NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, November 29th
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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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Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers
| Carolina Hurricanes | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 | Cam Ward |  | Henrik Lundqvist | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 9-8-4 | 15-7-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.43 | 2.62 | 20.30% | 91.10% | Team Stats | 3.70 | 2.43 | 20.30% | 85.00% |
Not to be outdone by Cam Ward goaltender Michael Leighton turned in a stellar performance Sunday night as he turned away 31 shots as the Hurricanes beat the Florida Panthers by a score of 3-2 on home ice. The win evidently gave Panther head coach Gerard Gallant his walking papers as he did not catch the plane with the team on the flight out of Carolina. The Hurricanes have been winning by playing a solid brand of hockey which sometimes creates opportunities to score some goals. They have only scored 14 goals en route to a 5-2 record over the last seven games which an example of their defensive style of play. The top line of Jeff Skinner, Victor Rask and Elias Lindholm has led the team by scoring five of the team’s last ten goals and should be the target line to be shut down by the Rangers tonight. This should make Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho a decent GPP play option as they hook up to play on the team’s second line. Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin grab the points on a power play that has scored five goals in the last five games. Derek Ryan and Lee Stempniak have been getting some power play minutes as well but should only be used as one-off GPP plays here tonight. The Rangers have lost their last four games on home ice which could help Carolina here if they start thinking too much about that.
The Rangers will try to stop their four game winless streak on home ice and improve on their 8-4-1 record at Madison Square Garden. They expect a lot of clutching and grabbing from the Hurricanes tonight in an effort to slow them down but that will remain to be seen. Mika Zibanejad remains on the shelf and it looked like the J.T. Miller would miss tonight’s game due to stitches in his leg from a shot off the stick of Mats Zuccarello. Miller has skated this morning and looks to be a go for the game tonight. Since the Rangers worked on strictly special teams yesterday and had an ‘extras only’ skate today even beat writer Steve Zipay is reluctant to take a guess at what the lines will be for tonight’s game. It is probably safe to say that Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan will be on a line together which would make them a strong play tonight against the Hurricanes. I’ve mentioned before about how diverse the Rangers scoring has been this season as 14 players have reached the double digit plateau so far this season. Michael Grabner leads the team in goals with 12 while defenseman Ryan McDonagh has 13 assists, which leads the team in that category. Grabner however is under the weather and is now a game time decision. All this does is make the waters a but murkier where the rangers are concerned tonight.
Elite Plays
NYR: None
CAR: Jeff Skinner
Secondary Plays
NYR: Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh
CAR: Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm, Justin Faulk
Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Columbus Blue Jackets | ||||||||
 | Ben Bishop |  | Sergei Bobrovsky | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 13-9-1 | 11-5-4 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.00 | 2.57 | 23.50% | 83.30% | Team Stats | 3.10 | 2.30 | 28.30% | 83.30% |
The Lightning are looking for some more offense so why not, let’s put ‘the triplets’ back together again for old time’s sake. Nikita Kucherov leads the team in both goals and assists while he is reunited with Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat for tonight’s game in Columbus. This leaves Vladislav Namestnikov and Valtteri Filppula skating with Brian Boyle and Brayden Point centering Jonathan Drouin and Alex Killorn. I don’t mind either pair of Namestnikov and Filppula or Drouin and Killorn here for GPP play as there’s no doubt the Blue Jackets will try to shut down the triplet line. Barring a quick power play goal defenseman Victor Hedman will get the time on the teams second power play unit and makes for a good play here as his four points over the last five games has his total up to 17 points in 23 games. That is good for third on the team in points behind Kucherov and the injured Steven Stamkos. Nikita Nesterov is another option from the back line that gets some time with the man advantage but with only collecting four points so far this season, there are much better options tonight.
