NHL Grind Down: Saturday, December 26th
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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New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes – 07:00 PM EST
| New Jersey Devils | Carolina Hurricanes | ||||||||
 | Cory Schneider |  | Cam Ward | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 17-13-5 | 13-16-5 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.31 | 2.37 | 20.20% | 81.90% | Team Stats | 2.35 | 2.94 | 17.90% | 76.80% |
The Eastern conference is starting to tighten up a bit and the Devils find themselves smack dab in the middle of the playoff race. If the playoffs were to start today New Jersey would be on the outside looking in, as it is they are just a mere four points away from jumping over no less than five teams and possibly hosting a quarterfinal series. Let’s not jump ahead of ourselves as the task at hand is to defeat a Carolina team that is tied for 14th in the conference with 31 points. New Jersey comes in scoring just seven goals in their last six games with team scoring leader Mike Cammalleri netting just one goal to go along with an assist in his last eight games. Line mate Lee Stempniak is probably the play here as he works on the top line with Cammalleri and has scored two goals and an assist in the last five games. With the Devils not scoring much of late it’s hard to trust them in anything but a GPP, especially on the road.
Carolina is another team that is on the outside looking in as their 31 points is dangerously close to being the worst in the league. Although they haven’t been scoring much of late they have scored a few goals on the power play as evidence by the ten they have scored in their last 29 tries. It just so happens that the Devils have given up three in their last nine tries so if Carolina gets a few power plays they are almost destined to score. Eric Staal, Elias Lindholm and defenseman Justin Faulk are the ones to take here as they anchor the top power play unit. Faulk has four goals and five assists in his last eight games as Staal and Lindholm have just picked up one point between them in their last four games. Staal is at least shooting the puck as he has had at least three shots in seven of his last eight games. Much like the Devils, it’s tough to rely on a team that has scored only six goals in their last four games. With some better matchups on tonight’s slate it looks like Carolina is a GPP play as well.
Elite Plays
NJ: Mike Cammalleri
Car: None
Secondary Plays
NJ: Adam Henrique, Lee Stempniak, John Moore
CAR: Justin Faulk, Eric Staal, Elias Lindholm, Victor Rask, Noah Hanifin
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins – 07:00 PM EST
| Buffalo Sabres | Boston Bruins | ||||||||
 | Robin Lehner |  | Tuukka Rask | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 14-16-4 | 19-10-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.29 | 2.53 | 20.90% | 77.40% | Team Stats | 3.09 | 2.55 | 28.90% | 81.30% |
With the holiday break winding down it’s time for the teams to get back on the ice. Buffalo has been one of the more pleasant surprises of the season as they are markedly better through the first 34 games. The problem is that they were so bad last year the improvement they have made still wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs had the season ended today. After a two game scoring drought Ryan O’Reilly got back on the scoresheet by scoring a goal against Chicago in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks last Saturday night. While Boston will try to shut down the first line I would look to the second that features Tyler Ennis and Evander Kane for your GPP plays tonight. Kane is starting to shoot the puck more and has tallied a goal and an assist in his last two games while Ennis is just one game back from an injury but does get top power play minutes. Boston has killed 18 penalties off in a row so while there may be opportunity, production could be a whole other story. Rasmus Ristolainen is the choice on defense as you have to go back more than 21 games to find a game where he has had negative points on all plus/minus sites. The Bruins have only let up 12 goals in regulation over the last nine games, so if could be rough sledding for the visiting Sabres tonight.
Thanks to their 6-2-2 record in their last ten games, the Boston Bruins have climbed to within just two points of the division leading Montreal Canadiens. It doesn’t hurt that the Canadiens are in total free-fall mode as they are 1-9 in their last ten games, but as with any sport, this is why we play the games. The Bruins have had a tough time scoring goals the last few games so we are going to have to rely on what we know to get us through this one. Patrice Bergeron saw his six game scoring streak fall by the wayside in the Bruins last two games, but he does lead the team in scoring and plays on the top power play unit that has scored two times in their last nine chances. David Krejci and Loui Eriksson make a decent pair tonight as they not only skate top line but are together on the top power play unit as well. Krejci has four assists in his last five games while Eriksson has two goals in his last three games. Torey Krug is still the top selection on defense despite his current four game non-scoring streak. He has however put 18 shots on net in those four games, so it’s only a matter of time.
Elite Plays
BUF: None
BOS: None
Secondary Plays
BUF: Rasmus Ristolainen, Ryan O’Reilly, Sam Reinhart, Evander Kane, Tyler Ennis
BOS: David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson, Torey Krug
Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals – 07:00 PM EST
| Montreal Canadiens | Washington Capitals | ||||||||
 | Carey Price |  | Braden Holtby | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 25-6-2 | |||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.89 | 2.44 | 19.50% | 84.90% | Team Stats | 3.12 | 2.15 | 25.70% | 84.40% |
Montreal has hit the skids in recent weeks thanks to their 1-9 record in their last ten games. Their 43 points is still good for first place in the Atlantic conference but now have no less than four teams within three points of them in the standings. A lot of this can be blamed for their lack of scoring as they have only scored 19 goals in regulation over the last 12 games. With all of this lack of scoring it is tough to trust anyone from the Montreal side in your cash games tonight. GPPs are another story however and I would look to the second line that features Alex Galchenyuk and Daniel Carr. Both players have two points in their last three games, which is no small feat on a team that isn’t scoring many goals. P.K. Subban has three assists in his last five games and would be the defensive choice if you are selecting Montreal players. Max Pacioretty has been stone cold of late as he has tallied just one goal to go along with an assist in his last ten games. Washington has only given up 71 goals so far this season which is tops in the league making the Canadiens a GPP play at best.
