NHL Grind Down: Friday, January 1st
The RotoGrinders NHL Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the NHL schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit. While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy hockey there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, salaries, and more.
The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. Hockey is an extremely high variance sport. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.
Remember, these writeups are done prior to lineups being released, so make sure to check our Starting Lineups page to ensure the recommended options are playing.
Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.
Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins – 01:00 PM EST
| Montreal Canadiens | Boston Bruins | ||||||||
 | Mike Condon |  | Tuukka Rask | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 20-12-4 | |||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.79 | 2.49 | 19.40% | 84.50% | Team Stats | 3.14 | 2.67 | 29.40% | 81.90% |
While the Winter Classic is one of my favorite sporting events of the year from a viewing standpoint, it’s also one of the biggest wildcards when it comes to Daily Fantasy Hockey. In a sport that’s already quite variant, these outdoor games add in several more variables that are usually not in consideration. They include (but aren’t limited to) ice quality, wind, sun and sun direction, board constructions, etc. With that said, if you’re playing some daily fantasy hockey today, you simply can’t avoid this game on just a two games slate. Montreal and Boston will renew their rivalry this afternoon in Gillette Stadium. The Canadiens have been a disaster lately having just wrapped up a month of December that saw them go just 3-11-0. However, they’ll be ecstatic to welcome Brendan Gallagher back into the lineup today as their struggles coincided almost directly with his hand injury. While the matchup opposite Patrice Bergeron is not ideal, he’ll jump back onto the top line with Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec and those three are easily the top scoring options from this Montreal team. On defense, P.K. Subban is still stuck on just one goal this season, but his 0.9% shooting percentage certainly can’t last for long and he’s simply too talented and logging too heavy of a workload to be kept quiet for long.
While Montreal sees Brendan Gallagher return to action, Boston will take the ice this afternoon without Brad Marchand as he was just dealt a three game suspension. His absence is obviously a big blow to this Boston team, especially from a defensive perspective as they focus on slowing down Canadiens very dangerous top line of Pacioretty, Plekanec and Gallagher. Marchand’s suspension does open the door for youngster Seth Griffith however, as the 22-year-old is slated to join Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson on the top forward line. Griffith has posted 27 points in 24 games at the AHL level this season, so he’s a very intriguing value play while both Bergeron and Eriksson posted 13 points in 14 games during the month of December. With David Krejci also sidelined for the Bruins, that top line will really be counted on to contribute offensively. On defense, Torey Krug returned to the lineup on Tuesday and promptly dished out two assists against the Senators. He’s return to his role as the point man on the top power-play unit and is a fine option in all formats this evening. Krejci’s absence does give Zdeno Chara a small fantasy boost as Claude Julien will utilize his monstrous frame on the #1 power-play as well. He can be a fantasy weapon both down-low in front of Mike Condon or unloading his cannon slap-shot from the point. With 19 points in 34 games, he can also be used in all formats.
Elite Plays
MON: Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec, Brendan Gallagher, P.K. Subban
BOS: Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson, Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara
Secondary Plays
MON: Alex Galchenyuk, Lars Eller, Andrei Markov, Jeff Petry
BOS: Seth Griffith, Matt Beleskey, Ryan Spooner
Anaheim Ducks at Vancouver Canucks – 10:00 PM EST
| Anaheim Ducks | Vancouver Canucks | ||||||||
 | Frederik Andersen |  | Ryan Miller | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 14-15-6 | 14-15-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 1.89 | 2.46 | 17.00% | 87.70% | Team Stats | 2.39 | 2.82 | 16.40% | 79.40% |
The Ducks picked up their second straight 1-0 shutout last night as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers. They’ve now won three games, and thanks to a pathetic Pacific Division, are right in the thick of the playoff hunt despite just a 15-15-6 record. This is predominately unchanged hockey club from the one that picked up the #1 seed in the Western Conference last season, so their three-game winning streak can’t come as a complete surprise. They’ll look to keep things rolling tonight against a Vancouver team who they took behind the woodshed for a 4-0 victory in their last meeting. From a fantasy perspective, you really don’t have to look much further than the top line of Anaheim for offensive production. The dynamic duo of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry hooked up for the Ducks only goal last night and are easily leading this team in scoring. By virtue of joining them on the top scoring line, Rickard Rakell is also a fine option and can be combined with one (or both) of the big guns to lower the average cap hit. On defense, the Cam Fowler injury locks Sami Vatanen into huge minutes and secures him playing time on the point of the #1 power-play. With the Canucks owning just a 79.4% penalty kill, and Vatanen already owning a goal and an assist against Vancouver in their two meetings this season, he’s a rock solid cash game option.
Vancouver was out-classed by Los Angeles on Monday as they lost 5-0 and no team in the NHL has fewer wins than the Canucks do (14) as we approach the half-way point of the season. Much like their opponent tonight, Vancouver has seen an unhealthy percentage of their offense comes from their top line where the Sedin brothers have racked up 25 goals and 45 assists already this season. Jannik Hansen is this team’s version of Rickard Rakell as he plays the third wheel alongside the Sedins on that top line. With 12 goals, 10 assists and a reasonable price-tag across the industry, he’s definitely in play today on just a two game slate. It’s been a very forgettable season for Radim Vrbata, but the sniper has unloaded seven shots on goal in back-to-back games and joins the Sedin Brothers on the wing of the #1 power-play unit. Alex Edler also joins that #1 power-play unit and is the top option from Vancouver on the blue-line, just keep your expectations in check as Anaheim owns the league’s best penalty kill at a ridiculous 88.0%.
Elite Plays
ANA: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Sami Vatanen
VAN: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin
Secondary Plays
ANA: Rickard Rakell, Patrick Maroon, Ryan Kesler, Hampus Lindholm
VAN: Radim Vrbata, Jannik Hansen, Alexandre Burrows, Alex Edler