NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, February 14th
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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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Vancouver Canucks at Pittsburgh Penguins
| Vancouver Canucks | Pittsburgh Penguins | ||||||||
 | Ryan Miller |  | Matt Murray | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 25-25-6 | 34-13-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.34 | 2.82 | 15.60% | 79.00% | Team Stats | 3.54 | 2.83 | 22.20% | 79.00% |
Vancouver’s 8-17-3 record away from the home crowd does not bode well for them here as they roll into Pittsburgh to face a Penguin team that is 23-3-3 on home ice. Henrik Sedin, Markus Granlund and Daniel Sedin skate on the team’s top line while Brandon Sutter centers Loui Eriksson and Jayson Megna. The Canucks have had trouble lighting the lamp this season as evidence of third liner Bo Horvat leading the team in goals with 17. Horvat would make a decent one off play here as he also leads the team with 38 points but it looks like he is a no-go for tonight’s game. This cuts down on our scoring options quite a bit as Sven Baertschi is also out nursing an injury. The Sedin brothers have had a rough go of it this season as they have combined for 65 points in the 56 games Vancouver has played. As with most team’s that do not score a lot of goals the defenseman is the toughest position to fill when trying to lock in your line ups. Sure Troy Stecher plays on the top power play unit and leads the team in points the problem is that he has just tallied 16 points in 47 games. That leads all Vancouver defensemen which is hardly trustworthy for tournament play let alone cash game play.
The big question is will Evgeni Malkin actually play tonight as he was supposed to come back from injury but Pittsburgh held him out. My guess is that he will play tonight as that was just a precautionary measure on a risk that wasn’t needed to be taken. Pittsburgh is in a solid position for the playoff run as their 75 points is tied for second best in the Eastern Conference. Sidney Crosby leads the league with 30 goals as he centers Chris Kunitz and Jake Guentzel. This line could be one of the most popular of the night but we can’t discount the second line that has Malkin skating with Patric Hornqvist and Scott Wilson. The third line can also score as well as we find Nick Bonino skating with Phil Kessel and Matt Cullen. Kessel makes for a nice one-off play here as he has racked up seven of his 53 points in the last six games. Defenseman Justin Schultz is enjoying a breakout year as he has tallied 39 points in 54 games so far this season. Kris Letang has been back from injury which now gives you two choices on the back line for the high scoring Pittsburgh Penguins. The home team will score some goals tonight, it’s just a question of how many.
Elite PlaysVAN: None
PIT: Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel
Secondary Plays
VAN: Daniel Sedin, Bo Horvat, Henrik Sedin, Brandon Sutter
PIT: Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist, Justin Schultz, Kris Letang
Colorado Avalanche at New Jersey Devils
| Colorado Avalanche | New Jersey Devils | ||||||||
 | Jeremy Smith |  | Cory Schneider | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 15-36-2 | 23-22-10 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.02 | 3.40 | 14.50% | 78.20% | Team Stats | 2.27 | 2.82 | 16.10% | 81.80% |
You can file this team under the ‘Blind Squirrel sometimes finds a nut’ category as their nine goals they scored in two wins three games ago was clearly an aberration. Since then the team has scored just four goals which now gives the 107 on the season which is the lowest total in the league. If the Avalanche do score it will probably be the top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog leading the charge. This line has each grabbed at least five points over the seven games as they have combined for seven goals and nine assists over that same time frame. After that no one has grabbed more than three points in the last seven which includes Matt Duchene who leads the team in goals with 15. Duchene has Matt Nieto and Mikhail Grigorenko as his even strength linemates but jumps up with MacKinnon and company when the Avalanche go on the power play. MacKinnon leads the team with 38 points in 53 games. Tyson Barrie is the troll extraordinaire when it comes to what seemingly looks like a ‘phantom injury’. He plays the games he’s listed as doubtful to play and gets scratched when he’s seemingly healthy. If you want to take a shot at playing him in a tournament he does have 23 points in the 45 games he has suited up for.
