NHL Grind Down: Friday, January 20th
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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.
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Chicago Blackhawks at Boston Bruins
| Chicago Blackhawks | Boston Bruins | ||||||||
 | Scott Darling |  | Tuukka Rask | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 28-14-5 | 23-19-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.77 | 2.53 | 18.40% | 75.20% | Team Stats | 2.50 | 2.52 | 17.60% | 86.90% |
Chicago comes into this one in second place in the Central Division and will need a win to try to keep up with the division leading Minnesota Wild. Last game the Hawks switched up the lines a bit as we saw Jonathan Toews centering Richard Panik and Ryan Hartman while Marian Hossa dropped down to the third line to skate with Tanner Kero and Vincent Hinostroza. The shuffling worked as Chicago scored six goals against the Avalanche as that was just the third time this season the Hawks scored six or more goals in a game. Patrick Kane, Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin stayed together as the first line and is the chalk play here as they also double as the team’s top power play unit. Kane leads the team with 47 points and 167 shots on goal while Anisimov has been the benefactor of Kane’s playmaking ability as he leads the team with 18 goals. Hartman makes for an interesting one-off play here as he has garnered six points over the last eight games and is second on the team with 24 shots on goal over that same time frame. Toews should be able to help him out here as the Bruins will more than likely have most of their attention on the Kane line tonight. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook man the points on the team’s top power play unit with Keith making the better play as he not only has outscored his defensive partner by a tally of 31-22, he has also snared six points in his last eight games.
Although Boston has been able to fill the net seven times over the last five games with the man advantage they still haven’t been able to come home with the victories. After being shut out by the Islanders on home ice on Monday night they promptly went out and blew a 4-1 first period lead in Detroit which led to a 5-6 shootout win in the Red Wings favor two days ago. Somehow this team will have to get back on track as their playoff lead in the Atlantic Division has dwindled down to two points going into tonight. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak should be the line to target in cash games as they represent the most consistency this team has. Marchand has 13 points in his last nine games while holding the team lead with 45 points. Meanwhile Pastrnak leads the team with 19 goals in just 41 games he has suited up for. David Krejci and David Backes hold down the second line with newcomer Frank Vatrano but has been some of the problem as they have tallied just nine points in the last nine games which is equal to one goal every three games. Torey Krug is the play from the back line as he soaks up a lot of extra ice time when the Bruins have the man advantage. Krug leads the team with 13 power play points while sitting in a tie with Krejci for third place on the team with 29 points. Ryan Spooner makes for a decent one-off here as he joins Krug and the top line on the team’s top power play unit.
Elite Plays
CHI: Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin
BOS: Brad Marchand
Secondary Plays
CHI: Artem Anisimov, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook
BO: David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Torey Krug, David Krejci, Ryan Spooner
Detroit Red Wings at Buffalo Sabres
| Detroit Red Wings | Buffalo Sabres | ||||||||
 | Jared Coreau |  | Robin Lehner | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 20-19-6 | 17-18-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.49 | 2.93 | 11.20% | 81.20% | Team Stats | 2.34 | 2.70 | 22.10% | 73.80% |
Going into the other night, the Detroit Red Wings were just four points away from being in a four-way tie for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It seems almost unbelievable but Detroit’s five wins in the last ten games have gone a long way to staying in contention. Anthony Mantha, Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist may have a tough time tonight as Buffalo will try to shut them down with every shift they take. Mantha has tallied nine of his 22 points over the last eight games while Zetterberg leads the team with 22 assists and 31 points so far this season. Thomas Vanek skates on the second line with Frans Nielsen and Andreas Athanasiou and should be considered a decent one off play here as leads the team with 12 goals while recording 31 points in just 34 games. Vanek and Nielsen get the call to move up and play with Zetterberg and Nyquist on the team’s top power play unit that has scored just three goals over the last 17 games. Just like the other day, Dylan Larkin can also be used as a one off tonight as he skates on the teams third and leads the team with 117 shots on goal. The problem is his 12 goals and 18 points are way below expectations for this season. Mike Green is the choice on the back line as no other defenseman is even close to the 21 points the has racked up in 39 games this season.
