NHL Grind Down: Saturday, April 1st - Page Two
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Montréal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
| Montréal Canadiens | Tampa Bay Lightning | ||||||||
 | Carey Price |  | Andrei Vasilevskiy | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 44-24-9 | 38-29-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.75 | 2.42 | 20.10% | 80.70% | Team Stats | 2.79 | 2.79 | 23.10% | 80.90% |
The Canadiens have won three straight games which has helped them clinch a playoff spot for this year’s end of the season tournament. They are six points up on the Ottawa Senators and with a few more wins could easily capture the Atlantic Division crown. Max Pacioretty, Alexander Radulov and Phillip Danault are the team’s top line but it has been the play of Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron that has kept the team afloat over the last seven games. Gallagher has rebounded to notch seven of his 28 points over the last two weeks while Byron has lit the lamp three times on his way to five points over the last seven games. Pacioretty is still the king however as his 35 goals and 64 points are both tops on the team. On the defensive side of things Montreal has opted to go back to the one-defenseman approach when the team has the extra attacker. This means that Shea Weber is in play here as Weber’s 22 power play points leads the team in that catwegory. Alex Galchenyuk has been placed back on the top power play unit as the fourth forward and would seem to make a decent one-off here tonight. Montreal has a tough task tonight as they go up against a Tampa Bay team that is fighting for their playoff lives.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have survived a lot of injuries this season, so much so that they are still within three points of a playoff spot as the teams come down the stretch. They do have a game in hand against the Boston Bruins who happen to be the team they are chasing at the moment for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Nikita Kucherov should return to the line up from his illness the other night to skate to the right of both Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat. This is the team’s top line who should enjoy the home ice advantage and have a few favorable match ups along the way. Kucherov leads the team with 38 goals and 80 points while Palat has nabbed 10 points in his last six games. This team is on a mission and it looks like the have a decent shot to get in if they can string a couple of wins together. The second line features Vladislav Namestnikov centering Jonathan Drouin and Alex Killorn. Drouin makes for a decent one-off play here as he draws in on the top line when the Lightning skate with the extra attacker. 25 of his 51 points have come with the man advantage and has seen four of his last eight points scored that way as well. Victor Hedman makes for a safe choice on the back line tonight. Hedman has racked up 66 points so far this season while manning the point on the team’s top power play unit. Tampa needs to win here to keep it going as they face a tough Montreal team.
Elite Plays
MTL: Max Pacioretty
TB: Nikita Kucherov
Secondary Plays
MTL: Alexander Radulov, Shea Weber, Phillip Danault, Brendan Gallagher
TB: Victor Hedman, Jonathan Drouin, Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat
Ottawa Senators at Winnipeg Jets
| Ottawa Senators | Winnipeg Jets | ||||||||
 | Craig Anderson |  | Connor Hellebuyck | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 41-26-9 | 36-35-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.55 | 2.61 | 17.60% | 80.30% | Team Stats | 2.95 | 3.15 | 18.00% | 76.70% |
Ottawa has picked the wrong time to go into a slump as they have only been able to win three of their last seven games. They were comfortably in second place in the Atlantic Division but now have both Toronto and Boston breathing down their necks as they are each within three points of taking over the second place spot. One would have to assume that the Jets will try to shut down the line of Derick Brassard, Mark Stone and Zack Smith which should leave Kyle Turris, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Dzingel a little more room on the ice to maneuver tonight. Turris could make for a nice one-off here as he leads the team with 26 goals but an even better one-off may be Mike Hoffman. He leads the team with seven points in the last seven games and gets the shoulder tap to take the first shift when the Senators have the extra attacker. This is where he excels as he leads the team with 13 power play goals while compiling 25 of his 56 points with the man advantage. The Senators are another team that made some line changes in their last game because they were not only losing but lost Zack Smith to an injury during the first period. It looks like Hoffman was skating with Brassard and Stine for a brief time while the Turris line remained the same. Ottawa skates at 11:30 am this morning in which we should know more on the status of Smith and their top two lines. Defenseman Erik Karlsson is normally the play on the back line as he leads the team with 26 power play points as well as leading the team with 68 points. Yes, he’s the man but not when he’s hurt as he was sent home from this road trip with an undisclosed injury. Look for Dion Phaneuf or Cody Ceci to take his place on the back line when the team has the man advantage. Ottawa should be able to score on the jets who have given up 247 goals so far this season.
