Goalie Announcements (Feb 4)

Welcome to the third segment of the regular season... the final nine weeks of the year!  We can unwrap our new goalies and start looking forward to the playoffs now, right?

Every game tonight features a goalie that either moved hockey pool teams or was picked up from the available list in the Week Eighteen Waiver Draft, so we're starting to collect those minutes and for half of these starts, we'll be collecting those points too.

John Gibson (Kristy & Don) versus Frederik Andersen (Wilton)
We were awfully close to not having one of the top goalies in the pool for the third segment of the season, but Wilton came to the rescue with an injured goalie in the bonus round of the Waiver Draft, snapping up Frederik Andersen, as he looks to make a bit of a push up the standings now.  Wilton had the 24th ranked goaltending in the second segment, but this add should boost him up quite a ways in the third segment, if all things remain equal.  The Ducks, who are in Toronto to take on the Leafs, hadn't confirmed their goalie at the time of the post, but there's a good chance it's John Gibson.

Jonathan Quick (Brenda & Seward) versus Henrik Lundqvist (Scott)
Well, if Scott's team is going to move itself out of last place, now's a good time to start the process.  16 points back of Derek B. and 20 points back of Brenda & Seward, a win tonight from Henrik Lundqvist would certainly help.  Of course, the duo mentioned has a new goalie on their hockey pool roster and he gets to go at the opposite end, Jonathan Quick will get his first start for them right away and I'm sure the duo are expecting big things.

Jacob Markstrom (Chelsea) versus Carter Hart (Jeremy)
Jeremy's team is venturing into the rookie pool fray, albeit two segments too late.  He picked up Carter Hart of the Flyers, who will be getting the nod against the Canucks tonight, starting the third segment only 65 points back of the lead in the rookie pool... better late than never, right?  Chelsea's team finished the second segment with the best goaltending combo in the pool, so she's hoping for more of that, starting tonight with Jacob Markstrom at the other end of the rink.

Darcy Kuemper (Neil) versus Ben Bishop (Clayton)
It's a second appearance in the hockey pool for Arizona's Darcy Kuemper, dropped in Week Nine, only to be picked up by Neil in Week Eighteen, he has been one of the hotter goalies in the month of January and the first few days of February.  Neil had the worst goaltending combo in the second segment and looks for immediate improvement with his new goalie.  Clayton, on the other hand, has a new goalie as well, but not in this game.  It's good ol' Ben Bishop for his side, getting the nod for the hosts, the Dallas Stars, at the other end.