NHL Daily Plays: Saturday, March 27th
Happy Saturday, Grinders! With just two weeks left in the 2015 NHL regular season, several teams are fighting for their playoff lives in their respective conferences. In fact, the playoff race is so tight that only 5 of the 30 teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. As we approach the final games of the season and teams gear up for the playoffs, we’ll start to see games become much more physical and lower scoring, but with several great matchups to exploit throughout the league tonight, I expect there to be plenty of goals. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the players I’ll be targeting as part of the seven-game evening slate tonight:
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens – Unquestionably the league’s best goaltender this year, Carey Price is in the midst of another remarkable season for Montreal. Over his last 30 starts, Price has an unbelievable .955 adjusted SV% at even strength, which is tops in the league. He’s also been one of the best goalies at home this season with a 23-7 record to go along with a 1.80 GAA and a stellar .939 SV% in 33 starts at the Bell Centre. Tonight Price and the Habs will look to get back on track against a Florida Panthers team that ranks 27th in the league in goals per game on the road despite averaging close to 30 shots away from home ice this season. He won’t be cheap, but if he’s able to get some goal support, he should have no problems paying off his expensive salary with the high volume of low-percentage shots that will be coming his way.
Cam Ward – Carolina Hurricanes – If you’re looking for value in net tonight, consider taking veteran netminder Cam Ward. There’s nothing about Cam Ward that wows you on a given night, but has been decent at home this season with an 12-8 record to go along with a 1.93 GAA and a respectable .923 SV%. Tonight he’ll be up against a Devils team that has scored just 2 goals during their current three-game losing streak and has been significantly worse as a team on the road this season. The box score likely won’t reflect it, but Carolina will dominate this game from start to finish, making Ward and his moderate price tag a relatively safe option that will allow you to load up your lineup elsewhere..
Defense
Disclaimer: Erik Karlsson, P.K. Subban, Alex Pietrangelo, Drew Doughty, and Justin Faulk are elite fantasy defensemen and are always in play.
Kevin Shattenkirk – St. Louis Blues – Out of action since February 1st recovering from abdominal surgery, Shattenkirk will make his return to the lineup tonight for the Blues. Before his injury, Shattenkirk was among the league leaders in just about every statistical category among defensemen and has been nearly a point per game player with 40 points in just 49 games played this season. I typically take the “wait and see” approach to players coming off major injuries, but the Blues were cautious with Shattenkirk and did not rush him back into action. He is expected to play his normal 20+ minutes and will slot back on the team’s top power play unit, making him an excellent option tonight against Columbus and their 25th ranked penalty kill.
Tyson Barrie – Colorado Avalanche – Another young, productive defenseman that I’ll be targeting tonight is Barrie, who enters tonight’s game with 8 points in his last 10 games for the Avalanche. Seldom do I recommend starting Colorado defensemen because of their propensity to give up goals in bunches, but Barrie leads the Avs with 15 power play points and is one of the few defensemen that carries a positive rating this season. In a game Colorado should score at will, I expect Barrie to be heavily involved in his team’s scoring tonight.
Top Value Plays: Yannick Weber (VAN), Zach Redmond (COL)
Center
Disclaimer: Tyler Seguin, David Backes, Jason Spezza, Ryan Johansen, and Jeff Carter are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Matt Duchene – Colorado Avalanche – After posting a career-best 70 points last season, Duchene has struggled to replicate that success this season with just 47 points in 74 games, but his moderate price is too tempting for me to pass up on tonight. With 6 points in his last 10 games, including 39 shots on goal, he’s starting to heat up and will have a great opportunity to continue his strong play tonight against the league’s worst team in Buffalo. Duchene will be the best player on the ice tonight and I expect him to flash his moves around the inexperienced defensemen of Buffalo en route to a monster game.
Kyle Turris – Ottawa Senators – Another moderately priced center that I like tonight is Turris, who enters tonight’s game with 5 goals in his last 10 games for the surging Senators. He has 3 goals in as many games against the Maple Leafs this season, and will likely be involved in the many goals Ottawa pours on Toronto tonight. Turris is featured on the team’s top power-play unit and the return of Clarke MacArthur to the lineup tonight should provide Turris with more options as one of Ottawa’s best playmakers.
Top Value Plays: Jori Lehtera (STL), Victor Rask (CAR)
Wing
Disclaimer: Jamie Benn, Alexander Steen, Zach Parise, Bobby Ryan, Tyler Toffoli, Max Pacioretty, Gabriel Landeskog, and Radim Vrbata are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Vladimir Tarasenko – St. Louis Blues – If you’ve been following my articles throughout the season, you’re probably sick of seeing me recommend Tarasenko on a regular basis, but the young superstar continues to get it done night after night for the Blues. He’ll look to break out of a two-game scoring drought tonight against a Blue Jackets team that has won eight of their last nine games despite being routinely outshot by their opponents in those games. This bodes well for Tarasenko, who leads all available forwards tonight with 5.7 even strength shot attempts per game over the last 30 days. His price is very manageable relative to his production this season and the case could be made that he is the top overall play of the night with a juicy home matchup.
Eric Staal – Carolina Hurricanes – After struggling throughout the early part of the 2015 season, Eric Staal has been on a tear since the all-star break and enters tonight’s game with 9 points in his last 10 games. It’s no secret that Staal’s recent success can be attributed to the high volume of shots he’s been taking, as he ranks second only to the aforementioned Tarasenko with just over 5 even strength shot attempts per game among forwards in tonight’s slate over the last 30 days. He’s not the sexiest pick in the world, and the matchup on paper has the makings of a stinker, but the Devils have allowed over 30 shots on goal per game on the road this season, making Staal a low-risk, high-reward option for me tonight.
Brendan Gallagher – Montreal Canadiens – Another player that consistently flies under the radar with a decent matchup tonight is Gallagher, who enters tonight’s game with 5 goals in his last 10 games for the first place Canadiens. Similar to Staal, Gallagher’s matchup against a Florida Panthers team that is fighting for their playoff lives isn’t ideal, but the majority of Montreal’s offensive production comes from its top two lines, making it easier to predict where the scoring will come from. Gallagher currently skates on Montreal’s second line at even strength, but is also featured on his team’s top power play unit and will be taking on a Panthers team that ranks 25th in the league in penalty kill percentage.
Top Value Plays: Mark Stone (OTT), Patrick Eaves (DAL), Alexandre Burrows (VAN), Dmitrij Jaskin (STL)