NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, March 22nd - Page Two
Vancouver Canucks at Winnipeg Jets – 08:00 PM EDT
| Vancouver Canucks | Winnipeg Jets | ||||||||
 | Jacob Markstrom |  | Ondrej Pavelec | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 27-32-12 | 29-37-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.30 | 2.85 | 16.70% | 81.70% | Team Stats | 2.53 | 2.96 | 14.80% | 78.30% |
The only folks that will be watching this game tonight will be either die-hard fans or relatives of anyone associated with this game. Vancouver has reunited Alexandre Burrows on the top line with both Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin and although this is not the best option for tournament play it is the best line talent-wise that the Canucks have to offer. Anyone the takes the second line of Jared McCann, Emerson Etem and Linden Vey is just asking for trouble. Sven Baertschi and defenseman Ben Hutton receive the top power play minutes with the top line but neither has found the score sheet over the last four games. You can use Vancouver in GPP’s if you want but for cash games it’s out of the question.
Winnipeg has been reduced to a one line team as the injury plague has now hit Mathieu Perreault who although played on the team’s second line did get the top power play minutes. Mark Scheifele makes a decent play here as he has scored eight goals to go with 11 points in the last ten games. The only fear here is the fact that he has not found the score sheet in the last three games. Blake Wheeler seems to be heating up though as he has a goal to go along with four assists over the last five games. Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom get the extra minutes on the power play from the point but that doesn’t mean much as that unit has only clicked once in the last nine games. Winnipeg has scored 16 goals in the last eight games so it may be best to just steer clear of this game for your cash game play tonight.
Elite Plays
Van: Daniel Sedin
WIN: Mark Scheifele
Secondary Plays
VAN: Henrik Sedin, Alexandre Burrows, Sven Baertschi, Ben Hutton
WIN: Blake Wheeler, Drew Stafford, Dustin Byfuglien
Los Angeles Kings at Minnesota Wild – 08:00 PM EDT
| Los Angeles Kings | Minnesota Wild | ||||||||
 |  | Devan Dubnyk | |||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 44-22-5 | 34-28-11 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.73 | 2.23 | 21.10% | 81.50% | Team Stats | 2.62 | 2.52 | 18.90% | 77.50% |
The Kings started their three-game road trip off on the wrong foot last night as they suffered a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Nashville Predators. They now head up north to take on a Minnesota team that is just one point from taking away the final playoff spot away from the Colorado Avalanche in the Western division. Anze Kopitar and Milan Lucic skate on the team’s top line and get the extra power play time which is a good thing here as they both have a least ten points over the last ten games with Kopitar netting six goals for a whopping 14 point total in those games. Jeff Carter is the one-off play here however as he achors the second line while getting first unit power play minutes. His three goals and six assists over the last ten games has become contagious as captain Dustin Brown has three goals and four points over the last four games he has played in. Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty man the points with Doughty being the better choice here as he has collected six points over the last ten games. Expect the kings to get back on track tonight and keep their four point lead over the Anaheim Ducks in the Central division.
One has to figure that Zach Parise is going to come up with a big game sooner or later and tonight is as good as any. Parise is a bit off of his point per game expectations as 42 points in 62 games just isn’t cutting the mustard. Charlie Coyle skates with him on the top line and top power play unit and has assumed the team lead in goals with 21 of them. He does also have seven points over the last ten games which would make him a decent one-off play tonight. Mikko Koivu skates with Coyle on both units and has been more serviceable in the past but his three goals and three assists in the last ten games isn’t exactly chopped liver. Matt Dumba and Ryan Suter get the top power play minutes from the back line but like most defensemen, there are probably better players in better situations tonight, Brent Burns for example, but you will have to wait a few games to read about that.
Elite Plays
LAK: Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar
MIN: None
Secondary Plays
LAK: Milan Lucic, Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Dustin Brown
MIn: Zach Parise, Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Suter, Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund
Dallas Stars at Chicago Blackhawks – 08:30 PM EDT
| Dallas Stars | Chicago Blackhawks | ||||||||
 | Kari Lehtonen |  | Scott Darling | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 43-21-9 | 42-24-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.21 | 2.86 | 22.20% | 80.50% | Team Stats | 2.77 | 2.42 | 22.30% | 78.90% |
If the Dallas Stars have been entertaining any thoughts of remaining the best team in the Western conference they will have to do it without Tyler Seguin and they will need a win tonight here in Chicago. Dallas has won their last two games without their star center while the Blackhawks have only won one game in their last six games. Jamie Benn and Patrick Sharp skate on the team’s top line while getting most of the minutes on the power play but we can’t count out line mate Cody Eakin as he has tallied nine points over the last ten games. There’s no doubt Chicago will want to shut down this line so that would make Jason Spezza and the second line a more lucrative play for cash games tonight. Spezza has eight goals and an assist in his last nine games while Patrick Eaves has a two points over the last four games. Defenseman John Klingberg joins Spezza and eaves on the power play and will play in his second game since being injured back on march 4th against New Jersey.
