NHL Daily Plays: Wednesday, April 8th
Last night’s nine-game NHL schedule was supposed to make the playoff picture more clear, but… it didn’t. With just four days remaining in the regular season, there are still several heated races for the final playoff spots in both conferences. Tonight’s three-game schedule leaves a lot to be desired, but does feature a key game between Boston and Washington in our Nation’s Capital.
Here are my top picks for today’s slate:
Goaltender
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets – Columbus may have had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden, but they should get back to their winning ways tonight when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bobrovsky owns a 12-2-1 record with a 2.56 GAA and .922 SV% in 15 starts since the All-Star break and only the Buffalo Sabres are averaging less goals on the road this season than the Maple Leafs (1.93 Goals/Game).
Others: Braden Holtby, Frederik Anderson
Centers
Disclaimer: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Tyler Seguin and Alex Ovechkin are all studs and superb plays tonight. Use them as you see fit.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – If you’re looking for some cheap exposure to Alex Ovechkin, then Kuznetsov is your man. Barry Trotz has slid the talented Russian into Nicklas Backstrom’s old role as Ovie’s center on the team’s top line and Kuznetsov has reaped the rewards; tallying five goals and adding six assists over the last 13 games. He lit the lamp on the power-play in Washington’s win against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday and is very reasonably priced across the industry. The matchup against this Boston team is not ideal, but with just three games on the slate he’s one of the better value plays on the board.
Ryan Spooner, Boston Bruins – Spooner has been a consistent point-per-game type of player at every level of the minors on his way to Boston. Now, the 23 year old is proving that he can score at the NHL level as well. Spooner had a five-game point streak snapped against Toronto on Saturday, but has tallied five goals and dished out four assists over the last nine games and his offensive production has been a big reason for Boston’s resurgence. He’s posted eight goals and ten assists in just 21 games since the All-Star break, and his strong play has earned him a spot on the team’s #1 power-play unit. He’s still a bargain on many sites and can help free up some salary to roster the guys listed in the disclaimer above.
Others: Ryan Johansen, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Kesler, Nicklas Backstrom, Tyler Bozak
Wingers
Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs – I rarely like to target players against my goalie (especially in GPP’s), but three-game slates can make you do weird things. The Blue Jackets have allowed the third-most shots on goal against per game this season and they’ve simply had no answer for Kessel as he’s tallied two goals and three assists against them in their three prior meetings. Kessel has picked up five assists over the last five games and is easily the most dangerous offensive weapon on this Toronto team. He leads the Maple Leafs with 25 power-play points this season and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him pick up a point or two against the Blue Jacket’s #24th ranked penalty kill.
Nick Foligno, Columbus Blue Jackets – The 2014-15 season was a largely a disappointment for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but their inspired play down the stretch and the emergence of Nick Foligno have things looking positive for them going into next season. Foligno’s magical season just keeps rolling as he’s tallied four goals and two assists during his current four-game point streak and now owns 30 goals and 41 assists (+12) on the season. Foligno has picked up 26 power-play points this season and should find plenty of scoring opportunities against the Maple Leafs’ subpar 80.5% penalty kill.
Others: Cam Atkinson, James van Riemsdyk, Troy Brouwer, Brad Marchand, Matt Beleskey, Jamie Benn
Defensemen
Mike Green, Washington Capitals – Mike Green scored a goal and added an assist in Washington’s last game and has no picked up three goals and two assists (and a +3) over the last four games. He sees plenty of run on the point of the Capitals #2 power-play unit and has been terrific at the Verizon Center all season; posting 4 goals, 20 assists and a +15 in 34 home games. He’s already lit the lamp against the Bruins once this season and should see plenty of playing time in this important game.
Others: John Carlson, Sami Vatanen, Kevin Connauton, Morgan Reilly, Torey Krug, Francois Beauchemin