The Blue Jackets look to get back on track as they have only one win to their credit over the last four games which have left them with a respectable 11-5-4 record. This is a revenge game for the Lightning as Columbus beat them in Tampa by a score of 5-3 last Friday night. Cam Atkinson skates on the team’s second line but gets the power play minutes as he has had a hand in six of the last 11 Columbus goals. The line you want to target is the top line of Alexander Wennberg, Nick Foligno and Brandon Saad as they all have 17 or more points in the 20 games the Blue Jackets have played. Wennberg and Foligno join Atkinson on the top power play unit that has scored three goals over the last five games. This would play right into their hands as Tampa has given up three goals while short-handed over the last four games. Sam Gagner has seen a lot of extra minutes on the top power play as he has lit the lamp seven times while assisting on five others so far this season. Zachary Werenski is the play on the blue line as he continues to see more than 22 minutes of ice time per night and has tallied 16 points in the process. Look for Columbus to score a few goals tonight in a highly contested game.
Elite Plays
TB: Nikita Kucherov
CBJ: Alexander Wennberg, Nick Foligno
Secondary Plays
TB: Ondrej Palat, Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Drouin
CBJ: Zachary Werenski, Cam Atkinson, Brandon Saad, Sam Gagner
Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers
| Boston Bruins | Philadelphia Flyers | ||||||||
 | Tuukka Rask |  | Steve Mason | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 12-10-0 | 10-10-3 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.36 | 2.27 | 16.40% | 86.70% | Team Stats | 3.13 | 3.30 | 25.00% | 79.70% |
Confidence killer Claude Julien is at it again as he has dropped Ryan Spooner all the way down to the fourth line to skate with Jimmy Hayes and Dominic Moore. This actually makes it a bit easier for us as there are now only two pairs that are in play for tonight’s game in Philadelphia. Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron anchor the top line while Tim Schaller now joins David Krejci and David Backes on the second line. Pastrnak and Marchand are the plays here even though they are on the road as the Flyers are missing their best defensive center in Sean Couturier. I don’t mind going with Krejci and Backes in this spot either as the Bruins should get some opportunities tonight. The Flyers have given up at total of nine goals in the last three games. Torey Krug makes for a solid play on the blue line as he has garnered four of his eight points over the last five games. Bergeron, Krejci, Backes, Spooner and Krug make up the Bruins top power play unit that has scored four goals with the man advantage over the last five games. Meanwhile the Flyers have given up three goals while trying to kill a penalty in the last five games.
With a win here the Flyers can jump over the Boston Bruins in the wild card race standings. It may be a little early to start talking playoffs but we are starting to head into the dog days of winter and that’s where the early contenders become pretenders. Michael Raffl has jumped up on the top line with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek and promptly scored a goal in the Flyers 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames. This is about the third time Raffl has received this golden opportunity so only time will tell if he can stick in the top six or not. Wayne Simmonds makes for a good one-off play here as he skates with Nick Cousins and Travis Konecny as he leads the team in goals and points while playing on the top power play unit. Brayden Schenn is the odd man out with the Raffl promotion but has retained his slot on the top power play unit. This gives him some value but not as much as Simmonds. Ivan Provorov has been getting his shots on net from the point as he has seen more minutes on the ice than fellow defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. The only thing in the Flyers way tonight besides themselves may be Boston goalie Tuukka Rask.
Elite Plays
BOS: David Pastrnak
PHL: Claude Giroux
Secondary Plays
BOS: Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, David Backes, Torey Krug
PHL: Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn
Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators
| Buffalo Sabres | Ottawa Senators | ||||||||
 | Robin Lehner |  | Craig Anderson | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 7-9-5 | 14-7-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 1.81 | 2.38 | 20.00% | 80.30% | Team Stats | 2.18 | 2.32 | 11.30% | 86.20% |
The days of having Craig Anderson as the Senators goalie are numbered as he will soon leave the team to be with his wife through this trying time. He will start tonight however as the Senators will try to give him some offensive support. The top line of Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone and Derick Brassard has been hot of late as Hoffman has registered four points in the last four games while Stone has three goals and two assists in the last five. Kyle Turris makes for a decent one-off play here as he centers Ryan Dzingel and Bobby Ryan. Turris is on the top power play line and leads the team in goals with ten of them while accumulating three points over the last five games. Erik Karlsson leads the team in points from the blue line as he has scored four goals and assisted on 13 others while quarterbacking the team’s top power play unit. Dion Phaneuf has resurfaced and looks to play the point opposite of Karlsson on the power play but is almost unplayable unless you are really desperate.
