NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, January 5th
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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Florida Panthers at Buffalo Sabres – 07:00 PM EST
| Florida Panthers | Buffalo Sabres | ||||||||
 | Roberto Luongo |  | Robin Lehner | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 23-12-4 | 15-20-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.59 | 2.15 | 17.40% | 81.50% | Team Stats | 2.31 | 2.62 | 20.20% | 76.80% |
If you would have told me that one of these teams would have been the hottest team in the league at some point this year, I’d say you were crazy. Here we are though with the Panthers being the hottest team in the league by virtue of running off nine straight wins and catapulting to the top of the Atlantic division. Most of the scoring has come from the top line of Jaromir Jagr, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov which also doubles as the team’s top power play line. That is good news and bad news tonight as they face the Buffalo Sabres. The good news is that Buffalo has given up a power play goal in each of their last three games with the bad news being they have not given away more than three power play opportunities in any of their last 11 games. Nick Bjugstad returned to the lineup last game and was quickly inserted on the second line with Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith as well as placed on the point with Aaron Ekblad on the top power play unit. This line makes for an intriguing GPP play tonight as they will be low owned and should have more room on the ice to maneuver than the first line will.
Buffalo is another team looking to get back on track as they have dropped four games in a row while only scoring six goals. Although they sit at the bottom of the Atlantic division they have shown some progress this year but not enough to make a dent in the standings. One of the reasons for this may be the fact that Buffalo does not have a consistent scoring line. Sure Ryan O’Reilly leads the team with 33 points and plays on the top line, but his line mates of Jamie McGinn and Brian Gionta have just 17 and 12 points respectively. The same could be said for Jack Eichel as his 25 points are head and shoulders above Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart who have 13 and 16 points. I know these lines haven’t been together all year but you get the picture. Eichel has been hot of late as he has four goals to go along with seven assists in his last seven games so pairing him with Kane, who has 25 shots in his last five games, might be a good play tonight. Rasmus Ristolainen continues to see the top power minutes on the point and is the top play on defense for the Buffalo Sabres.
Elite Plays
FLA: Aleksander Barkov
BUF: None
Secondary Plays
FLA: Jaromir Jagr, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad
BUF: Ryan O’Reilly, Jack Eichel, Evander Kane, Rasmus Ristolainen
Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins – 07:00 PM EST
| Washington Capitals | Boston Bruins | ||||||||
 | Braden Holtby |  | Tuukka Rask | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 28-7-3 | 20-13-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.13 | 2.16 | 25.60% | 84.70% | Team Stats | 3.08 | 2.73 | 28.60% | 82.40% |
After running off eight straight wins it seems that the Washington Capitals have come down to earth just a bit. With losses to two of the worst teams in the division in Carolina and Columbus it would appear that the Capitals need to regain focus and get back on track. The top line of Alexander Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom is normally the line to use as they are all in the top five on the team in terms of scoring and get the majority work on the top power play unit. Evgeny Kuznetsov is also in play as he leads the team in scoring and has netted three goals and two assist in his last five games. The problem we have here is that since he skates second line so the best choice to pair him up with would be Justin Williams. This normally would be ok as he has 11 goals and 13 assists so far this season as Williams has been cold of late by evidence of scoring just one goal in his last six games. Defenseman John Carlson has joined the team on the road but is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game which makes Matt Niskanen the best option for the Capitals.
The Bruins come into this one with just one win in their last five games. The Montreal Canadiens dismantled them by a score of 5-1 on New Year’s Day and need to get something started if they want to stay in the Eastern conference playoff race. The injury to David Krejci doesn’t help matters as it is tough to replace the 11 goals and 22 assists he has accumulated so far. Loui Eriksson and Patrice Bergeron will be needed to pick up even more of the slack if Boston has any ideas of coming out with a win in this one tonight. Bergeron not only leads the team in scoring but has collected three goals in the last four games while Eriksson has managed five assists in his last five games. If you want to go off the beaten path a little bit then Matt Beleskey could be your guy. Although he only has eight goals on the season he has scored four of them in the last four games. It is guys like Beleskey that will need to pick up the slack in Krejci’s absence. Ryan Spooner is a good choice to pair with Beleskey as they both play on the team’s second line but Spooner gets a little more action as he skates on the team’s top power play line. He also has produced three assists since the Krejci injury two games ago. Torey Krug is the choice on defense and normally skates on the team’s top power play line. This game may be low scoring so I wouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket in this one.
