NHL Grind Down: Saturday, February 18th - Page Two
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Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs
| Ottawa Senators | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||||||||
 | Mike Condon |  | Frederik Andersen | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 30-19-6 | 26-19-11 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.62 | 2.64 | 16.80% | 83.90% | Team Stats | 3.09 | 2.88 | 23.20% | 83.40% |
Ottawa has been the surprise team of the league, as they are closing in on first place in the Atlantic Division. Their 3-0 shutout win at New Jersey on Thursday night was impressive, but now they get to face a faster team in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Derick Brassard, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel will skate on the first line, while Mike Hoffman, Kyle Turris and Zack Smith will skate on the second line. It will be up to Toronto as to which line they want try to shut down, so maybe sticking with the players on the top power play unit is the way to go here. Stone leads the team with 20 goals, while Brassard has registered 28 points this season. That’s not a ringing endorsement by any means, so maybe we need to look on the other scoring line. Hoffman and Turris join Stone and Brassard when the Senators have the man advantage. Both players each have recorded 38 points so far this season, which makes them the better duo to play tonight. Bobby Ryan has been dropped to the third line and can be used as a one-off here, as he has five points over the last eight games. Defenseman Erik Karlsson is the play from the back line, as he leads the team with 38 assists and 47 points. With fellow defenseman Dion Phaneuf being dropped to the second power play unit in favor of the fourth forward, 16 of Karlsson’s points have come with the man advantage. Ottawa should be able to keep up with Toronto, which should make this an interesting game.
I read somewhere that the Toronto Maple Leafs have over 200 points that have been scored by their talented rookie crop. This type of youth and speed has the team in the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference while putting up 174 goals so far this season. Auston Matthews leads the team with 27 goals while centering Zach Hyman and William Nylander. It appears that Mitchell Marner will be out for this game thanks to an injury that has been termed “not serious.” His spot will be taken by Connor Brown, who will skate with James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. This is a golden opportunity for Brown, as he has not had a decent line mate since skating with Matthews earlier in the season. Toronto has three lines that can score, which is why Nazem Kadri and Josh Leivo make for a decent pairing tonight. Kadri leads the team with 10 power play goals while Leivo, who has joined the team four games ago, has racked up five points skating next to the talented center. Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev are the choices from the back line and each make for a decent play here. Zaitsev has turned it on of late as he has passed Gardiner in points by a tally of 26-25. Look for Toronto to score a few goals tonight as they try to improve on their 14-9-4 record in front of the home crowd.
Elite Plays
OTT: Erik Karlsson
TOR: Auston Matthews
Secondary Plays
OTT: Mark Stone, Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman, Derick Brassard
TOR: Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Nikita Zaitsev
Nashville Predators at Minnesota Wild
| Nashville Predators | Minnesota Wild | ||||||||
 | Pekka Rinne |  | Devan Dubnyk | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 27-21-8 | 38-13-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.79 | 2.64 | 19.00% | 82.00% | Team Stats | 3.28 | 2.26 | 21.80% | 82.70% |
Nashville can begin to solidify a playoff spot with a couple of wins as their 62 points has them in fourth place in the Central Division. Los Angeles is just two points away from a playoff spot with 60 points, so coming down the stretch, it’s going to get tight. Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and Viktor Arvidsson would be considered cash game plays on almost any other night, as they are the team’s top three scorers. The problem arises when you realize that they are facing one of the best defensive teams in the league, who are 20-7-1 in front of their home crowd. This does not mean that that group won’t grab a goal or two but the chances are drastically reduced tonight. Mike Fisher has been languishing on a line with Pontus Aberg and Craig Smith, as he continues to find the score sheet without his line mates more often than not. If you are going to consider anyone for a cash game play, you probably need to take a look at James Neal, as he skates with Colin Wilson on the team’s third. Neal gets to skate on the top power play unit and has always been a shoot-first, ask-questions-later type of player. This is evident as his 17 goals is second on the team, while firing 148 shots on goal in the 47 games he’s played in. Roman Josi is the choice from the back line as he has registered six of his 28 points over the last five games since returning from injury. P.K. Subban has been a disappointment so far this season, as he has had problems staying on the ice, as well. Subban has registered 22 points in the 40 games he has suited up for. Use caution here, especially in cash games.
