Part of handling fantasy advice, when it comes to the NHL, is answering inevitable questions about whether a certain player will bounce back or keep up his current pace. Riley Nash Jersey . One of the first things I want to do is find out whether or not a player is getting chances and one of the first places Ill look is to shots on goal per game. For some players, this can be revealing of a change in role -- more ice time, better linemates, power play time, whatever -- and an indication that, indeed, that offensive breakout is supported by underlying stats or, on the other hand, that there is jusfication for lowering expectations. Comparing last season to the current season, I picked out 114 players that have played at least 10 games in each season and had more than a half-shot-per-game difference, either positively or negatively. Some of these players played little bits in either season, which present sample size issues (for example, Erik Karlssons 4.65 shots on goal per game in 17 games last year was going to be crazy difficult to maintain over a larger sample of games), but the indicator is the objective here -- finding out whether the change in production might be supported by taking a step further back to gauge shots generated. Among those recording the largest per-game increases, David Perron, Chris Kreider and Ryan Kesler have been tremendous contributors to their teams, but scanning through the list, players like Mike Santorelli, Jaden Schwartz, Andrej Sekera, Jason Garrison and Alex Ovechkin are among those whose improved production is supported by their increased shot output. Perron has been even better than expected for the Oilers, and has been one of their leaders lately, but hes generating far more than he ever did in St. Louis. Santorelli and Schwartz are playing more significant roles this season (Schwartz in part because of Perrons departure), while Sekera has been asked to handle more puckhandling responsibility on Carolinas shallow blueline. Ovechkin is back to launching shots at the rate that made him the games premier goal-scorer. On the other hand, there are players that have struggled to this point in the year and their shot numbers suggest thats to be expected. David Clarkson, Matt Moulson, Alexander Semin and Jiri Tlusty are among those forwards to see the biggest declines in their shots per game compared to last season. No surprise, then, that their goal and point production is down too. The move to Buffalo has not been kind to Matt Moulson and David Clarksons decision to sign in Toronto has come with some pains as he has been suspended for a dozen games and, due to injuries, hasnt established a steady combination of linemates. Semin and Tlusty were part of one of the leagues best lines last season, with Eric Staal, but Staals production has improved this year only once they were no longer playing together. There are some surprises on these respective ends of the shooting spectrum, because their production hasnt been dramatically affected. Matt DAgostini has been getting an opportunity to play in a scoring role since he was picked up by the Buffalo Sabres, but is sitting on one point in 15 games this season, despite a respectable shot total. Anaheims Matt Beleskey is generating more shots than ever before, but has just one goal thanks to scoring on just 2.9% of his shots thus far. The Blues T.J. Oshie has been rolling along for much of the season, racking up points alongside Alexander Steen and David Backes, but Oshie also has just four goals in 31 games, thanks to both a career-low shooting percentage (7.8%) and career-low in shots per game (1.65). I cite these examples to show that changes in shot production dont automatically mean a players point production is automatically destined to follow. Nevertheless, I like shots on goal as an indicator, a first place to look before digging deeper, if necessary. The players with the widest shot-per-game differences from last season (minimum 10 games played in both seasons): Player Pos. Team 12-13 Sh/GP 13-14 Sh/GP Differential David Perron Edmonton LW 1.75 3.45 1.70 Chris Kreider N.Y. Rangers LW 0.83 2.44 1.61 Ryan Kesler Vancouver C 2.12 3.66 1.54 Nathan Gerbe Carolina LW 1.52 3.03 1.51 Tyler Johnson Tampa Bay C 0.79 2.18 1.39 Chris Higgins Vancouver LW 1.88 3.17 1.29 Jeff Carter Los Angeles RW 2.77 3.83 1.06 Mike Santorelli Vancouver C 1.03 1.97 0.94 Matt DAgostini Buffalo RW 1.14 2.07 0.93 Jamie Benn Dallas LW 2.68 3.61 0.93 