PHILADELPHIA -- Chemistry between linemates can be a strange thing. Success can be found in the oddest of places.

One example is the Ottawa Senators' Kid Line -- rookies Mika Zibanejad, Jakob Silfverberg and Cory Conacher. In three games together, the trio has combined for six points and been the Senators' most consistent despite the team's losing streak growing to six games.

The line was created last week when Conacher arrived in a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and coach Paul MacLean was just hoping to find a comfortable spot for him to adjust to a new environment.

"We felt that would be a good fit for Conacher to come in and ease into our lineup," MacLean said. "We could play them against other team's third lines as opposed to their first or their best lines, their top two lines. We could play them against the bottom two lines and give him an opportunity to get comfortable with our team and how we play. That was the thought process to begin with."

What he created so far has developed into so much more.

For an opposing coach perusing the Montreal Canadiens lineup before facing the NHL's fifth-ranked offense, devising a defensive game plan could be a difficult task.

Unlike the four teams ahead of them in the NHL's goals per game rankings – Pittsburgh, Chicago, Tampa Bay and Toronto – the Canadiens do not have a clearly identifiable star on offense, nor do they have a discernible top line. Montreal does not have a single player among the top 35 scorers in the NHL but each of their top three lines can produce, making them a match-up nightmare.

"You can see why they're a high-scoring team," Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates said Tuesday night after his team blocked 34 of Montreal's 76 attempted shots in a 3-2 win at Bell Centre. "They come in waves and they've got great balance and very good defensemen that move the puck well."

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Ask members of the once-struggling Washington Capitals when their season turned around, and there are a myriad of answers.

One theory is that a players only meeting after a 2-8-1 start helped steer the team in the right direction (the Capitals are 19-9-1 since).

Others point to the Capitals’ two-game sweep against the Winnipeg Jets, March 21-22, in which they outscored their opponent 10-1 at MTS Centre and gained four points on the then-Southeast Division-leaders.

There is also the thought that a comeback win against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 14 not only saved Washington’s season but also put a serious dent in Carolina’s once promising campaign.

Consider that the Hurricanes entered that game having won six of seven (including a 4-0 shutout of the Capitals two nights earlier) and were 10 points clear of Washington for first place in the Southeast Division. Exactly four weeks later, the teams meet Thursday at Verizon Center, this time with the Capitals 10 points ahead of the Hurricanes.

"It's definitely surprising," Capitals forward Eric Fehr said of the 20-point swing between the teams in less than a month.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- By any measure, Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin is having a solid season.

Throw in the fact he's a 19-year-old, and what Brodin is doing is almost unprecedented.

Though his offensive numbers won't blow anyone away, folks who have been around the NHL a long time are amazed at the things Brodin does on a nightly basis -- not because they show up in the box score, but because they've helped put the Wild back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs chase for the first time in five years.

Brodin has two goals and seven assists this season, not eye-popping numbers. But dig a little deeper and it becomes clear why people in Minnesota believe they have one of the game's truly elite young defensemen.

Young, in this case, is not subjective: Brodin is the youngest defenseman in the NHL.

Every Thursday during the season, Justin Goldman, the director of goalie scouting for McKeen's Hockey and founder of The Goalie Guild, will provide you with an in-depth analysis of fantasy goaltenders. From updated goalie rankings to players you should keep a close eye on and much more, Goldman will be your fantasy goalie expert all season long.

Ray Emery

Goalie - CHI

RECORD: 15-1-0
GAA: 1.90 | SVP: 0.924

Ray Emery – Blackhawks: Of the top five potential free-agent goalies available this summer, nobody has earned a new contract more than the 30-year-old Emery. He currently sits third overall in goals-against average (1.90) and seventh in save percentage (.924), all while posting a mind-blowing 15-1-0 record in 19 appearances. Regardless of the situation, Emery has found ways to steal some games that Chicago had no business winning. Not only has he proved that previous injury concerns are no longer an issue, but his 10-game winning streak, which included a 2.28 GAA, was the longest in franchise history.

With four goals in a home-and-home series against the New York Rangers this week, Phil Kessel helped the Toronto Maple Leafs capture three out of a possible four points.

But regardless of what Kessel does over the next few days, the week likely belongs to his younger sister, Amanda.

Three weeks after capturing the 2013 Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey, the University of Minnesota junior scored the game-winning goal Monday night against Canada to help the United States capture the 2013 Women's World Championship.

The championship goal brought to an end a magical season for Kessel, who won a second consecutive NCAA championship and led the Golden Gophers to a historic undefeated season.

Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard said Thursday morning he is close to signing a six-year contract extension to stay in Hockeytown.

Howard told reporters he hasn't signed the legal document yet because there is some "little stuff" to work out, but he is hoping to sign by the weekend.

TSN reports the deal is worth $31.8 million.

"I wanted to be here," Howard said. "I get along great with everyone here. I believe in this organization. I just want to be here and get the job done."

NEW YORK – New Jersey Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov has been suspended for four games, without pay, for elbowing Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand during NHL Game No. 591 in New Jersey on Wednesday, April 10, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 15:11 of the second period. Volchenkov was assessed a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct (Rule 45).

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Volchenkov will forfeit $91,891.88. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

For a full explanation of the Department of Player Safety's decision, complete with video, please click on the following link: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=237895.

Nashville Predators forwards Gabriel Bourque, Paul Gaustad and Colin Wilson will miss the rest of the 2012-13 season due to individual surgeries, the team announced Thursday.

All three are expected to be ready for training camp in September.

The New Jersey Devils announced Thursday that the test results on defenseman Bryce Salvador's right wrist came back negative.

Salvador, who exited Wednesday's game against the Boston Bruins early in the second period after stepping in front of a Zdeno Chara slap shot, had X-rays taken Thursday morning.

It remains to be seen if Salvador will be able to play on Friday against the Ottawa Senators at Prudential Center. Defensemen Adam Larsson, who was replaced in the lineup by Henrik Tallinder on Wednesday after sustaining an injury during Tuesday's practice, and Peter Harrold skated with the team Thursday at AmeriHealth Pavilion.