NHL Grind Down: Saturday, October 14th - Page Two
Jump to Page 1 2 3
New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers
| New Jersey Devils | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 | Keith Kinkaid |  | Ondrej Pavelec | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 28-39-14 | 47-28-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 5.33 | 2.00 | 17.70% | 79.80% | Team Stats | 2.50 | 3.75 | 19.80% | 79.80% |
After reeling off three straight wins the New Jersey Devils returned to home ice to lose to a much better Washington Capitals team by a tally of 5-2. Although they couldn’t keep up with Ovechkin and company they still have started a lot better than they looked at the end of last season. Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri have a new addition to their line this season as Pavel Zacha looks just about to contribute as he has collected two goals in the first four games. Look for Palmieri and Hall to be joined by Adam Henrique and Jimmy Hayes to log the extra minutes when the Devils head to the power play. Marcus Johansson, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier skate on the team’s second line and are joined by Zacha on the second power play unit. New Jersey has netted five power play goals in four games this season while the Rangers have given up five goals in five games while killing a penalty. Of the 18 goals that the Devils have scored this season that same number represents how many players on the roster have found the scoresheet via goal or assist. If the Devils can continue to show consistent scoring throughout the lineup goaltender Corey Schneider should have no problem guiding them to the playoffs this season. Defenseman Will Butcher leads the team with six points as he has taken over the top spot on the blue line when New Jersey has the man advantage. I know it’s early but this is a big divisional game which will show us whether or not the Devils are headed in the right direction or not.
After a tough 3-1 loss last night in Columbus the New York Rangers will try to get things going as the loss put them at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a 1-4 record. The New Yorkers will look to the line of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich to get the ball rolling as Zibanejad leads the team with five goals while his line mates have collected three assist each so far this season. Those five goals represent almost half of the total Ranger output through five games as they are averaging just a little over two goals a game. If they are to turn things around they will need the second line of Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes to step up their game a bit. The Rangers have netted five power play goals so taking a look at Zuccarello as a one-off here may not be a bad play as he skates with the Kreider line when the team has the extra attacker. Three of his five points have come on the power play while four of Zibanejad’s five goals have come while skating with the extra man. J.T. Miller is at it again this season as he has collected three points in five games. That’s not bad when you consider he doesn’t skate in the top six but does get afforded the extra time on the team’s second power play unit. Kevin Shattenkirk is the chalk play on the back line as he anchors the top power play unit, thus getting exposure to the more talented Ranger forwards. All four of his points have come with the man advantage. Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal could be used as a salary relief play in GPP tournaments. The Devils will give the Rangers all they can handle tonight.
Top Plays
NJ: None
NYR: Mats Zuccarello, Mika Zibanejad
Secondary Plays
NJ: Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Will Butcher, Pavel Zacha, Marcus Johansson
NYR: Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris Kreider, Pavel Buchnevich
Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars
| Colorado Avalanche | Dallas Stars | ||||||||
 | Semyon Varlamov |  | Ben Bishop | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 22-55-4 | 34-37-11 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.75 | 2.25 | 12.70% | 76.30% | Team Stats | 2.00 | 3.00 | 17.90% | 73.90% |
All indications are pointing to Nathan MacKinnon playing in tonight’s game after taking a stick to the eye early in last night’s game. The Avalanche apparently didn’t need him as they took care of the Ducks by a score of 3-1 on home ice last night. Colorado is tied for first place with the St Louis Blues in the Central Division and look to improve on their 4-1 record tonight as they travel to Dallas to take on the 1-3 Stars. If MacKinnon plays he will have Sven Andrighetto and Mikko Rantanen in tow on the top line while Matt Duchene, Alexander Kerfoot and Nail Yakupov skate as the second line. Gabriel Landeskog could be a one-off here as he skates on the third line while getting some time when the Avalanche have the extra attacker. Colorado has scored a surprising 17 goals in their first five games and look to add to that total tonight. Andrighetto leads the team with three goals and six points while Duchene, Yakupov and Rantanen have all chipped in four points each in the early going. Tyson Barrie is the play on the back line as he quarterbacks the team’s top power play unit that has struck for three goals in the last two games. Even though Colorado is on the upswing the Dallas Stars only problem has been lighting the lamp so look for the Avalanche to take advantage of that and come away with a victory tonight on the road.
