NHL Grind Down: Saturday, December 3rd
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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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Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers
| Carolina Hurricanes | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 | Cam Ward |  | Henrik Lundqvist | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 9-9-5 | 16-8-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.35 | 2.57 | 20.60% | 90.30% | Team Stats | 3.64 | 2.48 | 23.30% | 84.40% |
The Hurricanes were dealt a blow the other night when Jordan Staal sustained a concussion and has been listed as out indefinitely. This no doubt will start a chain of line changes especially now that Elias Lindholm may not play tonight as he is nursing a lower–body injury and did not practice yesterday. One would have to think that Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask will stay on the top line while Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho and Lee Stempniak will get the second line duties. It’s anyone’s guess as to who will fill Lindholm’s spot if he can’t go but my guess would be Phil Di Giuseppe will be in the mix somehow. Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin are the choices on the back line but the problem with this is that neither of them has eclipsed the double digit mark in scoring so far this season. They have both had plenty of opportunites so maybe the best bet is to lay off the injured Hurricanes tonight. At the most you could use Skinner as a one-off somewhere as he is two points shy of being a point-per-game player through 22 games this year.
After beating this same Carolina team on this same ice surface on Tuesday night the Rangers look to make it two wins in a row on home ice tonight. If you remember the Rangers went four games in a row without a victory at Madison Square Garden and now look to make it two in a row. J.T. Miller did not practice yesterday but by all accounts if looks like it was a maintenance day as he should be back on the third line with Michael Grabner and Brandon Pirri. The line of Rick Nash, Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Hayes has been the hot line of late with Nash snaring three goals and an assist over the past five games. Those four points have him just two points behind Miller and Hayes for the team lead in scoring. Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello comprise yet another line that can score for the Blueshirts as they all have at least 14 points so far this season. Ryan McDonagh is the choice from the back line as he quarterbacks the team’s top power play unit and has potted one goal to go along with 14 assists in 25 games. I’ve said before that the Rangers have a lot of scoring depth so maybe taking them as a one-off or a full line stack in a GPP is the way to go tonight.
Elite Plays
CAR: Jeff Skinner
NYR: None
Secondary Plays
CAR: Victor Rask, Justin Faulk
NYR: Rick Nash, Jimmy Hayes, Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Brandon Pirri
Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres
| Boston Bruins | Buffalo Sabres | ||||||||
 | Tuukka Rask |  | Robin Lehner | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 13-10-1 | 9-9-5 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.29 | 2.21 | 14.70% | 85.40% | Team Stats | 2.04 | 2.48 | 23.40% | 76.60% |
Boston has been in a mild slump of late as they have only two wins in their last six games. They were able to beat Carolina on Thursday night by a score 2-1. Anton Khudobin was able to stop 29 of 30 Hurricane shots and two of three breakaway shots for the shootout win. The Bruins are yet another team that seems to be not scoring too many goals of late as their 11 in six games needs to be improved. Unfortunately they run into a Buffalo team that has won both of their games since the return of Jack Eichel. The top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak have just four goals in the last six games and could be a line to stay away from on the road tonight. Yes, you could use Pastrnak as a one-off here but with 11 other games on the slate today, you could probably do better. The second line that features David Backes and David Krejci should be the duo to target for tournament play as they not only have been shooting the puck of late they also have a combined six points over the last five games. Speaking of six points in the last five games, that’s the number that defenseman Torey Krug has accumulated with a goal and five assists on 19 shots. Krug only had five points in the first 19 games so playing him here as a one-off probably isn’t a bad idea.
