NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, January 3rd
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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 Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes
| New Jersey Devils | Carolina Hurricanes | ||||||||
 | Keith Kinkaid |  | Cam Ward | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 15-16-7 | 16-13-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.26 | 2.95 | 13.40% | 83.50% | Team Stats | 2.56 | 2.61 | 19.40% | 88.80% |
The Devils took care of business last night as they disposed of the Boston Bruins by a score of 3-0 in front of the home crowd. Tonight they travel to Carolina and although they have won three of their last six games they still are just 5-12-5 in games not played in New Jersey. Travis Zajac remains a question mark for tonight’s game as he missed last night’s game with an illness. Pavel Zacha was moved up to play with Taylor Hall and P.A. Parenteau so even if Zajac were to play it would probably mean that Zacha moves back down to the third line. Regardless Hall and Parenteau would seem to make a good duo for your tournament action tonight as Parenteau has found the back of the net three times in the last five games while Hall has collected four of his team leading 25 points over the last three games since coming back from injury. It should be noted that Hall has 25 points in the 28 games he has suited up for which is enough to almost consider him as one-off in cash game play tonight as well. The second line of Adam Henrique, Mike Cammalleri and Kyle Palmieri could have a bit more room on the ice tonight as Carolina will probably have their best defensive unit shadowing Hall and Company for most of the night. Based on last night’s box score it looks like Andy Greene was bumped up to the top power play line in the absence of the injured John Moore. Greene had more ice time than both Damon Severson and Kyle Quincey on not only the power play but in total ice time as well. The Devils are hitting the road and could run into some trouble here so using caution is the best plan of attack.
By going 6-3-1 in their last ten games the Carolina Hurricanes have made small strides in trying to catch the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference. Their 39 points are just six points away from the Philadelphia Flyers who hold the eighth and final spot. The top line of Jeff Skinner, Victor Rask and Derek Ryan is the line to target here against a New Jersey team that hosted the Boston Bruins last night. Skinner leads the team in goals with 17 and in points with 27 while Rask leads the team with 16 assists. The second line of Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Lee Stempniak has been making the most noise lately as this line has combined for five goals and six assists over the last five games. They make for a decent GPP play here but I’d still stick with the top line on home ice for your cash game selections. Defenseman Justin Faulk is still on the shelf which makes your choices at the point either Noah Hanifin or Brett Pesce. Both play the point on the team’s top power play unit but I would only use them if you really need a punt play on the back line. With 13 others teams in action tonight there is no reason to dig this deep, especially on FanDuel.
Elite Plays
NJ: Taylor Hall
CAR: Jeff Skinner, Victor Rask
Secondary Plays
NJ: Kyle Palmieri, P.A. Parenteau, Adam Henrique, Damon Severson
CAR: Derek Ryan, Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen
Buffalo Sabres at New York Rangers
| Buffalo Sabres | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 | Robin Lehner |  | Henrik Lundqvist | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 13-15-8 | 26-12-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.14 | 2.67 | 21.60% | 73.90% | Team Stats | 3.41 | 2.46 | 23.10% | 84.10% |
The Buffalo Sabres continue to look for answers as Ryan O’Reilly will miss his tenth game this season while Jack Eichel will play in his 16th game since coming back from injury. That’s a lot of games missed especially when Buffalo was counting on them to be the leaders of the team. It also doesn’t help that the Sabres have chalked up one win over the last eight games and have scored 13 goals in those games. Eichel plays on the top line with Kyle Okposo and Marcus Foligno while Sam Reinhart centers Evander Kane and Justin Bailey. Eichel, Okposo, and Reinhart are joined by Matt Moulson on the team’s top power play unit while defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen rounds out the top five. Ristolainen leads the team in points with 25 points while registering 14 of them while on the man advantage. Reinhart makes for a decent one-off play here as he has tallied five of his 22 points over the last five games. Kyle Okposo leads the team in goals with ten while Eichel has a good points-per-game average as he has found the score sheet 12 times in the 15 games he has played in. That’s about the best it’s going to get for a team that has just 78 goals in 36 games.
The Rangers come into this one with a 7-3 record over the last ten games. With Rick Nash still on the shelf the Rangers will look to the top line of Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello who have racked up a combined nine goals and 13 assists in the last four games. They also pull double duty on the team’s top power play unit that has scored eight times in the last three games. Brandon Pirri could provide some salary relief as he joins them from the fourth line. His production could be better though as he has seen eight of his 14 points come with the man advantage. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh is the guy you want here as he quarterbacks the top power play unit and has grabbed seven points over the last four games. If there is a line to use for tournament play it would be the line of Jimmy Vesey, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller. Vesey is the one to leave off if you are going to pair them up as he has 19 points while Hayes and Miller have 28 and 26 points respectively. Look for the top line to have a lot of fun tonight.
