NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, November 15th - Page Two
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Florida Panthers at Montréal Canadiens
| Florida Panthers | Montréal Canadiens | ||||||||
 | Roberto Luongo |  | Carey Price | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 7-7-1 | 13-2-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.67 | 2.53 | 16.70% | 82.20% | Team Stats | 3.31 | 2.06 | 22.90% | 81.30% |
Florida has their work cut out for them tonight as they go north to visit the Montreal Canadiens who are a perfect 1-0 on home ice. The panthers are an abysmal 1-4- on the road so far this season so we may have to look elsewhere for the better plays tonight. Nonetheless there is some value here as Jonathan Marchessault leads the team in goals with eight and leads in points with 14 over the first 15 games. Defenseman Keith Yandle is fitting in better as he is climbing up the scoring leader chart as is second on the team in shots with 42 and has tallied six of his eight assists over the last seven games. Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov join Marchessault on the top line but haven’t lived up to expectations so far as the team leader has exactly double the points as bot his line mates combined. Vincent Trocheck makes for a decent one-off in GPP play as he has three goals and three assists over the last seven games. Use caution here as Montreal is awfully tough at home.
The Chicago Blackhawks dealt Montreal their second loss of the season Sunday by a score of 3-2. Montreal still has a perfect 10-0 record at home and should up that to 11-0 before the night is over. The top line that features Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov is the chalk here as both players have six or more points over the last five games while placing in the top two spots on the team leader board. I wouldn’t be opposed to adding Paul Byron for the full line stack as he has three goals and two assists in the last five games but doesn’t any time on the power play like his line mates do. To deviate from the norm a little you could drop down to the second line and take Brendan Gallagher or even the third line and roster Max Pacioretty. Both are the only players on the team with 40 shots or more so far this season and should be considered as one-off plays here. Shea Weber is the big gun on the blue line but Andrei Markov has the hot hand as he has lit the lamp twice while adding five assists over the last five games. The Canadiens should score a few goals tonight so don’t be surprised if you run into some of them in your cash games tonight.
Elite Plays
FLA: Jonathan Marchessault
MTL: Shea Weber
Secondary Plays
FLA: Vincent Trocheck, Keith Yandle
MTL: Alexander Radulov, Alex Galchenyuk, Andrei Markov, Max Pacioretty
Buffalo Sabres at St. Louis Blues
| Buffalo Sabres | St. Louis Blues | ||||||||
 | Robin Lehner |  | Jake Allen | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 5-6-4 | 7-6-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 1.93 | 2.33 | 20.40% | 84.20% | Team Stats | 2.31 | 2.88 | 20.70% | 90.60% |
It seems that star forward Ryan O’Reilly and his quick comeback may be short lived as he re-aggravated his middle body injury against the Devils on Friday night. This is pretty problematic when you consider that the Sabres have scored just nine goals over their last seven games and now one of your top scorers may be sitting on the sidelines when the puck drops tonight. Kyle Okposo and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen are about the only choices you have as they have nine and eight points respectively while seeing the majority of ice time available when Buffalo goes on the power play. The return of Evander Kane has been uneventful at best as he just five shots in the first three games he’s played since coming back from injury. For what is worth, Sam Reinhart is with Okposo on one line while Kane is on another line with Matt Moulson, at least that is how they practiced yesterday. Buffalo is crippled with injuries thus rendering them almost useless in the NHL daily fantasy world tonight.
The Blues scored a bunch of garbage goals late in the 8-4 loss at Columbus on Saturday night. The thing is they all count as we don’t care who wins or loses but more on who scores the goals and racks up the points. Head coach Ken Hitchcock switched up the lines last game in attempt to save his job and so far it hasn’t worked. The only sure things are Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. Both get plenty of ice time which is a major reason why Tarasenko has had a hand in eight of the last 13 goals the Blues have scored while Shattenkirk is right behind him with six points. Tarasenko was paired up with Robby Fabbri and Jori Lehtera while another line consisted of Jaden Schwartz, Alexander Steen and Patrik Berglund. Now it seems that Paul Stastny will play on that line while Berglund slips to the third line with David Perron and Nail Yakupov. On paper this team should be winning a heck of a lot of games but they are just 3-5-2 in their last ten games. Hardly the pace you need to sustain to make the playoffs.
Elite Plays
BUF: None
STL: Vladimir Tarasenko, Kevin Shattenkirk
Secondary Plays
BUF: Kyle Okposo, Rasmus Ristolainen
STL: Alexander Steen, Paul Stastny, Robby Fabbri, Jori Lehtera
Calgary Flames at Minnesota Wild
| Calgary Flames | Minnesota Wild | ||||||||
 | Brian Elliott |  | Devan Dubnyk | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 5-10-1 | 8-5-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.38 | 3.63 | 9.40% | 73.00% | Team Stats | 2.93 | 2.00 | 14.30% | 88.10% |
Calgary has given up 59 goals in only 16 games and if that wasn’t the worst of their problems they are only better than one other team in their conference, the Arizona Coyotes. Calgary is just 1-6 over their last seven games while lighting the lamp just nine times in those games. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are the only hope this team has as they play on the top line. Gaudreau is actually a one-off play here as he leads the team in scoring with the very streaky Michael Frolik. In the words of the infamous Donnie Shulzhoffer ‘this team is done like dinner’. I suppose if you have any extra cash laying around and wanted to throw it out the window, you could roster Troy Brouwer, defensemen Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie as they join Gaudreau and Monahan to from the top power play unit. ’Power Play’ is kind of an understatement as they have scored just one goal in the last seven games with the man advantage. On a big slate like tonight there is no reason to roster anyone from the Flames in your cash games tonight.
