This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.
Can you lose and win simultaneously? And not just in a silver-lining kind of way?
You bet. And it feels good to be the windshield, not the bug.
You know I advocate playing right to the end, no matter where you are in a fantasy league. It's about self respect, and in some cases, it's about screwing up an opponent looking for an easy ride. It's also about doing all you can to maintain and improve your Yahoo! manager profile.
I've learned the hard way. Manager points are lifelong, and it's been a long climb up to silver.
I wanted to climb to gold this season. And I got it this week, even though it's a different kind of gold. I entered the postseason in fourth in one of my favorite leagues. Third could have gotten me to profile gold. We round-robin in groups of four, so fourth earned me the toughest pool. I went 2-1 and almost beat the runaway league leader (7-6 to them).
Rotowire's own Shawn Hutchinson was hot on my heels. He went 3-0 in his round robin and that moved him past me into fourth. It came down to the last game.
We reseeded and I faced-off in a 5-6 matchup. If Hutch lost, I'd finish fourth – that's how close it was. But if he tied or won, the spot was his. And if he won by a margin, he had a shot at third. I won and so did he. He actually ran
Can you lose and win simultaneously? And not just in a silver-lining kind of way?
You bet. And it feels good to be the windshield, not the bug.
You know I advocate playing right to the end, no matter where you are in a fantasy league. It's about self respect, and in some cases, it's about screwing up an opponent looking for an easy ride. It's also about doing all you can to maintain and improve your Yahoo! manager profile.
I've learned the hard way. Manager points are lifelong, and it's been a long climb up to silver.
I wanted to climb to gold this season. And I got it this week, even though it's a different kind of gold. I entered the postseason in fourth in one of my favorite leagues. Third could have gotten me to profile gold. We round-robin in groups of four, so fourth earned me the toughest pool. I went 2-1 and almost beat the runaway league leader (7-6 to them).
Rotowire's own Shawn Hutchinson was hot on my heels. He went 3-0 in his round robin and that moved him past me into fourth. It came down to the last game.
We reseeded and I faced-off in a 5-6 matchup. If Hutch lost, I'd finish fourth – that's how close it was. But if he tied or won, the spot was his. And if he won by a margin, he had a shot at third. I won and so did he. He actually ran the table with a win in every matchup. What a great run!
Unfortunately, he didn't get enough points for third. He took home money. I took home none.
But I won something no money could ever buy.
Fifth (first out of the money) gets the top overall pick next year. We keep three. So Connor Bedard will join Auston Matthews, Kirill Kaprizov and Jason Robertson on my team in 2023-24.
Sometimes it all comes together. Sometimes you lose it all. So yes, sometimes you can lose and win at the same moment.
Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. And who might help you take it all.
Goalie Hail Mary
Alex Lyon, G, Florida (7 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Lyon has been pressed into the blue paint because Sergei Bobrovsky (85 percent Yahoo!) has been sick for three straight games. He's not a great goalie, but the kitties are playing well in front of him. And he has won all three while recording his first career shutout. Florida needs to solidify that wild card spot and Lyon has led the charge. I'm not suggesting he's overtaken Bob, but hot is hot. Lyon could still get starts when Bob is back.
Mads Sogaard, G, Ottawa (11 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Sogaard is getting warm at the right time. Last week, he had three consecutive starts with only two goals allowed in each while stopping 92-of-98 shots (.939). The Sens could find themselves favored in a lot of games this week – their playoff-bound opponents might sit some stars and this young crew can score. I think he and Cam Talbot will split games to the end. We'll see if Sogaard can seize the moment.
Goals First
Brendan Gallagher, RW, Montreal (1 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Gallagher has looked solid since his recent return from a lower-body injury. His three-game goal streak (four points) was snapped Friday night, but he's registered 12 shots from his last five games. Despite his pest reputation, Gallagher really doesn't offer up many hits or PIM, but his nose for the net may help.