Elite Plays
BUF: Jack Eichel
NYR: Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider
Secondary Plays
BUF: Kyle Okposo, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen
NYR: Ryan McDonagh, Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes
Toronto Maple Leafs at Washington Capitals
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Washington Capitals | ||||||||
 | Frederik Andersen |  | Braden Holtby | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 17-12-7 | 22-9-5 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.97 | 2.72 | 19.60% | 85.20% | Team Stats | 2.72 | 2.06 | 16.70% | 87.30% |
Believe it or not the Toronto Maple Leafs have scored nine more goals than the Capitals have but have eight less points than them in the Eastern Conference. Their 6-2-2- record over the last ten games have helped them inch within three points to the eighth and final playoff spot so a win here could do wonders for the young Toronto team. There is quite a debate brewing as the top line of Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk and Mitchell Marner was easily the top line early in the season but now Auston Matthews is starting to gel with his line mates in Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. Matthews leads the team in goals with 20 while Brown has upped his game by registering seven of his 16 points over the last five games. This easily makes this duo a decent tournament play and may even be a borderline cash play tonight. Marner and van Riemsdyk haven’t been slacking off as they each have four points in the last five games as they sit behind Matthews on the team’s scoring chart. Nazem Kadri, William Nylander and Leo Komarov make a third scoring line that could be used for deeper tournament plays. Nylander leads the team with 14 power play points while Kadri has racked up 13 goals and eight assists in 36 games. Jake Gardiner is the play from the point as he anchors the top power play unit from the blue line. Gardiner has six assists in the last five games which now gives him 20 points on the year. It will be a tough task to score on the Capitals in Washington so let’s just call this the first test of many for the Maple Leafs if they entertain any thoughts of making a run for the playoffs.
Washington is also 6-2-2 in their last ten games giving them a 22-9-5 record that is good for fourth place in the very competitive Metropolitan Division. The Capitals will try to avenge a 4-2 loss back on November 26th at Air Canada Center in Toronto. Alexander Ovechkin is always a good place to start if you can afford him as he leads the team in goals with 17 on a team leading 142 shots. Line mate T.J. Oshie joins him on the top power play while Evgeny Kuznetsov is their center at even strength. Oshi has 11 goals and seven assists in the 29 games he has played in so look for his production to go up a bit over the next few weeks. Nicklas Backstrom leads the team in scoring with 30 points as he centers Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams. While Williams is the odd man out when it comes to the man advantage he has been able to light the lamp twice and assist on three other goals over the past five games. This gives Williams 16 points on the year while Johansson has garnered seven of his 25 points while skating on the team’s top power play unit. John Carlson is the choice on defense as he continues to log the most ice time on a nightly basis. He also quarterbacks the team’s top power play unit which hasn’t scored a goal in the last six games. Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov make for some cheaper options as they have a few less points than Carlson on the season. Washington should be able to improve on their 13-5-1 record in front of the home crowd tonight.
Elite Plays
TOR: Auston Matthews
WSH: Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom
Secondary Plays
TOR: Mitchell Marner, James van Riemsdyk, Jake Gardiner, Nazem Kadri, Connor Brown
WSH: T.J. Oshie, John Carlson, Marcus Johansson, Evgeny Kuznetsov
Edmonton Oilers at Columbus Blue Jackets
| Edmonton Oilers | Columbus Blue Jackets | ||||||||
 | Cam Talbot |  | Sergei Bobrovsky | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 19-12-7 | 26-5-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.84 | 2.58 | 21.60% | 82.60% | Team Stats | 3.46 | 2.06 | 27.40% | 81.00% |
Many teams have tried and now it’s Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers turn to try to break the Blue Jackets 15 game winning streak. Edmonton has won five of their last eight games and will need a total team effort to take down the NHL’s best team in the league, especially in their own barn. McDavid, Milan Lucic and Jordan Eberle will be the line that Columbus will try to shut down if they can. McDavid leads the team in both goals and assists as he has a total of 43 points in the first 38 games. Lucic will ride shotgun with him on the team’s power play while Leon Draisaitl and Mark Letestu help round out a power play unit that has five goals in the last five games. Draisaitl makes a decent one-off play as he also has 14 goals while registering 15 of his 33 points when the Oilers had the man advantage. Letestu is a cheap way to get exposure to one of the better players in the league as he has tallied 17 points so far this season. Defenseman Oscar Klefbom is back on the top power play unit and makes for a decent GPP play here as he has 87 shots on goal so far this season with only 12 points to show for it. Hopefully the extra ice time will help him register a few more points. Edmonton could be in trouble here if their second line that features Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Patrick Maroon cannot generate any offense.