Andrej Sekera Carolina D 0.89 1.81 0.92 Jaden Schwartz St. Louis LW 1.11 2.03 0.92 Lee Stempniak Calgary RW 2.40 3.31 0.91 Matt Beleskey Anaheim LW 1.45 2.33 0.88 Brad Richards N.Y. Rangers C 2.39 3.26 0.87 Philip Larsen Edmonton D 0.94 1.79 0.85 Mark Giordano Calgary D 1.23 2.07 0.84 Mathieu Perreault Anaheim C 1.21 2.03 0.82 Ryan Smyth Edmonton LW 1.47 2.28 0.81 Ryan Garbutt Dallas LW 1.64 2.44 0.80 Eric Nystrom Nashville LW 1.00 1.80 0.80 Jason Garrison Vancouver D 2.00 2.80 0.80 John Carlson Washington D 2.02 2.82 0.80 Matt Gilroy Florida D 0.93 1.69 0.76 Phil Kessel Toronto RW 3.35 4.09 0.74 Matt Read Philadelphia RW 1.72 2.44 0.72 Brandon Dubinsky Columbus C 1.72 2.44 0.72 Corey Perry Anaheim RW 2.91 3.63 0.72 Alex Ovechkin Washington RW 4.58 5.29 0.71 Patrick Sharp Chicago LW 3.14 3.83 0.69 Logan Couture San Jose C 3.15 3.82 0.67 Dan Hamhuis Vancouver D 1.30 1.97 0.67 James Neal Pittsburgh RW 3.40 4.06 0.66 Adam Pardy Winnipeg D 0.35 1.00 0.65 Marian Hossa Chicago RW 2.90 3.55 0.65 Chris Kunitz Pittsburgh LW 2.35 3.00 0.65 Kris Russell Calgary D 1.24 1.88 0.64 Reilly Smith Boston RW 0.92 1.55 0.63 Ryan Johansen Columbus C 2.10 2.73 0.63 Patrick Marleau San Jose LW 3.13 3.76 0.63 Martin Hanzal Phoenix C 2.38 3.00 0.62 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit C 2.28 2.89 0.61 Craig Smith Nashville RW 1.89 2.50 0.61 Mike Cammalleri Calgary LW 2.32 2.92 0.60 John Moore N.Y. Rangers D 0.97 1.56 0.59 Dan Boyle San Jose D 2.11 2.69 0.58 David Schlemko Phoenix D 1.17 1.75 0.58 Clarke MacArthur Ottawa LW 1.55 2.12 0.57 Mason Raymond Toronto LW 1.72 2.29 0.57 Jonathan Ericsson Detroit D 0.76 1.32 0.56 Andrew Shaw Chicago RW 1.33 1.88 0.55 Matt Irwin San Jose D 2.08 2.62 0.54 Duncan Keith Chicago D 1.94 2.47 0.53 Ryan OReilly Colorado LW 2.28 2.81 0.53 Anze Kopitar Los Angeles C 2.09 2.62 0.53 Kyle Turris Ottawa C 2.46 2.97 0.51 Tom Gilbert Florida D 0.84 1.35 0.51 Alex Tanguay Colorado RW 1.11 1.62 0.51 Brent Seabrook Chicago D 1.38 1.89 0.51 Ryan Malone Tampa Bay LW 1.54 2.04 0.50 Stephane Robidas Dallas D 0.96 1.46 0.50 Nazem Kadri Toronto C 2.23 1.73 -0.50 Tim Kennedy Phoenix LW 1.85 1.35 -0.50 Brad Marchand Boston LW 2.02 1.52 -0.50 T.J. Oshie St. Louis RW 2.17 1.65 -0.52 Luke Schenn Philadelphia D 1.72 1.20 -0.52 Peter Harrold New Jersey D 1.57 1.05 -0.52 Damien Brunner New Jersey RW 2.80 2.27 -0.53 Erik Johnson Colorado D 2.06 1.52 -0.54 Paul Gaustad Nashville C 1.52 0.97 -0.55 David Booth Vanouver LW 2.25 1.70 -0.55 Shawn Matthias Florida C 2.21 1.65 -0.56 Kyle Brodziak Minnesota C 1.84 1.26 -0.58 Troy Brouwer Washington RW 2.36 1.76 -0.60 Jack Johnson Columbus D 2.18 1.58 -0.60 Dany Heatley Minnesota RW 2.31 1.71 -0.60 Patrik Elias New Jersey LW 2.46 1.85 -0.61 Daniel Girardi N.Y. Rangers D 1.76 1.15 -0.61 Jannik Hansen Vancouver RW 2.11 1.48 -0.63 Patric Hornqvist Nashville RW 3.63 3.00 -0.63 Richard Clune Nashville RW 0.98 0.35 -0.63 Andrei Loktionov New Jersey C 1.68 1.03 -0.65 Dan Cleary Detroit LW 1.94 1.29 -0.65 Brian Flynn Buffalo RW 1.88 1.23 -0.65 Jonathan Huberdeau Florida LW 2.33 1.67 -0.66 Drayson Bowman Carolina LW 1.84 1.16 -0.68 Shane OBrien Calgary D 1.00 0.31 -0.69 Pierre-Cedric Labrie Tampa Bay LW 0.84 0.15 -0.69 Lauri Korpikoski Phoenix LW 2.31 1.61 -0.70 Scott Gomez Florida C 1.49 0.79 -0.70 Francois Beauchemin Anaheim D 1.54 0.84 -0.70 Ryan Callahan N.Y. Rangers RW 3.20 2.50 -0.70 Josh Bailey N.Y. Islanders LW 2.00 1.27 -0.73 Marian Gaborik Columbus RW 3.21 2.47 -0.74 Brad Richardson Vancouver C 1.68 0.94 -0.74 Trevor Lewis Los Angeles RW 1.92 1.16 -0.76 Cody McLeod Colorado LW 1.65 0.88 -0.77 Jiri Tlusty Carolina LW 2.44 1.65 -0.79 Martin Erat Washington LW 1.53 0.73 -0.80 Martin Havlat San Jose RW 2.23 1.42 -0.81 Alexander Semin Carolina RW 3.41 2.59 -0.82 Daniel Paille Boston LW 1.52 0.67 -0.85 Magnus Paajarvi Edmonton LW 1.79 0.92 -0.87 Daniel Briere Montreal RW 2.56 1.68 -0.88 Mark Letestu Columbus C 2.00 1.06 -0.94 Jamie McGinn Colorado LW 2.72 1.75 -0.97 Matt Moulson Buffalo LW 3.28 2.29 -0.99 Ryan Wilson Colorado D 1.92 0.80 -1.12 Mikael Backlund Calgary C 2.75 1.63 -1.12 Carl Hagelin N.Y. Rangers LW 2.75 1.63 -1.12 Zac Dalpe Vancouver C 1.80 0.63 -1.17 Erik Karlsson Ottawa D 4.65 3.12 -1.53 David Clarkson Toronto RW 3.75 2.17 -1.58 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. Phil Esposito Jersey . Wheeler scored two goals, including the winner, as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 6-4 on Friday in a game that featured a seven-goal first period. Adidas Patrice Bergeron Jersey . 