NHL Grind Down: Monday, November 2nd
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.
Listed team records are from the 2014-15 season.
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.
Dallas Stars at Toronto Maple Leafs – 07:30 PM EST
| Dallas Stars | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||||||||
 | Antti Niemi |  | Jonathan Bernier | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 41-31 | 30-44 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.13 | 3.13 | 19.00% | 80.70% | Team Stats | 2.51 | 3.13 | 15.90% | 80.50% |
Dallas has been firing on all cylinders to start the season, and after lighting up the Sharks 5-3 on Halloween night, they’ve now rattled off three straight wins to improve their record to 9-2-0. They’ll open up a four game road trip tonight in Toronto, and should be eager to take advantage of the fairly soft matchup. The Stars are averaging 3.64 goals per game this season and considering they’re rated as the fastest paced team in the NHL (117.5 CP60), it’s unlikely that they’ll slow down any time soon. Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Patrick Sharp join forces to create one of the most dangerous forward lines in the NHL this season and that combo has already combined for 18 goals and 23 assists through the first 11 games. All three of those guys are elite options tonight against this Maple Leafs team that is allowing 3.30 goals per game. Jason Spezza joins that duo on the #1 power-play unit and centers a very capable secondary scoring line that includes Cody Eakin and Valeri Nichushkin. On the blue-line, John Klingberg continues to impress after exploding onto the scene last season. The 23-year-old picked up two more assists on Saturday and now owns two goals and seven assists during his current seven-game point streak. He’s still reasonably priced on several sites and should be very highly owned in cash games. Alternatively, Alex Goligoski has shown plenty of offensive upside and sees a healthy dose of playing time with the man advantage, making him a fine option against the Maple Leafs ugly 73.7% penalty kill.
The Mike Babcock era in Toronto has not started off well; Toronto was shutout by Pittsburgh on Saturday and have now lost six straight games to fall to 1-7-2 after 10 games. While there’s not much to love about this team from a fantasy standpoint, they did defeat Dallas in both meetings last season and should, at the very least, benefit from the up-tempo attacking style that Dallas employs. Up front, no forward on this team has surpassed five points through the first 10 games, but the return of Tyler Bozak does finally give Babcock a pair of somewhat formidable offensive lines. Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk are counted on as the primary scoring option (with all three players owning five points) with Bozak now centering Joffrey Lupul and Daniel Winnik on the second line. Dion Phaneuf remains the anchor of the Maple Leafs defensive unit and the veteran actually leads this team in scoring with seven assists. He’s joined by Morgan Rielly as the defenders grabbing the lions share of the time on point of the power-play and both are fine options (particularly on sites that don’t penalize a poor +/-).
Elite Plays
DAL: Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza, John Klingberg
TOR: None
Secondary Plays
DAL: Valeri Nichushkin, Cody Eakin, Ales Hemsky, Alex Goligoski
TOR: Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul, Tyler Bozak, Dion Phaneuf, Morgan Rielly
Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks – 08:30 PM EST
| Los Angeles Kings | Chicago Blackhawks | ||||||||
 | Jonathan Quick |  | Corey Crawford | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 40-27 | 48-28 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.66 | 2.40 | 19.00% | 80.90% | Team Stats | 2.68 | 2.27 | 17.60% | 83.40% |
The NHL’s last two Stanley Cup Champions will square off tonight at the United Center. After an ugly 0-3-0 start to the season, the Kings have certainly found their groove and have now won seven straight games. While leaving Chicago with two points is one of the toughest tasks in the NHL, this Kings team is clearly on a roll and has consistently been one of the best teams the league by Corsi standards over the past 2+ seasons. The game within the game in this one will be the matchup between two of the best two-way forwards in the league; Anze Kopitar vs Jonathan Toews. With those two top lines both trying to neutralize each other, the Kings will lean heavily on Jeff Carter and his linemates Milan Lucic and Tyler Toffoli to carry the scoring load in this one. Both Carter and Toffoli have lead the team with 10 points through the first 10 games and not only have been red-hot lately, but also put up nice numbers against the Blackhawks last season. Drew Doughty continues to log huge minutes on the blue-line for the Kings and his offensive skills have already resulted in seven assists on the season. With him being a staple on the point of their #1 power-play unit, he’s a fine option in all formats. Jake Muzzin has picked up points in three straight games and looks to be developing into a very similar type of defenseman as Drew Doughty, making him a nice value play despite the very tough matchup.
