NHL Daily Plays: Tuesday, November 4th
What’s up RotoGrinders! There are several tough matchups throughout the league tonight, making for one of the more difficult slates in recent memory. We’ve come to expect a lot of scoring on most nights so far this season, and while I expect that trend to continue tonight, the matchups tonight will separate the men from the boys throughout the industry. Let’s take a look at some of my top plays to help lead you to victory with a packed 12 game schedule for Tuesday, November 4th:
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Tuukka Rask – Boston Bruins – The month of October was not kind to the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, as he put together a mediocre .899 SV% and allowed close to 3 goals per game. Much of Rask’s struggles can be attributed to the plethora of injuries that have hit the B’s, especially in the defensive corps. That being said, there isn’t a single soul in the city of Boston that will give Rask the benefit of the doubt and he has always been a goalie that can rise to the occasion in the face of adversity, which is why I like him tonight with a plus matchup at home against an offensively inept Florida Panthers team that is in the cellar in terms of scoring entering tonight’s game. He isn’t necessarily a bargain despite his rough start, but Rask has absolutely dominated the Panthers throughout his career; compiling a 10-1 record to go along with a 1.04 GAA and .964 SV%. I expect Rask to get things back on track tonight as he looks for his second consecutive victory this month in what should be a very tight and physical game.
Jake Allen – St. Louis Blues – If you’re looking for value in net tonight, consider taking Jake Allen, who has been excellent in relief of Brian Elliott this season, with a 2-1 record to go along with a 1.34 GAA and a .944 SV% in three starts. The Blues will be playing on consecutive nights on the road which can present a risky proposition, but they remain one of the best defensive teams in all of hockey; entering tonight’s game 3rd in the NHL in shots allowed per game. St. Louis is on a roll; winners of 5 straight games and is getting healthier by the day which should put Allen in a good position to secure the team’s 6th straight victory tonight against a very beatable New Jersey Devils team that has lost their defensive ways.
Defense
Disclaimer: Erik Karlsson, Mark Giordano, Shea Weber, Keith Yandle, Duncan Keith, P.K. Subban, and Kris Letang, are elite defensemen and are always in play.
Kevin Shattenkirk – St. Louis Blues – If you’re in the mood to pay up for defense tonight, Kevin Shattenkirk is one of my top options. He leads the Blues with 9 assists and is a beast on the team’s top power play unit that will be taking on a Devils team that has the second-worst penalty kill percentage in the NHL. He enters tonight’s game with 4 points in as many games for the surging St. Louis Blues, and should have no problem paying off his steep price tag with plenty of scoring opportunities against a New Jersey Devils defense that has been leaking like a sieve all season long.
Alex Edler – Vancouver Canucks – If you’re looking for a nice mid-range option tonight, Edler is my guy, who enters tonight’s game averaging over 3 shots per game and has an excellent matchup against one of the league’s worst puck possession teams in the Avalanche. Edler is featured on the ‘Nucks’ top power play unit where he netted his second goal on the man advantage last game and will have a terrific opportunity to improve upon that production against a Colorado team that is among the most penalized in the NHL.
Top Value Plays: Justin Schultz (EDM), David Savard (CLB)
Center
Disclaimer: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Johansen, and Jeff Carter are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Pavel Datsyuk – Detroit Red Wings – One of the best two-way centers to ever play the game, Datsyuk has put his early season injuries behind him and enters tonight’s game on an absolute tear; registering points in all 6 games he’s played this year and has multiple points in each of his last three games. Datsyuk is one of the safest players in the league from a fantasy perspective and should easily be able to continue his scoring streak tonight against an Ottawa Senators team that allows the second most shots per game and ranks in the top 10 in penalty minutes this season.
Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers – In addition to Datsyuk, another high priced center who is riding a hot streak that I’ll be paying up for tonight is Giroux, who is second in the NHL in shots on goal and has 13 points in 11 games to open the year. Tonight, the Flyers will look to snap a two game losing streak with a juicy home matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. In what could be a very high-scoring game, I expect Giroux to be heavily involved in his team’s scoring tonight.
Top Value Plays: Elias Lindholm (CAR), Jori Lehtera (STL)
Wing
Disclaimer: Patric Hornqvist, Chris Kunitz, Jamie Benn,, Zach Parise, Patrick Kane, Henrik Zetterberg, Patrick Sharp, and Phil Kessel are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals – One of the most productive fantasy forwards over the last decade, Alex Ovechkin is my top play across the board tonight with a nice home matchup against the Calgary Flames. The Flames have made strides defensively this year, but have struggled away from home ice, where they have allowed the 7th most shots per game to opposing teams and are near the bottom of the league in penalty kill percentage. This sets up nicely for Ovechkin, who is the one of the most lethal scoring threats on the power play and can make you pay if you decide to fade him. Another reason I like “Ovi” tonight is the fact that Calgary will be starting Jonas Hiller, who despite putting together solid numbers this year, will tend to panic under pressure situations and drop to his knees, leaving the upper half of the goal open to snipers like Ovechkin.
Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars – Anytime you can get a high-priced player like Seguin in your lineup when he won’t be highly owned, it creates a great opportunity for you to gain an advantage over the competition, especially in GPPs. Currently featured on the one of the most prolific lines in the NHL, Seguin actually has a great matchup tonight at home against a banged up Kings team that is winless on their current road trip; surrendering over 33 shots per game and has been outscored 14-6 during that span. Without points in his last two games, many people will see a matchup against the Kings and look elsewhere tonight, which makes Seguin another high-priced forward I’ll be paying up for tonight.
Daniel Sedin – Vancouver Canucks – Skating alongside his twin brother and the newly acquired Radim Vrbata on Vancouver’s top line, Daniel Sedin and his moderate price make the list for me with 12 points in as many games to start the season. Regardless of how much you value advanced statistics in hockey, Colorado’s inability to maintain the puck in all areas of the ice is indisputable; making it a leading factor in the amount of shots they allow each game in addition to the amount of penalties they take. The Sedins have been masters of cycling the puck down low in the offensive zone for years, which creates high percentage scoring opportunities for forwards like Daniel and his 2 point, 6 shot game against the Avs in their last meeting is a perfect example of why I’ll have plenty of exposure to him tonight.
Vladimir Tarasenko – St. Louis Blues – Skating alongside playmakers Jori Lehtera and Alexander Steen on the Blues’ second line and top power play unit, the young and talented Tarasenko is primed for a monster season for St. Louis this year. For fantasy purposes, the Blues’ second line is their best scoring line, and with 7 goals, 6 assists, and 49 shots on goal already this season, Tarassenko is poised for a breakout year. In previous years I would never consider taking a young forward against the Devils, especially on the road, but this team is no longer elite defensively and Tarasenko should have no problem penetrating New Jersey’s zone defense en route to another productive fantasy night.
Top Value Plays: Marcus Johansson (WSH), Benoit Pouliot (EDM), Michael Raffl (PHI), Michael Raffl (PHI)