NHL Grind Down: Friday, March 10th
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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Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets
| Buffalo Sabres | Columbus Blue Jackets | ||||||||
 | Robin Lehner |  | Sergei Bobrovsky | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 27-28-12 | 42-17-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.50 | 2.80 | 23.40% | 76.60% | Team Stats | 3.15 | 2.28 | 21.20% | 83.10% |
After cutting down on their goal differential by a whopping 92 goals last year the Sabres have done a decent job of maintaining the level of hockey but will need to take it to another level if they want to make the playoffs next season. Their 66 points have them nine points away from the Islanders who hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With the rib injury to Kyle Okposo Ryan O’Reilly has been centering the top line along with Evander Kane and Justin Bailey while Jack Eichel is skating with Matt Moulson and Sam Reinhart on the team’s second line. Eichel is the easy one-off here as his 16 points over the last 11 games now has him one point shy of being a point-per-game player with 18 goals and 27 assists. Eichel and Reinhart play on the top power play unit with O’Reilly and Kane which has connected for six goals over the last four games. The only downside to this is that Columbus is a pretty disciplined team when it comes to taking penalties and killing them for that matter. The Blue Jackets have taken just 23 penalties in the last 11 games and have surrendered just one goal power play goal. Rasmus Ristolainen is a decent choice on the back line as he has snagged 40 points so far this season while seeing quite a bit of ice time when the Sabres have the extra attacker. Look for Columbus to win this one with the Sabres grabbing a goal or two.
Columbus has been a pleasant surprise this season as they are the second best team in the league with just 17 games remaining on their schedule. This looks like a slam-dunk for them tonight in front of the home crowd as they start a home-and–home against the Buffalo Sabres. Brandon Saad has been moved back up to the top line over the last few games to skate along with his old linemates in Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno. This line looks as good as any to target for your cash games tonight with Wennberg’s 52 points being second best on the team while Saad and Foligno have each chipped in 45 points so far this season. Cam Atkinson makes for a nice one-off play here as he skates on the second line with Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky. Both Dubinksy and Atkinson have snared seven points in the last 11 games but iy is Atkinson who gets the lion’s share of the power play minutes as evidence of 21 of his team leading 56 points coming with the man advantage. Oliver Bjorkstrand has replaced Sam Gagner on the team’s top power play unit and could be used here if you need a little salary relief as he has tallied eight points in 15 games. After feeling some pressure from Seth Jones it looks like defenseman Zachary Werenski is back on track as he has recorded eight of his 39 points over the last 11 games. He also gets the extra power play minutes which could be to your advantage here tonight.
Elite Plays
BUF: Jack Eichel
CBJ: Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson
Secondary Plays
BUF: Ryan O’Reilly, Rasmus Ristolainen, Sam Reinhart, Evander Kane
CBJ: Nick Foligno, Brandon Saad, Zachary Werenski
Minnesota Wild at Florida Panthers
| Minnesota Wild | Florida Panthers | ||||||||
 | Darcy Kuemper |  | James Reimer | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 42-17-6 | 29-25-11 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.28 | 2.33 | 21.50% | 84.10% | Team Stats | 2.43 | 2.72 | 16.70% | 86.40% |
Minnesota is about as close as any team has been able to get in terms of putting four solid lines that can score on the ice. Now whether they can or not is a different story altogether as they have scored just six goals in the last four games. They have moved some of their less skilled players to play on the same line as the more skilled players. Chris Stewart is a prime example of this as he skates on the top line with Zach Parise and Eric Staal while Charlie Coyle and Jason Pominville skate on the team’s fourth line. Mikael Granlund, Mikko Koivu and Jason Zucker have been the most productive line as Granlund and Koivu lead the team with a combined nine points over the last six games. Granlund is also the one-off play here as he leads the team with 21 goals and 39 assists. Florida has been having a rough go of it lately as well as they have scored 13 goals over the last seven games while dropping six of them. Ryan Suter is the play on the back line as his 35 points leads all Minnesota blue liners in scoring. Mathew Dumba is injured so look at Jared Spurgeon for a cheaper option here.
