NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, March 21st - Page Two

by Tom Woollam (elctrceye) Last Updated 2017-03-21 17:40:38

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Arizona Coyotes at Tampa Bay Lightning

Arizona Coyotes					Tampa Bay Lightning
			Louis Domingue					Andrei Vasilevskiy
			Record					Record
			26-37-9					34-28-9
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	2.34	3.19	14.90%	77.60%	Team Stats	2.69	2.76	22.30%	80.40%

The Coyotes had won a season high three games in a row before dropping their last two games to St Louis and Detroit. They are fresh off playing in Nashville last night so I wouldn’t expect big things from them tonight here in Florida. Radim Vrbata, Christian Dvorak and Max Domi would be worth a look if they were playing at home but I would think that the Lightning should have no problem keeping this trio off of the board tonight. Vrbata leads the team with 51 points which is good enough to almost consider him as a GPP one-off here while the next player on the scoring chart is defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes defenseman is having a sub-par year by his standards but is still afforded most of the power play minutes as he logs over 24 minutes of ice time on a nightly basis. Brendan Perlini, and Tobias Rieder skate on the second line with Jordan Martinook so if you are in the mood to take a risk and have money to burn, these are your guys. There’s no doubt that they will be under owned in even GPP play so taking them against a Tampa team that has given up 10 goals in their last two games may not be as crazy as it seems.

I’ve said it all year and I will say it again, the Lightning have done a decent job staying in the playoff conversation despite the plethora of injuries they have sustained this season. Steven Stamkos has been skating a bit but there is still no word as to when the Tampa Bay superstar may return. The injury to Stamkos has left the team in the capable hands of Nikita Kucherov who centers the top line and leads the team 33 goals and 71 points so far this season. With Tyler Johnson still on the shelf Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point have been skating on not only the top line but the top power play line as well with the team leader in scoring. Jonathan Drouin has slipped to the third line but much like Mike Hoffman of Ottawa, he has plenty of value by virtue of skating on the top power play unit. 21 of his 44 points have come with the man advantage which should come into play here as Arizona has given up power play goals in four of their last five games. Defenseman Victor Hedman makes for one of the better defensive plays of the night as 27 of his 59 points have come with the extra attacker. I know that Tampa hasn’t scored many goals recently but I think I’d try them here against one of the worst teams in the league.

Elite Plays

ARZ: None
TB: Nikita Kucherov

Secondary Plays

ARZ: Radim Vrbata, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Max Domi, Tobias Rieder
TB: Victor Hedman, Jonathan Drouin, Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat

Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers

Carolina Hurricanes					Florida Panthers
			Cam Ward					James Reimer
			Record					Record
			30-27-13					31-29-11
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	2.57	2.83	17.50%	84.80%	Team Stats	2.40	2.80	16.70%	86.30%

Here’s another one of those games where both teams are still in the playoff hunt but out of it if you know what I mean. Mathematically their 73 points have them both just six points away from Toronto going into last night’s action but would not only have to catch them but jump over three other teams in the process. That’s very tough to do with just 11 games left in the season. Anyway, Jeff Skinner looks to be the one-off here as he skates with Lee Stempniak and Derek Ryan. Skinner’s nine points over the last nine games has helped him grab the team lead with 26 goals and 49 points all the while leading the team with six power play goals this season. The Panthers will probably not put their best players against Skinner’s line which should at least pave the way to a few scoring chances, let alone points. Carolina has gone back to splitting up the lines where the talent is concerned as we last saw Jordan Staal skating with Sebastian Aho while Victor Rask was centering a third line with Elias Lindholm and Brock McGinn. Skinner looks like the only player with any appeal in this one as the Hurricanes are yet to notch their 10th win on the road this season. Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin and Noah Hanifin are the mess on the back line with Slavin being the flavor of the last two weeks with eight points in the last nine games.

