NHL Grind Down: Sunday, December 17th


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.

St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets

St. Louis Blues Winnipeg Jets
Article Image Jake Allen Article Image Connor Hellebuyck
Record Record
22-10-2 18-10-5
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 3.12 2.55 16.10 80.00 Team Stats 3.34 2.88 26.32 80.00

The Blues switched their lines up a bit last night as Vladimir Sobotka found himself outside the top six while Magnus Paajarvi took his spot on the top line with Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. That wasn’t the story of the game however Carter Hutton stopped 48 shots to earn the win against these same Winnipeg Jets that the Blues will face-off against tonight. After going four games without a power play goal the Blues connected twice for their only two goals of the game. Tarasenko chalked up a goal and an assist which gave him his 35th point of the season while Schenn’s assist just added to his team lead 38 points. Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen move up from the second line as the Blues employ four forwards when they have the extra attacker. Dmitrij Jaskin is the odd man out as he completes the second line bit is on the second power play unit that saw just 20% of the ice time in last night’s contest. In other words, pair up the forwards from the top two lines that receive 80% of the ice time when the Blues have the man advantage. Alex Pietrangelo has been activated for tonight’s game so look for him to jump right back up on the top power play unit. Parayko registered his seventh power play point last night which now has him at 18 points on the season but with the return of Pietrangelo we can expect that extra ice time to dry up. Vince Dunn scored his third goal of the season as he notched his second power play point of the season. Dunn is nothing more than a punt for GPP tournaments however as he has notched just seven points in his first NHL season.

The team’s change venues tonight and that should tilt the scales in the Jets favor as last night was just the second time this season that Winnipeg has been shut out. The loss has the Jets in third place in the Central Division while grabbing just one win in the last six games. All the Jets have to do is keep shooting the puck as they obviously ran into a hot goaltender that had stopped all 48 shots Winnipeg put on net last night. I know it’s tough but tonight we have to stay the course and that means that Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele should be the chalk play here on a four game slate. Both Wheeler and Connor had seven shots on net last night so taking the whole line may pay off as a full line stack. Wheeler leads the team with 38 points while Scheifele is just three points behind. All three are joined by Patrik Laine and defenseman Jacob Trouba when Winnipeg has the power play which makes Laine and team leading 15 goals an excellent one-off play here tonight. Bryan Little centers Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers on the Jets second line that has seen Laine and his six points over the last eight games lead his line mates in that category by two points over that same time frame. Tyler Myers and Josh Morrissey could be other options on the back line for salary relief if needed. Both have reached double digits in the scoring category with Myers and his 16 points leading his defensive counterpart by five. Look for a Winnipeg bounce back tonight in front of the home crowd.

Top Plays

STL: Brayden Schenn
WIN: Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele

Secondary Plays

STL: Vladimir Tarasenko, Paul Stastny, Alexander Steen, Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko
WIN: Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, Jacob Trouba

Unlock the complete breakdown of EVERY matchup today with a free 7-Day Trial!

  • To read this full article for today’s NHL games, you need to have a subscription to RotoGrinders Premium, our advanced content package.
  • A Premium subscription will allow you to access this article, as well as Consensus Value Rankings, LineupHQ, premium videos, daily picks from top-ranked players and more.
Start your FREE 7-day trial

About the Author

elctrceye
Tom Woollam (elctrceye)

Tom Woollam is a freelance DFS writer and has been a member here at RotoGrinders.com since December 2011. He has played Fantasy Sports for the last 30 years and has been in the daily fantasy sports game for the last four. You can find him on twitter @elctrceye.