15-23, the Ottawa Senators will by hoping to avoid going five straight games without a victory for the first time since a 0-3-2 drought from Oct. http://www.cheapbruinsjerseys.com/?tag=adidas-lionel-hitchman-jersey . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Keeping The Captain? Brian Giontas agent Steve Bartlett told La Presse on Tuesday that the Montreal Canadiens want to keep their captain - an unrestricted free agent on July 1 - in the fold, while sources tell the paper that the two sides will start talks this week.Bozeman, MT (SportsNetwork.com) - Senior running back Zach Zenner is always talking about the team effort of South Dakota State football. Many times, Zenners exploits stand alone. Zenner totaled 324 yards from scrimmage and scored five touchdowns - four from at least 45 yards - to power South Dakota State past Montana State, 47-40, in a snow-filled first-round game of the FCS playoffs Saturday. South Dakota State (9-4), which has won four straight games, will visit second- seeded North Dakota State (11-1), the three-time defending FCS champion, in an all-Missouri Valley Conference second-round matchup next Saturday. NDSU beat South Dakota State, 37-17, on Nov. 1 and has won the last six meetings. Despite the field conditions, South Dakota State and Montana State (8-5) combined for 988 yards. Zenner rushed for 252 yards on 23 carries across the slippery turf, scoring on runs of 45, 7, 60, and 69 yards. He also scored on a 69-yard reception. Behind Zenner, South Dakota State trailed for only 38 seconds in the high- scoring game. Montana State sophomore Chad Newell, who rushed for 101 yards and five yards, scored on a 12-yard run to give the Bobcats a 26-24 lead with 10:47 left in the second quarter. But Zenner answered with his 60-yard scoring run at the 10:09 mark, giving the Jackrabbits a 31-26 lead which they extended to 40-26. Newells final TD pulled Big Sky member Montana State within 47-40 with 1:10 left to play. The Jackrabbits misplayed the ensuing onside kick but recovered the ball and ran out the clock. South Dakota State quarterback Austin Sumner also threw a 10-yard touchdown to Connor Landberg. He finished 19-for-28 for 249 yards. Montana State signal caller Dakota Prukop returned from an MCL sprain after missing two games and was 19-for-36 for 280 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown to Mitchell Herbert. Zenner increased his career totals to 6,415 rushing yards, 8,075 all-purpose yards, 59 rushing touchdowns and 67 total touchdowns - all Missouri Valley records. He needs 114 rushing yards to become the first FCS running back to reach 2,000 yards in three separate seasons. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sam Houston State 21, Southeastern Louisiana 17 Huntsville, TX - They didnt meet in the regular season, so Sam Houston State might be saying it won the de facto title game between the two Southland Conference co-champions Saturday. Oh yes, the Bearkats are even happier to be advancing in the FCS playoffs after they defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 21-17, in the first round. Sam Houston (9-4) will travel to third-seeded Jacksonville State (10-1), the Ohio Valley Conference champion, for a second-round showdown next Saturday. Sam Houston and Southeastern (9-4) tied for the Southland title with 7-1 records, but they didnt face each other in the 11-team conference. The Bearkats, under first-year coach K.C. Keeler, overcame four turnovers, playing well defensively in the second half and getting an important block of a Southeastern field goal attempt during the fourth quarter. The Lions were trying to extend a 17-14 lead, but defensive end P.J. Hall (four tackles for loss, one sack) blocked Ryan Adams 46-yard attempt with 8:37 left. The Bearkats then drove 59 yards in seven plays, going ahead 21-17 on Donovan Williams 5-yard run. Southeastern had three final drives, but one started at their 6-yard line and their final one from their 1. A muffed punt set up Williams for a 1-yard touchdown run and Jalen Overstreet scored from 3 yards out for Sam Houston, which trailed 10-0 at halftime. Southeastern quarterback Bryan Bennett, who played on an injured foot, ran for the Lions two touchdowns, but struggled to gain 181 yards on 17-for-48 passing, and was limited to 14 yards on 16 carries. Sam Houston lost to Southeastern, 30-29, in last years playoff second round. