Frozen Fantasy: Win at All Costs

Down to the wire. Rounding the final turn. The light at the end of the tunnel. Final act. Last leg. And hopefully, soon you'll be home and dry.

With a title and some extra cash in your pocket.

I bought myself a Weber grill after a particularly outstanding year. I still have it. I smile every time I light the burners…

This point of the season is tense. There's just one goal, and you can't waver from it. Win. And this is the one time where a win at all cost approach can work.

After all, there is no tomorrow after Yahoo! Period 24.

Winning at all cost can work short-term. After all, a title is in sight. Sure, it can infuriate your friends and league-mates, especially if you're a jerk about it. But at the same time, do you really care if you're on the verge of success? Bragging rights matter. There are plenty of beers to chat it out after.

And who really cares if you're playing in a public league. You don't even know them…

Success at this point of the year is fragile. And it might mean some drastic moves. Like strategically dropping a star or three - especially if you don't need their best category - to make a category move where you can make up serious ground. After all, most of the other managers aren't even paying attention. So specialty players could quickly help you make two or three spots in a category. 

Assess your needs. Figure out which categories you can gain points in, look at which ones you can afford to toss given the strength of your position, and then go for broke. 

That could even mean throwing someone like Connor McDavid (100 percent Yahoo!) back into the mix if you need hits and blocks over goals and assists. That may seem extreme. But if that's what you need to do, then that's what you need to do. 

Win at all costs. 

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Goalies 

Yaroslav Askarov, G, and Alex Nedeljkovic, G, San Jose (33 and 7 percent Yahoo!, respectively) -- San Jose has seven games left. And on Sunday, they were only two points out of the second Wild Card in the West. That means this young team will play some real run-and-gun hockey for the rest of the season to try and get in. And that will put pressure on their netminders. But there are wins there for the taking, if that's what you need. Askarov is my fave of the two, though Nedeljkovic isn't dead wood as he actually lists slightly better numbers than the kid phenom. You may need to tie the two together or stream them in dailies. Yes, it's a roll of the dice, though this club has surprised all season.

Carter Hart, G, Vegas (14 percent Yahoo!) -- Hart has been the lost man in Vegas for so many reasons. But ignore him at your peril. The Golden Knights are driving to the postseason and he's notched two wins through two starts with only four goals allowed since returning from injury. The GKs will want to protect him for the playoffs, but he also needs to crack the rust off his game. Vegas has five contests remaining, including four against "soft" opponents (Canucks, Kraken x2, Jets). I like those odds. 

Jonas Johansson, G, Tampa Bay (8 percent Yahoo!) -- Johansson is someone I'd usually avoid as he's delivered below-league-average numbers behind one of the NHL's best teams. But it's hard to ignore him right now, especially if you need straight wins. The Bolts are left with six games and starter Andrei Vasilevskiy (99 percent Yahoo!) could use a rest to prepare for the postseason. Johansson could get two starts before the end of the year. The opponents matter as the only gimme in the group is the Rangers. They also face the Habs, Sabres, Bruins, Sens and Red Wings. Those will be tough matchups, though the Bolts are excellent. 

Multi-category Goodness

Brock Boeser, LW/RW, Vancouver (20 percent Yahoo!) -- Boeser is finishing the season strong. Don't let it fool you for next year as he is who he is and already 29. He's no late-blooming Brad Marchand (65 percent Yahoo!). But right now, Boeser has been surprisingly effective and has been doing it for a month. I can no longer dismiss him, at least for the stretch run as he's racked up 18 points - including nine goals - eight power-play points (four goals), 40 shots and 16 hits through 16 outings since Mar. 4. Boeser was held off the scoresheet only five times during that span, so he's been consistent. Who knew? The Orcas play another six games. Boeser may be able to keep this heat up right to the end. 

Blake Coleman, LW/RW/C, Calgary (22 percent Yahoo!) -- Calgary has six games left starting Monday. Coleman has posted seven points (three goals, four assists), 23 shots, 12 hits, six PIM and a plus-5 from his last eight outings heading into Tuesday. He's skating on the top line and the Flames are surging going 6-3-1 over their last 10 and look like they're genuinely having fun. That's a recipe for potential success, especially for a grizzled veteran like Coleman. 

Charle-Edouard D'Astous, D, Tampa Bay (5 percent Yahoo!) -- D'Astous was on my list last week, and he's continued his scoring rampage. And with Victor Hedman (72 percent Yahoo!) hitting the IR-LT, this 27-year-old rookie is channeling his European pro excellence. D'Astous goes into Monday with eight points (two goals, six assists), 11 hits, eight PIM and five blocks in his last seven games. And Tampa Bay has another six matchups. Win-win. 

Bobby McMann, LW, Seattle (25 percent Yahoo!) -- Yes, you've seen McMann's name here recently, but it bears repeating. The Kraken have fallen out of contention, yet they still have seven games remaining. And McMann has six points - four of those goals - 20 shots, nine hits and a plus-2 during his last six going into Monday. The plus-2 is notable as the team have lost five of those, but McMann shone on both sides of the puck. He's going to bring it because he wants a spicy new contract. 