As mentioned above Buffalo looks like a totally different team with Jack Eichel in the lineup. Buffalo has scored a combined nine goals in their last two games against Ottawa and the Rangers which have resulted in four points for them in the standings. Eichel had a hand in four of those goals. It also didn’t take long for head coach Dan Bylsma to yank Mark Carrier off of the top line and replace him with Matt Moulson to skate along with Kyle Okposo and Ryan O’Reilly. The second line featured Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Evander Kane. That would give the Sabres two lines that can score as Eichel seems to be one of those players that can make players around him better rather than just scoring while his line mates become dead weight. But no, let’s mess up the lines and put Derek Grant with Eichel and Reinhart, Zemgus Girgensons with O’Reilly and Okposo and Carrier with Kane and Moulson. These are the lines they practiced with yesterday but I can’t believe Bylsma will stick with them through the whole game. Rasmus Ristolainen has also benefitted from this as he has tallied four more power play assists over the last five games. This gives him ten on the season while all of his 12 points have come via helping others score in the team’s first 23 games.
Elite Plays
BOS: David Pastrnak
BUF: Jack Eichel
Secondary Plays
BOS: David Krejci, Torey Krug, David Backes, Patrice Bergeron
BUF: Sam Reinhart, Ryan O’Reilly, Kyle Okposo, Rasmus Ristolainen
Chicago Blackhawks at Philadelphia Flyers
| Chicago Blackhawks | Philadelphia Flyers | ||||||||
 | Corey Crawford |  | Steve Mason | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 16-6-3 | 12-10-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.80 | 2.48 | 16.50% | 70.10% | Team Stats | 3.08 | 3.20 | 23.60% | 80.00% |
If the Blackhawks are going to steal one here at the Wells Fargo Center they will have to do it without their captain in Jonathan Toews as he is battling an injury. Toews has said that if it were the playoffs he’d be in there but there is no sense in pushing it when he can just heal up. Seven of the last Chicago games have been decided by one goal and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one went to overtime as well. The Hawks will look to Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisinov to the damage from both the top even strength line and the top power play unit. After all they are 1-2-3 on the Hawks scoring chart and each has at least 21 points in the first 25 games. With Sean Couturier sidelined for a few weeks for Philadelphia, this line should be ok to use for cash game stacks this afternoon. Of course you can use them as one-offs or anyway you’d like actually as they should have ample opportunities to score. The second line of Ryan Hartman, Vinnie Hinostroza and Marian Hossa make for decent GPP play her the Flyers have given up 14 goals in the last five games and 82 in the 25 games they have played. Duncan Keith is the obvious play on the back line but taking a look at Brent Seabrook may not be a bad idea, especially if you want to deviate from the crowd for the early slate on FanDuel. Seabrook has four assists over the last five games.
Here’s another coach trying to connect with his team. Head coach Dave Hakstol had an optional practice yesterday as the team now has racked up three wins in a row. Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek is the chalk here as they are the keystone of the team’s top power play unit while leading the team along with second-liner Wayne Simmonds with 22 points apiece in 25 games. Michael Raffl is about as useless as anyone else the Flyers have put on the top line as Giroux just does not make the players around him better. Simmonds makes for a great one-off here as Brayden Schenn and Travis Konecny join him on the team’s second line. Shayne Gostisbehere is the play on the back line as he gets the majority of the minutes while the Flyers have the man advantage but Michael Del Zotto is the flavor of the week as he has grabbed three points over the last five games. The Flyers should be able to score a few here as well as give a couple up, so playing either side isn’t a bad option.
Elite Plays
CHI: Patrick Kane
PHL: Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek
Secondary Plays
CHI: Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa
PHL: Wayne Simmonds, Shayne Gostisbehere, Brayden Schenn
New Jersey Devils at Nashville Predators
| New Jersey Devils | Nashville Predators | ||||||||
 | Cory Schneider |  | Pekka Rinne | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 10-7-6 | 11-8-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.43 | 2.65 | 14.70% | 85.10% | Team Stats | 2.95 | 2.50 | 23.20% | 85.30% |
The Devils had a quick practice yesterday to prepare for their afternoon tilt against the Nashville Predators this afternoon. Taylor Hall made his return last game and only mustered two shots on goal as New Jersey lost to the Blackhawks in overtime by a score of 4-3 on Thursday night. The loss marked their fourth straight loss although they did salvage a few points by three of them going into overtime. On an up note the Devils have scored 17 goals over the last five games and that’s a big improvement over the 41 goals they scored in their first 18 games. One has to believe that Nashville will try to shut down the line of Mike Cammalleri, Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri and leave Hall, Adam Henrique and P.A. Parenteau with a little more room on the ice tonight. I like the pairing of Hall and Henrique here as they join Cammalleri and Palmieri to form 80% of the team’s top power play unit. Add defenseman Damon Severson to the mix and you have a unit that could do some damage with the man advantage tonight. Scoring four goals in the last five games is not the problem the New Jersey power play will have tonight but more what the Predators have been doing while a man down. Nashville has taken just 14 penalties in the last six games and has killed them all so maybe sticking to the line pairs is the play here this afternoon.