Even the return of Ken Hitchcock can’t seem to make a dent into how badly the Stars have looked over the last season or so. Dallas has started off by dropping three of their first four games which lands them dead last in the Central Division. Jamie Benn took a maintenance day yesterday so look for him to stay on the top line with Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. This line along with Jason Spezza and defenseman John Klingberg comprise the team’s top power play unit that has scored in each of the Stars first four games. Mattias Janmark has been able to net two goals and three points while skating alongside Martin Hanzal but sticking with the top line should be the chalk play tonight. Spezza skates with Brett Ritchie and Remi Elie, which basically renders him as an interesting one-off play in tonight’s contests. Colorado has given up six goals while short-handed so far this season so sticking with the top power play unit is the cash game play in front of the home crowd tonight.
Top Plays
COL: None
DAL: John Klingberg, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin
Secondary Plays
COL: Sven Andrighetto, Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, Tyson Barrie, Nail Yakupov
DAL: Jason Spezza, Alexander Radulov
Columbus Blue Jackets at Minnesota Wild
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Minnesota Wild | ||||||||
 | Joonas Korpisalo |  | Devan Dubnyk | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 49-24-8 | 49-25-8 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.67 | 2.00 | 20.10% | 82.20% | Team Stats | 3.67 | 3.33 | 21.00% | 82.90% |
After playing last night on home ice the Columbus Blue Jackets will take to the road and start a quick two game road trip in Minnesota tonight. The Wild, as you will see, will look more like an AHL team than an NHL team tonight as injuries have decimated what was a formidable top six but more on that later. Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin make up the team’s top scoring line while getting the first shot at the opponent’s penalty kill when the Blue Jackets draw a penalty. Sonny Milano makes for a nice one-off play as he skates with Nick Foligno and Oliver Bjorkstrand, but look for an adjustment here as there is no way he can sustain shooting at a 44% clip as the season moves forward. Defensively you have a few options that start with Zach Werenski as he anchors the team’s top power play unit. Look at Seth Jones for a little salary relief as both defensemen have notched a goal and two assists in the first four games. Even with all of the injuries Vegas still has the Blue Jackets as a slight favorite but I wouldn’t look at that as Columbus should beat what amounts to an AHL team tonight.
In a game that can only be termed something short of a miracle, the Wild were able to come away with a 5-2 road win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. With Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund already sidelines the Wild were dealt a few more vicious blows s Charlie Coyle will be lost for a while with a broken tibia, Nino Niederreiter will be out for three weeks with an ankle sprain and Marcus Foligno is out at least a week after his fight with John Hayden. What this means is that is way past blender time as Mikko Koivu, Eric Staal, Jason Zucker and Tyler Ennis need to be joined by two other players just to make two solid lines. Joel Eriksson Ek is joined by Chris Stewart and Eric Staal leaving Koivu, Zucker and Ennis to hold down the fort on the second scoring line. Stewart does lead the team with five points which is a good indicator as to the problems this team may have in the immediate future. Ryan Suter shores up the defense while Jared Spurgeon leads all blue liners with two points after three games so far this season. As if Columbus wasn’t a tough team to begin with the only thing that Minnesota may have going for them tonight is the fact that the Blue Jackets played last night.
Top Plays
CBJ: Alexander Wennberg, Artemi Panarin
MIN: None
Secondary Plays
CBJ: Zach Werenski, Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Seth Jones
MIN: Mikko Koivu, Eric Staal, Jason Zucker, Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon
Nashville Predators at Chicago Blackhawks
| Nashville Predators | Chicago Blackhawks | ||||||||
 | Pekka Rinne |  | Corey Crawford | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 41-29-12 | 50-23-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.25 | 3.50 | 18.90% | 80.90% | Team Stats | 4.60 | 2.40 | 18.00% | 77.70% |
The Nashville Predators have started out the season as expected, two wins on home ice and two losses on the road. Nashville is coming dangerously close to becoming a one line team as Viktor Arvidsson, Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg skate as the top line and are the first players on the ice when the Predators draw a penalty. This line has accounted for six of the 13 goals that the Predators have scored this season and should be looked at as a GPP play tonight. Scott Hartnell is joined by Nick Bonino and Pontus Aberg on the second line while Kevin Fiala and Craig Smith are stuck in the bottom six. Defenseman Samuel Girard has been making a splash as he has grabbed three points in the two games he has suited up for but if you are looking for a chalkier play then P.K. Subban is your guy. Subban’s six points is tied for the team lead with Forsberg and as we all know, he is never afraid to shoot the puck. Mattis Ekholm logs over 25 minutes of ice time on the back line and could be used here in GPP play only as he has found the score sheet two times so far this season. Look for this to be a tough rough ‘em up drag ‘em out game with the visiting team coming up a bit short tonight.
Chicago came out of the chute with a 10 goal effort against Pittsburgh ten days ago and have an even record of 2-2 since opening night. Their 23 goals lead the league as they look to get Nick Schmaltz back into the lineup tonight but where he is going to play is anyone’s guess. Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik seem to have the top line secure while Patrick Kane, Artem Anisimov and the upstart Ryan Hartman have been playing well on the second line. Hartman leads the team with eight points while Kane and Saad are just one behind him on the Blackhawks scoring chart. Schmaltz has been put on the shelf for today’s game so look for Tanner Kero to jump up and skate with Kane and Hartman. This obviously gives Kero a little boost here and will give you salary relief as well. Kane, Toews and Saad are joined by Patrick Sharp and defenseman Duncan Keith on the top power play unit. Chicago has found the score sheet with the extra attacker in each of their last four games which means, oddly enough, that they didn’t score a power play in the game they scored 10 goals in. If you are looking for other options on the back line Brent Seabrook is always in the conversation but Gustav Forsling and Jan Rutta are starting to make their presence known with four points each in the first five games. Look for Chicago to play a tight game tonight and win by the slimmest of margins.
Top Plays
NSH: Filip Forsberg
CHI: Patrick Kane
Secondary Plays
NSH: P.K. Subban, Viktor Arvidsson, Ryan Johansen, Scott Hartnell
CHI: Jonathan Toews, Brandon Saad, Duncan Keith, Ryan Hartman, Artem Anisimov, Patrick Sharp
Boston Bruins at Arizona Coyotes
| Boston Bruins | Arizona Coyotes | ||||||||
 | Anton Khudobin |  | Antti Raanta | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 44-31-7 | 30-42-10 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.33 | 4.33 | 21.70% | 85.70% | Team Stats | 2.25 | 4.00 | 16.20% | 77.30% |
The Bruins have run into some injury problems early and it shows. After beating Nashville in the home opener the Bruins then dropped both games of a home and home set with the Colorado Avalanche. They now head to Arizona to take on yet another sub-par team in the Coyotes and try to right the ship. David Backes will remain sidelined for a few weeks while Patrice Bergeron is not responding to favorably to the treatment for his ‘lower-body’ injury. Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Riley Nash skated together last game in the team’s top line while Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork skated on the opposite side of center David Krejci on the team’s second line. The Marchand line received a ton of power play time in Wednesday night 6-3 loss and could be looked at here as they did notch their second power play goal of the season. Third liner Ryan Spooner joins the top power play unit while it was defenseman Torey Krug who found the score sheet with the extra attacker. Spooner, just like any other third line player that gets top power play minutes, is the obvious one-off play here. Rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been found on some daily fantasy teams of late as he and Brandon Carlo are the only other Boston blue liners that can generate any offense. Boston needs to get back on track quick and may be able to do that tonight against a yet unproven Arizona team.
After grabbing a 2-1 lead on home ice Thursday night, the Arizona Coyotes went on to give up three straight goals in their defeat to the Detroit Red Wings. The more that things change, the more they stay the same out in the desert where the NHL is concerned. The only bright spot so far has been the play of Clayton Keller as his three goals leads the team while skating on the top line with Derek Stepan and Max Domi. This line is the best that the Coyotes have and could do some damage against a slumping Boston team. They all get the lion’s share of the power play time but still on a big slate like tonight’s it’s probably best to throw them in a GPP and hope for the best. Sure Arizona has guys like Jordan Martinook, Christian Dvorak and Anthony Duclair but taking a flier on any of these guys besides Martinook would be for pure salary cap space only. Tobias Rieder has netted two goals from the second line while skating with Martinook and the injured Brad Richardson. Martinook is the one-off here by default as he joins the top unit along with defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who is the best player on the team. He will also log a ton of minutes on the ice so depending on your roster structure, he could be one to use tonight and get the low ownership percentage you need. Even though Arizona is on home ice, there are plenty of other teams to target for your cash game play tonight.
Top Plays
BOS: David Pastrnak
ARZ: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Secondary Plays
BOS: Torey Krug, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Ryan Spooner
ARZ: Clayton Keller, Derek Stepan, Max Domi