NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, March 28th - Page Two
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Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs
| Florida Panthers | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||||||||
 | James Reimer |  | Curtis McElhinney | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 33-31-11 | 35-24-15 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.48 | 2.75 | 16.50% | 86.10% | Team Stats | 3.08 | 2.81 | 23.70% | 82.50% |
The Panthers appear to be one of the unlucky teams who will not get to play in the playoffs when they
start in the middle of next month. Their 77 points is seven points behind the Bruins who hold the last transfer spot and while even if they could catch them they’d have to jump over four other teams to get there. There just simply isn’t enough time with only seven games left in the season. Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov make a nice duo here as they have combined for 18 points over the last 10 games. Both of their totals look a little bit light but when you figure that Barkov has registered 51 points in 60 games and Huberdeau’s 23 points have come in 24 games it’s pretty clear what they would have been had they been healthy all season. Vincent Triocheck looks like a one-off here from the second line as he leads the team with 52 points while Jonathan Marchessault and Thomas Vanek look to be the pairing from the third line. Marchessault leads the team with 29 goals while the streaky Vanek has provided eight points in the 13 games he has played in a Panthers sweater. Keith Yandle is the choice on the back line especially with Aaron Ekblad still on the shelf. Yandle’s 33 assists leads the team while his five points over the last eight games has him at 38 points for the season.
The Maple Leafs get to play their game in hand that they have on the Boston Bruins tonight as they face the hot and cold Florida Panthers. Toronto is just a point ahead of Boston for second place in the Atlantic Division so a win here could give them a little breathing room. Auston Matthews and William Nylander feel like the chalk plays as Nylander has grabbed nine points over the last seven games while Matthews leads the team with 34 goals and 61 points. James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Mitchell Marner have been the most consistent line this season as Marner leads the team with 40 assists and is tied for second on the team in points with Nylander. Connor Brown, Leo Komarov and Nazem Kadri have been chipping in as well as they have combined for seven goals and seven assists over the last seven games. Florida should be a bit tired after beating Chicago 7-0 on Satrurday night and losing to Buffalo last night. Defenseman Jake Gardiner gets the extra ice time on the team’s top power play but I wouldn’t be opposed to using Nikita Zaitsev in this spot either. Gardiner has a slim 36-33 point lead over Zaitsev so it’s just a matter of who fits into your line up better tonight. Toronto looks for their 20th win on home ice tonight and should be able to get it easily tonight.
Elite Plays
FLA: Jonathan Huberdeau
TOR: Auston Matthews
Secondary Plays
FLA: Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Marchessault, Vincent Trocheck, Keith Yandle, Thomas Vanek
TOR: Mitchell Marner, William Nylander, James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner
Washington Capitals at Minnesota Wild
| Washington Capitals | Minnesota Wild | ||||||||
 | Braden Holtby |  | Devan Dubnyk | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 49-17-8 | 44-24-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.18 | 2.14 | 21.80% | 84.20% | Team Stats | 3.18 | 2.49 | 20.60% | 83.20% |
What we have here is a tale of two teams going in different directions. The Capitals have already had their little bump in the road when they lost five of six games earlier this month. They have since snapped out of it as they have won their last four games and have scored 15 goals in the process. The Wild will try to shut down the top line of Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. Backstrom leads the team with 79 points while Ovechkin has tied Oshie with 30 goals for the team lead. Marcus Johansson jumps up from the second line to play with the talented trio on the Capitals top power play unit as he skates on the second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams. I don’t mind using this line as a full line stack for tournament plays because the logic here is that Minnesota will more than likely throw everything they have at the Ovechkin line. Kuznetsov’s 54 points is third on the team behind Ovechkin and Backstrom while Williams and Johansson have notched 41 or more points so far this season. Kevin Shattenkirk is the play on the back line as he has recorded eight assists in his first 11 games in a Washington Capitals sweater. This could be one of the more intriguing games of the night if both teams come out and play the way they are capable of.