Buffalo has a long way to go before we can start adding them into playoff conversations but the good news is that they are getting healthier. Tyler Ennis returned to the lineup after just suiting up for 12 games so far this season and was promptly put on the top line with Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo. The second line sees Jack Eichel in the middle with Marcus Foligno and Sam Reinhart lining up next to him on the wings. Another thing Buffalo has kind of figured out is how their power play is supposed to look as O’Reilly and Okposo are now joined by second liners Eichel and Reinhart as opposed to try to make a top unit across three lines. This should create a bit more chemistry and who knows maybe they will start to chip in a few more power play goals than they have been. Okposo and O’Reilly should see a bump in production now that Ennis is back that hasn’t prevented Okposo from leading the team with 13 goals and 29 points while O’Reilly has grabbed 13 of his 25 points with the man advantage in the 34 games he has played in. This line should also have the advantage when it comes to line matching as Buffalo will have the choice as to which line they think they can take advantage of. Rasmus Ristolainen is the play on the back line as he has recorded 16 of his 27 points with the man advantage. Detroit played last night so maybe the Sabres can catch them sleeping here tonight.
Elite Plays
DET: None
BUF: Jack Eichel
Secondary Plays
DET: Anthony Mantha, Henrik Zetterberg, Thomas Vanek, Mike Green, Frans Nielsen
BUF: Ryan O’Reilly, Kyle Okposo, Rasmus Ristolainen, Sam Reinhart
Pittsburgh Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Carolina Hurricanes | ||||||||
 | Matt Murray |  | Cam Ward | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 28-11-5 | 21-16-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.52 | 2.98 | 23.00% | 78.30% | Team Stats | 2.73 | 2.66 | 16.90% | 89.10% |
The Penguins come into this one after beating both Washington and Montreal so grabbing a victory here in Carolina should be easy, right? Normally the answer would be yes but the Hurricanes have put together a very respectable 15-4-1 record in front of the home crowd. Sidney Crosby, Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust make up the team’s top line and should be in play here as Crosby leads the team with 50 points while Sheary has almost been a point-per-game player with seven goals and eight assists in his last 17 games. Rust is the odd man out here as he has just 19 points in the 41 games he has played in. Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist join Crosby on the top power play unit and make for a lethal duo tonight as they lead the team in shots on goal with 134 and 133 respectively. Malkin is tied with Crosby with 50 points while 29 of them have come from the assists variety. Phil Kessel is the fourth piece of the power play puzzle from the third line as he skates with Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino. One would think that Malkin or Crosby would lead the team in power play points but is actually Kessel as he has four goals and 14 helpers with the man advantage. Justin Schultz has taken over admirably once again as defenseman Kris Letang is out with yet another injury. Schultz has registered nine of his 30 points over the last five games as he now anchors the penguins top power play unit.
As mentioned above, Carolina has been a pretty good team on home ice so far this season. This has played a major factor in their playoff run that has them just one point behind Philadelphia for the last spot in the Eastern Conference. The line to usually target is the top line which features Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask and that’s all well and good for tonight as the Hurricanes skate on home ice. They both sit atop the Carolina leader board with 35 and 32 points respectively. Next up is the second line which features Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen who have dibs for the third most points on the team with 24. Now, these are decent plays for tonight, especially the more established Skinner but the reason the Hurricanes have won six of their last ten games is because of scoring that has come from a third source. Jordan Staal and Brock McGinn have found some kind of chemistry as they have collected 19 points over the last 11 games which is the most of any other two players on the team combined. Staal has collected 23 points in 34 games while McGinn has just 12 points in the 28 games he has suited up for so far this season. As you can see this is a big chunk of their seasonal output so maybe taking a flyer on them in tournament play may be the wise thing to do. Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin man the points on the team’s top power play that has scored just one goal over the last 14 games. Stick to the even strength lines tonight as the Hurricanes may be able to pull the rabbit out of the hat.
Elite Plays
PIT: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin
CAR: Jeff Skinner
Secondary Plays
PIT: Conor Sheary, Patric Hornqvist, Phil Kessel, Justin Schultz
CAR: Victor Rask, Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Staal, Justin Faulk
Montréal Canadiens at New Jersey Devils
| Montréal Canadiens | New Jersey Devils | ||||||||
 | Al Montoya |  | Cory Schneider | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 27-13-6 | 19-18-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.00 | 2.52 | 21.60% | 79.10% | Team Stats | 2.22 | 2.83 | 13.80% | 83.00% |
The Canadiens have started to get a bit healthier but by the looks of their record over the past week you probably couldn’t even tell. Montreal has won just one game in their last four as they look to take down a New Jersey team that has won three games in a row. I’m not saying that Montreal will lose tonight but they will need to score more goals than the seven they have scored in the last four games. Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov have served as the top line over the last few games but Montreal has inserted Phillip Danault back on the top line while Galchenyuk will now center Andrew Shaw and Sven Andrighetto. This will effectively leave Thomas Plekanec centering Paul Byron and Artturi Lehkonen. The smart play here would to either play the top line, which is the most talented, or snag Galchenyuk and Shaw from the third line as they see the extra ice time while skating with Pacioretty and Radulov on the team’s top power play unit. I like the four forward attack on the power play as teams should take advantage of the best offensive weapons they have with the man advantage. Pacioretty has netted six of his team leading 20 goals over the last ten games while Danault should be ecstatic as he has racked up a lot of his points skating next to Pacioretty. Shea Weber is the play on the back line as he has registered 15 of his 28 points with the man advantage. He also logs over 25 minutes of ice time on a nightly basis.
