NHL Grind Down: Monday, December 14th
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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Edmonton Oilers at Boston Bruins – 07:00 PM EST
| Edmonton Oilers | Boston Bruins | ||||||||
 | Anders Nilsson |  | Tuukka Rask | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 13-15-2 | 16-9-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.67 | 3.00 | 18.90% | 80.20% | Team Stats | 3.21 | 2.71 | 30.80% | 78.80% |
The Oilers won in an offensive shootout against the Rangers on Friday night and have now improved to 5-0-0 during the month of December. They’ll embark on a tough four game road trip that begins tonight in Boston. The Bruins have been a bit mediocre defensively this season (2.71 GA/G and a 78.8% penalty kill), so the Oilers should be able to create an abundance of scoring chances. Taylor Hall is one of the most dangerous forwards in the NHL right now and has posted 14 goals and 20 assists (and a plus 15) in 30 games. He’ll pair up with the impressive rookie Leon Draisaitl and Teddy Purcell on the top line, but their value takes a bit of a hit as they’ll almost guaranteed to be shadowed by the combo of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. That very tough matchup isn’t enough to remove them from cash game consideration, but it does mean that Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (with Jujhar Khaira) will be leaned on more heavily to provide some secondary scoring. The numbers won’t show it, but Justin Schultz is the most appealing fantasy option on the blue-line. He’s still searching for his first goal of the season but has regained control of the point spot on the #1 power-play unit and has posted back-to-back 30+ point seasons.
After 17 games, the Bruins stood with just an 8-8-1 record. However, since that time, they’ve gone 8-1-2 in their last 12 games and look to once again be contenders in the Eastern Conference. They’ve uncharacteristically struggled on home ice this season but will be eager to put an end to that trend with eight of their next ten games at the TD Garden. Both of the Bruins top two forward lines are very dangerous, but with the team sporting a league best 30.8% power-play, I’ll be focusing my attention there. Patrice Bergeron is tied with Patrick Kane for the NHL lead in power-play points with 15 and is one of the top center options on the board tonight. David Krejci is tied with Bergeron for the team lead in points (28) and joins him and Loui Eriksson and Ryan Spooner up front on the Bruins #1 power-play. On defense, Torey Krug has established himself as the quarterback of that top power-play unit and has posted three goals and 14 assists through 28 games. Zdeno Chara is not quite the same weapon as he was 4-5 years ago, but he’s still a matchup nightmare and a rock solid option on the blue-line in all formats tonight.
Elite Options
EDM: Taylor Hall, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
BOS: Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Loui Eriksson, Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara
Secondary Options
EDM: Jordan Eberle, Teddy Purcell, Justin Schultz
BOS: Brad Marchand, Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey
Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets – 07:00 PM EST
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Columbus Blue Jackets | ||||||||
 | Ben Bishop |  | Curtis McElhinney | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 14-13-3 | 11-17-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.33 | 2.20 | 17.30% | 78.00% | Team Stats | 2.39 | 2.97 | 18.40% | 81.30% |
Tampa Bay lost a tough battle against the Capitals on Saturday and just can’t seem to gain traction this season. To make things worse, they’ll now be without Tyler Johnson for the next few weeks and his absence has a ripple effect across this offensive attack. With Johnson in the press box, John Cooper placed Steven Stamkos between Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov, and that should prove to be good news for all three players while really putting a dent on the fantasy outlook of guys like Ryan Callahan, Jonathan Drouin and Valtteri Filppula. With that said, the Blue Jackets have allowed 2.97 goals against per game this season and Tampa should have no trouble creating an abundance of scoring chances. Victor Hedman leads all Tampa blue-liners with 15 points, but it’s been Anton Stralman getting the playing time on the point of the #1 power-play. Stralman is generally much cheaper than Hedman across the industry making a nice target in all formats. With Sergei Bobrovsky placed on IR, this whole Lightning team deserves a small bump by fantasy standards.