Elite Plays
WAS: Alexander Ovechkin
BOS: None
Secondary Plays
WAS: T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Niskanen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson
BOS: Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson, Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, Torey Krug, Colin Miller
Dallas Stars at New York Rangers – 07:00 PM EST
| Dallas Stars | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 | Kari Lehtonen |  | Henrik Lundqvist | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 28-9-4 | 21-14-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.49 | 2.56 | 22.90% | 80.00% | Team Stats | 2.85 | 2.59 | 19.80% | 80.00% |
When a team jumps out to a good start it always seems that when the hit a rough spot the naysayers come out of the woodwork to proclaim that they had peaked too early. The Stars are 5-3-2 in their last ten games but are just 2-2-2 in their last six. The plot thickens even more as they are just 1-3-3 in their last seven games on the road. They dropped their first two games of this three game road trip and look to salvage a win here tonight against the New York Rangers. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin continue to chase Patrick Kane for the league scoring race with Benn being the closest at just five points behind the leading number of 57 points. Patrick Sharp skates on the top line and top power play and has chipped in four goals and two assists in the last five games. Jason Spezza skates on the second line but has added a goal and five assists as he sees top power play minutes along with defenseman John Klingberg who has a four game point streak going into tonight’s game. These five are usually the ones to do the damage for the Stars but I wouldn’t be opposed to pairing Spezza with Mattias Janmark who has a goal and two assists in his last four games. Alex Goligoski has added four assists in his last five games and could be used for salary relief on the point if needed.
Rangers beat writer @AGrossRecord is reporting that Chris Kreider is doubtful for tonight’s game and based on line rushes from yesterday, there seems to be some confusion as to who is skating with Rick Nash and Derek Stepan. Emerson Etem was skating with them yesterday but the Rangers have called up Jayson Megma which would make Etem a healthy scratch. Regardless, it’s going to be tough to take Nash or Stepan tonight as it’s taking Stepan a little longer than we expected to get back on the horse. Since returning from his injury seven games ago he has collected just one assist and should be considered a risky pick at best until he starts to find his groove. The Rangers top line of Mats Zuccarello, J.T. Miller and Derick Brassard are in play tonight as all of them have scored at least two goals in their last five games. Pair up Zuccarello and Brassard as they lead the team in scoring which indicates that they have also been the most consistent. With two goals and two assist in the last five games as well as playing the point on the power play, Dan Boyle is the defensive choice for the Rangers tonight.
Elite Plays
DAL: Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin
NYR: None
Secondary Plays
DAL: Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza, John Klingberg, Alex Goligoski
NYR: Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Dan Boyle, Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Rick Nash
Montreal Canadiens at Philadelphia Flyers – 07:00 PM EST
| Montreal Canadiens | Philadelphia Flyers | ||||||||
 | Carey Price |  | Steve Mason | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 15-15-7 | |||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.85 | 2.45 | 18.80% | 84.80% | Team Stats | 2.11 | 2.68 | 16.40% | 77.30% |
It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the Montreal Canadiens put up five goals against the Boston Bruins on New Year’s Day, which is the most they have scored since late November. It just so happens that Brendan Gallagher hasn’t played in a game since November 22nd. Gallagher tallied a goal and an assist as he was placed back on the top line with Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec who also had two points in the Boston game. Two points is the exact number of points that Plekanec had tallied in his previous nine games so the sight of Gallagher had to be a welcomed relief. The Flyers have given up eight power play goals in their last five games, so starting with Gallagher and Pacioretty may seem like a good idea. Alec Galchenyuk has pointed in five of the last six games and makes another good play as he skates top power play line as well. On defesne P.K. Subban has hit the scoresheet in the last three games and makes a wise choice tonight if you can afford it. Subban gets his shots in and has not scored less than 2.2 fantasy points in six of his last seven games on plus/minus sites.