Minnesota is trying anything to snap out of their recent slide as they have won just one game in the last eight they have played. They did however grab a point on Sunday as they played a tough game but fell to the Detroit Red Wings by a score 3-2 in overtime. Nino Niederreiter was moved to the top line to play alongside of Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund while Eric Staal has a lot of talent on either side of him as Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle will serve as his wingmen. The Wild haven’t scored many goals of late so it’s not surprising to see Staal and Parise leading the team with six points each over the last eight games. Granlund continues to lead the team with 66 points so far this season while Koivu has done a workman-like job as his 18 goals and 35 assists is good enough to rank him third on the team in scoring. Although Chicago has passed Minnesota in the standings the Wild still holds on to the second best record in the Western Conference with 95 points so far this season. Ryan Suter and Mathew Dumba man the points when the Wild have the extra attacker that has seen them score four power play goals over the last eight games. Dumba’s five points over the last eight games may give him the slight edge here but there are plenty of other defensemen in better spots tonight.
Elite Plays
WSH: Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Ovechkin
MIN: Eric Staal
Secondary Plays
WSH: T.J. Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson
MIN: Mikael Granlund, Mikko Koivu , Zach Parise, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Suter
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers
| Los Angeles Kings | Edmonton Oilers | ||||||||
 | Jonathan Quick |  | Cam Talbot | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 35-32-7 | 41-25-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.42 | 2.47 | 19.50% | 84.60% | Team Stats | 2.86 | 2.55 | 22.70% | 80.70% |
The Kings will probably take their last playoff gasp tonight as they are 12 points out of the last playoff spot with just eight games left on their schedule. A lot of things didn’t work out for them this year some of which included injuries to key players. A lot of team’s went through that this season but the Kings problem was they didn’t have any reinforcements to pick up the slack when that happened. Jeff Carter leads the team with 31 goals and 61 points while centering Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli on the team’s top scoring line. Carter is the only top six-player to have appeared in all 74 games so far this season. Anze Kopitar centers the second line along with Jarome Iginla and Marian Gaborik. The total age of Kopitar’s line mates is 74 years old and as a reference the line that Auston Matthews skates on for Toronto has a combined age of 63 years old. You know where I’m going with this as this brand of NHL hockey is not for the old and slow but more tailored to the young and fast players. Kopitar’s six points over the last seven games leads the team in that category while his 46 points has him in second on the Kings scoring chart. Dustin Brown saw some time on the Kopitar line last game and with the kings almost out of it you can expect head coach Daryl Sutter to maybe throw a lot of line combinations out there tonight. Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin man the points on the team’s top power play that has netted 12 power play goals in the 11 games played this month. It is probably a reach to say that Kings will come away with the victory tonight.
For the team’s that are still in the playoff hunt we don’t have to worry about line movement too much as is the case we have here with the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid leads the league with leads the Oilers with 88 points as they have caught the San Jose Sharks for second place in the Atlantic Division. Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Maroon are his line mates who could easily be looked at as a cash game play here. Draisaitl and his 70 points join McDavid on the top power play line and has collected a team leading 25 power play points so far this season. Milan Lucic helps out on the power play unit from the second line as he skates with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle at even strength. Mark Letestu continues to log the extra minutes with the man advantage from the fourth line which would make him a cheaper punt play option for tonight’s contests. Oscar Klefbom is normally the choice on the back end but with Andrej Sekera lighting it up with eight points in the last seven games he surely needs to be looked at here tonight. Edmonton will go for their sixth straight win in front of the home crowd tonight.
Elite Plays
LAK: Jeff Carter
EDM: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl
Secondary Plays
LAK: Anze Kopitar, Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, Drew Doughty
EDM: Patrick Maroon, Milan Lucic, Andrej Sekera, Mark Letestu
Anaheim Ducks at Vancouver Canucks
| Anaheim Ducks | Vancouver Canucks | ||||||||
 | Jonathan Bernier |  | Ryan Miller | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 41-23-11 | 30-36-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.61 | 2.43 | 18.00% | 84.80% | Team Stats | 2.26 | 2.89 | 14.20% | 77.20% |
The Ducks are one of the hottest teams in hockey over the last 10 games and I’m sure their fans are hoping that they haven’t peaked too early. Their eight wins over those last 10 games coupled with the meltdown of San Jose has the team now leading the Pacific Division by two points heading into the final stages of the season. Ryan Getzlaf, Patrick Eaves and Rickard Rakell ahould be the line to target here even though the Ducks are on the road here in Vancouver. This line has combined for eight goals and 12 assists over the last six games with Getzlaf leading the way by grabbing 10 of those 20 points. Ryan Kesler, Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg may be a nice tournament play here as the Canucks will no doubt try their best to try and stop the top line which should lead to a little more room on the ice for Kesler and Company. Kesler is your one-off here as he skates on the team’s top power play line and has responded by registering 21 of his 53 points with the man advantage. Corey Perry is the odd man out and can be used as a one-off here as well as he has 48 points to his credit even though he has slipped to the third line. Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen are the choices on the back line and quite frankly you could make a choice for either one of them. Fowler is the cash game play though as his 37 points leads the Anaheim defensive corps.
