NHL Grind Down: Saturday, November 25th

by Tom Woollam (elctrceye) Last Updated 2017-11-27 17:55:49 Premium Content Part of the product SimLabs+

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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.

Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins

Tampa Bay Lightning					Pittsburgh Penguins
			Peter Budaj					Tristan Jarry
			Record					Record
			16-4-2					11-10-3
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	3.90	2.52	27.16	83.33	Team Stats	2.65	3.43	23.86	75.82

Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Vladislav Namestnikov were held to a total of four shots in last night’s 3-1 loss in Washington. The Capitals did a great job of shutting them down although it was Namestnikov’s power play goal that prevented the team from getting shut out. That shouldn’t be the case tonight on home ice as Stamkos and his 36 points leads the league while Kucherov is just two points behind. With this being a home game the Lightning should have no problem matching the best line in hockey against some of Pittsburgh’s less defensive lines. Tampa is the best team in the league and will look to improve on their 9-2-1 record in front of the home crowd tonight. Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev are the plays from the blue line with Hedman having a slight advantage in points by a 17-14 tally. Brayden Point can be used as a one-off here as he has grabbed four of his 21 points over the last five games while centering Yanni Gourde and Ondrej Palat. Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson are having average years so far this season as Killorn’s 14 points would look good on some teams but not this one. Ryan Callahan and Chris Kunitz continue to struggle which obviously makes them players that need better players around them to produce. Pass on these guys here and almost any other night for that matter.

It’s hard to believe but there it is! Right in front of us! Phil Kessel leads the defending Stanley Cup champions in not only goals with nine of them but with 18 assists to his credit as well. Now the only other question we need to figure out is if Evgeni Malkin enough to skate as his center or not. Malkin was held out of yesterday’s game as the Penguins lost by a score of 4-3 in Boston yesterday afternoon. Kessel had Jake Guentzel and on his line while Sidney Crosby, Conor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist skated on the team’s top line. Kessel, Guentzel, Sheary and Crosby were joined by defenseman Kris Letang on the top power play unit that saw them on the ice for one minute and 48 seconds before they scored on their only man advantage of the afternoon. Guentzel knocked it in while Letang and Crosby had the assists. The goal was Guentzel’s fifth power play goal, which leads the team while Letang added his 10th power play point to his resume. Look for the Penguins to have a tough game on their hands as they try to improve on their 6-2-1 record at home tonight.

Top Plays

TB: Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos
PIT: Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel

Secondary Plays

TB: Vladislav Namestnikov, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, Brayden Point
PIT: Jake Guentzel, Kris Letang, Conor Sheary, Patric Hornqvist