Washington has won 13 of their last 15 games and has shown no signs of letting up anytime soon. Their defense is the best in the league and their offense has been solid to say the least as their 105 goals are tied for second most in the league. The top line of Alexander Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom also pulls double duty as they serve as the team’s top power play unit. The Capitals have scored five times in their last 15 chances with the man advantage while Montreal has only killed ten penalties in the last 14 times they have been short-handed. You can mix and match any of the top three as they have accounted for ten goals and 15 assists in the last 14 games but you can’t discount defenseman John Carlson as he has a six game point streak going into tonight’s game. If you want to stray from the pack in your GPPs tonight the second line of Marcus Johansson, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams will do the trick as they have five goals to go with four assists in their last three games.
Elite Plays
MTL: None
WSH: Alexander Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie, John Carlson
Secondary Plays
MTL: Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk, Dale Weise, P.K. Subban
WSH: Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Justin Williams, Marcus Johansson
Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning – 07:00 PM EST
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Tampa Bay Lightning | ||||||||
 | Sergei Bobrovsky |  | Ben Bishop | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 13-20-3 | 17-15-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.42 | 3.08 | 17.90% | 81.00% | Team Stats | 2.46 | 2.29 | 16.80% | 77.30% |
Columbus is in a world of hurt coming out of the Christmas break as they are the worst team in the league with only 29 points to show for their efforts through their first 36 games. It doesn’t help when your starting goalie gets hurt but it seems that head coach John Tortorella is hell bent on losing any control he has left of this team. The top line of Scott Hartnell, Brandon Saad and Alexander Wennberg has tallied for five goals and nine assists in their last five games and seems to be a good starting point if you like the Jackets tonight. Wennberg and Hartnell skate on the top power play so it would make sense to keep them together with all of the ice time they share together. Ryan Murray plays the point on the power play and has scored a goal in his last three games while Jack Johnson sees the same amount of ice time but has scored a point in the last five games. Ryan Johansen has been in the doghouse of late and has been demoted to the third line but remains on the team’s top power play unit.
Nikita Kucherov has been in on nine of the Lightning’s last 20 goals over the last seven games. Kucherov skates with Steven Stamkos and Vladislav Namestnikov on both the top line and top power play unit making this a good place to start as Columbus has given up six power play goals in their last six games. Stamkos has netted three goals in his last three games while Namestnikov has two goals to go along with two assists in the last four games he has played in. Anton Stralman mans the point on the power play and has a goal and two assists in the last four games. Jonathan Marchessault skates third line but is making the most of his opportunity on the top power play as he has a five game scoring streak going into this one with three goals and two assists over that time frame. Look for these guys to be highly owned in your cash games across the industry tonight.
Elite Plays
CBJ: None
TB: Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos
Secondary Plays
CBJ: Scott Hartnell, Alexander Wennberg, Brandon Saad, Ryan Johansen, Ryan Murray
TB: Jonathan Marchessault, Vladislav Namestnikov, Anton Stralman
Pittsburgh Penguins at Minnesota Wild – 08:00 PM EST
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Minnesota Wild | ||||||||
 | Marc-Andre Fleury |  | Devan Dubnyk | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 16-14-3 | 18-9-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.27 | 2.48 | 16.10% | 82.50% | Team Stats | 2.76 | 2.42 | 20.40% | 77.50% |
Head coach Mike Sullivan has indicated that starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is listed as day-to-day, but sources close to the team say it could be a lot longer than that. This can only spell disaster in Pittsburgh as neither Jeff Zatkoff nor Matt Murray is capable of keeping the Penguins afloat. Pittsburgh is 1-3 since the injury with their only win coming on home ice against the floundering Columbus Blue Jackets, yet another team without their stud goalie. Kris Letang is skating but appears to be at least a week away from returning and now superstar Sidney Crosby has a lower back injury, which kept him out of the game against Columbus. With Crosby out the Penguins had to shuffle up the lines a bit. The line of Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist and Conor Sheary pulled double duty as not only were they the first line, they skated top power play minutes as well with Phil Kessel and Trevor Daley manning the points. Malkin is the easy choice here as he has five goals in his last five games but you are going to have to dig a bit deeper to find guys to pair him up with. Conor Sheary has a goal and assist in his first four games in the league but has been pointless in the last two. Hornqvist gets another shot with the Crosby injury as he has been mired on the third line in recent weeks which is why he only has two goals and an assist in his last 12 games. Phil Kessel could be a decent play here as he has scored seven of his 11 goals on the road. Newly acquired Trevor Daley has pointed in his last three games and should be considered in play as he plays the point on the top power play unit.
The Minnesota Wild have to work a bit harder at drawing penalties as they have had the man advantage only twice in the last three games without a goal. In the two games previous they were able to draw eight penalties and connect on five of them. This is what happens when you have a healthy Zach Parise, everything seems to flow much better. Parise had four goals and six assists in six games before being shut out against both Dallas and Montreal. Look for Parise to bounce back tonight in a big way as neither Pittsburgh goalie is good enough to stop a player with as much talent as he has. Jason Pominville got back on track with a goal last game and should be considered right along with Parise as the duo skates on the top line as well as the team’s top power play unit. Mikko Koivu and Thomas Vanek are also in play here as they skate together on the second line but log minutes on the top power play unit. Ryan Suter rounds out the power play unit at the point but if you want a little salary relief maybe Jared Spurgeon is the play here as he has a goal in his last two games and gets two to three shots per game. Mikael Granlund is also in play as he centers the top line with Parise and has collected three assists in his last four games.
Elite Plays
PIT: Evgeni Malkin
MIN: Zach Parise
Secondary Plays
PIT: Trevor Daley, Patric Hornqvist, David Perron, Phil Kessel
MIN: Jason Pominville, Ryan Suter, Mikko Koivu, Thomas Vanek, Mikael Granlund