Alexander Wennberg, C, San Jose (10 percent Yahoo!) -- Wennberg is channeling his best Macklin Celebrini (100 percent Yahoo!) right now. He skates into Monday's home tilt against the Hawks on a six-game, eight-point run that includes five goals, three power-play points (two goals) and 52 faceoff wins. The Sharks' second-line pivot is bringing the heat. He might as well warm up your lineup, especially with seven games left for the teal. 

Mats Zuccarello, RW, Minnesota (22 percent Yahoo!) -- Zuccarello took a three-game, six-point streak into Sunday and padded it with two helpers during a win over the Detroit. And he's also supplied seven helpers and 10 shots. Like Ryan Hartman (below), he only has five contests left and could get rested heading into the playoffs. But Zuccarello could also play to keep the rust off. After all, he missed a lot of time earlier on. Consider spot starts. 

Hot, but only four games left

Yegor Chinakhov, LW/RW, Pittsburgh (22 percent Yahoo!) -- Playing wing on Sidney Crosby's (99 percent Yahoo!) wing has been one of the NHL's most consistently challenging jobs. Not as hard as playing beside Connor McDavid (100 percent Yahoo!) it seems, but tough nevertheless. Enter Yegor, who's riding a four-game, seven-point run that covers three goals, two power-play points (one goal) and seven shots. Chinakhov has been scoring at better than a 65-point pace since arriving in Pittsburgh. Fit matters. 

Pierre-Luc Dubois, LW/C, Washington (30 percent Yahoo!) -- Washington only has four games remaining, though two are against the Leafs and Rangers. And Dubois scorched opponents last week with one goal and seven assists in three outings with the marker and two helpers coming while up a man alongside 23 faceoff wins. The Caps got absolutely smoked by the Rangers on Sunday, but that happens. And multi-cat contributions are so hard to get at this time of the season. Dubois is available in more than one-in-three leagues…

Goals

Ryan Hartman, RW/C, Minnesota (27 percent Yahoo!) -- Hartman's four-game, six-goal stretch ended on Sunday, though his two helpers against the Red Wings extended his streak to six games and 10 points with 17 shots and 48 faceoff wins. Goal runs never last, even with the best snipers. But he has Kirill Kaprizov (100 percent Yahoo!) and Mats Zuccarello (above) dishing him the puck. Minny's got five outings left, so this first-liner offers more value than a lukewarm pylon with more matchups.

Ryan Strome, C, Calgary (0 percent Yahoo!) -- Strome's success in Calgary has gone completely unnoticed. He's put up 11 points in 15 games there, including six (four goals) from his last seven. Strome has also provided 13 shots and 47 faceoff wins in that span. It's modest, yet he's found a spark as the old man in the Saddledome. And he's only 32. The Flames have six games remaining. Those are solid odds for someone who's having fun again. 

Hits

Martin Pospisil, RW/C, Calgary (1 percent Yahoo!) -- Pospisil channeled his best Super Smash Brothers during two games last week by laying down 16 hits. Yes, 16. In two games. The assist was a bonus. Pospisil has six games left. And while he won't average this level of bruise, he'll be motivated to hammer hard to prove he hasn't lost his edge after an injury-riddled year. 

Kiefer Sherwood, LW/RW, San Jose (47 percent Yahoo!) -- Managers have recently been dropping Sherwood probably because his surprising offense had dried up. But he's still dropping opponents with bone-rattling hits - 14 of them over four contests this past week, to be exact. Sherwood is on seven games left and could chip in some goals. After all, he has 21 so far…

Blocks

Louis Crevier, D, Chicago (2 percent Yahoo!) -- Crevier surprisingly managed three assists last week. I like those, though they're not guaranteed. What is guaranteed is Crevier's willingness to drop in front of pucks coupled with a desire to prove he's worthy of a full-time gig next season as he delivered 13 blocks through four games. The five hits were also solid. Crevier has posted great numbers in a top-four role, but is more a bottom-pairing D-man. His muscle could be a strong complement in the top-four next year. Chicago has five games left starting on Monday where Crevier could bring a big boost in blocks if you need them. 

PIM

Max Domi, LW/C, Toronto (3 percent Yahoo!) -- Domi has talent, but he also has meathead genetics (breathe deep, Toronto fans - his daddy is happy with this, so you should be too). Yes, the 20 PIM against the Ducks early last week were to prove a point to Radko Gudas (12 percent Yahoo!) after the Auston Matthews (61 percent Yahoo!) hit, yet Domi also received three minor penalties Saturday against the Kings. The Leafs are going to walk the physical edge the rest of the way out, and Domi looks like one of the ringleaders. 

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Back to winning at all costs.

The players I've listed may help. If they don't meet your needs, then do a quick scan for ones on the following squads. These are the ones with the most games left. Sometimes you just need volume to get the production you need. The game totals start Monday. 

Seven games remaining: Seattle and San Jose.

Six: Utah, Calgary, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Colorado, Nashville and Winnipeg.

Now go do this. Bet the farm. Swing for the fences. Go big or go home. Knock it out of the park. Pick your metaphor and give'r (that's Canadian, eh)...

Until next year.