Alexander Ovechkin Back in Form, Ottawa Senators Can't Weather the Storm

Injuries, injuries, injuries. They seem to just keep piling up on my fantasy hockey roster.

Paul Kariya didn't make his return this week like he was expected to. I've already lost Martin Brodeur and Sergei Gonchar. This is just salt in the wound.

What's worse is I may have lost my head-to-head this week because I played Brian Boucher today. He got the victory, but the five goals against don't help matters.

We'll see tomorrow.

HOT

He's back, folks. Alexander Ovechkin has begun to play like he's supposed to. The Great Eight racked up 10 points in four games this week. More importantly, five goals were scored during that time. These are the numbers we're accustomed to seeing from him.

If Ovechkin is scoring, Nicklas Backstrom is racking up the assists. The Swede scored twice this week to go along with nine assists. His five-point effort in New Jersey was one to remember, too.

Simon Gagne just seems to play better and better as the season progresses. The 28-year-old has been getting the job done in all areas of the ice. Two shorthanded goals, one shorthanded assist, one goal, two assists, and one powerplay assist—how's that for some statistics?

Payback is always a nice thing to achieve. The Pittsburgh Penguins got a little bit against the Detroit Red Wings in a 7-6 win. Their performances against Philadelphia and Buffalo were equally impressive.

I don't think Marian Hossa wants to be overshadowed by the other great talents in Detroit. Another fine week for the Slovakian with two points in every contest. Pittsburgh fans had to be pleased to see Hossa lose to his former team after "selling out," as many would put it.

He should be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tomas Kaberle is leading this group on the defensive end with his calm presence. The native of the Czech Republic totaled five points this week. He needs to shoot the puck more often!

This may be the year that 39 points is doubled. Matt Stajan has never put up more than 40 points in a season. The fifth-year pro had six points this week and overall has averaged a point per game. Leadership is needed in Toronto, and Stajan is one of the guys displaying it.

He hits, distributes the puck, and packs a mean shot. Shea Weber has all the necessary components to become a top defenseman in the NHL. Thus far, he's managed 18 points in 17 games. What's more impressive is that eight of those are goals.

One player's injury is another's opportunity. I don't know if it was because of Kariya's absence, but David Perron played like a monster this week. With 12 points in 14 matches, the 20-year-old could easily surpass the 27 points he put up in his rookie campaign. As the saying goes though, "It's a long season."

Peter Budaj has finally shown some potential to be a legitimate No. 1 goaltender. Colorado has won their last three games, and the Slovakian has allowed three goals in that span. It's no Roberto Luongo shutout streak, but still very solid.

Now, 54 saves, on the other hand, sounds like Luongo territory. Dan Ellis stopped that many pucks in a win over San Jose a few days ago. He was victorious in his other two starts as well, and the Nashville Predators are emerging onto the Western Conference scene.

Congratulations go out to new father Dan Boyle. He missed one match this week to see the birth, but made his mark in the other two, with three assists against Calgary and two powerplay goals in Chicago today. Talk about getting back to business.

NOT

Where has the hot start gone from Mikko Koivu? He was piling up assists at the start of the season, but has just one point in his last five games. Fantasy owners of the Finn should be joyed that Marian Gaborik is still on the shelf.

Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson have been carrying the brunt of the weight over the past few seasons. However, even they haven't been able to save the Ottawa Senators in the early going. Back-to-back losses to the New York Islanders? You be the judge.

One week you're hot, and not so much the next. That's fantasy sports for you. Olli Jokinen hit a dry spell this week with no points to show. If you have him, don't drop him like many did with Mike Ribeiro during his tough times.

Sometimes, I wish the poor NHL teams would be relegated to lower leagues. The Carolina Hurricanes should be thanking the powers that helped them win a Stanley Cup after the lockout. Alexander Semin destroyed them with a five-point effort recently. It wouldn't have bothered me so much if my head-to-head opponent didn't have Semin.

The Buffalo Sabres have had a pretty fine season to date. When Derek Roy gets his game going it will get even better. He's an underrated player, and maybe that's why he was able to total a career-high 81 points last season.

When the Montreal Canadiens were annihilated by the Boston Bruins earlier this week, I was surprised there were no car fires. Andrei Markov has slowed down a bit lately with a lone assist in his past five games. His slap-pass may be the best in the NHL.

Well, the Barry Melrose chapter has concluded in Tampa Bay. It may have only been after 16 games, but it's hard to keep a job when guys like Radim Vrbata and Steven Stamkos continue to struggle. On the upside, the off-time may give him a chance to visit the barbershop.

Order two drinks at the bar, Barry. Brian Burke stepped down as General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks. There's a lot that can be said about his time with the franchise. Kevin Lowe may want to get his joke book out and see if he can get Burke going.

Thomas Pock received a five-game suspension earlier in the week after elbowing Ryan Shannon in a matchup with the Ottawa Senators. Yeah, not the way to go for a guy who only played one game in the NHL last season.

How about that NHL All-Star Ballot? If Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar are on it, perhaps I can make the list considering I've seen as much NHL action as either of them this season. I could go on and on about this topic, but I'll just leave it at that.

I just checked the Islanders' team page, and Mike Comrie is still playing hockey. I thought he might have taken a vacation considering his name hasn't come up much. Eight points in 14 games is no shame, but more is necessary from the Edmonton native.

In no way is Ilya Kovalchuk having a bad season. His 16 points in 17 games are among his normal numbers. The Russian is paid the big bucks to score goals though, and six isn't his usual total in that category.

Bonus

As a special feature this week, I'd like to add a few quick categories. I'm not sure how often I will include these, but it's just meant to change it around a little.

Goal(s) of the Week

This week it's goals, and they both come from the stick of Simon Gagne. He scored two shorthanded tallies against Pittsburgh on Thursday. First, he blocked a shot, fought off both defensemen, and tucked the puck under Marc-Andre Fleury with a backhand.

Later, in a two-on-one with Mike Richards, Gagne took the pass from the captain and fired a rising slapper that went over the shoulder of Fleury. Keep them coming, Simon.

Performance of the Week

Alexander Semin's five-point effort against New Jersey should be a wake up call for all fans. His great numbers have no luck involved. He wasn't in the hot section this week due to an injury suffered the other day.

Save of the Week

I didn't pay too much attention to them this week, but Roberto Luongo's multiple saves during a lengthy five-on-three for the Maple Leafs were spectacular. Toronto played better, but Luongo stole the show.