Minnesota has been playing a tough style of defense as they have hung in there without Zach Parise to stay in third place in the Central division. If Minnesota is going to win tonight look for the top line of Eric Staal, Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle to do most of the damage against a Flames team that is 3-4-1 on the road this season. These three form the team’s top line and are joined defenseman Ryan Suter not only as the top four scorers on the team, but get most of the ice time when the team has the man advantage. Rounding out that top power play unit is Matt Dumba who was able to net the game winning goal in overtime against the Ottawa Senators Sunday afternoon. Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu make for a decent GPP pair as they play on the team’s second line going up against the team that has given up the most goals in the league. Now it appears that maybe Zach Parise makes his return to the lineup as he skated on a line with Jason Pominville and Eric Haula yesterday at morning skate. If Parise can go, I don’t think he jumps to the top line just yet as he probably would have practiced there yesterday.
Elite Plays
CGY: None
MIN: None
Secondary Plays
CGY: Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mark Giordano
MIN: Eric Staal, Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Suter
Chicago Blackhawks at Winnipeg Jets
| Chicago Blackhawks | Winnipeg Jets | ||||||||
 | Corey Crawford |  | Connor Hellebuyck | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 11-3-2 | 8-7-2 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.31 | 2.38 | 19.00% | 66.70% | Team Stats | 2.88 | 2.94 | 16.70% | 81.70% |
Ok, so what we do know is that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane make a pretty good pairing to play on almost any night. Figuring out who will play to the left of them has been like figuring out one of those Chinese puzzles. Nick Schmaltz was there two games ago and although Ryan Hartman started there in the last game he was replaced by Vince Hinostroza halfway through the game. The second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Marian Hossa are a decent play here as well, especially on the road where Winnipeg will try to shut down the team’s top line. This second line has managed to score six goals and assist on seven others over the last five games. Duncan Keith is always an option on the blue line but Gustav Forsling is starting to come to the forefront as he has three points over the last five games. The Jets are becoming a better team so far this year but have still given up 50 goals in the first 17 games.
The Jets gave the Los Angeles Kings a run for their money on Sunday afternoon and ended up with the victory in a 3-2 shootout win. The top line of Nikolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele comprised the hottest team in the NHL as they have amassed nine goals and 11 assists over the last five games. Now it seems that cult hero Mark Dano takes Ehlers place on the top line while Ehlers moves down with Blake Wheeler and Nicolas Petan. This isn’t a bad move but I would have liked to see it happen on the road rather than on home ice. Either way Laine, Scheifele, Ehlers and Wheeler should be excellent plays tonight as the man the top line with the man advantage. Winnipeg’s power play has scored six goals over the last four games and is completed by defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Keep the power play pairs together here and you should be fine.
Elite Plays
CHI: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews
WIN: Nikolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele
Secondary Plays
CHI: Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa
WIN: Blake Wheeler
New Jersey Devils at Dallas Stars
| New Jersey Devils | Dallas Stars | ||||||||
 | Cory Schneider |  | Antti Niemi | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 8-3-3 | 6-6-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.43 | 2.14 | 14.00% | 79.50% | Team Stats | 2.75 | 3.44 | 17.50% | 76.70% |
In a weird scheduling quirk the New Jersey Devils passed with flying colors as they swept both Carolina and Buffalo in back-to-back home and home series. The four quick wins have been good enough to move them into a tie with Washington for third place in the Metropolitan division with 19 points. Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac have led the charge over the last nine days as they have tallied nine of their combined 22 points over the last five games. Defenseman Damon Severson is in play here as well as he has collected 11 points so far this season while quarterbacking the team’s top power play unit. With Mike Cammalleri missing the last two games for personal reasons we can look at Kyle Palmieri and Adam Henrique for some GPP action tonight. Palmieri is the one-off choice here though as he skates on the second line with Henrique but moves up to get some exposure to Taylor Hall when the team has the man advantage. New Jersey could be a little hard pressed to score some goals tonight.
UPDATE
Taylor Hall will not play tonight making the second line of Palmieri, Henrique and Pavel Zacha the line to target if you are playing in some tounaments tonight.
Although the Dallas Stars blew a 3-1 lead in Vancouver Sunday afternoon they still must walk the straight line. The top line of Tyler Seguin, Patrick Eaves and Antoine Roussel has produced nine goals and 13 assists over the last six games. Jamie Benn joins them on the top power play unit along with defenseman John Klingberg which has scored five goals over the past five games. If you are looking to deviate from the top skill players you could use Radek Faksa or Lauri Korpikoski with Jamie Benn as they skate on the team’s second line. I think I’d stick with Seguin and one of his line mates here as he leads the team in goals, assists, points and shots. Good day Sir!
Elite Plays
NJ: None
DAL: Tyler Seguin
Secondary Plays
NJ: Taylor Hall, Travis Zajac, Damon Severson, Kyle Palmieri
DAL: Jamie Benn, John Klingberg, Antoine Roussel, Patrick Eaves