NHL Grind Down: Sunday, October 18th
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 write-ups 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 Jersey Devils at New York Rangers – 01:00 PM EDT
| New Jersey Devils | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 | Cory Schneider |  | Henrik Lundqvist | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 32-36 | 53-22 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.15 | 2.55 | 19.30% | 80.60% | Team Stats | 3.02 | 2.28 | 16.80% | 84.30% |
The Devils have yet to pick up a win yet on the young season, and things certainly won’t be easy for them in a matinee battle at Madison Square Garden against last season’s President’s Trophy winning New York Rangers. With the Rangers having won all four meetings last season, and the Devils only lighting the lamp six times through their first four games, this is just not a team to be targeting as anything other than a GPP flier. Mike Cammalleri was their leading scorer last year and is worth a mention, but save yourself some research time and look elsewhere today.
On the other hand, the Rangers have dropped two straight games and should be hungry to get back on the winning track this afternoon against the cross-town rival Devils. As mentioned above, the Rangers swept the season series between these two teams last season, and judging by puck possession dominance by Corsi standards, more of the same should be expected this season. The Rick Nash line is going to be a popular play this afternoon, and for good reason. Nash is one of the elite scorers in the NHL and his center, Derek Stepan, torched the Devils last season for four goals and an assist in three games. The second line of Kreider/Brassard/Fast is often overlooked, but they’re very capable offensively and make for a very intriguing GPP target. On the blue-line, Ryan McDonagh is the workhorse and team captain, but it’s Keith Yandle that offers the most fantasy upside as he lives on the point of the team’s #1 power-play unit and is one of the league’s best puck-moving defensemen.
Elite Plays
NJD: None
NYR: Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello, Keith Yandle, Henrik Lundqvist
Secondary Plays
NJD: Mike Cammalleri
NYR: Derick Brassard, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, Ryan McDonagh
St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets – 03:00 PM EDT
| St. Louis Blues | Winnipeg Jets | ||||||||
 |  | Ondrej Pavelec | |||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 51-24 | 43-26 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.91 | 2.40 | 22.30% | 83.70% | Team Stats | 2.72 | 2.49 | 17.80% | 81.80% |
On Friday, for the third straight game in a row, the Blues not only won their game but also lit the lamp on four occasions. They’ll continue their grueling road trip this afternoon in Winnipeg against a Jets team that has looked quite impressive to start the season. These two teams are fairly similar and this should be a tightly contested game, but on a five-game slate, you’re likely going to need to pick a side. For St. Louis, they’ll be without Paul Stastny for this afternoon’s game, but his linemates Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Steen should still be fine options regardless of who Ken Hitchcock decides to use as the #1 center. Monitor that news as game time approaches and whoever gets the call (I’m guessing Jori Lehtera) will benefit from a nice fantasy boost. The Stastny injury does have a negative ripple effect on their secondary scoring options. Kevin Shattenkirk remains a question mark for today’s game, and his availability plays a major role in how I’ll handle my exposure to the Blues defense. If he’s back in the lineup (and presumed healthy), he’s the clear top option. However, if he’s forced to sit again, Alex Pietrangelo will see a significant boost in playing time and the rookie Colton Parayko would be in line for a few extra minutes.
The Jets have rattled off two straight impressive victories, but they’ll definitely be tested today against this deep and dangerous Blues team. Picking on this St. Louis squad has rarely been a +EV endeavor over the past few seasons, but they’re a bit banged up right now and the Jets have averaged 3.6 goals per game this season. The Jets top forward line has been a force thus far this season as Ladd, Wheeler and Little have combined for seven goals and eight assists over the first five games. They’re definitely a fine option, but with the Blues likely locking them up with David Backes as often as possible, the matchup is not ideal. With that in mind, looking towards the second line centered by Mark Scheifele looks like an intriguing angle to play. Schiefele, a former first-round pick, has already scored three goals this season and he’s flanked by two talented wingers in Mathieu Perreault and Nikolaj Ehlers. On the blue-line, Dustin Byfuglien won’t come cheap, but his upside is about as high as any “defenseman” in the league.
Elite Plays
STL: Alex Steen, Vladimir Tarasenko
WPG: Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Dustin Byfuglien
Secondary Plays
STL: Jori Lehtera, Jaden Schwartz, Alex Pietrangelo
WPG: Andrew Ladd, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Tobias Enstrom
Minnesota Wild at Anaheim Ducks – 08:00 PM EDT
| Minnesota Wild | Anaheim Ducks | ||||||||
 | Devan Dubnyk |  | Frederik Andersen | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 46-28 | 51-24 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.77 | 2.41 | 15.80% | 86.30% | Team Stats | 2.78 | 2.70 | 15.70% | 81.00% |
The Wild saw their unblemished record go by the wayside on Friday night as they lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Kings, but stealing two points from this team looks like it’s going to be a tough task once again this season. However, these west coast road trips usually take their tolls on teams and Anaheim had Minnesota’s number last season. Up-front, Zach Parise is the top threat and his line with Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville can’t be ignored on a short night, but they certainly shouldn’t carry an overly high ownership either. Ryan Suter is one of the NHL’s “Ironmen” and can actually be had for a pretty reasonable price on several sites, so he should be on your radar. Big picture for cash games; I’m not anxious to pick on the Wild tonight, but I’m also not eager to have much exposure here either.