Columbus played quiet well during the month of November, but they’re just 1-2-3 in six games during the month of December and are sitting in the cellar of the Metropolitan Division with just 25 points in 31 games. The Blue Jackets have two very solid scoring lines, but considering the Lightning enter as the second best defensive team in the NHL this season (2.20 GA/G), this is not a team I’ll be targeting in cash games. With that said, the top line of Boone Jenner, Ryan Johansen and Brandon Saad has been dangerous at times this season and Nick Foligno and Scott Hartnell have provided John Tortorella with a very capable secondary scoring line. Former 2nd overall pick Ryan Murray has seized control of the point on Columbus’ #1 power-play unit, and with 12 points on the young season, he’s a fine punt play on the blue-line.
Elite Options
TBL: Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman
CBJ: None
Secondary Options
TBL: Jonathan Marchessault, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Callahan, Valtteri Filppula
CBJ: Ryan Johansen, Scott Hartnell, Boone Jenner, Brandon Saad, Ryan Murray
Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins – 07:00 PM EST
| Washington Capitals | Pittsburgh Penguins | ||||||||
 | Braden Holtby |  | Marc-Andre Fleury | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 20-6-2 | 15-10-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.96 | 2.21 | 23.30% | 83.50% | Team Stats | 2.36 | 2.32 | 15.60% | 84.20% |
It’s always exciting when Ovechkin takes on Crosby and Malkin, and the Capitals will be looking to avenge a 3-1 loss in their first meeting this season. The Capitals enter tonight’s game with an impressive 20-6-2 record and a firm grip on the lead in the Metropolitan Division. Alex Ovechkin is obviously the focal point of the Capitals offense and he’s posted 14 goals and 11 assists in 27 games and his 138 SOG is easily the most in the NFL this season. He’s joined on the top line by both T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom and that line will likely need a big night for Washington to leave Pittsburgh with two points. Marcus Johansson joins that trio on the top forward line and with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams playing alongside him at even strength, he’s has some GPP appeal. On the blue-line, John Carlson resides on the point of that #1 power-play unit and has already racked up 21 points in 28 games. His asking price has been on the rise all season, but he’s still a top tier option. Alternatively, Matt Niskanen will take on his former team here and offers enough upside to be used in all formats at a much cheaper asking price.
It’s been a disappointing start to the season for the Penguins, and it finally cost Mike Johnston his job on Saturday as he and Assistant Coach Gary Agnew were both given their walking papers on Saturday. Former Boston Bruins Coach Mike Sullivan will take over behind the bench and the Pittsburgh front office is hoping that he can finally get this underachieving offense rolling. He’ll have a very tough test right off the bat as the Washington Capitals have allowed just 2.21 goals against per game and Braden Holtby enters with an 18-4-1 record and 1.91 GAA in 23 starts. Evgeni Malkin has lead the charge offensively for Pittsburgh with 13 goals and 13 assists in 28 games and he’s joined by Phil Kessel and David Perron on what look to be, at least on paper, one of the most dangerous forward groupings in the NHL. Sidney Crosby has been eerily quiet to start the season, but he’s simply too talented to ignore. Chris Kunitz and Beau Bennett benefit from playing alongside Sid the Kid and it’s Kunitz that has been coming on very strong recently as he’s picked up points in five straight games (1 goal and 7 assists in that span). Kris Letang will be out of action for the next two weeks, and while that’s clearly a big blow to the Penguins, it does open the door for David Warsofsky and Olli Maata to play expanded roles with this offense. Both are very solid value options on the blue-line despite the tough matchup.
Elite Options
WAS: Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, John Carlson
PIT: Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby
Secondary Options
WAS: Marcus Johansson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Justin Williams, Matt Niskanen
PIT: Chris Kunitz, David Perron, Beau Bennett, David Warsofsky, Olli Maatta
Buffalo Sabres at Detroit Red Wings – 07:30 PM EST
| Buffalo Sabres | Detroit Red Wings | ||||||||
 | Linus Ullmark |  | Jimmy Howard | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 12-15-3 | 16-8-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.37 | 2.70 | 23.40% | 76.00% | Team Stats | 2.57 | 2.53 | 18.60% | 81.20% |
Buffalo surprised the Los Angeles Kings with a 2-1 overtime victory on Saturday and it’s quite evident that this team is drastically better than they were last season. While they’re still a ways away from being in playoff contention, don’t let last years’ abysmal season sway your decision making when they’re in action. The Buffalo forward lines have recently been reconfigured, but it’s still predominately just a two-headed attack. Dan Bylsma finally did rookie sensation Jack Eichel a favor by dropping Evander Kane onto a line with him and Matt Moulson, while leaving the teams leading point scorer Ryan O’Reilly on the top line with Jamie McGinn and Sam Reinhart. On the blue-line, Rasmus Ristolainen has emerged as top pairing defenseman Buffalo was hoping for when they drafted him 8th overall in the 2013 draft as the 21 year old has posted 7 goals and 15 assists on the young season. He dished out three assists against the Red Wings in their first meeting and has really turned things on offensively lately, with six goals and eleven assists over the last 17 games.