Florida looks to improve on their 16-16-6 record in front of the home crowd as they take on a team that is tied with them in the Eastern Conference standings with 73 points. This more than likely won’t be enough to avoid making tee times early next month so laying off of this game tonight may be the best decision you will make. Over the last four games the Panthers have beat two quality teams in the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs which proves that they can actually paly some good hockey but not on a consistent basis. Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr skate as the team’s top scoring line as the pull double duty when the power play minutes come into play. Barkov leads the team with eight points over the last eight games and has grabbed 46 points in the 56 games he has suited up for. Vincent Trocheck skates on the second line but has accumulated most of team leading 49 points while skating with the more talented players on the team earlier in the season. Jonathan Marchessault and Thomas Vanek have been productive from the third line as they have collected a combined 13 points over the last eight games. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is still sidelined with a concussion making Keith Yandle the pick from the back line.

Elite Plays

CAR: Jeff Skinner
FLA: Aleksander Barkov

Secondary Plays

CAR: Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho, Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm
FLA: Jonathan Huberdeau, Keith Yandle, Thomas Vanek, Jonathan Marchessault, Jaromir Jagr

Philadelphia Flyers at Winnipeg Jets

Philadelphia Flyers					Winnipeg Jets
			Steve Mason					Connor Hellebuyck
			Record					Record
			33-30-8					32-33-7
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	2.54	2.94	19.80%	79.20%	Team Stats	2.99	3.18	17.50%	76.70%

The Flyers and Jets are basically in the same boat, out of luck and out of time. Philadelphia’s record of 33-30-8 is good enough, or bad enough, for sixth place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points. The Flyers are closer to the last playoff spot than some team’s but need to get on a run if they want to catch the Maple Leafs, Lightning and the Islanders. The Maple Leafs hold the last playoff spot in the conference with 79 points going into their game last night so it may be a bit difficult for the Flyers to make the playoffs this season. Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds skate on the top line with Jordan Weal but just like every other line mate Giroux has had, Weal is basically useless. This is because Giroux does not make players better as he needs better players around him for him to prosper. Simmonds needs just one more goal to reach the 30 goal plateau for the second straight year and could get in on the power play tonight. Valtteri Filppula centers the second line with Jakub Voracek and Travis Konecny but I wouldn’t use anyone here but Voracek as he leads the team with 55 points while not being on the top power play unit. Yes, this is how messed up the Flyers are. Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier hold down the third line which has seen Couturier lead the team with nine points over the last 10 games while Schenn leads the team with 15 power play goals. Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov are the choices from the point with both being in play here. They both man the point on the team’s top power play unit that could be in play here against a team that has given up five power play goals in the last five games.

Believe it or not the Winnipeg Jets have scored the third most goals in the Western Conference and more than likely will not make the playoffs. Their problem all season has been the ability to stop the puck from going into the net they defend. It is for these two reasons that tonight’s game could yield a lot of goals and be very beneficial to you if you were to roster a few players from this game tonight. The top line of Bryan Little, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers should have a field day here as Laine leads the team with 33 goals while Ehlers has come alive over the past nine games by virtue of racking up 10 points. The second line should be okay here as well as Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele skate with Mathieu Perreault at even strength. Scheifele leads the team with 71 points while Wheeler has grabbed 11 of his 60 points over the last three weeks. Dustin Byfuglien is the defensive choice here as he soaks up most of the extra minutes on the power play while skating with Scheifele, Wheeler, Ehlers and Adam Lowry. Byfuglien’s 223 shots on goal has yielded him 47 points so far this season. Look for the Jets to come out and score a few goals in what could be the highest scoring game of the night.

