12-10-2019, 08:10 AM
Consistently one of the top teams in the league, the Bruins have a lot of players that are desirable options in fantasy. Top Picks: While the Bruins arent a high-flying team, but because of the strength of their top lines, they present a lot of players worth taking relatively early in drafts. Patrice Bergeron is a two-way ace and while his scoring numbers are good, what sets Bergeron apart is his plus-minus -- his plus-80 over the last three seasons leads all forwards. Tuukka Rask Not so coincidentally, Bergerons left winger, Brad Marchand ranks second among forwards with a plus-79 rating over the last three years and 67 goals in that time frame ties him with San Joses Joe Pavelski and Vancouvers Alex Burrows, so hes not merely along for the ride. As maligned as Jarome Iginla may have been for his play in Pittsburgh at the end of last season, he had 23 points in 28 (regular season plus playoff) games and his 12 power play points last season were more than anyone on the Bruins. If hes effectively replacing Nathan Horton on the wing with David Krejci and Milan Lucic, thats a pretty good spot for Iginla, with linemates that should complement his game and provide him a good chance to score 30 goals. Another offseason acquisition, winger Loui Eriksson, is coming off a down season, his 0.60 points per game his lowest since 2007-2008, but hes been a consistent produccer, scoring 25 or more goals and 60 or more points in each of the preceding four seasons, so a move to a more competitive team, potentially playing on a line that racks up pluses year after year raises Erikssons appeal. Even though hes 36-years-old and coming off a season in which he scored his fewest points per game (0.40) since 2001-2002, D Zdeno Chara is one of the top handful at his position. Not only does he lead all defencemen in plus-minus over the last three seasons (tied with Bergeron at plus-80), but he ranks fourth among defencemen in goals (33), ninth in points (115) and sixth in penalty minutes (244), so hes a contributor across the board for fantasy purposes. With this ace supporting cast, it turns out that the most valuable Bruins player for fantasy purposes is goaltender Tuukka Rask, who is the unquestioned number one for a likely playoff team and, oh, he also has the best save percentage of any goaltender to have played at least 100 games over the last four seasons. Value Plays: Its certainly possible that C David Krejci could lead the Bruins in scoring -- hes topped 60 points three times -- but his all-around production isnt ideal; good enough to fit as a No. 3 centre in fantasy circles, with some upside if Iginlas arrival gives his line a boost. Sleepers/Breakthrough: No one will be caught by surprise by LW Milan Lucic, who offers a rare combination of scoring and toughness, but hes a sleeper in the sense that he doesnt always play at his ferocious best. That element of risk means not investing too soon in Lucic, but recognizing that he provides upside as a No. 2 or No. 3 left wing. Second-year D Dougie Hamilton is a candidate for a breakthrough season after a solid rookie year, during which he scored 16 points in 42 games. It wouldnt take more than maintaining his status quo per-game production to score more than 30 points this season and if thats coupled with a plus rating, it makes Hamilton a viable fantasy defenceman. For deep leagues that count hits and blocked shots, Dennis Seidenberg offers value because hes been good for 100-plus hits and blocked shots in each of the last four seasons. Rookies: It took a long time for the Bruins to lure 27-year-old Carl Soderberg over from Sweden, and he got a taste of NHL action late last season, but he scored 95 points in 96 games over the last two seasons in the Swedish Elite League and he could upgrade the skill in Boston. The top forward in Providence last season, Ryan Spooner, tallied 57 poitns in 59 AHL games as a first-year pro, earning four games in Boston. He may not have room to crack a scoring line role in Boston, but Spooner could make it difficult to send him down this season. Undersized D Torey Krug made a splash in the playoffs last season, scoring four goals in his first five games, but if he has a chance at some power play time, he could be productive enough to be considered by fantasy owners. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Wholesale Knicks Jerseys . Ibrahimovic put PSG ahead when he got in front of his marker to neatly flick in Lucass cross in the 59th minute. New signing Yohan Cabaye came on as a second-half substitute and headed Ezequiel Lavezzis cross against the post in the 87th. Moments later, Lucas set up another goal from the right when fellow countryman Alex turned in his corner with a strikers finish. New York Knicks Store .Pete Morelli said the back judge threw a flag on Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens on a pass to Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew in Dallas 24-20 wild-card win Sunday. But the head linesman said there wasnt enough contact and that Hitchens was face-guarding, which isnt a penalty in the NFL. https://www.cheapknicks.com/ . -- Kenneth Faried made a turnaround hook shot over Draymond Green with a half-second remaining, and the Denver Nuggets made Golden State wait at least one more game to secure a playoff berth with a stunning 100-99 win over the Warriors on Thursday night. Knicks Jerseys 2021 . Appearing on TSN 1050 on Tuesday, Sean McAdam of Comcast SportsNet New England reported that the Blue Jays, along with a number of other playoff contenders were in the mix for the Boston ace. New York Knicks Shirts . Off-season additions Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley did not train with the club today, prompting Nelsen to declare its too early to tell if either will be ready for Saturday.CALGARY -- The Calgary Dinos got it done on the ground and in the air against a ranked opponent. Running back Mercer Timmis ran in three touchdowns and caught another as Calgary disposed of the Manitoba Bisons 48-24 on Friday in Canadian university football action. Quarterback Andrew Buckley completed 24-of-36 passes for 512 yards and three TDs as the No. 5 Dinos (4-0), undoubtedly improved their standings in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports power rankings with the win. Jordan Yantz made 25-of-47 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns for the eighth-ranked Bisons (2-2). Anthony Coombs was effective as a rusher and a receiver for Manitoba. He ran for 120 yards and caught six passes for 115 yards. Elsewhere in CIS football it was: Mount Allison 29 Saint Marys 15; Acadia 40 St. F-X 11; Sherbrooke 31 McGill 19 and Alberta Saskatchewan. At Calgary, Timmis scored twice in the span of 1:12 in the second quarter. He ran the ball in from the one-yard line with 2:18 left in the second, then found the eend zone after a 32-yard run with 1:06 to go before halftime.dddddddddddd Early in the third Timmis caught a 15-yard strike from Buckley for his third TD of the night, then the Calgary running back had a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. --- Mounties 29 Huskies 15 At Sackville, N.B., defensive back Devante Sampson ran a 60-yard fumble return in for a touchdown as Mt. Allison (1-2) beat St. Marys (1-2). --- Axemen 40 X-Men 11 At Antigonish, N.S., quarterback Evan Brown completed 14 of 25 passes for 221 yards and three TDs as Acadia (1-2) crushed St. F-X (2-1). --- Vert et Or 45 Redmen 26 At Montreal, running back Isaac Lauzon rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns as Sherbrooke (1-3) downed McGill (2-2). Lauzons biggest play was after time expired in the fourth quarter -- he ran for a 76-yard TD score. No. 7 Huskies 39 Golden Bears 17 At Saskatoon, Shane Buchanan ran 87 yards on 10 attempts for two touchdowns to lead Saskatchewan (3-1) past the Golden Bears (0-4). ' ' '