Minnesota is another surprise team this season, as they have compiled a 38-13-6 record, which leads all team in the Western Conference. They have score 190 goals in the process and now look to set their sights on a deep playoff run with three lines that can score almost at will. Eric Staal will center Nino Niederreiter and Alex Tuch while Mikael Granlund will skate with Mikko Koivu and Jason Zucker. Granlund leads the team with 51 points, while Koivu and keeping the lines together usually works well in both cash games and GPP play. Jason Pominville has been rejuvenated since Zach Parise was installed back on his line. Pominville has tallied 12 of his 36 points over the last 10 games while Parise has lit the lamp five times over that same time frame. Charlie Coyle has been summoned to center the two talented wingers who may give them just enough talent to relive a few memories from the past. Minnesota uses this line along with Staal as their first choice on the power play that has scored five times over the last four games. Ryan Suter quarterbacks the team’s top unit when the Wild draw a penalty, as he logs more than 27 minutes of ice time on a nightly basis. Jared Spurgeon could be used as a cheaper option here, as he has tallied six of his 27 points over the last 10 games.
Elite Plays
NSH: None
MIN: Mikael Granlund
Secondary Plays
NSH: James Neal, Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Roman Josi
MIN: Jason Pominville, Charlie Coyle, Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, Ryan Suter
San Jose Sharks at Arizona Coyotes
| San Jose Sharks | Arizona Coyotes | ||||||||
 | Martin Jones |  | Mike Smith | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 34-18-6 | 20-29-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.74 | 2.41 | 16.80% | 81.50% | Team Stats | 2.34 | 3.14 | 15.90% | 77.10% |
The Sharks have had a rough go of it lately, as they have won just one of their last six games. Despite this, they’ve been able to hold onto the lead in the Pacific Division. Four of those losses came on the road, but that doesn’t give them an excuse for losing to Florida and this same Arizona team 14 days ago on home ice. Look for a little revenge here. Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski skate on the team’s top line, while Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture help out on the second line. It is these players that usually do most of the scoring, as they all skate on the top power play unit that sees over 65 percent of the ice time every time the Sharks draw a penalty. It doesn’t matter how you slice it; over the past nine games, these are the players to target here, as they all have over three points so far this season. Pavelski is second on the team with 52 points, and it’s likely that it will be his line that the Coyotes try to shut down. This should leave Couture and Marleau a bit more room to maneuver against a team that has given up 177 goals so far this season. Kevin Labanc has been moved up to play on the Pavelski line, while Mikkel Boedker continues to skate with Couture on the second line at even strength. You may have noticed that Brent Burns has a very high salary across the industry. Don’t worry, it’s all warranted, as he leads the team with 25 goals and 36 assists so far this season. With this many games to choose from, you can probably fit him into you line ups without much trouble over on FanDuel tonight. Look for the Sharks to bounce back and avenge the loss from 14 days ago.
Arizona has been playing well of late, winning four of their last six games and seven of their last 11. That’s not bad when you consider they have managed to win 20 games all season. Their 47 points has them way out of the playoff picture, so maybe the reason for the sudden surge is that they have nothing to play for and are playing “loose.” Over the last nine games, 13 players have grabbed three or more points, with Christian Dvorak and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson leading the way with eight points apiece over that time period. Ekman-Larsson is always solid on the back line, as he quarterbacks the team’s top power play unit and is second on the team in scoring with 33 points. 17 of those points lead the team, as they have come via the man advantage. Arizona is another team that is getting healthier, with the top line that features Radim Vrbata and Martin Hanzal recently being joined by Max Domi, who had played in 26 games before returning from injury to play in the last seven. Domi has collected five points in those seven games, which makes this a line that has to be at least considered for tournament play tonight, as they will have every chance to match up against the weakest line the Sharks have. Vrbata leads the team with 28 assists and 39 points, while Hanzal’s 14 goals is tops on the team. Yes, the Coyotes have been scoring of late but these guys are the most consistent. I am still leery of bad teams, and last night’s Colorado/Carolina debacle was a perfect example of the fsct that sometimes bad teams are just bad teams.
Elite Plays
SJ: Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski
ARZ: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Secondary Plays
SJ: Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, Joe Thornton
ARZ: Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal, Max Domi
Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Dallas Stars | ||||||||
 | Ben Bishop |  | Kari Lehtonen | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 25-24-7 | 22-27-10 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.70 | 2.80 | 21.00% | 80.30% | Team Stats | 2.73 | 3.20 | 18.20% | 73.70% |
Both of these teams are similar in the fact that they both have had injuries almost all season long and have both subsequently had a hard time staying in the playoff race. Tampa has 57 points in the Eastern Conference, which is a healthy six points away from the eighth spot in the conference. Nikita Kucherov leads the team with 21 goals and 49 points in 49 games, so even he hasn’t played in all of the games this season. Kucherov, Vladislav Namestnikov and Tyler Johnson will more than likely be the line that Dallas will try to shut down. Obviously, when I say this that means that they will put their best defensive line against them and it’s up to them to stop them or not. Brian Boyle, Valtteri Filppula and Ondrej Palat will skate on the second line while Jonathan Drouin and Alex Killorn will skate with Brayden Point on a third scoring line. This is the line that has been hot of late as they have each garnered five points in the last seven games the team had played before their “mandatory” week off. Drouin could also be used as a one-off here, as he has lit the lamp 16 times while adding 19 assists in the 48 games he has played in. I was talking about their injuries earlier as Steven Stamkos has played in just 17 games this season while no player on the team has played in all 56 games. Victor Hedman is the choice on the back line, as he is second on the team in scoring with eight goals and 36 assists in the 53 games he has played in. Tampa has no other defensemen with more than 14 points, so looking at anyone but Hedman may not be conducive to winning any money tonight.