You can’t blame the Vancouver Canucks for not trying as they went out and got Loui Eriksson before the season started to help bolster the offense. The problem was that Eriksson was only able to snare 24 points in the 65 games he has played in and is now on the sidelines nursing an injury. Daniel Sedin, Michael Chaput and Henrik Sedin are generally considered the top line here as only Bo Horvat and his 50 points is more than what either of the Sedin brothers have put up this season. Henrik has 45 points while Daniel’s 40 falls way short of the expected production that the Canuck’s had for these two at the start of the season. Horvat leads the team with 20 goals and 30 assist while skating on a line with Sven Baertschi and Brock Boeser. Alexander Edler and Chris Tanev man the back line when the team has the extra attacker. The Vancouver power play has left something to be desired of late as they have managed just three goals in the last 12 games. This is one of the many reasons why the Canucks have already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
Elite Plays
ANA: Ryan Getzlaf
VAN: None
Secondary Plays
ANA: Ryan Kesler, Rickard Rakell, Patrick Eaves, Corey Perry, Cam Fowler
VAN: Bo Horvat, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Sven Baertschi
New York Rangers at San Jose Sharks
| New York Rangers | San Jose Sharks | ||||||||
 | Henrik Lundqvist |  | Martin Jones | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 46-26-4 | 42-26-7 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.13 | 2.61 | 19.00% | 79.40% | Team Stats | 2.63 | 2.45 | 16.90% | 81.30% |
The Rangers started off with a nice 3-0 win over the Kings but then lost their second game on their three game California road trip by a score of 6-3 to the upstart Anaheim Ducks. This has prompted yet another small tweak in the lines as the top line of Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello will stay the same. This line has been productive all season as each player has hit the 50 point mark this season. Zuccarello leads the team with 40 assists and 55 points while Michael Grabner and his 27 goals from the third line is tops on the team. J.T. Miller, Rick Nash and Mika Zibanejad skate on the team’s second line and look to be a decent tournament play here. The Sharks are slumping and will try to shut down the Stepan line which should leave this line a little more room to skate thus creating more scoring chances. Zibanejad looks to be the one-off here however as he has notched six of his 33 points over the last seven games. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh is the choice on the back line as he soaks up most of the top power play minutes. McDonagh has reached the 40 point plateau this season which makes him the sixth Ranger to do so this season. The Rangers look to clinch a playoff spot pretty soon as their 96 points is only good enough for fourth place in the dominant Metropolitan Division. The next closest team that could knock them out is the Tampa Bay Lightning who have 83 points with just seven games remaining.
As if the Sharks already didn’t have enough problems it now looks like Logan Couture will be out a few games as he required a bit of dental work after taking a puck to the face last game. Without Couture the Sharks will look to Mikkel Boedker and Melker karlsson to step up and play with Patrick marleau on the second line. This will make Marleau a nice one-off here as he will get the top minutes when the team draws a penalty. Meanwhile Jannik Hansen looks to remain on the top line with Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. None of this seems all that appealing especially since the Sharks have only scored seven goals in their last six games which has resulted in going 0-6 over that time frame. Brent Burns has cooled off a bit as he has been able to add just two assists to his team leading 72 points over the last nine games. Hopefully for Sharks fans this is just a lull before the team’s head into the playoffs in the middle of next month. Joonas Donskoi could be a one-off here as it looks like he may be a candidate to take Couture’s spot on the power play if San Jose elects to keep using four forwards on their top power play unit.
Elite Plays
NYR: Mats Zuccarello
SJ: Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns
Secondary Plays
NYR: Derek Stepan, Mika Zibanejad, Michael Grabner, Chris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh
SJ: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton