NHL Grind Down: Sunday, March 13th
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.
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Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers – 12:30 PM EDT
| Pittsburgh Penguins | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 | Marc-Andre Fleury |  | Henrik Lundqvist | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 35-24-8 | 39-22-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.70 | 2.48 | 18.30% | 83.70% | Team Stats | 2.81 | 2.56 | 18.50% | 77.30% |
With the news breaking yesterday that Evgeni Malkin would miss the remainder of the regular season with an upper body injury, the Penguins playoff chances are suddenly on much shakier ground. With the Flyers nipping at their heels for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, they don’t have any time to sulk as they’ll head to Madison Square Garden for this afternoon’s battle against the New York Rangers. Malkin’s absence pushes the scoring responsibilities firmly on the shoulders of Sidney Crosby. Sid the Kid picked up an assist against Columbus on Friday to extend his point streak to seven games and has now tallied 11 goals and 15 assists (and a +16) in 19 games since the All-Star break. He’ll still be joined by Chris Kunitz and Patric Hornqvist on both the top forward line and #1 power-play unit and they’re easily the top offensive options from the Penguins today. Alternatively, Nick Bonino looks to be slated to take Malkin’s place between Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel on the second line. While he’s obviously not on the same level as Malkin, but this could be a huge boost to his fantasy potential. On the blue-line, Kris Letang has scored goals in back-to-back games and has now tallied 12 goals and 36 assists in his last 46 games after a very slow start to the season. Justin Schultz looks poised to join Letang on the point of the top power-play, and while he’s still a bit risky, his upside makes him well worth his bargain price-tag.
The Rangers lost in heartbreaking fashion yesterday afternoon against the Red Wings, but have ridden a solid 12-5-2 record since the All-Star break to climb into second place in the Metropolitan Division. They catch a break as the Penguins invade Manhattan without the services of Evgeni Malkin and will look to improve upon their 23-7-2 record at Madison Square Garden. Derick Brassard missed Saturday’s game with the flu, but the Rangers are hoping to have him back in action this afternoon. He trails only Mats Zuccarello for the team lead in points and, assuming Brassard is healthy enough to lace things up, that duo are likely to be joined by J.T. Miller once again. Both Brassard and Zuccarello have been far more dominant on home ice this season, making them the preferred targets up front. Alternatively, Derek Stepan has picked up points in three straight games and has posted six goals and eight assists in 18 games since the All-Star break. On the blue-line, both Keith Yandle and Ryan McDonagh have picked up three points in four games this month and are the prime targets.
Pittsburgh Penguins
CF%: 52.2, CP60: 109.2, 5×5 Differential: 13
Elite Options: Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang
Secondary Options: Patric Hornqvist, Chris Kunitz, Phil Kessel, Justin Schultz
New York Rangers
CF%: 47.5, CP60: 107.4, 5×5 Differential: 35
Elite Options: Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard (if healthy)
Secondary Options: Derek Stepan, Keith Yandle, Ryan McDonagh
Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets – 03:00 PM EDT
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Columbus Blue Jackets | ||||||||
 | Ben Bishop |  | Sergei Bobrovsky | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 39-24-5 | 28-32-8 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.69 | 2.35 | 16.70% | 82.90% | Team Stats | 2.57 | 3.04 | 18.00% | 80.90% |
Tampa’s three-game losing streak has seen them drop behind both Florida and Boston in the Atlantic Division, and they should be very motivated to leave Columbus with two points tonight. Considering the short slate and Columbus’ ugly 3.04 goals against allowed per game this season, John Cooper’s squad should be rather popular selections tonight. Steven Stamkos is currently the face of this franchise and has posted two goals and an assist in the two prior meetings with Columbus this season. He’ll lead Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn on the top line, leaving Tyler Johnson to center Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat on one of the most talented “secondary” scoring lines in the NHL. After a sluggish start to the season, Johnson has come alive with seven goals and nine assists in 19 games since the break and looks like a nice bargain across the industry. On the blue-line, both Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman are well worth consideration. Both players run things from the point of the Tampa Bay power-play and should be anxious to get a crack at Columbus’ mediocre penalty kill.