Something just seems wrong in Anaheim. The Ducks are now 0-3-1 and have only scored one goal in those four games. Ignoring that kind of mediocrity is somewhat irresponsible, but one a five-game slate, our choices are somewhat limited. It’s hard to imagine these struggles lasting too long, but the Minnesota Wild visit the Pond tonight and they’re one of the stingiest defense teams in the league over the past few seasons. With that said, the Ducks won all three meetings between these teams last season and possess one of the most dangerous offensive duo’s in the league (Getzlaf and Perry). While Zach Parise will make their lives on the ice less than desirable, they’ve still earned the right to be rostered even in tough matchups. With Francois Beauchemin no longer in the picture, the trio of Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler all see power-play time and soak up power-play time, making all of them fine defensive options where the price is right.
Elite Plays
MIN: Zach Parise
ANA: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry
Secondary Plays
MIN: Mikael Granlund, Jason Pominville, Mikko Koivu, Ryan Suter
ANA: Patrick Maroon, Jakob Silfverberg, Jiri Sekac, Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm
Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks – 09:00 PM EDT
| Edmonton Oilers | Vancouver Canucks | ||||||||
 | Ben Scrivens |  | Ryan Miller | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 24-44 | 48-29 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.35 | 3.37 | 17.70% | 76.70% | Team Stats | 2.88 | 2.68 | 19.30% | 85.70% |
The Oilers are undoubtedly an up-and-coming team, but trusting them on the road in cash games is not something I’m prepared to do at this point. They lost to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday to fall to 0-4-0 and dropped all five games against the Canucks last season. Connor McDavid looks to be growing more and more comfortable (and scored his first NHL goal in their last game) but still isn’t ready to be trusted in cash games. The Oilers top line containing both Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are the most reliable options, but reliable is definitely a relative word when discussing this team. On the blue-line, Justin Schultz is the top option, but if it wasn’t clear before, I’ll be staying away from Edmonton in cash games today.
Considering both Edmonton’s leaky defense and the Canucks dominance over the Oilers last season, this is a team I’ll want plenty of exposure to tonight. The Sedin brothers are still offensive forces and are a top-tier duo to stack together. They’re joined by Alexandre Burrows on the top forward line which makes him fantasy relevant all by itself. Radim Vrbata and Bo Horvat have struggled out of the gates this season, but the talent there is undeniable and it seems like it’s only a matter of time until they get rolling and offer the Canucks a very viable secondary scoring option. With the Oilers posting the league’s second worst penalty kill last season (76.7%), targeting the top power-play unit should be a common approach. That strategy also brings Brandon Sutter into play and he also happens to lead the team with five points on the young season. On defense, Alex Edler has some offensive upside and is really the only nice fantasy option on this Canucks team.
Elite Plays
EDM: Taylor Hall
VAN: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Radim Vrbata
Secondary Plays
EDM: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid, Justin Schultz
VAN: Brandon Sutter, Bo Horvat, Alex Edler
Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings – 10:00 PM EDT
| Colorado Avalanche | Los Angeles Kings | ||||||||
 | Semyon Varlamov |  | Jonathan Quick | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 39-31 | 40-27 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.55 | 2.72 | 15.00% | 84.60% | Team Stats | 2.66 | 2.40 | 19.00% | 80.90% |
The Avalanche bounced back from an embarrassing beatdown against Boston by going into Anaheim and shutting out the Ducks on Friday night. This has been a very inconsistent team this season, and going into the Staples Center has been an easy task for opposing teams. The Kings won all three meetings between these teams last season and generally play very tough defense, especially on home ice. However, it’s a short slate and the Avalanche have already racked up 15 goals in their first four games. Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon are both elite offensive talents, and they’ve teamed up on the top forward line where they’ve both already picked up six points on the season. However, they’ll likely be shadowed all evening by Anze Kopitar and his suffocating defense, putting a small dent in their fantasy outlook tonight. With that in mind, Patrick Roy will likely be counting on both Jarome Iginla and Matt Duchene to get things rolling offensively and offer the team a reliable second scoring line. On defense, Francois Beauchemin has been brought in to help stabilize this defensive core (and has already picked up five assists), but it’s Erik Johnson that offers the most fantasy potential.
By Corsi standards, this is about as lopsided of a matchup as you’ll find in the NHL these days. The Kings were the top puck possession team in the league last season and only the Buffalo Sabres rated out worse than the Avalanche. The Kings inconsistencies have been frustrating, but I’m definitely going to want some exposure here. They picked up their first win of the season on Friday against the Minnesota Wild and should be highly motivated to keep things rolling tonight against this team they dominated last season. The top two scoring lines are both fine options despite their very cold starts to the season. Jeff Carter torched the Avalanche last season, scoring three goals and adding two assists in their three meetings. Drew Doughty remains an elite option on the blue-line and has averaged nearly 28 minutes of ice-time per game this season. Jake Muzzin has really struggled out of the gates this season, but he posted 41 points during the 2014-15 season and won’t stay cold for too long.
Elite Plays
COL: Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog
LAK: Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty
Secondary Plays
COL: Jarome Iginla, Matt Duchene, Erik Johnson
LAK: Marian Gaborik, Tyler Toffoli, Jake Muzzin