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Fordham 44, Sacred Heart 22 New York, NY - Jack Coffey Field has been good to Fordham in recent years, but the Road to Frisco passes through top-seeded New Hampshire, and the Rams feel up to the task after an impressive start to the FCS playoffs Saturday.. Mike Nebrich threw for 421 yards and four touchdowns as Patriot League champion Fordham passed by Sacred Heart in the first round for the second straight year, this time by a 44-22 score. Fordham (11-2) will head to Durham next Saturday to face New Hampshire (10-1), the nations No. 1-ranked team, in the second round. It wont be the same as playing at home, where the Rams have won 10 straight games and 17 of their last 18. But the Rams appear ready for the challenge. Nebrich, who completed 29-of-50 pass attempts with two interceptions, threw two touchdowns each to Brian Wetzel (eight receptions, 166 yards) and Tebucky Jones Jr. (eight receptions, 139 yards). Fordham took command of the game by scoring on its final play of the second quarter - Wetzels 14-yard reception with nine seconds left to make it 24-16 - and its first play of the third quarter - Jones 97-yard reception at the 11:45 mark to make it 31-16. The Rams outgained Sacred Heart 511 yards to 314. Chase Edmonds rushed for 91 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown. RJ Noel threw two touchdown passes to Tyle Dube for Sacred Heart (9-3), a co- champion out of the Northeast Conference, but was intercepted twice by All- Patriot League cornerback Ian Williams. Sean Bell rushed for 112 yards on 15 carries and Keshaudas Spence scored on a 22-yard run in the loss. Fordham won last years first-round matchup, 37-27. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Richmond 46, Morgan State 24 Richmond, VA - Richmond had won a playoff game already, so there was no stopping the Spiders and quarterback Michael Strauss when the actual FCS postseason began Saturday. Strauss threw four touchdowns to power Richmond to a 46-24 win over Morgan State in the first round. The Spiders (9-4) will travel to seventh-seeded Coastal Carolina (11-1) next Saturday for a second-round game. Coach Danny Roccos team basically won a playoff game last weekend at William & Mary. The winner of that game was going to be the fouurth and final playoff team out of CAA Football, and the Spiders won going away, 34-20. Cheap Bruins Jerseys Authentic. They rolled the momentum right into their game against Morgan State (7-6), jumping to a 22-0 lead after the first quarter. Strauss capped the games first drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Diggs and Seth Fisher scored on two runs. Diggs (eight receptions, 132 yards) ended the first-half scoring with another touchdown reception - an 11-yarder with 20 seconds left in the second quarter - giving Richmond a 29-10 halftime lead. Strauss completed 22-of-32 pass attempts for 272 yards and one interception. He also threw touchdowns to Rashad Ponder and Fisher. Richmond has struggled with turnovers in its losses, but gained a 4-2 advantage in turnover margin, intercepting Morgan State quarterback Moses Skillon three times and forcing him into a fumble. Skillon rushed for a touchdown and threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Herb Walker Jr. carried the ball 21 times for 120 yards for the Bears, who made their first-ever playoff appearance. They earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences automatic bid off a tiebreaker between five first-place teams. MEAC teams have lost in the playoffs every year since 1999. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Indiana State 36, Eastern Kentucky 16 Richmond, KY - Indiana State played in its first FCS playoff game since 1984 on Saturday. Maybe the Sycamores just needed some extra time to warm up. After surrendering the first 16 points to Eastern Kentucky, Indiana State scored the final 36 points for a 36-16 first-round victory over the Colonels. The Sycamores (8-5), one of a record-tying five playoffs teams from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, will visit eighth-seeded Chattanooga (9-3), the Southern Conference champion, for a second-round game next Saturday. Senior quarterback Mike Perish led Indiana States comeback win, completing a school-record 41 passes in 57 attempts for 407 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. He now has 6,545 passing yards for his career, also