Fantasy Report—Games 13 and 14

Game 13: Thrashers 4, Islanders 3, OT Fantasy Stars of the Game
1st Star: Bill Guerin (1 A, 1 PPA, 7 SOG, 1 BkS)
2nd Star: Frans Nielsen (1 G, 1 A, 3 SOG, 1 hit)
3rd Star: Trent Hunter (1 G, 1 A, 3 SOG, 1 hit)
4th Star: Mark Streit (2 A, +1, 1 BkS, 2 PIMs)
5th Star: Jon Sim (1 G, 1 PPG, 3 SOG)

Extra: Dismal night for faceoffs as the Isles won 24 and lost 42. Nielsen was best at 8-8, followed by Hilbert at 1-1, and Thompson at 6-7. Weight was 5-13, Comrie 2-8, and Park 2-5.


Game 14: Penguins 4, Islanders 3, SO
Fantasy Stars of the Game
1st Star: Doug Weight (1 G, 1 A, +2, 5 SOG, 1 BkS, 2 PIMs)
2nd Star: Andy Hilbert (1 G, 1 A, +2, 3 SOG, 3 BkS, 2 hits)
3rd Star: Andy Sutton (2 A, +1, 8 BkS, 2 hits)
4th Star: Bill Guerin (1 A, +1, 2 SOG, 2 BkS, 2 PIMs)
5th Star: Tim Jackman (1 G, 1 SOG, 2 BkS, 4 hits)

Extra: Park turned it around at the dot going 11-5 on draws, but he was the only one who finished over .500 (other than Hilbert who only took one).


Overall notes: One of the best things going for the Islanders this season is that Doug Weight is capably filling the #1 center role. Weight is leading the team in scoring with 3 goals and 10 assists, 2 and 7 on the power play. The near point-a-game pace is as much as you could ask for from the vet. And even with all those power play points, he's a +1 for the season.

The forward lines are still somewhat in flux with a couple of guys moving in and out of the lineup and Scott Gordon looking for the best combinations. On the top line, Weight and Guerin have gone through Sim, Okposo, and Bergenheim as their third, with the latter moving back there most recently after missing three games with an illness. The loss of Nate Thompson to a groin injury and the recall of Tim Jackman also necessitated some changes. Hunter-Nielsen-Tambellini is the most likely to stay stable. Park-Hilbert-Okposo was new, as was Sim-Comrie-Jackman. Those six could see some shuffling, with a lot depending on whether Bergenheim stays on the top line.

The power play looks a little more settled at the moment. On the first unit, Nielsen centers Hunter and Guerin with Streit and Weight manning the points. On the second unit, Comrie hits the ice with youngsters Tambellini and Okposo, and Chris Campoli as the entrenched point man. Campoli has alternately been joined at the blue line by Bruno Gervais or Brett Skinner recently. That spot is certainly up for grabs. Sim, Park, Hilbert, and Bergenheim will pick up some spare PP time here and there, as evidenced by Sim's tally on the tail end of a power play in Atlanta.

In goal, Joey MacDonald has performed admirably, but he is not a fantasy asset at this time.

Fantasy Star Point Leaders (through 14 games)
Streit, 33
Guerin, 29
Hunter, 25
Weight, 20
Park, 12
Nielsen, 10
MacDonald, 9.5
Bergenheim, 9
Comrie, 9
Thompson, 8