The Panthers looked like they were ready to make a playoff run after winning five straight road games last month but have one just one game since then which has dropped them into 11th place in the Eastern Conference. The top line of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr will be relied on to get a few goals here tonight if Florida has any aspiration of taking home the victory in front of the home crowd. Barkov has found the score sheet 39 times in 50 games while Huberdeau has netted 12 points since his return 14 games ago. That is part of the reason that the Panthers looked like they were to make a run but have fallen apart since. Vincent Trocheck leads the team with 22 goals and 45 points while getting some new linemates over the past four days. Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith were his linemates but now it seems that Thomas Vanek and Jonathan Marchessault will skate with him at even strength. This is an intriguing line that could pay off as a tournament play tonight just on the sheer fact that Vanek and Marchessault are not shy when it comes to shooting the puck. Keith Yandle is the play on the back line as he soaks up most of the minutes when the Panthers have the man advantage. Yandle has 32 points so far this season while Aaron Ekblad has had a miserable season as he has found the score sheet just 21 times while leading the team with 219 shots on goal. Look for Minnesota to shut down the listless Panthers in front of their home crowd.
Elite Plays
MIN: Mikael Granlund
FLA: Aleksander Barkov
Secondary Plays
MIN: Mikko Koivu, Eric Staal, Jason Zucker, Ryan Suter
FLA: Jonathan Huberdeau, Jaromir Jagr, Keith Yandle, Vincent Trocheck
Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings
| Chicago Blackhawks | Detroit Red Wings | ||||||||
 | Corey Crawford |  | Petr Mrazek | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 42-19-5 | 25-29-11 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.00 | 2.51 | 19.30% | 77.20% | Team Stats | 2.37 | 3.02 | 12.60% | 81.30% |
It always feels like hockey when two of the original six teams get together to battle it out. The Blackhawks come into this one is second place in the Central Division with 89 points which is just one point away from the Minnesota Wild who lead the division. Minnesota does have a game in hand as well so the Hawks need a victory here just to keep pace. Nick Schmaltz, Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik look to be a nice GPP play here as most will probably be on the Kane line for their cash and tournament plays tonight. Toews and Panik have seen a lot of time on the top power play unit with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin which is a deviation from the way head coach Joel Quenneville used to run his power play units. Normally it was a full line that took the reins but this way is better, especially for DFS purposes. Toews has found the score sheet 13 times over the last nine games while Panik and Schmaltz have been at least point-per-game players over that same time frame. Kane is the crème de’la’crème here however as his 29 goals and 41 assists both lead the team in those categories while playing on a line with Panarin and Artem Anisimov. Duncan Keith is the choice on the back line as he has garnered 15 of his 45 points with the man advantage. Look for Chicago to improve on their 20-10-1 record away from the home crowd tonight.
Detroit has been a disappointment this season as they have slipped to the lowest depths in the Eastern Conference. Their 61 points has them at the bottom of the barrel in terms of standings while having a goal differential of minus 35 so far this season. Henrik Zetterberg is almost a must-have here if you are looking to go with the home team tonight. Zetterberg skates with Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist and has racked up 12 of his 15 points over the last nine games, he also skates on the team’s top power play unit and will have every chance to match up against Chicago’s weaker defensive lines tonight. Frans Nielsen was spotted centering Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm which would put Andreas Athanasiou, Dylan Larkin and Riley Sheahan into the GPP equation as they can certainly generate more scoring opportunities than the Nielsen line. Larkins 142 shots on goal leads the team while Sheahan takes the spot of Anthony Mantha, who is a healthy scratch for tonight’s game. Niklas Kronwall gets the top power play minutes from the back line while Mike Green is still an option as well as he has grabbed 28 points in the 55 games he has suited up for this season. The Red Wings will try to bounce back from the 6-1 shellacking that the Boston Bruins put on them last night on the road.
Elite Plays
CHI: Patrick Kane
DET: Henrik Zetterberg
Secondary Plays
CHI: Jonathan Toews, Artemi Panarin, Richard Panik, Duncan Keith
DET: Gustav Nyquist, Dylan Larkin, Mike Green
Anaheim Ducks at St. Louis Blues
| Anaheim Ducks | St. Louis Blues | ||||||||
 | Jhonas Enroth |  | Jake Allen | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 35-22-10 | 33-27-5 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.56 | 2.52 | 18.80% | 84.90% | Team Stats | 2.72 | 2.80 | 22.10% | 84.00% |
The Ducks come into this one pretty much ensured of a playoff spot as their 80 points is good enough for second place in the Pacific Division. Both Edmonton and Calgary are right behind them with 78 points but then it’s a big drop down to the Los Angeles Kings and their 70 points which is currently on the outside looking in. Patrick Eaves, Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell skate on the top line while Ryan Kesler, Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano skate on the team’s second line. Corey Perry has got lost in the shuffle and I’m not sure what the disconnect is here as his 12 goals and 31 assists are good enough to be the third best scorer on the team. Getzlaf is one-off here as his nine points over the last seven games has added to his team leading 52 points in 60 games. Kesler can be viewed as a one-off here as well as he joins the top power play unit form the second line and leads the team with Perry by finding the score sheet 17 times with the man advantage. Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen are the choices on the back line as they both man the points when the Ducks draw a penalty. Fowler is the safest choice of the two with his 32 points but Vatanen has responded with four points over the last seven games as he normally wasn’t on the top power play unit. Anaheim beat Chicago last night by a score of 1-0 and will go for their second road win in as many night’s against the Blues tonight.