David Perron, RW, Detroit (52 percent Yahoo!; 6 games left + Sunday night) – Perron is on the wire in half of Yahoo! leagues. He went into Sunday night on a three-game, six-point streak that includes four goals (nine shots). And he's only been held off the scoresheet once in his last seven games. Perron is on the top line and PP1, and is a great bet for production as the Wings face the Habs, Sabres, Pens and Stars. Remember – he rang up a hat-trick this week against the Pens, and the Wings will be looking to do whatever it takes to keep the flightless birds out of the postseason.
Jakub Vrana, LW, St. Louis (35 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Vrana has been let loose offensively with his new squad. He's on the first line and PP1. And he's up to nine goals (11 points) on 40 shots in only 14 games with the Blues. This is the kind of opportunity he needed to shine. I think Vrana will keep the pedal down to prove his earlier struggles are far behind.
Hail Mary
Filip Chytil, LW/RW, NY Rangers (26 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Chytil has recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in his last five games – and seven in nine – heading into this week. His production is modest and so are his faceoff wins (23; last five). But the Rangers have clinched, and they might rest some of their veterans this week. Chytil and the Kid Line could see increased ice time and opportunity against some weaker opponents.
Noah Gregor, LW/RW, San Jose (0 percent Yahoo!; 6 games left) – Holy hat-trick, Batman, where did that come from? Gregor played like a man possessed Saturday when he fired seven shots and earned his first NHL hat-trick. I was about to write it off as a genie-in-a-bottle moment, but then I checked his boxscores. Gregor has managed points in four of his last five games (four goals, three assists) with one game-winning goal and six hits. The Sharks have a tough schedule left, but confidence can carry you a long way. At minimum, Gregor will be fun to watch.
Kasperi Kapanen, RW, St. Louis (10 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Kapanen is what he is – a streaky scorer whose upside is limited by his hockey sense. Still, he's done well since landing in St. Loo with 37 shots in 16 games heading into Sunday while delivering seven goals (12 points). Kapanen is even on PP1, though he hasn't produced there yet. He had a four-game, six-point streak (three goals) snapped Saturday – the Blues were simply outmatched by the Preds. But the team took on Kapanen's cap hit ($3.2 mil) for next season, so they must think he can help. He'll get every chance to show them he can.
Anton Lundell, LW/C, Florida (20 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Lundell's sophomore season has been forgettable, but none of that matters right now. He rang up three points - including two goals - on Thursday against Montreal to go with four points (three goals) from his last two. The Panthers are trying to hold off the Pens for the final Wild Card in the East, and they play five times this week (Sabres, Sens, Caps, Leafs and Canes). Florida is better than the first three, and my money is on them against Toronto, which should be resting players at that point. Lundell can help everyone forget his step back this year with a strong push to the playoffs.
Face-Off Wins
Charlie Coyle, C, Boston (11 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – The Bruins have already clinched the President's Trophy, and Patrice Bergeron (94 percent Yahoo!) and David Krejci (30 percent Yahoo!) will be rested off-and-on. Coyle delivered 35 faceoff wins in four games last week (seventh-best overall), and I see a lot more in his future.
Barrett Hayton, C, Arizona (42 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Hayton and the 'Yotes play the Kraken three times this week – no, I don't get that either. Regardless, Hayton is the top pivot in the desert, and he racked up 34 wins in three games last week – tying him with Connor McDavid (100 percent Yahoo!) for eighth in the league over that span. He hovers around a 50 percent win rate, if you count that stat. Plus he's playing with Clayton Keller (88 percent Yahoo!), so...
Blocks
Janis Moser, D, Arizona (9 percent Yahoo!; 5 games left) – Moser is wafer-thin (173lb), yet he never shies away from dropping to block shots. He produced 12 in three games last week and added five hits as a bonus. And he picked up a goal and a block Saturday. Moser isn't going to stop throwing himself in front of pucks, so you could add 15 blocks or more in the five remaining contests. That could be enough to steal a few points in that category.
Back to winning and losing, and still getting it all.
Connor Bedard is a generational talent. He's the kind of player that can lift you out of your seat. And reignite your passion for the game. Both on the ice and in fantasy. He has for me. I'm so excited for next year.
Good luck as you push to a title.
Until next week (or maybe next year, depending on how the games fall).