The Red Wings have picked up at least one point in 13 straight games and outshot this Buffalo teeam 46-32 in their 5-4 victory against them earlier this season. With Pavel Datsyuk and Brad Richards back to full health, Coach Blashill now has three offensively threatening forward lines at his disposal. Dylan Larkin is making a strong case for the Calder Trophy with 11 goals, 11 assists and an NHL best +20 through his first 30 games at the NHL level. He’s been fortunate enough to join Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader on both the Wing’s top forward line and power-play unit and all three players are terrific option in tonight’s game. While they’re my favorite group to target, Pavel Datsyuk remains an elite two-way player for Detroit and youngsters Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist are somewhat quietly putting up impressive offensive numbers. With Buffalo sporting an ugly 76.0% penalty kill, both Mike Green and Niklas Kronwall shoot up my rankings on the blue-line.
Elite Options
BUF: Evander Kane, Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly, Rasmus Ristolainen
DET: Henrik Zetterberg, Dylan Larkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Mike Green
Secondary Options
BUF: Jamie McGinn, Sam Reinhart, Cody Franson
DET: Justin Abdelkader, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, Niklas Kronwall
Los Angeles Kings at Ottawa Senators – 07:30 PM EST
| Los Angeles Kings | Ottawa Senators | ||||||||
 | Jonathan Quick |  | Craig Anderson | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 19-8-2 | 15-10-5 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.52 | 2.07 | 17.60% | 84.00% | Team Stats | 2.97 | 2.90 | 20.90% | 78.20% |
The Kings saw their six game winning streak come to an end on Saturday in Buffalo, but they’re 19-5-2 since starting the season with three straight losses and look to be a legitimate threat to hoist the Stanley Cup this spring. They’ll look to get back on the winning track tonight in Ottawa, and considering the Senators are allowing more shots on goal than any other team in the NHL this season, there’s a lot to like here. The Kings are the top puck possession team in the NHL (57.0 CF%) and have two separate forward lines that Ottawa will likely struggle to contain. Jeff Carter has posted 11 goals and 15 assists in 29 games this season and headlines their most dangerous scoring line alongside the talented Tyler Toffoli and veteran Milan Lucic. It hasn’t been an overly impressive start to the season for Anze Kopitar (at least from an offensive perspective), but he centers Marian Gaborik and Tanner Pearson and all three look like nice GPP targets. Drew Doughty is off to another fine start and locked into nearly 30 minutes of ice-time per game, making him am elite target tonight against Ottawa’s unimpressive 78.2% penalty kill. Alternatively, Jake Muzzin offers a similar upside but comes with a discounted price-tag.
The Senators have reached a brutal stretch of their schedule, and after dropping two straight games, they’ll be tested once again with the Los Angeles Kings invading the Canadian Tire Centre. The Kings have been the best defensive team in the NHL this season (2.07 GA/G) and control the play as well as any team in the league. With that said, the Senators are the 4th highest scoring team in the league and can unleash two very dangerous forward lines (along with Erik Karlsson) on the Kings. Karlsson leads the team with 32 points in 30 games and has more offensive freedom than any other defenseman in the league, making him a fine (but very expensive) option despite the tough matchup. Up-front, the top line of Mike Hoffman, Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan has been the most dangerous, but they’ll also draw the attention of Anze Kopitar and his excellent defensive play. Mika Zibanejad has been quiet lately, but he centers the very dangerous Mark Stone and Zach Smith on a second line that will need to step up offensively tonight.
Elite Options
LAK: Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin
OTT: Mike Hoffman, Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris, Erik Karlsson
Secondary Options
LAK: Marian Gaborik, Milan Lucic, Tanner Pearson, Alec Martinez
OTT: Mark Stone, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Wideman