NHL Daily Plays: Saturday, December 6th
Happy Saturday Grinders! Tonight’s schedule looks weak on paper, with many prolific offensive teams finding themselves in tough road matchups. Outside of some relatively obvious plays in net, determining where the scoring will be coming from tonight will be more difficult than usual; however I expect plenty of goals to be scored and there a few key matchups that I think have tremendous potential tonight. Let’s take a look at some of my top plays for Saturday, December 6th:
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Ben Bishop – Tampa Bay Lightning – Fresh off his first shutout of the season, Bishop draws another juicy matchup tonight against a Columbus Blue Jackets squad that ranks 25th in the league in goals per game this season. Bishop should be well rested after earning the easiest win of his career against Buffalo on Thursday in a game that was essentially over before it started. He has been dominant at home all season long; compiling an 11-1 record, a 1.91 GAA, and a .924 SV%. Bishop won’t be cheap, but he’ll be aiming to tie Pekka Rinne for the league lead in wins for goalies tonight and should have a great opportunity to do so against a Columbus team that has been mediocre away from home this season with a 4-7 away from home ice.
Roberto Luongo – Florida Panthers – Another goalie with a cupcake matchup at home that I’ll be targeting tonight is Roberto Luongo. With an 8-5-6 record to date, Luongo hasn’t been overly impressive, but the Sabres remain the worst team in hockey by a longshot; entering tonight’s game averaging just 1.58 goals per game. Questionable goal support and a likely low shot total add an element of risk to taking Luongo tonight, but his moderate price makes him a fine option for your cash games if you’re looking for some savings in net tonight.
Defense
Disclaimer: Shea Weber, Mark Giordano, Duncan Keith, P.K. Subban, Brent Burns, and Victor Hedman are elite defensemen and are always in play.
T.J. Brodie – Calgary Flames – With all the notoriety teammate Mark Giordano has received this season, Brodie is quietly putting together equally impressive numbers for the Flames. Skating alongside Giordano on Calgary’s top defensive pairing, Brodie has 21 points and a +20 rating while consistently logging heavy ice time for the Flames. He will look to improve upon his terrific start to the season tonight against a Sharks team that has allowed the third most shots per game . Taking Brodie offers you similar production to a guy like Giordano at a fraction of the cost and will allow you spend up elsewhere in your lineup.
Aaron Ekblad – Florida Panthers – The first overall pick in last year’s draft, Ekblad is putting together a terrific rookie season for the Panthers with 14 points up to this point in the season. The 18 year old is currently riding a 3 game point streak and has taken advantage of the opportunity the organization has given him on the team’s top defensive pairing and power play unit. Despite a juicy matchup against the Sabres, Ekblad likely won’t light the world on fire, but his discounted price across most of the industry makes him an excellent option if you’re looking for value on defense tonight.
Top Punt Plays: Dmitry Kulikov (FLA), Jake Gardiner (TOR)
Center
Disclaimer:Tyler Seguin, Steven Stamkos, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Johansen, Logan Couture are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks – In case you’ve missed it, the ‘Hawks are rolling; winners of 8 of their last 9, including 5 straight games entering tonight’s marquee matchup against the Nashville Predators. One of the league’s best two-way forwards in Toews has been a focal point of their success with 9 points in his last 10 games. Targeting players playing on back to back nights on the road can be risky, especially against the stout defensive team like Nashville, but it’s impossible to ignore how prolific the Blackhawks have been during their last 9 games; outscoring their opponents 36-15 during that span. The main reason I like “Tazer” tonight is because I believe Nashville will deploy lockdown defenseman on Chicago’s second line with home ice advantage, which should give Toews the opportunity to go wild.
Sean Monahan – Calgary Flames – If you’re looking for value at center tonight, look no further than Monahan, who is having a terrific season in just his second year in the NHL. With an increased role on offense, Monahan already has accounted for more than half of his point total from last season and has done so in only a third of the games. The 20 year old is currently riding a 5 game point streak and will have a great opportunity to continue his strong play tonight against a Sharks team that has been inconsistent away from home ice this season, surrendering close to 35 shots per game on the road.
Top Punt Plays: Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH)
Wing
Disclaimer: Alex Ovechkin, Jamie Benn, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Filip Forsberg, Phil Kessel, Patrick Kane, Rick Nash, Max Pacioretty, and James Neal are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Ryan Callahan – Tampa Bay Lightning – If you’re looking for some cheaper exposure to Steven Stamkos and the red-hot Lightning tonight, Callahan is my guy. Skating on Tampa’s first line and top power play unit, “Cally” has enjoyed tremendous success in his first full season with the Bolts, entering tonight’s game with 22 points in as many games. He has 11 points in his last 10 games and should get a decent crack to continue his production against a Columbus Blue Jackets team that allows the 4th most shots per game on the road this season and ranks near the bottom of the league in penalty kill percentage.
Troy Brouwer – Washington Capitals – A guy you’ll likely see on a lot of lineups tonight is Brouwer, who is featured on Washington’s 2nd ranked power play and will be taking on a New Jersey Devils team that despite having some recent success killing penalties, remains near the bottom of the league in penalty kill percentage this season. Most of Brouwer’s goals are of the ugly variety, but with the Devils likely putting most of their focus on shutting down Ovechkin tonight, I’m expecting plenty of rebound opportunities for Brouwer who likes to park himself in front of the net on the power play, an area that has been exposed against New Jersey throughout much of this season.
Reilly Smith – Boston Bruins – Currently mired in a 3 game losing streak, Boston has sold out offensively, moving Smith to the team’s top line and top power play unit. Tonight, Smith and the B’s will look to end a tough west-coast road trip with a win against a Phoenix Coyotes team that has been abysmal this season, allowing 31 shots per game and rank 25th in penalty kill percentage. Smith can be inconsistent at times, but he has two veteran playmakers in Bergeron and Marchand at his disposal, making him a solid bargain play if you’re in need of salary relief at forward tonight.
Top Punt Plays: Nikita Kucherov (TB), Dale Weise (MON), Brett Connolly (TB), Tom Wilson (WSH)