Although head coach Joel Quenneville has put the lines back together it was only Artemi Panarin who found the score sheet last game as he assisted on a goal by Andrew Shaw in the Hawks 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild. Panarin and Patrick Kane still make decent cash game plays here as over the last ten games Panarin has six points while Kane has registered eight points. They are split evenly in goals and assists over those ten games while Artem Anisimov has collected five points over that same time frame. Jonathan Toews makes for a good one-off play here as he has grabbed four goals to go along with three assists in the last ten games. To make this a full GPP play just add Andrew Ladd and Marian Hossa to the mix and hope for the best. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are the choices on defense so just pick one a go as they both are pretty much equal in both season scoring and accruing points over the last ten games. There’s a lot of offensive talent on both sides of the bench which could make for a very entertaining game.
Elite Plays
DAL: Jason Spezza, Jamie Benn
CHI: Patrick Kane
Secondary Plays
DAL: John Klingberg, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Eaves, Cody Eakin
CHI: Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Artemi Panarin, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook
Edmonton Oilers at Arizona Coyotes – 10:00 PM EDT
| Edmonton Oilers | Arizona Coyotes | ||||||||
 | Cam Talbot |  | Mike Smith | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 29-39-7 | 31-34-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.36 | 2.89 | 17.10% | 80.80% | Team Stats | 2.60 | 3.00 | 18.40% | 78.50% |
Here is another game with no playoff implications but that doesn’t mean that all of a sudden both teams will stop scoring. With both teams giving up their fair share of goals I think it’s safe to say that no one is shutting anyone out in this one tonight. Patrick Maroon is questionable for tonight’s game due to illness so we can just assume that Connor McDavid and Jordan Ebelre will continue to do their thing without him. McDavid has seven points over the last ten games while Eberle seems to be getting the score touch back by virtue of scoring two goals over the last five games. Being on the road I would look to the second line that features Taylor hall and Leon Draisaitl. Although both players have been cold of late there should be plenty of room to maneuver tonight against a team that is playing their third game in four nights. Making a nice one-off play here would be Iiro Pakarinen if he sticks on the second line with Hall and Draisaitl. Pakarinen has registered three points over the last four games. Andrej Sekera gets the top power play minutes from the back line and could be used tonight in a pinch.
Arizona may be a little tired here but that shouldn’t stop the top line that features Alex Tanguay and Antoine Vermette form exploiting a team that loves to turn the puck over. Tanguay has four goals and four assists in the last eight games while Vermette has been on fire by virtue of lighting the lamp five times and collecting assists on five other goals over the last eight games.as with most teams with nothing to play for, teams will start to take more time with their injured players instead of rushing them back into the lineup. Such is the case for defenseman Oliver-Ekman-Larsson as he has been day-to-day for what seems to be a week or more but that’s okay because that means that Michael Stone will continue to get more minutes on the point. Stone has five points over the last six games and should find the score sheet tonight. The second line of Viktor Tikhonov, Martin Hanzal and Tobias Reider has only combined for two goals and four assists in the last ten games so it’s best to stick with the top line here. Shane Doan could be a nice one-off play here since he gets some time on the second power play unit and leads the team in goals with 25.
Elite Plays
EDM: Connor McDavid, Jordan Eberle
ARZ: Antoine Vermette, Alex Tanguay
Secondary Plays
EDM: Taylor Hall, Leon Draisaitl, Andrej Sekera, Iiro Pakarinen
ARZ: Michael Stone, Shane Doan
St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks – 10:30 PM EDT
| St. Louis Blues | San Jose Sharks | ||||||||
 |  | ||||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 42-22-9 | 41-25-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.59 | 2.48 | 21.90% | 84.60% | Team Stats | 2.93 | 2.53 | 22.60% | 79.80% |
Although the Blues are yet to crack the 200 goal threshold they have been a very solid team as evidence of their 42-22-9 record which has then right on the doorstep of first place in the Western conference. We have talked in the past about all of the injuries they have sustained during the year which makes this an even more amazing feat. St Louis is getting healthier though and the top line is starting to get it in gear. Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz make decent plays tonight lead the way with nine and 11 points respectively over the last eight games. The second line is in play as well with Paul Stastny scoring three goals to go along with six assists in his last six games. Lone mates Robbi Fabbri and Troy Brouwer have been complimentary with Fabbri registering nine points over the last ten games while Brouwer has three goals and two assists in his last six games. Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is back on track by virtue of scoring three goals and assisting on five others over the last ten game stretch.
San Jose is one of the easiest teams to decipher in the league. The power play always stays the same and if you want to veer off and be contrarian that is easy to do as well. Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski skate on the top line and are the plays here as Thornton has registered ten points while Pavelski has scored five goals and assisted on three others over the last ten games. Tomas Hertl skates with them on the top line and makes a good cheaper play as he has added nine points over the last ten games. Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau skate on different lines but do get the top power play minutes so using either of them as a one-off play isn’t the worst thing you could do in tonight’s contests. Brent burns is the play in defense but you will more than likely have to pay up for him. His five goals and six assists in the last ten games lead the team in scoring over that time period. Stick with the Sharks top line tonight.
Elite Plays
STL: Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz
SJ: Joe Thornton, Brent Burns
Secondary Plays
STL: Jori Lehtera, Paul Stastny, Kevin Shattenkirk, Troy Brouwer
SJ: Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, Joel Ward