The biggest and brightest from the past week in fantasy hockey.
3rd Star, from the Chicago Blackhawks, number 88, Patrick Kane! Four games, three goals, five assists, plus-4, 19 shots, three PPP, and he now trails Crosby by a single point (46-45) for the league lead. Kane is on pace for 43+59=102 and 269 shots, all of which would be career highs.
2nd Star, from the Washington Capitals, number 8, Alex Ovechkin! When I started writing this yesterday. Ovie had been credited with six goals this week, or two more than Patrick Sharp's next-best total of four. One of Ovechkin's goals has since been changed to an assist, but he still put together what was probably the best multi-cat week of any player: five goals (two PPG), one assist, two PIM, 14 shots, 10 hits. Let's also give an honourable mention to sidekick Nicklas Backstrom (2+7=9, 2 PIM, 8 SOG, 57.8 FO%)
1st Star, from the Los Angeles Kings, number 31, Martin Jones! I have a feeling my 80 year-old grandmother could pull off a few wins playing goal for the Kings, but let's not let an elderly lady steal Jones' thunder this week. Three starts, three wins, a shutout, and only three goals allowed on 109 shots for a 1.00 GAA and .972 SV%. Jones has been developing in the AHL for a few years now, seemingly stuck permanently behind Jonathans Quick and Bernier in LA's pecking order. With Bernier now traded, Jones' circumstances have improved slightly, but expect Quick to assume the starting role when he returns from injury.
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Rookie Star of the Week:Michael Raffl. What do I know about Michael Raffl? Nothing! Nothing except this is probably the first time the words "undrafted", "Austrian" and "dynamo" have been used to describe the same player. Raffl has found his way on to the top line in Philly, and just ask Scott Hartnell what a year of playing with Claude Giroux will get you (answer: career numbers). Hartnell is in fact the loser in this situation, as he's been bumped down to L3 with Schenn and Simmonds over the last few games. Raffl finished the week with 2+4=6, plus-4, 4 PIM, 6 SOG, 3 hits, 2 blocks. Nice totals, but he's only as good as his line assignment so temper your expectations.
Breakout Star of the Week:Cam Atkinson. He's been shooting the puck a lot this year (averaging 3 SOG/game) and they're finally starting to go in as he's scored four goals in his last ten games. His success this week came mostly from a single game; a two-goal, two-assist performance against New Jersey. Overall he finished with 2+3=5, plus-3 and 10 shots.
Breakdown of the Week:Ondrej Pavelec. Yes, he's back, your all-time leading recipient of the FHS breakdown award. You know, he was on a semi-decent roll for a while there, but nobody knows how to shit a bed quite like Ondrej Pavelec. More holes than a Michael Bay plot. Leakier than Edward Snowden. Shittier than GG Allin. He is Ondrej Pavelec, and he's here to wish you the worst Christmas ever. 0-3 this week with a 3.67 GAA and .857 save percentage.