This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
Jonathan Toews went off for two goals and an assist against the Hurricanes on March 2 when the two teams played one another. It's usually too easy to recommend superstars like Toews, but when he scores three points in a fairly recent game against his Monday opponent, there's no sense trying to overthink things. The Blackhawks pulled a stinker against Dallas on Saturday – look for the team captain to right the ship.
It's always a risk starting a goalie against Chicago, but Cam Ward holds a 3-1-2 career mark versus the 'Hawks with a 1.72 GAA and .948 save percentage. Ward has also been solid at home – 11-8-4, 1.93 GAA, .923 save percentage. With a seven-game schedule on tap Monday, there are probably better goaltender choices than Ward, but the Stanley-Cup winning vet could surprise.
Marian Gaborik has scored 11 goals and 23 points in 29 career tilts in New Jersey. He's more than familiar with the Devils from his time with the Rangers. Gaborik has potted five goals in eight games and scored against Lou Lamoriello's gang the last time the two teams played.
Patrick Marleau has scored 11 goals and five assists in 18 games against Ottawa. Marleau found the back of the net against the Sens on February 28 and is due for a big game – he's pointless in his last seven. Joe Thornton, not surprisingly, is a safer bet. Super Joe has five points in his last four contests and 38 points in 44 games against Ottawa.
Kyle Turris makes for a nice home option Monday against the Sharks. Turris has scored four goals and six points in his last three and tallied two assists the last time he played San Jose. The forward needs seven points to pass his career-high mark of 58 before season's end.
Chris Stewart netted a goal Saturday against St. Louis and has collected four points in four games against Toronto before going pointless in his last matchup against the Leafs. His plus-4 rating versus Toronto represents his fourth-best against all NHL teams, even though he's only seen them five times.
Dion Phaneuf tallied an assist the last time he went up against the Wild. He's got five assists in his last 10 games and 13 shots in his last three. The big blueliner has scored 17 points in 37 games versus Minnesota, compiling the majority of his numbers when he skated for the Flames.
Tyler Ennis is an obvious choice Monday. He has five points (3G, 2A) in five contests against Dallas. He scored the last time the teams met, finishing plus-2. Ennis needs traded to another team to see what he can do with a new squad in a better situation with a fresh start. It's hard to believe he's already in his sixth NHL season and has played in 337 games.
The Stars' Alex Goligoski picked up a pair of assists Saturday and has 12 points (6G, 6A) in 15 career contests against Buffalo. He's been up and down with Dallas in 2014-15 but has a good track record versus the Sabres from his time with Pittsburgh.
Jarome Iginla skating against Calgary always makes for a good storyline. He's got three assists in four games versus the Flames. More importantly, Iginla has been hot for the Avs lately, totaling six goals and nine points in his last 10. He went up against Calgary on March 14 and dished out three hits while blocking a season-high four shots. The future HOFer also collected an assist in a 3-2 win.
If goalie Jonas Hiller gets the nod Monday, he makes for a decent play against Colorado, though the game is on the road. Hiller holds a 9-5-1 mark with a 2.71 GAA and .904 save percentage. The peripherals are a little light, but the winning percentage is good. He shut out the Avs on 28 shots the last time the two teams played each other.
Mark Scheifele has only two goals in five tilts against Edmonton, but he's playing really well right now. The centerman is averaging better than a point per game in his last dozen contests, scoring five goals and 13 points. The 22-year-old appears to be rounding into shape after 146 NHL games. He's got a bright future ahead of him.
The Oilers' Taylor Hall set up the overtime game-winner against Philly on Saturday. He had missed 23 of Edmonton's last 24 games. Hall tallied an assist the last time he skated against the Jets and has 11 points (5G, 6A) in only six career contests while playing Winnipeg. Those are good numbers for anyone.
Hot
David Backes: First off, fantasy owners in weekly leagues will have to think twice about starting St. Louis players as the team plays only two times in the coming week. Back to Backes, the feisty forward started 2014-15 with only 18 points in 26 contests. Since then, he's averaged a point per game with 35 points in 35 tilts. His 96 PIM and 201 hits heading into Sunday only add to his multi-category usefulness.
Thomas Vanek: It took a while, but Vanek is finally producing like the player fantasy owners expected from the get-go. Vanek has collected five goals and eight points in his last seven games. The enigmatic Austrian seems to have found his niche with Minnesota and could help poolies down the stretch.
Cold:
Christian Ehrhoff: What a disappointing season for the defenseman. Is he finished? Was his move to Pittsburgh simply a mismatch of talent? Something didn't click with the Penguins as Ehrhoff's 14 points in 48 games so attests. The Pens didn't give him much of a chance on the power play, where he's scored only two points, but he hasn't earned that time on the man advantage. There was plenty of speculation that Pittsburgh would extend Ehrhoff after Jan. 1 from sources like Elliotte Friedman, but that didn't happen – fortunately for the cap-strapped Pens.
Antoine Vermette: One would think that getting out of offensively-challenged Arizona could only help a solid two-way player up his production. That hasn't happened with Vermette, who has tallied two assists in eight games for the Blackhawks. The centerman can't even win faceoffs right now – his .463 winning percentage for Chicago represents his worst mark since his rookie season back in 2003-04.
Recommended Pickup:
Sami Vatanen: The Duck's defender returned Friday after missing more than one month with a leg injury. He assisted on goals both Friday and Sunday, giving him 36 points in 59 contests. Vatanen also has an impressive seven goals and 17 points on the power play. Expect his role to increase with each passing game.
