NHL Grind Down: Sunday, March 5th
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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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New York Islanders at Calgary Flames
| New York Islanders | Calgary Flames | ||||||||
 | Thomas Greiss |  | Brian Elliott | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 30-22-11 | 35-26-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.90 | 2.90 | 15.60% | 79.90% | Team Stats | 2.63 | 2.74 | 19.80% | 80.20% |
The Islanders have fought their way through the last 10 games to come up with 13 points, which has put the team in position to be the last team to qualify for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Their 30-22-11 record yields them 71 points, which is just an overtime loss ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Josh Bailey and John Tavares has led the team with three goals and six assists over the last five games. It’s important to look at the last five games because they have all been road games, as the team is in the midst of the longest stretch away from home in recent memory. Tavares leads the team with 23 goals and 53 points, while Bailey’s 32 assists is tops on the team. Anders Lee joins them to complete not only the top line but the unit that sees the most ice time when the Islanders draw a penalty, as well. Ryan Strome comes up from the third line to complete the top unit along with defenseman Nick Leddy. Johnny Boychuk would be the only other defensive choice here, with Leddy being the safest play with 12 of his 34 points coming with the man advantage. Brock Nelson, Andrew Ladd, and Josh Ho-Sang will skate on the team’s second line and could be in play as a deeper tournament play if you are feeling a bit lucky. This is New York’s sixth game on the road, and they won’t return back to Brooklyn until March 13th.
The Flames are another team that has scratched and clawed their way into not only the playoff conversation, but the playoffs themselves if they were to start today. Calgary’s point total is at 74, which is currently good enough for the seventh seed on the Western Conference. They do have some breathing room, however, as they are a full six points ahead of the eighth seed, the Los Angeles Kings. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan skate on the top line and should be considered as cash game plays this afternoon, as they both get the extra ice time on the top power play unit. Micheal Ferland skates with them at even strength but does not give you the return on your invest that the other two skates do. Gaudreau has fought his way up to 43 points in his 53 games, while Monahan has grabbed six of his 41 points over the last eight games. Matthew Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund skate on the second line with Michael Frolik and could be in play here, as well. Both Backlund and Tkachuk match Gaudreau’s team leading eight points over the last eight games, with Backlund leading the team with 46 points so far this season. T.J. Brodie gets the nod from the back line to quarterback the team’s top power play unit, but Dougie Hamilton is the safer play here, as he has racked up 39 points so far this season. Calgary has been playing well of late and should continue to do so in front of the home crowd.
Elite Plays
NYI: John Tavares
CGY: Johnny Gaudreau, Mikael Backlund
Secondary Plays
NYI: Josh Bailey, Anders Lee, Nick Leddy, Ryan Strome
CGY: Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, Dougie Hamilton, T.J. Brodie
Columbus Blue Jackets at New Jersey Devils
| Columbus Blue Jackets | New Jersey Devils | ||||||||
 | Joonas Korpisalo |  | Keith Kinkaid | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 40-17-6 | 25-27-12 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.19 | 2.34 | 21.60% | 82.70% | Team Stats | 2.25 | 2.84 | 18.00% | 80.60% |
The Blue Jackets come into this one tied with Pittsburgh for second place in the Metropolitan. After a nice 1-0 shutout against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night, they lost a bit of focus last night, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Ottawa Senators. Tonight, they look to get back on track and improve on their 17-8-5 record away from the home crowd. Nick Foligno, Alexander Wennberg, and Oliver Bjorkstrand will skate on the top line, while Brandon Dubinsky centers the second line alongside of Cam Atkinson and Boone Jenner. Atkinson makes for a decent one-off anytime Columbus plays on the road because he centers the second line but moves up to get the extra ice time on the top power play unit. This is one of the reasons why he leads the team with 21 power play points, as well as the club in total points with 54. Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno could be used in tournament play here, as Wennberg has registered 52 points, while Foligno’s 45 points is just a few steps behind. San Ganger comes up from the third line to play on the top power play unit but the interesting thing here is that Brandon Saad has been shipped to the third line, as well, but has continued to find the score sheet. Saad’s six points over the last eight games has kept him tied with Foligno for third on the team’s scoring chart. Because there are only three games on FanDuel’s early slate I don’t think I’d have a problem adding Scott hrtnell to this mix to make a complete line stack for GPP play only, especially since the team is on the road. Zacahary Werenski has picked up the pace a bit, as he has recorded eight of his 39 points over the last eight games. Seth Jones can be looked at here, as well, as his 35 points is just four away from the aforementioned Werenski.
