NHL Grind Down: Saturday, March 4th - Page Two
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Colorado Avalanche at Winnipeg Jets
| Colorado Avalanche | Winnipeg Jets | ||||||||
 | Calvin Pickard |  | Michael Hutchinson | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 17-42-3 | 29-30-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 1.93 | 3.30 | 13.40% | 78.30% | Team Stats | 2.92 | 3.19 | 17.40% | 77.00% |
The only good that came out of this season for the Avalanche was the fact that they were able to trade Jarome Iginla to the Kings for a 2018 conditional pick. This is much better than trading for a used puck bag, so kudos to Colorado for moving some dead weight. In the interim, we still have to focus on Nathan MacKinnon and Gabreil Landeskog from the top line, as well as Matt Duchene and Mikko Rantanen from the second line to do most of the team’s scoring. One has to go back 19 games to find the last time this team had scored more than two goals in a road game, as they turned that trick in a 3-1 win at Toronto back on December 11th. That stat alone should give enough reason to not even think about using any Avalanche player in a cash game. Tyson Barrie is the choice on the back line, as he leads all Colorado defensemen with 27 points this season. The next closest to him is Francois Beauchemin and his paltry 13 points in 61 games. This team doesn’t score goals, which is a vital part of having fun if you want to be a professional hockey player.
Even though Winnipeg played last night, they should have their way tonight as they host the Colorado Avalanche. The Jets find themselves just four points away from Los Angeles Kings for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little paced the team in last night’s 3-0 win against St Louis, as they combined for all three goals to go along with two assists. Nikolaj Ehlers skates with them at even strength but has been slumping of late, as he has found the score sheet twice over the last eight games. Now, just because Wheeler and Little stole the show last night does not mean we totally disregard Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele. Laine leads the team with 31 goals, while Scheifele does the honors in the assists and total points categories for the Jets. If you had both of these players last night it’s obvious you are a little upset, but do yourself a favor and have a short memory and come right back with them tonight. Dustin Byfuglien is the play on the back line, as he soaks up a lot of the power play time skating with the first unit. Byfuglien has found the score sheet 42 times so far this season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use Jacob Trouba if we need a little salary relief. Trouba has grabbed 25 points in 42 games, which means that he is good for a little more than a point every other game. Winnipeg should roll here.
Elite Plays
COL: None
WIN: Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele
Secondary Plays
COL: Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, Mikko Rantanen, Tyson Barrie, Gabriel Landeskog
WIN: Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Dustin Byfuglien
Columbus Blue Jackets at Ottawa Senators
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Ottawa Senators | ||||||||
 | Sergei Bobrovsky |  | Craig Anderson | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 40-16-6 | 34-22-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.19 | 2.34 | 21.50% | 82.60% | Team Stats | 2.56 | 2.64 | 16.80% | 82.30% |
Columbus has rebounded nicely, winning six of their last 10 games and amassing 86 points, which is good enough for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Alexander Wennberg, Nick Foligno, and Oliver Bjorkstrand will skate as the team’s top line, while Brandon Dubinsky will center Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson on the second line. Atkinson still feels like a one-off here, as his 53 points leads the team, while Wennberg’s 52 points is right behind him. They both get the extra minutes on the top power play and are joined by Foligno, Sam Gagner, and defenseman Zachary Werenski when the Jackets get the man advantage. Over the past three weeks, both Dubinsky and Jenner have come alive. They have started finding the score sheet on a semi-regular basis, so pairing either of them with Atkinson could net you some fantasy points here tonight. Brandon Saad has been able to keep his good season going despite being dropped to the third line with Scott Hartnell and Sam Gagner. His six points over the last nine games has him fourth on the team with 44 points. He trails his former line mates in Foligno by one point and Wennberg by eight points. Meanwhile, Werenski has perked up a bit and is the Jackets fifth-leading scorer with nine goals and 28 assists.