Thanks to winning just three games in the last 13, the Stars are almost out of the playoff conversation the Western Conference. Their 54 points is seven points away from Calgary for the eighth position in the conference, meaning they’ll have to to jump over three other teams to get there. Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza will see a new line mate in Devin Shore, who has normally spent his days skating in the bottom six, so this is a golden opportunity for the 22-year-old Canadian. Seguin leads the team with 21 goals and 35 assists, and 24 of those points have come with the man advantage. Spezza joins him on the power play, along with Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves, who skate on the team’s second scoring line. Benn is right there with Seguin, collecting 53 points in 55 games this season, while Cody Eakin fills out the second scoring line at even strength. Dallas has scored a power play goal in six of their last seven home games, and usually all the scoring goes through these two lines. John Klingberg quarterbacks the power from the back line; 13 of his 32 points have come with the man advantage. This situation is much like Tampa’s, as no other defensemen has found the score sheet more than 14 times this season, so it’s pretty cut and dried here.
Elite Plays
TB: Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman
DAL: Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn
Secondary Plays
TB: Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Drouin, Ondrej Palat
DAL: Patrick Eaves, Jason Spezza, John Klingberg
Florida Panthers at Los Angeles Kings
| Florida Panthers | Los Angeles Kings | ||||||||
 | Roberto Luongo |  | Peter Budaj | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 26-20-10 | 28-24-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.49 | 2.78 | 14.90% | 84.50% | Team Stats | 2.50 | 2.46 | 17.40% | 84.00% |
I said it on Wednesday and I will say it again, folks: the Panthers are on the move. They are fully healthy and have knocked off Nashville, San Jose, and Anaheim over the last three games, all in their opponent’s home barn. The task here is to stay focused as they take on the Los Angeles Kings, who need a win here in front of the home crowd to possibly get to the eighth spot in the Western Conference before the night is through. Aleksander Barkov, Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau is more than likely the line that the Kings will try to shut down, but that doesn’t mean that they will. The trio has combined for seven goals and five assists over their last three road games and should be able to continue that success here tonight. Vincent Trocheck makes for a decent one-off here, as he skates on the second line while leading the team with 20 goals and 40 points. Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith join him on the second line at even strength, which should get a few scoring opportunities here tonight. Jonathan Marchessault and Nick Bjugstad can be looked at for deep tournament options, as he is second on the team with 34 points. Bjugstad has had his chances since returning to the line up five games ago in which he has lit the lamp three times and has added an assist to his credit. Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle are the choices from the back line, and either could be a decent tournament play tonight. Yandle has racked up 29 points and gets the first crack on the power play while Ekblad continues to fire the puck as evidence of his team leading 172 shots on goal. Florida looks to be playing solid hockey of late and could pull out another road win tonight.
As mentioned above, the Kings need to keep winning to stay in the playoff picture. They are 15-9-1 in front of the home crowd, and they look to improve on that tonight. Anze Kopitar, Tyler Toffoli and newcomer Adrian Kempe look to be on one scoring linem while Jeff Carter centers Tanner Pearson and Dustin Brown on the second scoring. Carter is the easy one-off here, as he has lit the lamp 29 times to go along with 59 points this season. Both of those numbers lead the team while Kopitar’s 27 assists is tops on the team. Both play on the top power play unit with defensemen Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. The interesting thing here, however, is the fact that it looks like Marian Gaborik will join them on the top power play unit. Gaborik was sent to the third line recently, and this is his first shot to skate with the better talent on the team. Doughty is the pay on the back line, as he leads the Kings defensive corps with 32 points so far this season, good enough for third on the team’s scoring chart. The Kings need this one badly, and if they are to win it, you can bet that Carter will be in on some of the scoring.
Elite Plays
Fla: Aleksander Barkov
LAK: Jeff Carter
Secondary Plays
FLA: Jonathan Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck, Jaromir Jagr, Keith Yandle, Jonathan Marchessault
LAK: Anze Kopitar, Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, Drew Doughty