NHL Grind Down: Monday, March 5th

by Tom Woollam (elctrceye) Last Updated 2018-03-05 22:15:21 Premium Content Part of the product Core4

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.

Calgary Flames at Pittsburgh Penguins

Calgary Flames					Pittsburgh Penguins
			Jon Gillies					Casey DeSmith
			Record					Record
			32-25-9					37-25-4
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	2.77	2.88	17.98	80.44	Team Stats	3.23	3.00	26.67	81.57

Thanks to winning only three of their last 10 games the Calgary Flames are slowly but surely watching their playoff hopes fade away. The team’s record of 32-25-9 is only good enough for fifth place in the Pacific Division but more importantly has the team just two points away from the final playoff spot. Three other teams are vying for that final spot with Anaheim barely ahead by three points and Colorado and St Louis ahead by two. Look for Michael Ferland to rejoin the team and take his place back on the top line alongside Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. This is easily the team’s best line when all are healthy as Gaudreau leads the team with 53 assists and 73 points while Monahan’s 29 goals is tops on the team. Matthew Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik will continue to play on the second line which has lit the lamp seven times to go along with 10 assists over the Flames last 10 games. Dougie Hamilton is the defenseman to use if you want to pay up as he has grabbed seven of his 38 points over the last two weeks It also doesn’t hurt that he is a shooting machine as his 209 shots on goal is tops on the team. T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano can be used here as well as they have each registered at least 29 points so far this season. You could do much worse with secondary defensemen from other teams.

The Penguins are 7-3 over their last 10 games as they anxiously await the return of the injured Matt Murray. The Pittsburgh goaltender is coming back from a concussion and it’s only a matter of time before the league rules him eligible to play. In the meantime the team has been running out a solid three scoring lines on a nightly basis. Sidney Crosby, Patric Hornqvist and Bryan Rust skate on one line while Evgeni Malkin skates with Jake Guentzel and Carl Hagelin on the second line. Phil Kessel, Derick Brassard and Dominik Simon make up the teams third but very dangerous scoring line. Malkin continues to do most of the damage as he has a team leading 13 points over the last seven games. He leads the team with 36 goals and 79 points while Crosby’s 48 assists is top on the team. Pairing Crosby and Hornqvist makes sense here because they join Malkin and Kessel on the Penguins top power play unit. Kris Letang mans the point on the top power play unit which has yielded 17 of his 39 points so far this season. Olli Maatta can be used here as well if you are looking for some salary relief as he has registered five of his 25 points over the last two weeks.

Top Plays

CGY: Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan
PIT: Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel

Secondary Plays

CGY: Dougie Hamilton, Matthew Tkachuk, Michael Ferland, Mikael Backlund, Mark Giordano
PIT: Kris Letang, Patric Hornqvist, Jake Guentzel, Derick Brassard, Olli Maatta

Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres

Toronto Maple Leafs					Buffalo Sabres
			Frederik Andersen					Chad Johnson
			Record					Record
			39-21-7					20-34-11
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	3.19	2.81	20.11	82.72	Team Stats	2.37	3.23	17.17	79.69

In Toronto’s 5-2 loss to Washington the team used a bunch of different combinations to get back into the game. With Auston Matthews still on the shelf it shouldn’t create that much of a problem but it apparently has.