NHL Grind Down: Saturday, April 8th
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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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Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Philadelphia Flyers | ||||||||
 | Sergei Bobrovsky |  | Steve Mason | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 49-23-8 | 38-33-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.03 | 2.34 | 19.80% | 82.40% | Team Stats | 2.56 | 2.83 | 19.40% | 80.20% |
Before we get into the nitty gritty of this huge 14-game slate, you must realize that there has been a lot of players resting over the past week, and that will continue over the next two days. I have been scouring the beat writers’ Twitter feeds to stay on top of all of the possible changes, but with a 10 a.m. deadline to meet, I do not have the benefit of seeing what happens in today’s morning skates. This is true on any weekend, but this is not any regular weekend, as there are lot of dinged-up players that teams may want to sit out a game or two. We already saw it with Jonathan Toews, Mats Zuccarello, and Erik Karlsson, so there’s no reason to think we won’t see more of it this weekend.
With Oliver Bjorkstrand back in the mix, the Blue Jackets have decided to put him on the third line, with Scott Hartnell and Boone Jenner. This also gives their top lines a different look, as Cam Atkinson finds himself skating on a line with Nick Foligno and Brandon Dubinsky, while Brandon Saad and Alexander Wennberg get Sam Gagner as a line mate. Columbus is securely in the playoffs, so it will be interesting to see if the team continues to shuffle up the lines. They very well may tonight, especially when you consider that they lost to Winnipeg on Thursday night. That was their fifth loss in a row, which leaves the team scurrying to get back on track before the playoffs start next week. Having just nine goals in the last five games doesn’t bode well for a team traveling to Philadelphia today. Cam Atkinson leads the team with 61 points but has registered one point over the last nine games. Meanwhile Alexander Wennberg, Brandon Saad and Sam Gagner has led the team with four points apiece over the last two weeks. Zachary Werenski will more than likely sit out the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, so look to Seth Jones if you want to roster a Blue Jacket defenseman in this spot tonight. Columbus is reeling and needs to get back on track, which may be a bit tough against the Flyers tonight.
The Flyers are starting to call up some of their younger players now that they are out of the playoffs. It looks like Travis Konecny will stick on the top line and skate with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek while Jordan Weal draws back in on the second line with Wayne Simmonds and Valtteri Filppula. Weal had grabbed four goals and two assists in the last six games he suited up for before watching the Flyers last game from the press box. While the top line looks like the chalk tonight we can’t forget about Brayden Schenn, who has dropped to the third line but will still skate on the top power play unit. Schenn has registered 28 of his 54 points with the extra attacker despite being used on the top three lines throughout the season. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere continues to break out of his season-long slump, and he leads the team with seven points over the last two weeks. Look for the Flyers to play a tough game here against the slumping yet playoff-bound Blue Jackets.