It’s the same old same old for the Winnipeg Jets. They can score a lot of goals but give up even more, until recently. They have won six of their last eight games but much like the Philadelphia Flyers, it is a little too late as the jets have already been eliminated from the playoffs. They can knock the Senators down a few pegs however and will look to do just that here tonight. Winnipeg has made two solid scoring lines that could be used in cash games here tonight. Blake Wheeler, Mathieu Perreault and Bryan Little have been hot of late as both Wheeler and Perreault have combined for six goals and 15 assists over the last seven games. Meanwhile Mark Scheifele leads the team with 78 points while Patrik Laine and his 34 goals is tops on the team. They are joined by Nikolaj Ehlers on a second scoring line that could do some damage in front of the home crowd tonight. Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien is always a decent play as he quarterbacks the team’s top power play unit. Byfuglien’s 51 points is good enough for fifth best on the team while Josh Morrissey may make for a cheap punt play here. Nic Petan is back on the top power play unit as he skates on the team’s fourth line and could also be used as a punt play from the center position tonight. The Jets can play the spoiler role here as a win could certainly help prevent Ottawa from getting home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Elite Plays
OTT: Mike Hoffman
WIN: Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler
Secondary Plays
OTT: Kyle Turris, Derick Brassard, Mark Stone
WIN: Mathieu Perreault, Bryan Little, Patrik Laine, Dustin Byfuglien, Nikolaj Ehlers
Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers
| Anaheim Ducks | Edmonton Oilers | ||||||||
 | Jonathan Bernier |  | Cam Talbot | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 42-23-12 | 43-25-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.64 | 2.43 | 17.90% | 85.10% | Team Stats | 2.86 | 2.53 | 22.10% | 81.00% |
In what could be a Western Conference playoff preview the Anaheim Ducks will look to hold off the surging Edmonton Oilers for the top spot in the Pacific Division. Edmonton is just one point behind the Ducks with five games left to play before the division crown will be settled. Ryan Getzlaf returned after a one game absence to take his spot between Rickard Rakell and Patrick Eaves. Getzlaf leads the team with 66 points while Rakell’s 32 goals is tops on the team. If the Oilers want to win this game they had better keep this line in check tonight. Ryan Kesler, Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg skate on the team’s second line and should be looked at for tournament play tonight. Kesler is at the very least a one-off here as he skates on the top power play line and has 21 goals and 33 assists to his credit so far this season. Corey Perry is also a one-off here as he skates on the team’s third line. I’m not sure why Perry was demoted to the third line but it seems to be working as he has responded with four goals in his last seven games. Defensively Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen are the usual choices on the blue line. Fowler has been the most productive with 37 points so far this season. Hampus Lindholm has the hot hand however as he has snagged five of his 19 points over the last two weeks. Look for this to be an entertaining game with both teams scoring a few goals in this one.
Edmonton has matured before our very eyes this season as the oilers are now just one point away from taking the Pacific Division lead from the Anaheim Ducks. Both teams have played well down the stretch but Edmonton is on fire of late as they have won eight of their last 10 games. Connor McDaid and Leon Draisaitl should see a lot of ownership in cash game play tonight as they lead the team with a combined 55 goals and 108 assists so far this season. Of course McDavid owns 91 of those points but 72 points is nothing to sneeze at either, especially when they also skate on the team’s top power play unit. Patrick Maroon joins the two superstars on the top line and can provide some salary relief if you opt to go with a pairing instead of a full line stack. The second line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic could be used in deeper tournaments here as they all have notched at least 39 points apiece so far this season. Lucic and fourth liner Mark Letstu join McDavid and Draisaitl on the team’s top power play unit and can be used here for some salary relief to help you get some of the more high priced players onto your roster tonight. Defenseman Oscar Klefbom has been getting the lion’s share of the power play time from the back line but it has been Andrej Sekera who has had the hot hand. Sekera has found the score sheet five times over the last seven games which now has him at 35 points on the season. Edmonton faces a nice pre-playoff test here and should be a decent game to watch as well.
Elite Plays
ANA: Ryan Getzlaf
EDM: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl
Secondary Plays
ANA: Rickard Rakell, Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry, Patrick Eaves, Cam Fowler
EDM: Patrick Maroon, Milan Lucic, Jordan Eberle, Oscar Klefbom