Beer Goggles in Fantasy Hockey???

 Who among us has not experienced beer goggles at some point in their life? Do not worry; it happens to even the best of us. Wikipedia defines beer goggles as “a slang term for a phenomenon in which consumption of alcohol lowers sexual inhibitions to the point that very little or no discretion is used when approaching or choosing sexual partners.” The definition continues to state a later feeling of regret. Do not be fooled beer goggles can and do exist in fantasy hockey while no consumption of alcohol is even required!

It is true; the term beer goggles can be applied to fantasy hockey. It is the idea of believing that something is better or more attractive than it really is. This can refer to your overall team as well as an individual player or maybe even a trade. It is easy to look in hindsight and see your mistakes and regret not taking action. The second half of the NHL season is upon us and it is a good time to readjust. One thing you need to remember is that no matter what place your team is in, there is always room for improvement and creating new strategies. Injuries happen, guys get cold, other guys get hot; it is forever changing and you need to stay on top of it. Even the best fantasy teams can pull off trades to make their team stronger. Follow the guideline below to ensure you do not make more mistakes

Common Fantasy Hockey Beer Goggle Misconceptions:

1. “This player has a well known name and is a veteran, which must mean he is really good and he can help my team.” Example: Jeremy Roenick. How well known a player is makes no difference. Many lesser known players make great pickups. Let the stats do the talking, not the reputation.

1. “This guy had great stats last year, he should repeat them.” Example Jonathan  Cheechoo. Do your homework because a player’s line mates can change, they can have a nagging injury or even external situation that is affecting them. Not everyone has a great season every year.

1. “This guy is bound to kick butt and stay healthy when he returns from injury.” Example Peter Forsberg. Try to find out what the injury was and if it has completely healed or if this is a repeating factor. Age often affects healing rates. Players with a history of repeating injuries are a gamble. Last season Daniel Briere was injured for some time, but came back and played strong.

1. “This guy has great puck-handling skills and can do some amazing moves.” Example: Alexei Kovalev. Just because a player has tremendous skill does not mean he scores all the time. Many players score because they are in the right place at the right time.

Dobber does a good job at providing information daily, you should keep reading it. Here are some other surprising numbers from the last 30 days:

Vancouver is starting to turn things around with the help of goaltending. Roberto Luongo is tied for the lead in that span with 10 wins and a 2.22 GAA. In that same span Blues goalie Manny Legace had seven wins with a 1.81 GAA. Colorado’s goalie, Peter Budaj also had seven wins with a 2.30 GAA. That is bad news for you Jose Theodore owners.

While Shane Doan does not have great overall numbers, lately he is playing well with eight goals and 5 assists in their last 10 games, and the Phoenix Coyotes are 8-1-1.

While they both have talent, Nashville’s Paul Kariya and Jason Arnott have started to really click and play well together. In the last month Kariya had eight goals and 13 assists. Arnott had seven goals and six assists. Keep an eye on these two if they stay healthy and play on the same line.

Joe Sakic is not alone carrying the Avalanche on his back. Andrew Brunette is an often overlooked player that has done well lately. With six goals and nine assists Brunette is under the radar. Wojtek Wolski has scored eight goals in that same span. Is he starting to bloom?