Elite Plays
CBJ: Alexander Wennberg
PHL: Jakub Voracek
Secondary Plays
CBJ: Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Brandon Saad, Seth Jones, Sam Gagner
PHL: Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, Shayne Gostisbehere, Jordan Weal
New York Rangers at Ottawa Senators
| New York Rangers | Ottawa Senators | ||||||||
 | Henrik Lundqvist |  | Mike Condon | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 47-27-6 | 43-27-10 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.11 | 2.64 | 20.00% | 79.50% | Team Stats | 2.55 | 2.59 | 17.40% | 79.50% |
Although the Rangers had their five players that rested back on the ice for yesterday’s practice, I’d still be wary of that late scratch. This will happen frequently this time of year, with most teams wanting at least one of their last three games to serve as a “resting of game” of sorts. The Rangers already know that they will play Montreal in the first round of the playoffs, so now their job is to stay sharp and not get hurt. Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan should be joined by the rested Mats Zuccarello on the top line, while Rick Nash should go back to the second line and skate with Mika Zibanejad. Zuccarello leads the team with 59 points and has posted six points over the last six games (which also leads the team), despite appearing in just five of those games. Kreider has the honor of scoring the most goals this season, as he has lit the lamp 28 times so far this season. Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skjei were back skating on the points in practice yesterday, with the safer bet here being McDonagh. He receives a lot of the extra power play time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Skjei didn’t play tonight, as he was nursing an injury. New York has another game against Pittsburgh tomorrow, which they could use as their dry-run game for the playoffs.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson missed Thursday night’s game with what was called a lower-body injury, which means there is a very strong possibility of him not suiting up tonight. Ottawa has secured their playoff spot, so now it’s just a matter of holding onto second place, which would allow them to secure the home ice advantage in the first round. Mike Hoffman was back skating with Tom Pyatt last game, which makes him a decent one-off play here tonight, as he gets plenty of ice time when Ottawa has the extra attacker. Hoffman leads the team with six points over the last seven games, but more importantly, he has grabbed 16 of his 60 points on the power play. Derick Brassard was joined by Viktor Stalberg and Alexandre Burrows, while the other scoring line has Kyle Turris in the middle of Ryan Dzingel and Mark Stone. Without Karlsson, both Dion Phaneuf and Chris Wideman saw time on the power play from the back line last game. The Senators need a win here to stay ahead of Boston for second place in the Atlantic Division, as their one-point lead could vanish in a second.
Elite Plays
NYR: Mats Zuccarello
OTT: None
Secondary Plays
NYR: Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh, Mika Zibanejad
OTT: Mike Hoffman, Kyle Turris, Derick Brassard
Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins
| Washington Capitals | Boston Bruins | ||||||||
 | Braden Holtby |  | Tuuka Rask | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 54-18-8 | 44-30-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.22 | 2.18 | 23.60% | 84.00% | Team Stats | 2.85 | 2.56 | 21.90% | 85.40% |
There’s really no reason for the Capitals to play this one straight up, as they have clinched home ice advantage throughout the playoffs and are simply the best team in the league this year. As we have seen already, a lot of teams are resting their stud players for the playoff run, and this is a game that could see some of that tonight. Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and T.J. Oshie serve as the team’s top line and top power play unit. Backstrom’s 83 points leads the team, while Ovechkin’s 33 goals is tops on the team. Marcus Johansson has grabbed 10 points over the last seven games, and six of those points has come by virtue of skating with the top line on the power play. This is what happens when you have exposure to top-line talent such as the Capitals’. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams skate with Johansson at even strength and make for a decent tournament play here on the road. Kevin Shattenkirk is the play from the back line, as he has mans the point on a power-play unit that has scored nine goals over the last six games.
Brad Marchand will sit out another game while serving his two-game suspension for his spearing incident against Tampa bay two games ago. Instead of breaking up all of their lines, the Bruins have opted to shift Frank Vatrano to the top line to skate with Patrice Bergeron and David Backes. This leaves the second line of David Pastrnak, David Krejci, and Drew Stafford intact for tonight’s game. Pastrnak would seem to be the one-off play here, as he skates with the top power play unit while collecting 70 points so far this season. He also leads the team with six points in the last seven games, which has helped Boston clinch one of the last playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. I’d be very surprised to see defenseman Torey Krug back in tonight’s lineup after being knocked out of the last game with a lower body injury. John-Michael Liles has resurfaced and saw the majority of the power play time the other night after Krug was knocked out of the game. I wouldn’t think that he would be a smart play here, and with so many other games on tap, it’s probably best to look elsewhere for your defensive selections tonight.