The Blues have won their last two games by a total of 5-1 and will need another stellar defensive effort to harness the Ducks tonight. The Blues are hanging onto the eighth and final playoff spot by a thread in the Western Conference and will need as many points as they can get coming down the stretch to stay in this thing. Jaden Schwartz, Paul Stastny and Vladimir Tarasenko will be counted on heavily to do most of the grunt work as they are the team’s top line which also doubles as the offensive threat when the Blues draw a penalty. Tarasenko leads the team with 29 goals and 59 points while the departed Kevin Shattenkirk still leads the team with 31 assists. Alex Pietrangelo has been tapped to fill Shattenkirk’s shoes and has responded well by grabbing three of his four points over the last nine games with the man advantage. Alexander Steen is the one-off here as he jumps up with the top line on the team’s top power play unit form the second line. David Perron and Patrik Berglund are his linemates but will not see the amount of scoring opportunities that Steen will receive. The Blues need to keep winning and will be tested heavily tonight against a formidable Western Conference foe.
Elite Plays
ANA: Ryan Getzlaf
STL: Vladimir Tarasenko
Secondary Plays
ANA: Ryan Kesler, Patrick Eaves, Rickard Rakell, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, Corey Perry
STL: Jaden Schwartz, Paul Stastny, Alexander Steen, Alex Pietrangelo
Pittsburgh Penguins at Edmonton Oilers
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Edmonton Oilers | ||||||||
 | Matt Murray |  | Cam Talbot | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 41-16-8 | 35-23-8 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.51 | 2.80 | 23.10% | 80.60% | Team Stats | 2.79 | 2.58 | 21.10% | 79.20% |
This game could feature a ‘changing of the guard’ so to speak as the young Connor McDavid gets to play against Sidney Crosby, who could easily be viewed as the best player over the last 10 years. The Penguins are tied for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points but will continue to play without a few of their key pieces. Both Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang will not suit up for Pittsburgh as they go for their fourth win in a row tonight. Crosby will skate with Chris Kunitz and Conor Sheary while Evgeni Malkin will center Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel. Both lines have enough firepower to put up a few goals on a nightly basis so it will be interesting to see what line the Oilers will try to shut down. Just because they want to shut them down doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen as Crosby and Malkin lead the team with 70 points each. The smart money would have you pair Crosby with Kunitz or Malkin with Kessel as they all skate on the team’s top power play line. With Letang out of the line up the ‘offensive’ defensive duties fall squarely on the shoulders of Justin Schultz as he mans the point when the penguins have the extra attacker. Schultz had recorded 17 of his 45 points on the power play which means there’s no reason in the world not to trust him in that capacity tonight. Pittsburgh will look to improve on their 14-12-5 road record tonight.
The Oilers have been swept up and taken on a playoff journey thanks to the league leader in points, Connor McDavid. His 22 goals and 52 assists are 19 points better than Leon Draisaitl who is second on the team in scoring. Pairing them up here makes a lot of sense as they skate on the team’s top power play unit as well as grabbing Patrick Maroon for the third part of the first even strength line. They should get the juicy matchups all night against a Pittsburgh team 11 goals in their last three road games. Milan Lucic, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle skate on the team’s second line and with only nine other teams to choose from, it may not be a bad idea to throw this line into a GPP as well. Eberle has 39 points so far this season while Lucic has registered 36 points in 66 games. Mark Letestu can be used as a cheap one-off here as he skates on the top power play unit with McDavid and has recorded seven of his 30 points over the last 10 games. Oscar Klefbom is the defensive choice here as he mans the point on the team’s top power play unit. His three goals and five assists over the last 10 games has raised his seasonal point total to 28 in 66 games. A lot of this has to do with getting the opportunity to play on the top power play unit in which he has responded nicely. It should be a good one here so sit back, relax and watch the game!
Elite Plays
PIT: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin
EDM: Connor McDavid
Secondary Plays
PIT: Phil Kessel, Justin Schultz, Chris Kunitz
EDM: Leon Draisaitl, Oscar Klefbom, Jordan Eberle, Mark Letestu