Ottawa has been able to hang on to the second spot in the Atlantic Division by getting good goaltending and timely goals, especially over the last five games. Scoring seven goals in five games and winning three of them is not an easy task, but that is exactly what the Senators have done. Yes, they have been hit with injuries over the last month, but they have truly bended and not broken. Newcomer Alexandre Burrows tallied the only two goals in Thursday’s win over Colorado, as he was placed on the top line with Derick Brassard and the team leader in goals, Mark Stone. He hadn’t seen that much talent since he skated between the Sedin brothers back in the 2011-12 season. Mike Hoffman and Kyle Turris make a decent play here, as they skate on the second line with Ryan Dzingel but get the extra time on the power play with Brassard and Stone. Erik Karlsson is the choice on the back line, as he soaks up most of the extra ice time when the Senators draw a penalty. He has grabbed 11 of his team leading 55 points over the last 10 games while racking up 20 power play points so far this season. Look for Ottawa to play a tough game here against what could possibly be a future playoff opponent.
Elite Plays
CBJ: Cam Atkinson
OTT: Erik Karlsson
Secondary Plays
CBJ: Alexander Wennberg, Nick Foligno, Brandon Dubinsky, Zachary Werenski
OTT: Mark Stone, Derick Brassard, Mike Hoffman, Kyle Turris
Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators
| Chicago Blackhawks | Nashville Predators | ||||||||
 | Corey Crawford |  | Juuse Saros | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 41-18-5 | 32-23-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.00 | 2.52 | 18.60% | 76.80% | Team Stats | 2.92 | 2.75 | 20.90% | 82.00% |
Chicago comes into this one having won 10 of their last 11 games which has them knocking on the door for the central Division lead. They are one point away from the Minnesota Wild but have played two fewer games than the division leaders. It is unclear as to whether or not Artem Anisimov will play tonight, so maybe sticking with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin would be the smartest thing to do here. Tanner Kero centered them in last night’s win, while Ryan Hartman jumped up to the top line to skate with Richard Panik and Jonathan Toews in the absence of Nick Schmaltz, who is also a game time decision. Toews and Panic are just as much in play as Panarin and Kane, as they have combined for 10 goals and 13 assists over the last eight games. Keeping these pairs together is imperative, especially since two players may or may not play. Duncan Keith is the play from the blue line, as he has collected 15 of his 44 points while quarterbacking the team’s top power play unit. It’s tough to ignore the Hawks on the road here, as they have won their last seven games away from the home crowd.
Nashville has rebounded nicely over the last three weeks to come up and claim the third spot in the Central Division with 73 points. This is six more points than fourth place St Louis which obviously has put their playoff hopes into their own hands. Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson skate as the top line and should be looked at closely here for your cash game plays tonight. Forsberg has been on fire over the last 10 games, as his 11 goals and 15 points over that time frame leads the team. This flurry of points has pulled him into the team lead for points with Ryan Johansen as they are both now just one point away from chalking up their 50th points on the season. Mike Fisher and James Neal can be used as one-offs here, as Fisher is all alone on the second line but has managed 37 points so far this season while Neal has collected nine of his 33 points over the last 10 games. On the back line, you can take your pick between Roman Josi and P.K. Subban, as they each have over 10 points in their last ten games. Nashville will look to improve on their 19-7-7 record in front of the home crowd, as they face a Chicago team that beat the New York islanders last night.
Elite Plays
CHI: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews
NSH: Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen
Secondary Plays
CHI: Artemi Panarin, Duncan Keith, Richard Panik
NSH: Roman Josi, Viktor Arvidsson, P.K. Subban, James Neal
Vancouver Canucks at Los Angeles Kings
| Vancouver Canucks | Los Angeles Kings | ||||||||
 | Ryan Miller |  | Jonathan Quick | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 26-30-7 | 31-27-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.27 | 2.85 | 14.40% | 77.40% | Team Stats | 2.44 | 2.46 | 17.30% | 84.90% |
Vancouver is yet another team that looks like it will have to wait until next year to make the playoffs. Their 26-30-7 record has yielded 53 points, which puts them 14 points away from the last playoff position in the Western Conference. Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin have shown that maybe old age is kicking in, as they have combined for 74 points in their 63 games. Usually this number is a bit higher than that but this season has been all but fun for the 36 year old twins. Sven Baertschi returned from injury last game and was promptly put back on a line with Bo Horvat and Loui Eriksson. This is the line to target for your tournament plays tonight, as Horvat leads the team with 41 points while Baertschi has collected 28 points in the 51 games he has played in this season. Alexander Edler is probably the choice on the back line, as he has found the score sheet four times over the last nine games but still trails fellow defenseman Troy Stecher, who has 18 points, by three points where the Canuck defensemen are concerned. Vancouver has scored just 11 goals in the last seven games so tread lightly here.