The Blackhawks were outgunned by the Minnesota Wild on Friday, losing 5-4 for their second straight loss. While the defending champs are still an elite hockey club, they lost several key members from their Cup winning team last season, and are definitely feeling the loss of Duncan Keith. As mentioned above, with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa likely squaring off against the Kopitar line all evening, Joel Quenneville will be hoping that Patrick Kane can keep up his frantic offensive pace. Kane has already picked up six goals and added eight assists through the first 11 games and is joined by KHL deportee Artemi Panarin (10 points) and Artem Anisimov on a very explosive second offensive line. The loss of Duncan Keith on the blue line is obviously a massive blow to the Blackhawks, but it also opens up plenty of opportunities for both Brent Seabrook and Trevor Daley to emerge as very relevant fantasy options on defense. It’s been Seabrook receiving most of the minutes on the point of Chicago’s top power-play unit and the veteran has thrived; recording at least one point in five straight games and posting two goals and five assists during that stretch.
Elite Plays
LAK: Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty
CHC: Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Brent Seabrook
Secondary Play
LAK: Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, Milan Lucic, Jake Muzzin
CHC: Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov, Andrew Shaw, Trevor Daley
Philadelphia Flyers at Vancouver Canucks – 10:00 PM EST
| Philadelphia Flyers | Vancouver Canucks | ||||||||
 | Steve Mason |  | Ryan Miller | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 33-31 | 48-29 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.59 | 2.72 | 23.40% | 77.10% | Team Stats | 2.88 | 2.68 | 19.30% | 85.70% |
In what they’re hoping was the low point of their 2015-16 season, the Flyers have now lost three straight games against the likes of Buffalo, New Jersey and Buffalo. Yuck. They’ll head to the west coast for the second game of a tough five game road trip where they will take on the Vancouver Canucks. Those embarrassing outings warranted a shake-up from new coach Dave Hakstol, and we finally saw the dynamic duo of Claude Giroux and Jacob Voracek separated at even strength. Wayne Simmonds has joined Claude Giroux (and Matt Read) on the Flyers top line, and that’s obviously a huge boost to his fantasy value while it lasts. Voracek slides down to the second line to play alongside Brayden Schenn and Scott Laughton, making his fantasy value almost completely reliant on his exposure to the #1 power-play unit. Unfortunately for Voracek, the Canucks own the league’s second best penalty kill this season (85.7%) and his asking price still reflects last year’s excellent production alongside Claude Giroux. Defensively, Mark Streit leads this team with seven points through the first 10 games and is hands down the best option on the blue-line. However, the Canucks’ excellent penalty kill does limit his effectiveness to some degree.
It’s been a fairly disappointing start to the season for the Canucks, but they’ll need to take care of business on this very short two game homestand before they hit the road for a grueling seven game east coast road trip. With the Flyers also struggling, these two points tonight are oddly important for the Canucks this early in the season. After experimenting with their lines during the first few weeks of the season, the Canucks have finally reunited sniper Radim Vrbata with the Sedin twins, and that’s where you’ll want to focus all of your fantasy attention. No team in the NHL has allowed more shots on goal per game than Philadelphia has this season (33.3 SOG/G) and 76.2% penalty kill certainly isn’t anything worth writing home about. With two goals and three assists through ten games and a healthy dose of minutes as the quarterback of the #1 power-play unit, Alexander Edler is the top option on the blue-line.
Elite Plays
PHI: Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds
VAN: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Radim Vrbata, Alexander Edler
Secondary Plays
PHI: Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn, Matt Read, Mark Streit
VAN: Brandon Sutter, Bo Horvat, Alexandre Burrows, Yannick Weber