NHL Grind Down: Sunday, February 21st

by John Britt (jmbwngfn) Last Updated 2016-02-23 01:11:21

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.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres – 12:30 PM EST

Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Pittsburgh Penguins					Buffalo Sabres
			Jeff Zatkoff					Robin Lehner
			Record					Record
			29-20-8					24-28-7
Team Stats	2.60	2.53	18.90%	84.70%	Team Stats	2.37	2.66	19.60%	82.30%

The Penguins carried the play for most of the afternoon yesterday afternoon against the Lightning, but ultimately dropped a 4-2 decision. With that said, they’ve posted a solid 8-3-1 record over their last 12 games and are hanging on to one of the last playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Evgeni Malkin will miss yet another game this afternoon, but Sidney Crosby has carried them offensively in his absence. Crosby was held in check yesterday but has tallied eight goals and six assists in nine games since the All-Star break and headlines the very lethal top forward line alongside Patric Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz. Crosby picked up a pair of assists against the Sabres in their only other meeting this season and is a top-tier option at one of your center spots, as usual. Phil Kessel joins that trio on the #1 power-play unit and looks like a nice GPP target as he possesses elite offensive talent and has been often overlooked since the Malkin injury. Kris Letang added an assist in yesterday’s game and has now racked up eight goals and 19 assists in his last 23 games. He’s not cheap, but is one of the best blue-line options on the board.

Behind some ridiculously strong goaltending from Robin Lehner, the Sabres picked up a shutout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night and will return home for this afternoons tilt against a Pittsburgh team that was in a bruising matchup against Tampa Bay yesterday. While Buffalo may not be the most desirable team to target in daily fantasy hockey, there are still several fine options here specially considering the somewhat short five-game slate. Ryan O’Reilly leads the team with 49 points in 59 games and is well-underpriced on several sites. He dished out a pair of assists against the Penguins in their only previous meeting this season and is joined by talented forwards in Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart on the top line. Jack Eichel continues his push for the Calder Trophy. The 19 year-old picked up a pair of assists against Columbus to extend his current point streak to four games and has now posted eight goals and 19 assists over his last 27 games. Rasmus Ristolainen and Cody Franson soak up nearly all of the available minutes on the point of the power-play and are the two blue-liners worth consideration.

Pittsburgh Penguins

CF%: 51.6, CP60: 110.2, 5×5 Differential: 6
Elite Options: Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz, Patric Hornqvist, Kris Letang
Secondary Options: Phil Kessel, Carl Hagelin, Scott Wilson, Trevor Daley

Buffalo Sabres

CF%: 47.9, CP60: 104.5, 5×5 Differential: -26
Elite Options: Ryan O’Reilly, Jach Eichel
Secondary Options: Evander Kane, Sam Reinhart, Jamie McGinn, Rasmus Ristolainen, Cody Franson

Chicago Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild – 03:30 PM EST

Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Chicago Blackhawks					Minnesota Wild
			Corey Crawford					Devan Dubnyk
			Record					Record
			38-18-5					26-22-10
Team Stats	2.85	2.33	22.90%	79.80%	Team Stats	2.59	2.50	18.60%	78.70%

The Wild will invade the TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to kick off the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series tonight against the Wild. While these outdoor games create a fun atmosphere, they also bring several more unknowns (ice quality, sunshine, wind, etc.) that make them hard to target too heavily in cash games. With that said, Patrick Kane is running away with the scoring title this season and simply can’t be overlooked ever. Obviously breaking down the Blackhawks starts with the NHL scoring leader Patrick Kane. Kane has picked up points in four straight games and has now tallied 34 goals and 49 assists in 61 games. He’s joined by Calder hopeful Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov on the top line with Jonathan Toews skating with Andrew Shaw and Richard Panik (in Marian Hossa spot) on the other notable line. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook continue to share the duties on the point of the top power-play unit and are the best options from the Chicago blue-line.