The Kings are looking to do what they normally do. Play just well enough to make the playoffs and then make a lot of noise. Their 68 points has pulled them into the eighth and final playoff spot in the western Conference but it still remains to be seen if they can even stay there, let alone make a Cup run. The Kings acquired Jarome Iginla last week in hopes of at least diverting some of the attention off of the top line of Jeff Carter, Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. Iginla will skate alongside Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik in hopes of providing a little more scoring punch than the Kings have shown this season. Carter makes for a decent one-off play here, as he leads the team with 30 goals and 60 points while skating on the top power play unit, as well. Pairing him up with Pearson or Toffoli is probably the way to go for your cash games tonight, as Pearson has racked up a team high 11 points over the last nine games while Toffoli has recorded 25 points in just 45 games. Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin play the points when the team has the man advantage and should be looked at here for cash game play. Doughty makes for the better play though, as he has collected 35 points so far this season. Look for the Kings to improve on their 17-11-1 record in front of the home crowd tonight.
Elite Plays
VAN: None
LAK: Jeff Carter
Secondary Plays
VAN: Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin
LAK: Tanner Pearson, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Tyler Toffoli
Detroit Red Wings at Edmonton Oilers
| Detroit Red Wings | Edmonton Oilers | ||||||||
 | Petr Mrazek |  | Cam Talbot | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 25-26-11 | 34-22-8 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.39 | 2.95 | 12.90% | 81.10% | Team Stats | 2.80 | 2.55 | 21.50% | 79.70% |
Well, so much for having Dylan Larkin skate in the team’s top six. The 20-year-old had a decent rookie campaign last season, as he notched 45 points on 221 shots in goal. After a slow start, he was relegated to the third line to stew and fume while seeing 22-year-old Anthony Mantha get the privilege to skate on the top line with Henrik Zetterberg. Tomas Tartar joins Zetterberg and Mantha on the team’s top line, which has seen Zetterberg lead the team with 49 points while Mantha and Tatar have collected 32 And 29 points respectively. Using this information, we can come to the conclusion that Zetterberg is probably a one-off here tonight especially since the red Wings are on the road. Frans Nielsen and Andreas Athanasiou will skate with Riley Sheahan on the team’s second line and this is where I have the problem. In his fourth year with the team, Sheahan hasn’t tallied more than 36 points in any season, which includes grabbing a paltry nine assists so far this season in 60 games. Doesn’t it make more sense to have Larkin up on the wing instead of Sheahan? Of course it does, but this is why our opinions don’t count, because we aren’t the head coach. Niklas Kronwall and Mike Green are the choices from the back line, and although Kronwall quarterbacks the top power play unit, I will always go for the younger and more offensive minded Green every time. Detroit has basically taken themselves out of playoff contention by going 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.
Edmonton comes into this one tied with Anaheim for second place in the Pacific Division with 76 points. This should easily be enough points to make the playoffs provided they don’t slip and start losing games to teams like their opponent tonight. Connor McDavid is always in play if you can afford him and big slates like tonight, there is usually a way to get him in there if you try hard enough. McDavid has been as advertised, as his 72 points leads the league in that category while skating on the top line with Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Maroon. I expect to see a lot of ownership out of this line tonight in your cash games as Draisaitsl is enjoying a very nice season with 23 goals and 31 assists so far this season. Maroon has been serviceable as well, collecting five of his 31 points over the last nine games. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins centers Milan Lucic and Jordan Ebelre on the team’s second line and could be used here for deeper GPP plays. Nugent-Hopkins has moved up to fifth on the team’s scoring chart with 32 points, while Eberle and Lucic are just above him with 38 and 35 points respectively. Defenseman Oscar Klefbom and forward Mark Letestu join McDavid, Lucic, and Draisaitl on the team’s top power play unit that has scored three times in the last two games. Klefbom has excelled over the last nine games, as he has collected eight of his 28 points over that time frame. Look for Edmonton to come away with the win here, and look for McDavid to continue his dominance of the league.
Elite Plays
DET: Henrik Zetterberg
EDM: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl
Secondary Plays
DET: Anthony Mantha, Frans Nielsen, Andreas Athanasiou, Mike Green
EDM: Jordan Eberle, Oscar Klefbom, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Patrick Maroon, Milan Lucic