Hey! Remember when the Flyers ran off four wins in a row and people were saying how they were looking good. Well, since then they have only won four of their next 11 games and have dropped back down into oblivion. The only team worse than Philadelphia in the Eastern conference is Columbus and even they are a mere four points way from them in the standings. According to Flyers beat writer @tpanotchCSN it looks like head coach Dave Hakstol is going to stick with the line of Wayne Simmonds, Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Hakstol formed this line in the last game after the Kings got off to a 3-0 lead against the hapless Flyers. Hopefully this can jumpstart Giroux as he is the only one lacking in production of the three with just one goal as his lone point in his last seven games. Simmonds and Voracek have been rolling along though as the former has two goals and two assists in his last four games while the latter has three goals and six assists over the last eight games. I like this line tonight at home as they will also double as the team’s power play unit. Shayne Gostisbehere should be on the pioint on the power play and would complete your Flyers stack for the night if you choose to go that way. If you feel like rolling the dice, you could always go with the second line of Michael Raffl, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn but with Couturier being a defensive forward, it remains to be seen just how many opportunities this trio can generate.
Elite Plays
MTL: Brendan Gallagher, Max Pacioretty
PHL: Jakub Voracek
Secondary Plays
MTL: Tomas Plekanec, Alex Galchenyuk, P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov
PHL: Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Shayne Gostisbehere
Minnesota Wild at Columbus Blue Jackets – 07:00 PM EST
| Minnesota Wild | Columbus Blue Jackets | ||||||||
 | Devan Dubnyk |  | Sergei Bobrovsky | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 20-11-7 | 15-22-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.66 | 2.34 | 18.60% | 78.70% | Team Stats | 2.53 | 3.15 | 18.50% | 80.50% |
Minnesota has been struggling of late as they have only scored 17 goals in their last eight games and in only three of them have they scored more than two goals. The Columbus Blue Jackets may be just what this team needs to get back on the scoring path as they have given up 20 goals in their last five games. Seven of those goals have come while Columbus has been short-handed so looking at the Minnesota top power play line makes sense, especially on the road. Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise skate on the top line and although Parise is the big name here, Koivu leads the team in points and has scored two goals to go along with an assist in his last four games. Remember, this is a team that hasn’t been scoring much, so any production is certainly a plus. Jason Zucker makes an interesting play here as he skates with the aforementioned players above and has two goals in his last five games. While Jason Pominville, Ryan Suter and Thomas Vanek round out the top power play unit, it has been Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter doing the damage of late as the former has tallied four goals and three assists in his last seven games while the latter has netted a goal to go along with three assists. Because the Wild find themselves on the road tonight both Coyle and Niederreiter make very decent GPP plays.
Columbus looks for the trifecta tonight as they have already beaten Dallas and Washington in the first two games of this three game home stand. In what can be called as a freak accident, goaltender Curtis McElhinney fell awkwardly in the third period the other night while injuring his ankle in the process. Backup goalie Anton Forsberg almost did the same exact thing while warming up in the same crease while getting ready to relive the injured goaltender. With Sergei Bobrovsky sidelined, head coach John Tortorella has indicate that he is going to go with Forsberg and rookie goalie Joonas Korpisalo. He really doesn’t have much of a choice but this will surely dampen some of the momentum that was built up over the last two games. Brandon Saad continues to stay hot as he has reeled off six goals to go along with five assists in his last seven games all the while skating on the team’s second line and second power power play line. Scott Hartnell skates on the second line with Saad and has added six points in his last seven games. Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno are the wildcards here. If you remember it was Johansen that was a healthy scratch a while back and that strategy has seemed to work as he has an assist in four of his last five games. After being out for ten days Foligno has collected a goal and three assists in his two games since his return so it looks like the reunion could put a jump into both of their games. Defenseman Jack Johnson came out of nowhere to score two goals and an assist in the last game but if you want a little more consistency, David Savard is your guy as he has assists in three of his last four games. Both play the point on the power play, so it’s just a matter of preference as to which one you take.
Elite Plays
MIN: None
CNJ: None
Secondary Plays
MIN: Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Suter
CBJ: Brandon Saad, Scott Hartnell, Ryan Johansen, Nick Foligno, Alexander Wennberg, David Savard, Jack Johnson