It may take a game or two but we should see an improvement in the Buffalo offense very soon. It appears that Jack Eichel is back and will skate on a line with Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart. The reason it may take a game or two is that they play Ottawa tonight who owns one of the hottest goalies in the league in Craig Anderson which could make things difficult to score tonight. Dan Bylsma now has enough players to make two strong lines with Ryan O’Reilly, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson but has elected to move Moulson to the fourth line and move Will Carrier to the top line. Eichel can be a big shot in the arm as the Sabres have been getting shots on net, more than 32 in each of the last five games to be exact, but need the finishing skills that Eichel can provide. Ottawa will try to shut down O’Reilly and company which make Eichel’s line a nice GPP option tonight. Defenseman Ramus Ristolainen continues to see the top minutes on the power play but still is a bit of a disappointment as he has registered just nine assists so far this season. In contrast, Taylor Fedun has grabbed four assists in his last five games.
Elite Plays
BUF: None
OTT: Erik Karlsson
Secondary Plays
BUF: Jack Eichel, Kyle Okposo, Ryan O’Reilly, Rasmus Ristolainen
OTT: Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone
Dallas Stars at Detroit Red Wings
| Dallas Stars | Detroit Red Wings | ||||||||
 | Kari Lehtonen |  | Petr Mrazek | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 9-8-6 | 10-10-2 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.59 | 3.27 | 18.60% | 78.50% | Team Stats | 2.32 | 2.64 | 14.30% | 80.00% |
Head coach Lindy Ruff made a small adjustment to his lines as Devin Shore will now skate on the second line with Jason Spezza and Patrick Sharp while Cody Eakin will drop into oblivion on the third line with Brett Ritchie and Adam Cracknell. The Stars played last night and could be a bit tired but I’d still look for Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn to factor into the Dallas scoring tonight. You can add Patrick Eaves to the mix as well as all three play on the top line at even strength and on the power play as well. They also are the top three scorers with Eaves leading in goals with nine but has the least points with 16 through the first 22 games. Spezza joins them on the top power play unit with defenseman John Klingberg who has two points in the three games since his benching by Ruff four games ago. Julius Honka gives you another option as the young defenseman has three assists in his last four games including two last night in the Stars 4-3 overtime loss in St Louis. If you look at the line percentages from last night’s game you will find that Ruff tried everything in his bag of tricks to get the Stars going. For instance, Benn and Seguin were split for almost half of Benn’s 22 minutes of ice time so the moral of this story is take the skill players because you really don’t know who their line mates will be.
The Red Wings look to snap their three-game home losing streak against a Dallas team that is just 3-5-3 on the road so far this year. Over the last 15 games the Red Wings have scored more than three goals just once and that was in their 5-4 overtime win at New Jersey last Friday night. The good news is that head coach Jeff Blashill is sticking to the lines he made a few games back that has seen Anthony Mantha and Henrik Zetterberg grab three points apiece over the last five games. I still don’t agree with trying to make three scoring lines when maybe you have enough to make two but it is what it is. Frans Nielsen and Justin Abdelkader have also been productive from the second line as they four points each over the last five games. The other scoring line should be their most potent as Dylan Larkin, Gustav Nyquist and the recently injured Thomas Vanek have collected just five points over the last five games. As you can see all three lines do score but just not enough to gain any traction in the Atlantic division. Mantha and Zetterberg seem to be the play here on home ice while Ryan Sproul and Niklas Kronwall see the extra power play minutes from the point. Mike Green is another option from the back line as he leads all Red Wing defenseman in points with 12.
Elite Plays
DAL: Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin
DET: None
Secondary Plays
DAL: Jason Spezza, Patrick Eaves, Patrick Sharp
DET: Henrik Zetterberg, Anthony Mantha, Frans Nielsen, Thomas Vanek, Mike Green