The injury to Mike Cammalleri makes it a bit easier to choose players from the devils for our rosters this afternoon. Not that he was doing anything except taking up room on the ice, as is the case with most of the team this season. The Devils are one-line team and there is no reason not to stick Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac in a GPP at the very least. This line is basically the only line the Devils have that scores on a consistent basis, which is a plus on home ice this afternoon. Hall leads the team with Palmieri at 42 points in the 54 games he has played in, while Zajac’s 39 points are just a tad behind but still third best on the team. They also have combined for 10 of the 18 goals the Devils have scored in the last nine games. The second line of Miles Wood, Beau Bennet, and Adam Henrique should only be considered as a deeper tournament play with Henrique being more of a one-off than anything. His 33 points comes in at fourth on the team and that should give you some indication as to why New Jersey is pretty much out of the playoff picture. Damon Severson and Andy Greene are the choices on the back line with Severson being the safer play with 12 of his 27 points coming with the man advantage.
Elite Plays
CBJ: Cam Atkinson
NJ: Taylor Hall
Secondary Plays
CBJ: Alexander Wennberg, Nick Foligno, Zachary Werenski, Brandon Dubinsky
NJ: Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Damon Severson, Adam Henrique
Buffalo Sabres at Pittsburgh Penguins
| Buffalo Sabres | Pittsburgh Penguins | ||||||||
 | Anders Nilsson |  | Matt Murray | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 27-26-12 | 39-16-8 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.51 | 2.76 | 22.90% | 76.30% | Team Stats | 3.44 | 2.78 | 22.20% | 80.20% |
On paper, this game looks like it’s going to “Blow Out City,” and it very well could end up that way. The injury to Kyle Okposo makes it easier for us to roster players like Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen, but what it doesn’t do is give improve Buffalo’s chances of winning the game. Eichel has found the score sheet 12 times in the last nine games and now has is point total up to 41 in the 44 games he has suited up for. He makes for a decent one-off here but could be paired with linemate Sam Reinhart, as they both get the extra time on the team’s top power play unit. Meanwhile, Evander Kane skates on the top line with Ryan O’Reilly and the ageless Brian Gionta. Kane has taken over the team in lead in shots on goal with 181 of them, which in turn has made him the team’s top goal scorer, as well, with those shots yielding 23 goals so far this season. Ristolainen makes for a decent play on the back line, as he has registered 22 of his 39 points while manning the point with the man advantage. Pittsburgh has given up three power play goals over the last five games, so it’s not like they are doing a great job in that department. Buffalo should score a few here, but I wouldn’t expect a win today.
Pittsburgh should have a field day here as they try to improve on their 26-4-3 record in front of the home crowd. Those 26 wins have helped the team stay in a tie with Columbus for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points. Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz got a surprise last game when Conor Sheary returned to the lineup and was promptly placed back on the top line. Sheary was on track to have a decent season with his 35 points in 42 games and will look to continue to build on that tonight against a weak Buffalo team. Besides Crosby leading the team in points, one must look to Evgeni Malkin who hasn’t done bad for himself this season by lightning the lamp 28 times to go along with 37 assists. Malkin will always be in Crosby’s shadow, as evidenced by his being left off the top 100 list that was revealed at the end of January. Patric Hornqvist and Carl Hagelin skate on the second line, while the return of Sheary makes it possible to have Phil Kessel on the third line with Jake Guentzel and Nick Bonino. Kessel has racked up 58 points so far this season, which is one of the reasons why the Penguins are the closest team to having three scoring lines than any other team in the league. Kris Letang will be out again this afternoon, which means that you can fire up defensemen Justin Schultz with a high level of confidence for your cash game plays. Schultz has 41 points so far this year and should only keep adding to that total by playing on the top power play with the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Kessel.