Minnesota has pulled out of an eight game tailspin with three straight victories, but the damage may already have been done as they’re now firmly on the outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. They can make an important signal to their front office that they’re still in the hunt by picking up two points this afternoon against the visiting Stanley Cup champs. They’ve actually defeated Chicago in both prior meetings this season so there is some room for optimism here. While the top line will likely have the unappealing task of being shadowed all over the ice by Jonathan Toews, the Parise, Koivu, Coyle line still looks like the top targets. Mikko Koivu leads the team with 42 points in 58 games and has not only racked up two goals and five assists in his last six games but has also dished out three assists in those two prior meetings against the Blackhawks. Parise has added a goal and seven assists in the last seven games and youngster Charlie Coyle has come on strong with eight goals in his last 12 games. Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville are a bit too inconsistent for my liking in cash games, but certainly have plenty of GPP appeal. Ryan Suter is easily the most appealing option on the blue-line and has racked up 38 points in 58 games. He’s averaging nearly 29 minutes of ice-time per game this season and quarterback’s the top power-play unit. Just remember that the plethora of added unknowns with these outdoor games tough to target heavily in daily fantasy hockey.

Chicago Blackhawks

CF%: 50.7, CP60: 109.9, 5×5 Differential: 1
Elite Options: Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Duncan Keith
Secondary Options: Andrew Shaw, Artem Anisimov, Brent Seabrook

Minnesota Wild

CF%: 48, CP60: 106.1, 5×5 Differential: 8
Elite Options: Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Ryan Suter
Secondary Options: Charlie Coyle, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Jared Spurgeon, Mathew Dumba

Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks – 07:00 PM EST

Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Calgary Flames					Anaheim Ducks
			Jonas Hiller					John Gibson
			Record					Record
			26-28-3					30-19-8
Team Stats	2.74	3.04	15.50%	73.60%	Team Stats	2.44	2.39	20.10%	86.60%

The Calgary Flames have posted an ugly 9-15-3 road record this season and will head to Southern California tonight to battle the surging Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks have won all three prior meetings against the Flames this season and that makes if very hard to look at Calgary in cash games. Johnny Gaudreau is easily the most dangerous scoring threat on this Calgary team and has posted 56 points in 56 games. He’s joined by Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler on the Flames’ top line, but their home vs road splits are definitely a concern. On defense, Mark Giordano has been a fantasy weapon over the past month but the matchup against Anaheim’s extremely solid penalty kill ruins some of his fantasy appeal, as well. In cash games, i’ll be avoiding this team all together tonight.

To the chagrin of the rest of the Western Conference, the Ducks have officially “woken up” after under preforming for the first several months of the season. They’ve posted a 11-1-1 record over their last 12 games and have owned this Calgary team this season. Ryan Getzlaf has led the charge lately and has racked up three goals and nine assists during his current seven game scoring streak. He’s dished out six assists in the three meetings this season with Calgary and looks to be a premier play at the center position. David Perron has joined him on the top forward line and has posted six goals and seven assists in 14 games with his new team. Corey Perry joins those two on the top power-play unit and the former 50 goal scorer has lit up the Flames for three goals and two assists in their three meetings. On defense, both Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen share the duties on the point of that #1 power-play unit and are rock solid cash game options considering Calgary’s NHL worst 73.6% penalty kill.

Calgary Flames

CF%: 47.6, CP60: 110.6, 5×5 Differential: -9
Elite Options: None
Secondary Options: Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mark Giordano, Dougie Hamilton

Anaheim Ducks

CF%: 53.1, CP60: 107.8, 5×5 Differential: -9
Elite Options: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, David Perron
Secondary Options: Ryan Kesler, Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen

Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes – 07:00 PM EST

Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Tampa Bay Lightning					Carolina Hurricanes
			Ben Bishop					Cam Ward
			Record					Record
			32-22-4					27-22-10
Team Stats	2.69	2.47	17.50%	82.50%	Team Stats	2.47	2.59	17.70%	82.10%

Tampa picked up a statement win in Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon and will head to Carolina having posted a 13-5-0 record over their last 18 games. Last season’s Eastern Conference champions defeated Carolina in their only other meeting this season and find themselves just two points out of second place in the Atlantic Division. Facing the Carolina Hurricanes has not been a recipe for fantasy success this season, but both of John Cooper’s top two lines deserve your attention tonight. Nikita Kucherov got out of the gates slowly this season but has racked up 18 goals and 18 assists over his last 32 games and dished out a pair of assists against the Hurricanes in their only other meeting this season. He’s joined by the speedy Tyler Johnson and Ondrei Palat on the top line leaving Steven Stamkos to play alongside Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn. Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman share the duties on the point of the Tampa power-play, but it’s been Hedman putting up the big numbers lately. The Swedish blue-liner has racked up four goals and 14 assists in his last 18 games.

