NHL Daily Plays: Tuesday, March 31st

It’s the last day of March, which means the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs are right around the corner as teams make their final playoff push heading into the postseason. With just seven games on the slate tonight, only a few games are irrelevant from a playoff perspective. Whether or not some of the games on tonight’s schedule have postseason implications doesn’t make them irrelevant for DFS purposes however; as teams already in playoff contention will look to sharpen their game heading into the playoffs and teams that will have an early Summer are seeing what they have with their young playmakers heading into the postseason. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the players I’ll be targeting for Tuesday, March 31st:

Goalies

Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop

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Tuukka Rask – Boston Bruins – With wins in each of his last two games and stopping 44 of 45 shots, Rask appears to be in postseason form for the Bruins, who are fighting for their playoff lives as we near the end of the 2015 NHL regular season. As we’ve come to expect, Rask has been lights out at home this season with a 20-8 record to go along with a 2.04 GAA, and a .930 SV% in 34 games at the Boston Garden this year. Tonight, Rask will lead the Bruins on the ice against a Florida Panthers team that has their focus on making the postseason as well, despite entering this game ranked 24th in the league in scoring away from home ice this season. In what should be a lively playoff atmosphere, I expect Rask to be sharp as the Bruins look to claw their way back to the playoffs.

Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning – If you’re looking for value in net tonight, consider taking Vasilevskiy, who has been a very serviceable backup to starter Ben Bishop this season. Tampa Bay has been one of the league’s best defensive teams on the road this season, allowing the fewest shots per game in the NHL away from home ice. Even after a 4 goal outburst in their last game, Toronto ranks 29th in the league in goals per game since the All-Star Break, which is less than the lowly Buffalo Sabres. With Tampa Bay having secured playoff berth in last night’s win over Montreal, this game reeks of a major letdown, but Toronto is trying to earn themselves a top pick in the upcoming entry draft, making Vasilevskiy and his modest price tag a solid option in net for me tonight.

Defense

Disclaimer: Erik Karlsson, Shea Weber (if starting), Roman Josi, Dustin Byfuglien, John Carlson, Keith Yandle, Justin Faulk are elite fantasy defensemen and are always in play.

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Torey Krug – Boston Bruins – An injury to Dougie Hamilton has opened the door for the offensive minded Krug to take on an increased role on Boston’s defensive corps. The extra ice time has proved beneficial to Krug’s fantasy output recently, entering tonight’s game with 5 points in his last 10 games which includes 30 shots on goal during that span. A fixture on Boston’s top power play unit last season, Krug has relinquished the role and will be taking on a Florida Panthers team that ranks 26th in the league in penalty kill percentage on the road this season. He won’t be cheap, but he should be very active tonight in a must-win game for the Bruins.

Anton Stralman – Tampa Bay Lightning – With star defenseman Victor Hedman likely to miss tonight’s game, the Lightning will give Stralman the first crack to be his replacement on Tampa Bay’s top power play unit. A responsible defenseman with the puck that rarely burns you on most nights, Stralman makes for a relatively safe option on defense with a very moderate price tag across most of the industry. Stralman’s upside increases for me tonight against a Toronto Maple Leafs team that gives up goals in bunches in addition to allowing the second-most shots on goal at home this season.

Top Value Play: Yannick Weber (VAN)

Center

Disclaimer: Steven Stamkos, Nicklas Backstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Patrice Bergeron are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.

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Ryan Johansen – Columbus Blue Jackets – Few players in the league are as hot as Johansen is as he enters tonight’s game with 10 points in as many games which includes a seven-game point streak. With 66 points in 75 games this season, Johansen is quickly becoming one of the league’s most dangerous scoring threats, especially on the power play where more than ⅔ of his point totals have come this season. His price has skyrocketed due to this recent success, but Johansen does have a decent matchup against a Devils team that is no longer an elite defensively and has struggled mightily on the road this season. .

Ryan Spooner – Boston Bruins – If you’re looking for value at center tonight, consider taking Ryan Spooner, who enters tonight’s marquee matchup against Florida with 7 points in his last 10 games which includes 27 shots on goal during that span. A myriad of injuries throughout Boston’s forwards this season has opened the door for Spooner to play a top-six role with the Bruins. And with 15 points in just 23 games this season, he has fit the bill for the Bruins as they fight their way back to postseason berth.

Top Value Plays: Vladimir Namestnikov (TB), Evgeni Kuznetsov (WSH)

Wing

Disclaimer: Alex Ovechkin, Rick Nash, Blake Wheeler, Eric Staal, and Radim Vrbata are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.

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Tomas Tatar – Detroit Red Wings – Skating on Detroit’s top line alongside playmaker Pavel Datsyuk throughout much of the 2015 season, Tatar has enjoyed decent success with 28 goals in 75 games. With Datsyuk back in the lineup, and Detroit stumbling down the stretch late in the season, I expect Mike Babcock’s top line to play a major role in tonight’s game against Ottawa. Tatar enters this game with 6 points in his last 10 games and ranks in the top 10 in shot attempts per game during the month of March among all forwards on the board tonight. In a game that could ultimately become very high scoring, I expect Tatar to find his way into Detroit’s scoring tonight.

Ondrej Palat – Tampa Bay Lightning – Skating on Tampa Bay’s productive second line along Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, Palat is another moderately priced winger I’ll be targeting tonight with a nice matchup against the Maple Leafs. He has 12 points in his last 10 games for the Lightning and should have his way against a depleted Toronto defensive corps that will likely maintain their focus on Stamkos throughout much of the game. In a game where Tampa Bay is favored heavily, there’s no reason to assume why Palat can’t get involved in the plethora of goals Tampa Bay is expected to score tonight.

Filip Forsberg – Nashville Predators – Another talented forward I’ll be targeting tonight despite finding himself on the flipside of a hot streak is Forsberg, who can be had for a relative bargain tonight given his production this season. With fellow rookie Johnny Gaudreau usurping Forsberg for the lead in scoring amongst rookies, Forsberg is no longer the clear frontrunner to win the Calder trophy this season. Personal accolades aside, a move back to Nashville’s top line is a clear indication that head coach Peter Laviolette is trying to get is talented young forward back on track heading into the postseason, and I expect Forsberg to be hungry to find the back of the net in a very winnable game against Vancouver tonight.

Top Value Plays: David Pastrnak (BOS), Jonathan Drouin (TB), Teemu Pulkkinen (DET), Victor Arvidsson (NSH)

About the Author

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Paul Errington (boggslite)

A Southern California native and University of Arizona graduate, Paul Errington (aka boggslite) is a longtime top player in the DFS industry and one of the best in NHL and MLB. He has accumulated 6 Live Final seats and can frequently be found providing expert written analysis on those two sports here at RotoGrinders. Follow Paul on Twitter – @boggslite