Elite Plays
WSH: Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Ovechkin
BOS: David Pastrnak
Secondary Plays
WSH: T.J. Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk, Marcus Johansson
BOS: Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, David Backes, Frank Vatrano
New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils
| New York Islanders | New Jersey Devils | ||||||||
 | Thomas Greiss |  | Cory Schneider | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 39-29-12 | 28-38-14 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.86 | 2.91 | 14.80% | 81.40% | Team Stats | 2.21 | 2.91 | 17.90% | 79.80% |
The schedule makers were hoping that this game would have some relevance but to no avail. That’s not totally true, as the Islanders are still mathematically in the playoff race but would need to win both of their games in regulation while Toronto would have to lose both of their games in regulation. New York’s 90 points is tied for ninth place with the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they need a lot of luck to get into this season’s end of the season tournament. Defenseman Nick Leddy was spotted on a line with Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson while Anthony Beauvillier, Anders Lee, and Josh Ho-Sang skated as the top line. If New York continues to use Leddy up front he is no doubt in consideration for your lineup tonight. Getting a d-man on your roster who will get forward opportunities is like hitting the lottery. Lee and Bailey lead the team with five points each over the last eight games. The injured John Tavares will more than likely be the team leader in points, as his 66 points leads Bailey by 12 with just two games left. New York is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and should come out swinging here in Jersey tonight.
The Devils were able to beat the Flyers on Tuesday night, but other than that, they have looked like a team that would end up in last place in the Metropolitan Division. The Devils had scored just nine goals in their seven previous games before they decided to shuffle up their lines. It seemed to have worked somewhat on the offensive side but still lost to the Penguins by a score of 7-4 on Thursday night. Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac saw Adam Henrique on their line while Taylor Hall was shifted to skate with Pavel Zacha and Mike Cammalleri. Hall and Palmieri lead the team with 53 points so using Hall and one of his line mates may pay off here. Zacha has tallied 24 points so far this season, and a lot of those have been when he was playing out of the top six. Although he didn’t find the scoresheet last game, it’s only a matter of time while playing next to a talent like Hall. Andy Greene, Damon Severson, and John Moore are the choices on the back line, but if you are looking here for defensemen, you are probably doing it wrong when there are so many other better options tonight.
Elite Plays
NYI: None
NYJ: Taylor Hall
Secondary Plays
NYI: Josh Ho-Sang, Nick Leddy, Anders Lee, Josh Bailey
NJ: Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Mike Cammalleri
Chicago Blackhawks at Los Angeles Kings
| Chicago Blackhawks | Los Angeles Kings | ||||||||
 | Corey Crawford |  | Ben Bishop | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 50-23-8 | 38-35-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.96 | 2.57 | 18.30% | 78.00% | Team Stats | 2.44 | 2.43 | 18.70% | 84.50% |
The Blackhawks have wrapped up home ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs, which is why they rested Jonathan Toews last game and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few others sat out tonight. All indications have Toews back in the lineup tonight and will probably go back with Richard Panik on the team’s second line. Patrick Kane, Artemi Panrin and Tanner Kero skate on the top line and if someone is going to be rested, the best bet is that it comes from this line. Both Kane and Panarin have grabbed seven points in the last seven games to lead the team while their combined 161 points is tops on the team, as well. Duncan Keith has sat out the last two games because of rest, but some are speculating that he has a minor injury that he may be resting. Brent Seabrook or Michal Rozsival would make for a punt play if Keith sits for a third straight game. The Hawks have nothing to play for and may just play like it tonight.
The Kings have been trying a few different things of late, as they are one of the teams trying to figure out what went wrong this season. Anze Kopitar was centering Tanner Pearson and Jarome Iginla last game while Jeff carter centered Adrian Kempe and Jonny Brodzinski. Tyler Toffoli has dropped to the fourth line, so Carter and Kopitar look like the one-off plays here tonight. Carter leads the team with 32 goals and 63 points, while Kopitar’s 37 assists are tops on the team. Drew Doughty is the defenseman of choice here, as he leads the Kings back line group with 42 points this season. If you look at the Kings last five games, you can see that they are one of the teams who still comes to play every night. They have beaten Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver over their last five games and could be able to score some goals tonight against a Chicago team that wants make it through the next two games without injury.
Elite Plays
CHI: Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin
LAK: Jeff Carter
Secondary Plays
CHI: Jonathan Toews, Richard Panik
LAK: Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Tanner Pearson