New Jersey is just as frustrating as their counterparts for tonight’s game as just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water they come up with a bad game. The Devil’s 56 points have the just 5 points away from the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Taylor Hall makes for a nice one-off play here as he leads the team with 148 shots on goal and 36 points in just 45 games. Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri skate with him on the top line while Adam Henrique centers Miles Wood and Mike Cammalleri on the second line. Henrique has six points over the last five games while Wood looks to have been promoted to the top power play unit. I’d stick with Hall and Palmieri for your cash game plays as the Avalanche have given up 13 goals in their last three games. Damon Severson is usually the play on the back line as he has collected 10 of his 24 points on the man advantage but it’s been Andy Greene who has been logging the extra ice time when the devils have the extra attacker. Greene has found the score sheet just 10 goals in the 43 games he has played in so far this season so maybe it’s best to avoid this mess altogether. New Jersey should be able to come away with the victory here against the worst team in the league.
Elite Plays
COL: None
NJ: Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri
Secondary Plays
COL: Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, Tyson Barrie
NJ: Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique, Mike Cammalleri
New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs
| New York Islanders | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||||||||
 | Thomas Greiss |  | Frederik Andersen | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 25-19-10 | 25-18-11 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.96 | 2.87 | 16.40% | 81.50% | Team Stats | 3.04 | 2.87 | 23.30% | 83.20% |
With a 6-2-2 record over the last ten games the Islanders have moved within just one point of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. And to think that this team is probably not going to be playing in Brooklyn next year because they can’t make any money, someone should talk to the Arizona fans. The reason New York has been able to make a move is because not only John Tavares and Anders Lee have been scoring at a consistent rate we now find Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson contributing from the second line as well. This is the point breakdown over the last seven games. Lee has nine points while Strome has three goals and five assists. After that Nelson has seven points while Tavares and Josh Bailey have six points each. That’s pretty consistent scoring if you ask me. Since the islanders are on the road I do like Strome and Nelson as a decent tournament play here as they will no doubt be very low owned but should get their scoring chances here tonight against a Toronto team that has won just two of their last six home games. Nick Leddy is the choice on the back line as he soaks up most of the extra time when the Islanders have the extra attacker. Just like the offense, the Islanders have another defensemen that is contributing in the form of Johnny Boychuk. He has grabbed five of his 19 points over the last seven games.
The Maple Leafs need a win in the worst way tonight as the Islanders are hot on their heels for the last playoff spot in the conference. We already know the Islanders have 60 points but Toronto’s 25-18-11 record evens out to 61 points with each team playing just 54 games so far this season. Auston Matthews leads the team in goals with 25 while skating with Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. Meanwhile the line of Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk and Mitchell Marner is probably the line you will run into in your cash games tonight. Marner leads the team with 47 points while his linemates have combined for 32 goals and 47 assists so far this season. Nazem Kadri has 40 points while centering Leo Komarov and William Nylander. Toronto has three scoring line that can be effective with the Bozak line being the most consistent. Defenseman Jake Gardiner soaks up most of the power play time while Nikita Zaitsev makes for a decent play on the back line as well. Zaitsev has garnered five of his 25 points over the last five games. This game could see a lot of scoring in it so getting pieces of both sides may be the way to go tonight.
Elite Plays
NYI: John Tavares
TOR: Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner
Secondary Plays
NYI: Anders Lee, Ryan Strome, Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey, Nick Leddy
TOR: Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner
Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators
| Buffalo Sabres | Ottawa Senators | ||||||||
 | Robin Lehner |  | Craig Anderson | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 23-23-10 | 29-18-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.45 | 2.75 | 23.40% | 74.00% | Team Stats | 2.62 | 2.68 | 16.60% | 83.60% |
Buffalo’s win one, lose one tendencies have the team with a record of 23-23-10 which is clearly not good enough to qualify for the playoffs. They are however in the same boat as the New Jersey Devils as their 56 points has the team just five points away from the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The top line of Jack Eichel, Evander Kane Kane and Sam Reinhart will draw most of Ottawa’s attention but that doesn’t mean they can stop them. Eichel leads the team with eight points over the last eight games while racking up 29 points in the 35 games he’s played in. Ryan O’Reilly will center Kyle Okposo and Justin Bailey and should be the line to target in your tournaments tonight. Okposo leads the team with 37 points while O’Reilly is right behind him with 35 points in 46 games. A lot of the problems Buffalo has run into is because of their man-games lost. They just can’t afford to have any of their top five guys injured if they want to be in the playoff hunt. Rasmus Ristolainen is the play on the back line as he has found the score sheet 18 times while quarterbacking the top power play unit. This just adds to his total of 32 points which is good for fourth on the Sabres scoring chart.