The Predators have their work cut out for them as they have lost James Neal to an upper-body injury. The team leader in goals is listed as week-to-week which leaves the Predators scrambling to put together a true scoring line. Filip Forsberg has joined Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson on the top line with Johansen being a very good one-off play here as he has racked up seven of his team leading 16 points over the last five games. I am also not opposed to using the full line as a tournament play as the Devils have given up 20 goals in the last five games. The second line of Kevin Fiala, Mike Ribeiro and Crag Smith are probably not in play here as third liners Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson have been a bit more productive as they play on the team’s second line power play unit. Nashville is another team that uses both power play lines evenly which has benefitted Fisher who has collected two of his last five points with the man advantage. Roman Josi has five assists over the last five games from the point but we can’t rule out using P.K. Subban as he has five goals and ten assists on the season.
Elite Plays
NJ: None
NSH: Ryan Johansen
Secondary Plays
NJ: Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Mike Cammalleri, Travis Zajac
NSH: Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Mike Fisher
Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning
| Washington Capitals | Tampa Bay Lightning | ||||||||
 | Braden Holtby |  | Ben Bishop | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 13-7-2 | 13-11-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.59 | 2.27 | 14.30% | 83.10% | Team Stats | 2.96 | 2.76 | 23.90% | 81.30% |
After firing 38 shots on Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak and coming up with a donut, the Capitals have decided to go back to a power play that has worked best for them in the past. Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson will not only skate on the top line at even strength but will no doubt get the majority of ice time on the power play as well. John Carlson and Matt Niskanen should man the points and there really isn’t a preference as both have about the same production so let price dictate who you select here. The second line of Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andre Burakovsky and rookie Jakub Vrana should only be used as a deeper GPP play. Ovechkin and company were left off the scoresheet against the Islanders but you can bet that probably won’t be the case tonight especially since Tampa has surrendered five goals after they took a penalty 11 times over the last four games. As usual Ovechkin leads the team with five points and 15 shots over the last four games and will having Backstrom feeding him the puck all night long.
So we know that the Lightning can beat the Flyers without Steven Stamkos but the question is, can they beat anyone else? Their 0-5 record against the five other teams they have played would suggest that they can’t but they did score four goals in St Louis Thursday night which could be a step in the right direction. A lot of folks have been complaining lately of about not only the makeup of the lines, but who has been scratched and who hasn’t over the last few games. This will always happen especially when you have a team that has not been playing up to expectations. The only good thing out of all this has been the play on the reunited ‘triplet line’ as Ondrej Palat, Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson have scored five of the last 13 goals that Tampa has scored in the last five games. Anton Stralman returned from injury on the back line but the choice here is still Victor Hedman as he anchors the top power play unit while grabbing two goals and two assists over the last five games. Tampa switched up the lines last game and they seem to have found something with Cedric Paquette, Jonathan Drouin and Joel Vermin as they had two full line goals in St Louis the other night. If you like chasing points then that is the GPP line for you.
Elite Plays
WSH: Alexander Ovechkin
TB: Nikita Kucherov
Secondary Plays
WSH: Nicklas Backstrom, Marcus Johansson, John Carlson, Matt Niskanen
TB: Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Victor Hedman