a school record, and his 20 touchdown passes this season tied Ronnie Fouchs school record set in 2010. Indiana State was nearly shut out in the first half, but Perish connected with Robert Tonyan for a 4-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left, pulling the Sycamores within 16-7 at halftime. They then ran off 24 points in the third quarter. Eric Heidorn kicked a 47-yard field goal, Perish fired touchdown passes to Kyani Harris (57 yards) and Gary Owens (38), and safety Mark Sewall returned an interception of EKUs Bennie Conney for a 48-yard touchdown. DyShawn Mobley scored on an 18-yard run and finished with 96 yards on 22 carries, and Andrew Lloyd kicked three field goals as the Colonels (9-4) from the Ohio Valley Conference built their 16-0 lead in the first half. The playoff win was Indiana States second in three seasons of playoff appearances. EKU fell to 16-19 all-time in 21 playoff appearances. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Montana 52, San Diego 14 Missoula, MT - Having the most FCS playoff appearances in history against an opponent making its first one wasnt the only advantage Montana had against San Diego on Saturday. The Grizzlies took full advantage of playing at home in a snowstorm against a USD squad that probably was looking to get back home - where it wasnt 20 degrees outside - winning, 52-14, in the first round. Montana (9-4) will continue its record 23rd appearance in the FCS playoffs next Saturday at Big Sky Conference rival Eastern Washington (10-2), the No. 4 seed. The Grizzlies fell in Cheney, 36-26, on Nov. 8. San Diego (9-3), the champion of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League, never adjusted to the snow and fell behind 38-0 by halftime. The Toreros were held to eight first downs and 158 yards, and went a combined 2-for-15 on third- and fourth-down conversion attempts. Montana starting quarterback Jordan Johnson was 13-for-20 for 153 yards and three touchdowns, and backup signal caller Shay Smithwick-Hann was 3-for-4 for 39 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jordan Canada rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown and added a TD reception, while wide receiver Jamal Jones caught two touchdowns. San Diego avoided the shutout on Justin Priests two touchdown receptions in the final 6:05. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Liberty 26, James Madison 21 Harrisonburg, VA - Liberty aspires to move up to the FBS level, but the Flames have taken a quick liking to the FCS playoffs. In the first postseason game in program history, the Flames went across state to stun James Madison, 26-21, in the first round. Big South co-champion Liberty (9-4) will visit another CAA Football team, sixth-seeded Villanova (10-2), in the second round next Saturday. Coach Turner Gills program, which has sought a move to the FBS, won a strange playoff debut by jumping to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, falling behind 21-10 by halftime and then scoring 16 unanswered points in the second half. The winning points capped a 17-play, 85-yard, 11-minute drive in the fourth quarter. Fullback Nicky Fualaau scored on a 1-yard run to lift Liberty from a 21-20 deficit with 2:53 remaining. James Madison (9-4) drove the ball to the Liberty 27, but on a fourth-down play, quarterback Vad Lees intended pass to Daniel Brown was broken up by Flames cornerback Kenny Scott. Liberty committed four turnovers to JMUs one, but held the ball for 39 minutes, 1 second. D.J. Abnar rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns, and place-kicker John Lunsford had a 56-yarder among his two field goals. He has the three longest field goals in the FCS this season (60, 57 and 56). Lee threw for 139 yards and one touchdown with an interception, adding 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jauan Latney finished with 119 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Safety Dean Marlowe added two interceptions for James Madison, which entered the matchup on a seven-game winning streak. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen F. Austin at Northern Iowa, (n) Cheap Steelers JerseysCheap Patriots JerseysCheap Bills JerseysCheap Jets JerseysCheap Giants JerseysCheap Redskins JerseysCheap Bears JerseysCheap Eagles JerseysCheap Cardinals JerseysCheap Jaguars JerseysCheap Raiders JerseysCheap Dolphins JerseysCheap Panthers JerseysCheap Lions JerseysCheap Browns Jerseys ' ' '