There is not much to say about a team that has just reeled off 15 straight wins and has a league best plus 50 goal differential, but I will try. Brandon Saad, Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno will no doubt be one of the top lines to stack for your cash game play tonight. They each have at least 32 points on the season and have a combined total of seven goals and 16 assists over the last six games. Saad is the odd man out when it comes to the top power play unit so his one power play point sits alone compared to the other 31 points he has put on the board this season. Saad is 22nd in the league in scoring and you’d have to go all the way down to the 147th position to find a player who has less than two power play points which would be Andrew Cogliano who has 19 points with none coming with the man advantage. Cam Atkinson is surely a one-off play here as the team leader in points has tallied 17 of his 37 points after the Blue Jackets have drawn a penalty. Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky skate at even strength with Atkinson but have recorded just 11 and 15 points respectively. Sam Gagner skates with Scott Hartnell at even strength but gets the extra ice time with the top power play unit. It’s not very often I mention Scott Hartnell but he has lit the lamp four times over the last five games which gives him a total of nine goals and 13 assists so far his season. Gagner on the other hand has revived his career as he has tallied 13 of his 28 points while on the power play. Defenseman Zachary Werenski is the last piece to this scoring machine as he has seen 14 of his 24 points on a power play that has scored 13 goals in the last 12 games. Columbus should take care of business tonight so be prepared to see a lot of ownership in your cash games.
Elite Plays
EDM: Connor McDavid
CBJ: Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson
Secondary Plays
EDM: Leon Draisaitl, Milan Lucic, Oscar Klefbom, Mark Letestu
CBJ: Nick Foligno, Brandon Saad, Zachary Werenski, Sam Gagner
Winnipeg Jets at Tampa Bay Lightning
| Winnipeg Jets | Tampa Bay Lightning | ||||||||
 | Connor Hellebuyck |  | Andrei Vasilevskiy | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 17-19-3 | 19-15-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.59 | 2.97 | 16.70% | 76.10% | Team Stats | 2.82 | 2.71 | 23.50% | 79.80% |
Winnipeg is another team that is struggling to find the right mix although their problem is not offense as they have given up 117 goals so far this season which is the third highest in the league. Their last game was an absolute disaster as the New York islanders came in a boat raced them to the tune of 6-2 on New Year’s Eve. Nikolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele play as a unit on the power play unit and at even strength. Laine leads the team with 19 goals while Ehlers leads the team with 21 assists. Mark Scheifele leads neither category but has managed to lead the team in points with 15 goals and 18 assists so as you can see, this line can score and could make for a decent GPP play tonight. Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little play on the team’s second line and will no doubt have some extra room on the ice as the Lightning try to shut down the Scheifele line. Wheeler has notched four of his 29 points over the last four games while Little has lit the lamp six times and assisted on six others goals since starting his season 16 games ago. Dustin Byfuglien finally saw the most time on the top power play unit last game and should stick there as he is their best defenseman. Byfuglien leads the team with 114 shots on goal which has led to just four goals and 19 assists so far this season. The Jets have been shut out only once this season so there’s no reason to think that they can’t score a couple of goals tonight.
With all things considered the Tampa Bay Lightning have done pretty well for themselves so far as they sit just two points away from the second place Ottawa Senators. Steven Stamkos has only appeared in 17 games while Nikita Kucherov had missed seven games and now they trudge on without their top goaltender in Ben Bishop. He is projected to be out three to four weeks. Kucherov has returned and that is the good news as he skates on the top line with Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson. This is the line to target as Kucherov leads the team with 35 points in 31 games and get the call when the Lightning draw a penalty. The Tampa Bay power play has scored ten times over the last ten games while only misfiring in two of those games. Alex Killorn makes for a decent one-off play here as he joins defenseman Victor Hedman to round out the top five when Tampa has the man advantage. Hedman has done well in the last five games as his seven points now has him in second on the team in scoring with seven goals and 26 assists. Jonathan Drouin also makes for a decent one-off play as he skates with Valtteri Filppula and Yanni Gourde on the team’s third line. Drouin has three goals and two assists over the last five games. Look for the Lightning to get the offense going tonight against a weak Winnipeg team.
Elite Plays
WIN: Mark Scheifele
TB: Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman
Secondary Plays
WIN: Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Dustin Byfuglien, Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little
TB: Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Jonathan Drouin, Alex Killorn