NHL Grind Down: Sunday, March 11th

by Tom Woollam (elctrceye) Last Updated 2018-03-11 17:05:30 Premium Content Part of the product Core4

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.

Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks

Boston Bruins					Chicago Blackhawks
			Anton Khudobin					Anton Forsberg
			Record					Record
			43-15-8					29-32-8
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	3.36	2.53	20.77	82.83	Team Stats	2.83	2.97	15.55	81.82

For a while there it looked like the Chicago Blackhawks were going to pull the rabbit out of the hat and beat the Boston Bruins yesterday afternoon. That was before the Bruins put up four goals in the third period to grab then 7-4 victory. Even without Patrice Bergeron, David Backes and Charlie McAvoy the team can still light the lamp as they became only the seventh team in history to sweep a six game home stand. The top line of Brad Marchand, Riley Nash and David Pastrnak is usually the line to target in cash games as they also double as the team’s top power play unit. Marchand leads the team with 29 goals and is tied with Pastrnak with 40 assists while Riley Nash is serviceable as he fills in for Bergeron on the top line. David Krejci netted two goals in yesterday’s win as he skates with Jake DeBrusk and Rick Nash on the team’s second line. All six players get to see some extra ice time along with Danton Heinen and Brian Gionta from the third line when the Bruins draw a penalty. Defenseman Torey Krug is the choice from the back line as he has notched 17 of his 48 points while quarterbacking the team’s top power play unit. Matt Grzelcyk and Nick Holden can also be looked at here for a little salary relief in GPP formats. The Bruins are second in the Atlantic Division and should be able to improve on their 18-8-4 road record here against a very weak Chicago team.

The good news for the Blackhawks is that they scored four goals yesterday while the bad news is obviously the fact that they gave up seven in the process. Although the team is well out of the playoff race I’d look for them to come out and score a few goals this evening. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad skated as the top line in yesterday’s contest as they along with Artem Anisimov saw a majority of the ice time when Chicago had the extra attacker. Kane leads the team with 24 goals and 40 assists while Toews is just one shy of scoring his 20th goal of the season. Alex Debrincat, Nick Schmaltz and John Hayden skated as the second line while Anisimov drew Tomas Jurco and Matthew Highmore for most of the night. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are the usual suspects back on the blue line but to be honest neither has really had a good season so far. Keith is one point shy of cracking the 30 point mark while Seabrook and his 20 points in 67 games is almost just as embarrassing. If you want to catch lightning in a bottle then Erik Gustafsson is your man as his three points in yesterday’s game represents 33% of his total output in the 22 games he has suited up for. Chicago is a team in despair but with only four games on today’s slate you may just have to get your feet wet a little here.

Top Plays

BOS: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak
CHI: Patrick Kane

Secondary Plays

BOS: Torey Krug, Riley Nash, David Krejci, Rick Nash, Danton Heinen
CHI: Jonathan Toews, Brandon Saad, Alex Debrincat, Artem Anisimov, Duncan Keith