single use.It would be easy to
dismiss Sergei Bobrovsky after allowing five goals to the Bruins on Thursday,
but dont be so hasty. For four of the five goals against him, Bobrovsky had zero
chance to save the puck. Those goals are on his teammates, and if the Blue
Jackets, who are a very young team, can close some of the gaps in their coverage
as the season continues, Bobrovsky will still have plenty of chances to shine.
Of course, if they cant make those fixes, its going to be a long season for
Bobrovsky.Player notesEvander Kane looks to be joining Jack Eichel and Kyle
Okposo on the sidelines for the Buffalo Sabres, and its a horrible case of the
team missing arguably their three most dynamic forwards. In the meantime, the
Sabres will have to stack their depth chart as best they can, which will leave
an opportunity for Zemgus Girgensons to carve out an offensive role. Its been a
couple of seasons since he was a meaningful contributor, but there is some
history of production there to offer hope while he skates with Ryan OReilly and
Sam Reinhart.While it would be more fun to focus here on the Bourque Squared
line for the Avalanche -- with Gabriel Bourque and Rene Bourque (unrelated)
apparently set to open the campaign on the flanks of the third line -- the
sneaky fantasy value more likely rests on the second line with Mikhail
Grigorenko. A potential post-hype breakout, Grigorenko looked terrific in the
preseason, tying for the league lead with four goals. Hell play with Matt
Duchene and Carl Soderberg to open the season Saturday.Remember Devin Setoguchi?
He scored 31 goals and 65 points for the San Jose Sharks in 2008-09, but has
been a fantasy afterthought since he left the Sharks in 2011. However, the Kings
lined him up next to Anze Kopitar to start the season, which earns an eyebrow
raise. His last NHL point came in March 2014, but Setoguchi managed 24 points in
30 games playing with HC Davos in the Swiss league last season. Anybody playing
with Kopitar should at least be on your radar.Rounding out the Montreal
Canadiens top six to start the season is 21-year-old Finnish prospect Artturi
Lehkonen. Playing with Alexander Radulov and Tomas Plekanec, Lehkonen fired five
shots on goal in his debut on Thursday.For now, David Perron is filling in on
the St. Louis Blues top line with Vladimir Tarasenko as Jaden Schwartz misses
the first month of the campaign with an elbow injury. But keep an eye on what
coach Ken Hitchcock does with Nail Yakupov. The former first-overall draft pick
earned two points on Thursday in a third-line role. There are still plenty of
games for him to make a move before Schwartz returns.The biggest winner in the
Jacob Trouba saga so far has definitely been Josh Morrissey. Opening the regular
season as Dustin Byfugliens defensive partner, Morrissey has high-end potential
for his offensive game, having scored at a strong pace throughout his junior
career.
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champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of
14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow,"
Scott said. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Coach Ron Rivera isnt overly concerned about the
offenses lackluster performance in the preseason.Im not going to push the panic
button, Rivera said Monday. Im not sure why I should either.League MVP Cam
Newton has led 15 drives during the preseason that have resulted in only 13
points. The Panthers scored three points against the New England Patriots on
Friday night with Newton under center for 10 possessions.While Rivera remained
non-committal on whether Newton and other starters will play in Thursday nights
preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, history suggests they
wont.Newton hasnt played in the last preseason game since his rookie season in
2011 when the Panthers were frantically trying to prepare him for the regular
season after the former No. 1 pick missed most of the offseason workouts due to
the NFL owners lockout.Rivera harkens back to last preseason when the Panthers
also struggled against New England, but started 14-0 and reached the Super
Bowl.Rivera also acknowledges hes concerned about injuries in preseason finales,
which is why he tends to holdout his key players.Still, Newton described the
teams overall offensive inefficiency as an eye opener, and expressed some
concern about the lack of communication with his teammates.We just got to be on
each others Wi-Fi stronger than we have been, Newton said. Its been a lackluster
performance with the communication part and when that happens, if youre already
beat pre-snap, then the success rate is going to be extremely low.For a team
that led the league in scoring last season with 500 points, the idea of scoring
13 points on 15 possessions seems a little unsettling.We do need better
production from everybody including myself, Newton said. There were times in the
game where I forced certtain things where I shouldnt have and I just have to be
more mature and have more understanding of the offensive just to check it down,
and let guys do what they do.ddddddddddddOf course, the Panthers will be a
different team in the regular season.First, Newton will be allowed to run the
ball which creates problems for defenses. And the Panthers expect to have
leading receiver Greg Olsen back in the lineup after missing the last two
preseason games with back spasms.Rivera said he doesnt believe the Panthers are
far off from having success on offense. He said the players were where they were
supposed to be -- they just didnt execute.We had guys wide open and we overthrew
them. We were wide open and we dropped the ball. We missed opportunities on some
cut backs in terms of our running game. We missed blocks, Rivera said. So thats
really what this is about was about taking advantage of opportunities in front
of you and we didnt. ... We just didnt play the way we are capable of and that
is what is disappointing.When the Panthers do have to punt, the team will likely
feel a little better about the potential outcome.Carolina acquired three-time
Pro Bowl punter Andy Lee and a seventh-round pick in 2017 from the Browns on
Monday in exchange for young punter Kasey Redfern and a fourth-round pick in
2018. That helps solidify a punting situation that has been in flux since Brad
Nortman signed a four-year, $8.8 million contract with Jacksonville earlier this
offseason as an unrestricted free agent.The Panthers had signed veteran punter
Mike Scifres, but he injured his right leg against New England.---AP NFL
website:
www.pro32.ap.org and
www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '
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