With 5 games in the NHL, some players and teams stepped up, while others did not. Here are your studs and duds for Friday, December 16th.

Studs

3) Thomas (Vanek) the Train

There have been very few players this year that have matched what Thomas Vanek has done in terms of production. The 27-year-old Austrian sniper has had a season filled with constant production in both the goals and assist categories. This fortune did not change on Friday night. Vanek helped the Sabres, and scored 2 goals and added 2 assists en route to a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. If Vanek continues to produce at such a torrid rate, both Sabres fans and Fantasy Hockey players will be more than pleased with his performance.

2) The Young Guns: (Defense) Partners in Crime

In the NHL, there are very few tandems (if any) that show both the promise and talent of Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen. The two young players on the Ottawa Senators have impressed throughout their careers, and have proved that they are the core of the Sens' blue line for the next decade. However, on Friday they elevated their game to new heights.

In a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Cowen and Karlsson combined for 1 goal, 6 assists, 7 shots, and a +7 rating. These statistics are phenomenal, and ones that are not often seen with such inexperienced players. Nights like these prove that the two youngsters are quite special, and have bright futures in the NHL ahead of them.

1) Making it look Parise

For the first 20 games of the 2011/2012 NHL season, Zach Parise was a disappointment to anybody that owned him in their leagues. Underproducing after obtaining the captaincy, skeptics worried that his missed season would seriously affect him, and his 94 point self would never return. However, Parise has been playing better in every game, and absolutely dominated on Friday. Parise had 1 goal and 3 assists in a 6-3 victory against Dallas. Parise has been on fire as of late, and this good fortune should continue for this talented player.

Duds

3) He Came Bachman, But not as Well

Richard Bachman, the rookie netminder for the Dallas Stars, was called in to the crease to play his 3rd game in only 4 nights. This was well deserved as his past two starts were incredible, allowing only 2 goals on 61 shots. However, his fate against the New Jersey Devils suggests that he should've taken a rest on Friday. Bachman allowed 6 goals on 31 shots, giving him a .806 save percentage, considerably lower totals than his previous outings. This likely is not a sign of his abilities, but rather an overworked rookie getting shelled after too many starts.

2) Hiller He Play Well? Nope

For the past 2 months, there have been many topics of discussion surrounding goaltenders in the NHL. Some ideas that have been discussed is the strong play of Howard and Brian Elliott, and the poor play of Cam Ward and Steve Mason. However, no goalie has been criticized as often as Jonas Hiller. However, this criticism is not unjustifiable. Hiller has been abysmal thus far, sporting a .900 save percentage and a 3.08 goals against average. Facing the Blackhawks, there was no reason to believe that those statistics would improve.

Hiller let in 4 goals on 24 shots, as the Ducks lost to the Blackhawks. If Hiller continues to play at the pace he is playing, it seems that the Ducks will be in contention for the Nail Yakupov sweepstakes, quite the downfall for a playoff team last season.

1) Penalty Kill: A Defunct Bud

In hockey, the majority of the match is played upon instinct and impulse. The speed of the players and the hectic nature of the game does not leave much room for set plays, like there are in football and basketball. However, there are two times that strategy seriously come into play: the powerplay and penalty kill. This season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been successful with the man advantage, but awful on the penalty kill. On Friday, those woes did not change.

Toronto allowed 3 powerplay goals at inopportune times as the Sabres squeaked out a win on the Buds. Considering that penalties are quite frequent in the NHL, the Maple Leafs need to learn how to kill penalties. If not, this season could end just like the past 6 have: in disappointment.

Points Of Interest

You were Nieded: Scott Niedermayer was honoured last night for the New Jersey Devils. A class act and one helluva hockey player. All of his praise is well deserved.

On the Offensive: 3 games ended in a total of 9 goals or more, and 38 goals were scored in 5 games, an average of nearly 8 goals per game.

Mr. Kennedy: Tyler Kennedy finished -3 on the night, but recorded 8 shots, leading the Penguins in that category for the night.

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Twitter: @TK12555

Getz and Perry, along with Hiller, should be put in the Duds Hall of Fame this year.

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Points-only, Full Keeper Dynasty League
Active roster (no starts, just total points): 12 FW, 6 D, 1 Goalie

Forwards: Ovechkin, D. Sedin, Stastny, Nash, Kesler, Ribeiro, B. Richards, Selanne, Hossa, Fleischmann, Whitney, Lecavalier, Alfredsson, Okposo, Plekanec, Doan, S. Kostitsyn

Defense: Goligoski, Campbell, Gonchar, Bergeron, Liles, McBain, Vatanen, Timonen, Visnovsky, Giordano, Wideman

Goal: Luongo, Holtby