Ottawa is hanging tough in the Atlantic Division with 64 points which has the team six points behind the Montreal Canadiens. Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Mike Hoffman has been skating on the top line with Kyle Turris and Zack Smith. Now this would be great if it actually happens as this has happened before only to find at puck drop that Hoffman was skating back on a line with Tom Pyatt and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Hoffman leads the team with 11 power play goals and pairing him with Turris makes for a nice combination here as he surely will see his points rise playing next to better players on the top line. It looks like Bobby Ryan will fall out of the top six and play alongside Hoffman’s ex-linemates which won’t help him in the least. Ryan Dzingel, Derick Brassard and mark Stone will skate as the other scoring line Ottawa will throw out there tonight. Stone leads the team with 20 goals so rostering him and Brassard would seem to be the right play here. Defenseman Erik Karlsson is the play on the back line as he leads the team with 45 points in 53 games so far this season. He also plays the majority of the minutes when Ottawa goes on the power play.
Elite Plays
BUF: Jack Eichel
OTT: Mark Stone, Erik Karlsson
Secondary Plays
BUF: Kyle Okposo, Ryan O’Reilly, Rasmus Ristolainen, Sam Reinhart
OTT: Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman, Derick Brassard
Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets
| Dallas Stars | Winnipeg Jets | ||||||||
 | Kari Lehtonen |  | Connor Hellebuyck | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 22-25-10 | 25-29-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.77 | 3.18 | 18.20% | 73.70% | Team Stats | 2.83 | 3.17 | 18.60% | 77.00% |
Both Winnipeg and Dallas come into this one with 54 points which is six points shy of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. One has to believe that both teams have enough talent to make the playoffs but has not shown it as we head into the final 25 games of the season. Dallas has been using Jamie Benn, Cody Eakin and Patrick Eaves as the team’s top line as well as getting a lot of run when the Stars have the man advantage. Benn leads the team with 10 points over the last seven games while Eaves’ 21 goals is tops on the team. Tyler Seguin jumps up with them when Dallas draws a penalty and is a good choice as a one-off here as he leads the team with 54 points in 57 games so far this season. Radek Faksa has been stepping it up a bit since joining Seguin on the second line at even strength as he has found the score sheet five times over the last seven games. John Klingberg gets the most power play time from the back line and is the play here tonight. Klingberg is back on track as evidence by grabbing four points in the last seven games. He also has recorded 12 of his 31 points while Dallas has had the extra attacker.
Winnipeg has elected to go with Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers as their top line and why not? Little and Wheeler have been together over the past few years and have had a lot of success and this year has been no exception. Wheeler is tied for second on the team with 47 points while Little has come on over the past month as his 30 points in 35 games would be right up there if we were to project those points out to the 58 games Winnipeg has played. Mark Scheifele leads the team with 25 goals and 53 points while his linemate in Patrik Laine has added 44 points in the 50 games he has suited up for. You can easily see that the Jets can in fact score goals, 165 of them to be exact, but what has hurt them is the 185 goals they have surrendered. Dustin Byfuglien is the choice on the back line as his 35 points leads the defensive corps in scoring. Jacob Trouba could be an alternate option here as he has four of his 24 points over the last six games. It will take a monumental effort for the jets to climb back into this thing as their defense just isn’t quite there yet. They can however start with a win tonight against their division rivals.
Elite Plays
DAL: Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn
WIN: Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele
Secondary Plays
DAL: John Klingberg, Patrick Eaves, Cody Eakin, Radek Faksa
WIN: Bryan Little, Nikolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine, Dustin Byfuglien