The Devils current three game winning streak has the team just three points away from the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. This is almost unbelievable considering that New Jersey has a record of 19-18-9. Obviously those nine overtime losses have helped them grab a few more points that other teams haven’t earned as the only other teams with that many overtime losses are Buffalo, Florida and Anaheim. The top line of Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique and P.A. Parenteau should be the line to target here as Hall leads the team with 29 points in just 36 games while Parenteau leads the team with 12 goals. Kyle Palmieri isn’t a bad one-off play from the second line as he and fellow line mate Travis Zajac join Hall on the team’s top power play unit that has lit the lamp twice in the last three games. Palmieri also leads the team with nine points over the last 12 games. If you are looking for a punt play then Miles Wood is your guy. Wood skates on the top power play unit but has only snared eight points in the 27 games he has played in. Defenseman Damon Severson leads back line players with 22 points but when it comes to opportunity it is Karl Stollery that seems to be anchoring the point when the Devils draw a penalty. New Jersey has used a few guys back there including the injured John Moore, who skated for the first time since suffering a concussion a few games back at the hands of the Capital’s Tom Wilson.
Elite Plays
MTL: Max Pacioretty
NJ: Taylor Hall
Secondary Plays
MTL: Alexander Radulov, Shea Weber, Alex Galchenyuk, Andrew Shaw, Phillip Danault
NJ: Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique, P.A. Parenteau
Nashville Predators at Edmonton Oilers
| Nashville Predators | Edmonton Oilers | ||||||||
 | Pekka Rinne |  | Cam Talbot | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 21-17-7 | 25-15-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.68 | 2.55 | 18.20% | 82.70% | Team Stats | 2.81 | 2.60 | 20.80% | 81.00% |
The Nashville Predators come into this one playing their third game in four nights on the road and should look a bit tired against an Edmonton team that has played just two games since Saturday night. Going into last night’s action the Predators were just one point away from Los Angeles in the Western Conference standings and subsequently one point away from the eighth and final playoff berth. Somehow Nashville has been able to win three of their last six games while scoring over two goals just once in that time frame. Good goaltending and tough defense have been doing the trick but that doesn’t help us much here unless we roster the goalie. James Neal returned to the line up to skate alongside of Mark Ribeiro and Calle Jarnkrok while the top line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson may be the line to target tonight. Neal still leads the team with 14 goals but it’s been Johansen and Forsberg leading the team with 30 and 27 points respectively. Mike Fisher makes for a decent one-off here as he centers Austin Watson and Colton Sissons but has managed to record six of his 26 points over the last eight games. Mathias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis have been picking up the slack on the back end since injuries have taken down both P.K. Subban and Roman Josi. Edmonton has won the last five games on their current home stand and with the way Nashville has been scoring of late, you may as well make it six.
If anything the Oilers last four wins have been exciting. They have won four games in a row at home in which two of those were won in overtime while a third game was won in a shootout. The top line of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Maroon should be the line to target much like they were on Wednesday night against the Florida panthers. McDavid leads the league with 54 points while Draisaitl has racked up 15 of his 40 points when the oilers had the man advantage. Milan Lucic and Mark Letestu join McDavid and Draisaitl on the team’s top power play unit that has scored twice over the last three games. I always wonder why Letestu is on the top unit but we can’t complain as his nine goals and 12 assists so far is at least worth a punt play with the added bonus of getting exposure to McDavid. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle skate on the team’s second line at even strength and could be used in deeper tournament play here as Nugent-Hopkins seems to have found a spark with his four points over the last five games. Andrej Sekera remains as the quarterback on the team’s top power play unit which makes him a better play than most of the rest. It’s usually a toss-up between him and Oscar Klefbom when it comes to Edmonton’s back line as Sekera has more points but Klefbom has more goals and 50 more shots than Sekera.
Elite Plays
NSH: None
EDM: Connor McDavid
Secondary Plays
NSH: Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, James Neal, Mike Fisher, Viktor Arvidsson
EDM: Leon Draisaitl, Patrick Maroon, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Milan Lucic, Mark Letestu, Andrej Sekera