NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, December 19th
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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Stackability Rating System (Offense):
Green : Friendly matchup at 5v5 and/or on the power play; multiple lines worth stacking
Yellow : Line specific matchup at 5v5 and/or friendly power play matchup
Orange : Stacking is best left for GPPs, secondary scoring units and/or power play in tough matchup
Red : Difficult 5v5 and/or power play matchup, stacking not advisable
Stackability Rating System (Goalies):
Green : Goalie has a plus draw and is playable in all formats
Yellow : There is risk at 5v5 or the penalty kill; iffy for cash games and better for GPPs
Orange : Realistic risk at 5v5 and the penalty kill; not advisable in cash games but viable in GPPs
Red : Elevated risk in all situations and not a recommend crease to chase
Carolina Hurricanes at Toronto Maple Leafs
| Carolina Hurricanes | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||||||||
 | Scott Darling |  | Frederik Andersen | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 14-11-7 | 20-13-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.72 | 2.97 | 14.71 | 78.48 | Team Stats | 3.15 | 2.82 | 20.62 | 81.90 |
Hurricanes Offensive Outlook
5v5 (adj): 65.33 CF/60 (2) | 54.92 CA/60 (27) | 2.48 xGF/60 (7) | 2.14 xGA/60 (23)
The Hurricanes got a few days off following a four game in six night cross country road trip. They held their own and didn’t let the fatigue get to them, and now on fresh legs they’ll work against a Toronto team that has been trending down a bit. We can expect a few chances to occur in this game and Carolina will be able to hold their own offensively. They are a very strong 5v5 CF% team, driving play well, and they have generated a good number of high-danger shot attempts.
Toronto has struggled a bit of late, and they aren’t the high-event team they were earlier in the season (and last year). Working in Carolina’s favor is that the typical matchup problems — namely Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly — haven’t been slamming the door shut. We should expect the Hurricanes to push the issue and generate attempts, but they do this often and also frequently fail to finish.
Coach Bill Peters is up to his old tricks and it looks like the lines have been scrambled up, so keep an eye on the latest assignments. As of this writing, Jordan Staal is centering Justin Williams and Brock McGinn. Jeff Skinner would play with Victor Rask and Teuvo Teravainen. Derek Ryan would take a Staal-like role and center Sebastian Aho and Elias Lindholm.
It’s a moving target but the end result is the same: the offense isn’t really consolidated and production could come from anywhere. Staal probably takes the biggest hit, though Williams has quietly been outstanding this year. Skinner is mostly neutral as he loses Williams but gains Teuvo and Rask. Derek Ryan loses Skinner and Williams, but gets Aho. So everything that changed is the same in the end.
The preferred lines are Staal/Williams and Skinner/Rask/Teuvo. With Toronto on home ice and the Carolina offenses often underachieving, Carolina’s forwards settle in as secondary options.
Hurricanes Special Teams Outlook
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