NHL Daily Plays: Monday, December 22nd
Mother Nature was not kind to me on my vacation in Jamaica last week. We saw five days of heavy winds and pouring rain. It certainly was not what we were hoping for. Leaving the cold Canadian winter and ending up in a week long tropical storm, was very disappointing to say the least. However, if one good thing came out of those rainy days, it was the opportunity to play some daily fantasy hockey while sitting in my room. Luckily for me, the NHL action was more predictable than the weather (ya mon).
We have a solid six-game slate on this Monday evening and it happens to be the second-to-last night of NHL action before the Holiday break. With twelve teams hitting the ice, it allows us plenty of options in both our cash games and our GPPs. Without further ado, let’s dive into the NHL daily plays!
GOALTENDERS
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings – One of the league’s elite goaltenders, Quick is having another fantastic season in net for the Kings (2.29 GAA, .923 SV%). Quick has dominated the Flames throughout his career and owns sensational numbers at home (1.71 GAA, .939 SV%) this season. The Stanley Cup Champions have been inconsistent at times this year, but are a real tough team to beat on home ice (13-4-1). Not only have the Flames lost eight in a row, they had a hard time scoring goals of late as well. Calgary is averaging only 2.20 goals per game in the month of December, which is 22nd in the NHL. Look for a strong performance from Quick and the all important win tonight.
Other Goalies To Target (Cash Games) – Ryan Miller, Pekka Rinne, Braden Holtby
Other Goalies To Target (Tournaments) – Frederik Andersen, Sergei Bobrovsky, Marc-Andre Fleury
CENTER
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Kopitar has been smoking hot with points in three straight games, including an insane eight points in his last two games. The Kings’ top line of Marian Gaborik, Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar has really started to click recently and that is bad news for the struggling Flames. Calgary has allowed 26 goals during their long losing streak. Look for Kopitar and company to remain hot at home tonight.
Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Backstrom is coming off a huge game against the Devils Saturday night (2 G, 1 A, +2), and now has seven points in his past four games. The Ottawa Senators continue to give up way too many shots (34.1, 3rd most in the NHL), and at some point these will turn into goals. The Capitals are playing great hockey (6-2-2 in past 10) and I expect them to roll tonight.
Other Centers To Target (Cash Games) – Ryan Getzlaf, Henrik Sedin
Other Centers To Target (Tournaments) – Logan Couture, Mike Ribeiro, Sean Monahan
LEFT WINGERS
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Ovechkin is an expensive player and he is not a guy I recommend a lot. However, tonight is one of those nights he is worth paying up for. With only six games on the docket, Ovechkin has the most upside of any player tonight in this plus match-up. I mentioned earlier that Ottawa allows a lot of shots and that trend has continued in the month of December. The Senators have allowed 31.6 shots per game in December, which is the 8th most in the league. Ovi leads the league in shots on goal this year (152) and I expect him to bury at least one of those shots tonight.
Marian Gaborik, Los Angeles Kings – If Kopitar has eight assists in his past 3 games, somebody on his line most be lighting the lamp, and that person is none other than Marian Gaborik. He has goals in four consecutive games, including two multi-goal efforts. With six goals and 15 shots on net in his past four games, Gabby is one of the hottest snipers in the NHL right now. Look for him to remain hot tonight versus a struggling Flames squad.
Other Left Wingers To Target (Cash Games) – Chris Kunitz, Daniel Sedin, Patrick Marleau
Other Left Wingers To Target (Tournaments) – Patrick Maroon, Marcus Johansson, Matt Beleskey
RIGHT WINGERS
Radim Vrbata, Vancouver Canucks – Vrbata was one of the best free agent signings this offseason and could not have fit in any better on the Canucks’ top line. The Coyotes have really struggled to keep the puck out of their net this season. Arizona is ranked 28th in the NHL in goal against per game (3.19) on the season and have been even worse in that department in the last month (3.63 dead last). Vancouver should be able to score 3 plus goals tonight, and you can bet Vrbata and his linemates will be heavily involved.
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators – Forsberg continues to put up very impressive numbers (31 PTS, +24, 96 SOG in 31 GP) and leads all NHL rookies in scoring. Although facing Sergei Bobrovsky is never an easy task, Columbus is still being out-played and out-shot in most of their games. The Blue Jackets are allowing the 2nd most shots per game (35.4) in the month of December. Tonight’s match-up is not ideal, but at this point we have to consider Forsberg match-up proof. I much prefer him as a GPP play as I don’t expect him to be highly owned tonight, but I would not talk you out of using him in your cash games either.
Other Right Wingers To Target (Cash Games) – Patric Hornqvist, Joe Pavelski, Jeff Carter
Other Right Wingers To Target (Tournaments) – Troy Brouwer, Jiri Hudler
DEFENSE
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Doughty is one of the best all around defenseman in hockey and is always a great option when playing on home ice. He averages almost 30 minutes of ice time per game and is the Kings’ leader and powerplay quarterback. The Kings are averaging 36.3 shots per game in the month of December, which is the most in the NHL. Los Angeles also happens to own the league’s 8th best powerplay over the last month. With 10 goals in their last two games, Doughty and the Kings are on an offensive tear. Look for them to remain hot tonight inside the Staples Center.
Other Defensemen To Target (Cash Games) – Shea Weber, Sami Vatanen, Alexander Edler
Other Defensemen To Target (Tournaments) – Mark Giordano, Mike Green, Aaron Ekblad, Alec Martinez