Behind the other bench, John Tortorella does have his team playing much better down the stretch, but this is still a tough team to trust in daily fantasy. The Lightning have won both prior games this season and have allowed just 2.35 goals against per game this season. With that said, both of their top two lines are worth a look on a three game slate. Cam Atkinson leads the team with 44 points and has been far better on home ice, posting 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games at Nationwide Arena. He’s been white-hot lately with five goals and an assist in his last five games and will be joined by Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner on the top forward line. Scott Hartnell trails just one point behind Atkinson and leads Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno on the second line. With Jack Johnson sidelined with an upper body injury, both Seth Jones and Ryan Murray should see 25+ minutes of playing time tonight. Both blue-liners see plenty of playing time with the man-advantage and look fine options considering the short slate.
Tampa Bay Lightning
CF%: 52.1, CP60: 106.3, 5×5 Differential: 19
Elite Options: Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Victor Hedman
Secondary Options: Ondrej Palat, Ryan Callahan, Anton Stralman
Columbus Blue Jackets
CF%: 47.6, CP60: 108.5, 5×5 Differential: -12
Elite Options: Cam Atkinson
Secondary Options: Brandon Dubinsky, Scott Hartnell, Seth Jones
Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit Red Wings – 07:30 PM EDT
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Detroit Red Wings | ||||||||
 | Garret Sparks |  | Petr Mrazek | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 22-34-11 | 34-23-11 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.28 | 2.91 | 15.10% | 80.50% | Team Stats | 2.51 | 2.59 | 17.20% | 80.50% |
The Maple Leafs looked lifeless in their 4-0 loss against the Senators last night and there’s not much of a reason to expect Mike Babcock’s return to Detroit to be triumphant. The Leafs have posted an ugly 6-19-4 record over their last 29 games and have dropped both prior meetings against the Wings this season. It’s usually wise to skip over the Leafs in DFS, but on a three game slate, they deserve a bit more attention. While I’m still not looking their way in cash games, both Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov are the top targets. Kadri leads the team with 11 points since the All-Star break and his 229 SOG ranks 11th in the NHL. Komarov has cooled off lately but still owns 36 points in 63 games and can really pay dividends on sites that reward hits. On defense, Jake Gardiner is a fine option if you’re not concerned about his plus/minus. The former first round pick has posted three goals and six assists in his last 16 games and sees a healthy dose of playing time from the point of their power-play. Alternatively, Morgan Rielly oozes offensive talent, runs things from the point of the top power-play unit, and remains very reasonably priced across the industry.
On the heels of back-to-back character building victories, the Red Wings will look to keep things rolling as the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs invade “The Joe”. With the Wings’ 24-season playoff streak hanging in the balance, they simply can’t afford to leave two points on the table tonight and I expect Jeff Blashill to have this team ready to roll when then puck drops tonight. The Wings have worked hard to create a balanced scoring attack, but it’s each of their top two forward lines that deserve your attention in cash games. Henrik Zetterberg leads the team in scoring with 42 points and will be joined by Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin on the top line. All three players have torched the Leafs in the prior two meetings; combining for five goals, six assists and a +10. Pavel Datsyuk headlines the second line and will now be flanked by the dangerous tandem of Tomas Tatar and Andreas Athanasiou. Niklas Kronwall was injured in yesterday’s game and will not be suit up tonight and his absense means Mike Green should prepare for all the minutes he can handle. Green looks to have found his groove, posting five assists in his last six games. Danny DeKeyser jumped onto the point of the #2 power-play unit and picked up a pair of assists against New York, making him a nice target if you’re looking for some salary relief on the blue-line.
Toronto Maple Leafs
CF%: 51.7, CP60: 113.8, 5×5 Differential: -27
Elite Options: None
Secondary Options: Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov, Nikita Soshnikov, Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner
Detroit Red Wings
CF%: 51.8, CP60: 101.6, 5×5 Differential: 4
Elite Options: Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Mike Green
Secondary Options: Justin Abdelkader, Dylan Larkin, Tomas Tatar, Andreas Athanasiou, Danny DeKeyser