Carolina defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-2 on Friday night and have now posted a solid 6-2-2 record over their last ten games. With that said, they’ve averaged just 2.47 goals per game this season and have a very tough matchup against the defensively sound Tampa Bay Lightning. The fantasy options on this team are limited, but Jordan Staal has emerged as the top option. He’s scored goals in three straight games and has now picked up eight goals and 14 assists in his last 19 games. Aside from him, the other options have been rather inconsistent but guys like Kris Versteeg, Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner are still well worth a look as contrarian GPP plays. The Hurricanes are hopeful to get Justin Faulk back into the lineup, but his status likely won’t clear until much closer to game-time. If he’s unable to suit up, the 5th pick in last season’s draft Noah Hanifin would be set for a heavy workload and the role as the quarterback of the top power-play unit. He’s tough to trust in cash games, but his dirt cheap asking price makes him a fine “punt” option if you’re desperate for some cash savings.

Tampa Bay Lightning

CF%: 52.6, CP60: 105.7, 5×5 Differential: 6
Elite Options: Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman
Secondary Options: Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, Ryan Callahan, Anton Stralman

Carolina Hurricanes

CF%: 53.1, CP60: 106.4, 5×5 Differential: -10
Elite Options: Jordan Staal
Secondary Options: Eric Staal, Kris Versteeg, Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk (if healthy), Noah Hanifin

Detroit Red Wings at New York Rangers – 07:00 PM EST

Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Detroit Red Wings					New York Rangers
			Petr Mrazek					Henrik Lundqvist
			Record					Record
			29-20-9					33-19-6
Team Stats	2.55	2.57	18.30%	80.70%	Team Stats	2.88	2.55	17.90%	77.50%

After dropping a shootout decision to the Ottawa Senators last night, the Red Wings have now dropped three straight game and fallen into fourth place in the Atlantic Division. Dylan Larkin was held out of last night’s game with an illness and his status tonight remains unclear. With him potentially out of the lineup, the offensive focus falls even more firmly on the top line of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Justin Abdelkader. Zetterberg leads the team with 41 points in 59 games and has heated up since being joined by Datsyuk, posting three goals and five assists in his last nine games. Datsyuk saw his seven game scoring streak snapped last night, but has racked up six goals and five assists in the last eight games and is a fine option despite the less than ideal matchup. With Niklas Kronwall still sidelined, Mike Green will see all the playing time he can handle with the man-advantage making him a fine option where the price is right. Coach Blashill has also used the Kronwall injury to see what he has in young defenseman Danny DeKeyser and Brendan Smith. While both players are very inconsistent, they’re also both quite cheap and locked into a solid 20 minutes of playing time per game right now.

The Rangers were somehow outshot 37-20 by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night but still managed to escape with a 4-2 victory. They’ve now posted a 6-1-1 record over their last eight games and will welcome the Detroit Red Wings to the Madison Square Garden where they own an impressive 21-6-3 record this season. Both Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello are carrying the offensive load with Rick Nash still out. While they’ve been split up as playing partners, both players look like very fine options tonight against Detroit. Both players have thrived on home ice-ice where Brassard has racked up 17 goals, 19 assists and a +19 in 29 games while Zuccarello trails just behind with 13 goals, 18 assists and a +12. Both players are on a point-per-game (or better) pace since the All-Star break and team up on New York’s top power-play unit as well. On defense, New York will once again be without their Captain Ryan McDonagh. His absence means a massive workload for Keith Yandle who has picked up an assist in each of the last five games and runs things from the point of the top power-play unit. It’s not the best matchup for Yandle, but he’s still a fine option in all formats.

Detroit Red Wings

CF%: 51.4, CP60: 100.6, 5×5 Differential: 6
Elite Options: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg
Secondary Options: Justin Abdelkader, Brad Richards, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, Danny DeKeyser

New York Rangers

CF%: 48.1, CP60: 106.9, 5×5 Differential: 35
Elite Options: Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard, Keith Yandle
Secondary Options: Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, J.T. Miller