Elite Plays
BUF: Jack Eichel
PIT: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin
Secondary Plays
BUF: Rasmus Ristolainen, Evander Kane, Ryan O’Reilly, Sam Reinhart
PIT: Phil Kessel, Justin Schultz, Patric Hornqvist
San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild
| San Jose Sharks | Minnesota Wild | ||||||||
 | Martin Jones |  | Devan Dubnyk | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 38-18-7 | 41-15-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.76 | 2.34 | 17.20% | 81.30% | Team Stats | 3.32 | 2.35 | 22.10% | 84.00% |
This is a great game to kick off the 6pm games with, as both teams have tallied over 82 points in the Western Conference and are basically guaranteed playoff spots barring any severe meltdowns. San Jose is one of the easier teams to handicap in the league, as they really only have five scorers on their team. Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton skate on the top line with Kevin Labanc, while Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau skate on the second line with Mikkel Boedker. Labanc and Boedker are the odd men out when you talk about the top power play, which is why keeping the other two pairs together is not a bad idea when it comes to cash game plays. Tonight, they do play the Minnesota Wild, who are one of the toughest defensive teams in the NHL, so maybe not going gung-ho on them here is a wise play. Anything goes for tournament play, however, as Joe Pavelski has grabbed seven points in the last six games, which has helped him stay within 12 points of team leader Brent Burns with 55 points so far this season. Speaking of Burns, his 67 points ranks fourth in the league, which explains his high salary. We’ve seen that in smaller slates, rostering him can often be the difference between winning and losing in cash games.
Leave it to head coach Bruce Boudreau to mess up the lines when he gets his team back to full strength. Zach Parise and Jason Pominville have sat out the last two games with the mumps and instead of putting them back together, which was working well, let’s split them up. Parise heads to play with center Eric Staal and Chris Stewart (yes, that Chris Stewart), while Pominville will drop to the fourth line to skate with Ryan White and Erik Haula. This move will make the line of Mikael Granlund, Mikko Koivu and Jason Zucker the easy target for your cash game lineups tonight. Granlund leads the team with 21 goals and 38 assists, while Koivu and Zucker have combined for five goals and eight assists over the last seven games. It looks like full steam ahead for this line tonight. Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle and Martin Hanzal could also factor in to the equation here, as it looks like the Wild are starting to rival the Pittsburgh penguins in terms of scoring depth. Ryan Suter is the play on the back line, as he has racked up 33 points so far this season, while seeing the lion’s share on the minutes when the Wild draw a penalty.
Elite Plays
SJ: Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski
MIN: Mikael Granlund
Secondary Plays
SJ: Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton
MIN: Mikko Koivu, Eric Staal, Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Suter
Vancouver Canucks at Anaheim Ducks
| Vancouver Canucks | Anaheim Ducks | ||||||||
 | Richard Bachman |  | Jonathan Bernier | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 27-30-7 | 33-21-10 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.27 | 2.85 | 14.30% | 77.10% | Team Stats | 2.58 | 2.52 | 19.00% | 84.80% |
Over the past few years, when we talk about the Canucks, both Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin would be the hot topic of conversation. While they still skate on the top line, they have seen a huge drop in production this season; age appears to finally be catching up with the 36-year-old twins. Henrik is second on the team with 39 points, while Daniel’s 36 points holds on to third place on the tam. Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi have been joined by Loui Eriksson on the second line, and for all intents and purposes, make for good tournament plays here. Horvat leads the team with 19 goals and 44 points, while Baertschi has just returned from injury and will look to work on adding to his 30 points in the 52 games he has appeared in. The only worry here is that Vancouver played last night in Los Angeles and almost blew a 4-1 lead, as the Kings were easily dominating them from the middle of the second period on. Defensively it really doesn’t matter if you select Ben Hutton, Alexandre or Troy Stecher here, as they are all three points apart from each other with Stecher leading the way with 18 points.
Anaheim should have no problem taking care of business tonight against a tired Vancouver team. The Ducks look to improve on their 20-7-3 record in front of the home crowd, and they are currently in third place in the Pacific Division. It’s tough to tell who skates on the top line anymore, as Ryan Kesler centers Andrew Cogliano, and Jakob Silfverberg, while Ryan Getzlaf is on a line with Patrick Eaves and Ondrej Kase. Meanwhile, the line with the most talent may be the “third” line that features Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry. Getzlaf has taken over the team lead with 48 points, while Rakell’s26 points is tops on the team. Kesler, Eaves and Getzlaf skate on the top power play unit along with defensemen Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler. It may be easiest to start here and work your way out, but one thing is for sure: keep your line pairs together. Kesler feels more like a one-off here, so using Getzlaf with eaves or Rakell and Perry could be optimal on a short slate like tonight’s. Fowler is the choice on the back line, as he leads the team’s defensemen with 31 points so far this season.
Elite Plays
VAN: None
ANA: Ryan Getzlaf
Secondary Plays
VAN: Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin
ANA: Patrick Eaves, Ryan Kesler, Rickard Rakell, Corey Perry, Cam Fowler