Elite Plays

PHL: Wayne Simmonds
WIN: Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele

Secondary Plays

PHL: Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn, Shayne Gostisbehere
WIN: Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Dustin Byfuglien

Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks

Vancouver Canucks					Chicago Blackhawks
			Ryan Miller					Corey Crawford
			Record					Record
			28-34-9					47-20-5
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	2.23	2.89	13.80%	77.60%	Team Stats	2.97	2.46	18.70%	78.00%

Vancouver has all but checked out of the hotel room that has housed their schedule for this season. Losing their last six games is a sure sign that these boys are looking forward to golfing more and playing hockey less. With Markus Granlund getting surgery there really is only four players to consider taking tonight. If you want to go old school you can take Henrik Sedin and pair him with his brother Daniel Sedin as they play on the team’s top line. The other thought would be to pair Bo Horvat with Sven Baertschi as they skate on the team’s second line. Besides Granlund these four players are the only canucks to register north of 30 points this season which gives you some kind of idea why they are just a few days away from being eliminated from the playoffs. Horvat’s 47 points leads the team while Henrik Sedin is the only other player to break the 40 point plateau. Alexander Edler has been placed on the top power play unit but even this is a joke as Vancouver has scored just two power play goals in their last 14 games. I used the ‘Daniel and the Lion’s Den’ on Sunday when Chicago faced the Avalanche. It can be used here as well.

The Blackhawks were able to end up boat racing Colorado over the weekend as they scored four goals very quickly in the third period to put the game away. They will probably not come out as flat as the other night so look for a lot of ownership in your cash game endeavors tonight. Artem Anisimov will be sidelined for a few weeks so look for Nick Schmaltz to continue centering Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin on the team’s top line. Kane and Panrin have combined for 13 goals and 12 assists over the last 10 games and should be able to add to those totals tonight. Jonathan Toews centers Richard Panik and newcomer John Hayden, who scored his first NHL goal over the weekend. While the Kane line seems to be the cash game play I certainly couldn’t fault you for using the Toews line as GPP play, as they are also a borderline cash play. Duncan Keith is the choice on the back line as he quarterbacks the team’s top power play unit. Keith’s next point will mark the third time he has hit 50 points in his illustrious 13 year career.

Elite Plays

VAN: None
CHI: Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin

Secondary Plays

VAN: Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin
CHI: Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Richard Panik, Nick Schmaltz

San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild

San Jose Sharks					Minnesota Wild
			Martin Jones					Devan Dubnyk
			Record					Record
			42-23-7					43-22-6
Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	Stats	GF/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%
Team Stats	2.71	2.35	16.70%	82.00%	Team Stats	3.24	2.46	21.10%	83.80%

This game shapes up to be one of the better heavyweight battles of the night. In one corner we have the visiting San Jose Sharks who lead the Pacific Division with 91 points while in the other corner we have the Minnesota Wild whose 92 points have them second only to Chicago on the central Division. This could easily be a playoff preview so look for a good one here tonight. The Sharks are pretty easy to figure out as they use their top five guys for more than 65% of each and every power play. Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton get the shoulder tap from the first line while Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture round out the team’s four-forward power play attack. Couture had grabbed nine of his 52 points going into last night’s game while both Pavelski and Thornton haven’t been too shabby either as they have registered eight points each over that same time frame. Defenseman Brent Burns has cooled off a bit as his three points over the last eight games has surely aggravated his owners over the last two weeks. His price may be a bit too high for tonight’s contest against one of the better defensive teams in the league.

The Wild have hit the skids big time and need a victory here to get them back on track. Losing five games in a row can rattle a team’s confidence especially coming down the stretch which is why tonight’s game is an important one to win. Minnesota has only scored 11 goals over the last five games and will look to the top line of Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker to lead the troops tonight. Granlund has been pretty steady throughout the season seven of his team leading 66 points over the last nine games. Eric Staal centers Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle while newcomer Martin Hanzal is in between Zach Parise and Jason Pominville. As you can see there are plenty of options tonight but I think sticking with the top line is your best cash game bet. Ryan Suter and Mathew Dumba play the points on a power play that is led by Staal, Coyle and Parise. Dumba has turned it on a bit over the last seven games as he has lit the lamp twice and has assisted on three other goals. Look for Minnesota to get back on track as there will definitely be a playoff type of atmosphere in the barn tonight.

Elite Plays

SJ: Joe Pavelski
MIN: Mikael Granlund

Secondary Plays

SJ: Brent Burns, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau
MIN: Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu, Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker

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