NHL Grind Down: Tuesday, October 18th
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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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NOTE: Listed team records/statistics are from 2015/16 season.
San Jose Sharks at New York Islanders
| San Jose Sharks | New York Islanders | ||||||||
 | Aaron Dell |  | Jaroslav Halak | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 46-30-6 | 45-27-10 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.89 | 1.50 | 22.50% | 80.50% | Team Stats | 2.77 | 3.00 | 18.30% | 84.50% |
The Sharks have scored five goals in their first two games and so far it’s been the usual suspects doing the scoring, namely the top power play unit. Logan Couture and defenseman Brent Burns lead the team with three points each while second liner Mikkel Boedker is starting to warm up to Couture, who centers that second line. Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton join Burns and Couture on the top power play unit and unless you wanted to pair Couture with Boedker, there’s really no sense in looking any deeper here on a big slate like tonight.
After road losses to the Rangers and Capitals, the Islanders were able to bounce back on home ice and snag a 3-2 overtime victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night. John Tavares is always in play on home ice so he and Andrew Ladd may not be a bad idea here as they both play on the top line and top power play unit. Brock Nelson is an interesting play here as he lit the lamp twice so far while also getting the top power play minutes. Ryan Strome and defenseman Nick Leddy round out the power play unit. Johnny Boychuk could be in play here from the blue line but only if he gives you a bit of salary relief.
Elite Plays
SJ: Brent Burns, Logan Couture
NYI: John Tavares
Secondary Plays
SJ: Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Mikkel Boedker
NYI: Andrew Ladd, Nick Leddy, Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey
Colorado Avalanche at Washington Capitals
| Colorado Avalanche | Washington Capitals | ||||||||
 | Semyon Varlamov |  | Braden Holtby | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 39-39-4 | 56-18-8 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.59 | 5.00 | 18.00% | 80.20% | Team Stats | 3.02 | 1.50 | 21.90% | 85.20% |
I wouldn’t expect another hat trick from Joe Colborne tonight as the Avalanche travel to Washington to take on what could possibly be the best defense in the league. Colborne earned time on the power play with Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Erik Johnson. One would have to think The Capitals will try to shut down the top line of Landeskog, MacKinnon and Jarome Iginla but I am not so sure that Matt Duchene and company will have any more luck against the Caps tight defense. Tyson Barrie is also an option on the blue line but I can’t see much value here for cash games with 23 other teams in action who are not playing in Washington.
We are patiently waiting for Alex Ovechkin to record his first point of the season and tonight may be the night he does just that. I can understand being blanketed by the Stanley Cup champs on the road in their first game, but to not find the score sheet at home against the Islanders is almost inexcusable. Look for Ovie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie to have a decent game here kind of like the one Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had against this same Colorado team on Saturday night. The defensive play here is John Carlson as he not only gets the lion’s share of the power play minutes he also leads the team in shots with 11. Second liners Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson are in play here as well as they get exposure to Ovechkin on the top power play unit.
Elite Plays
COL: None
WSH: Alexander Ovechkin
Secondary Plays
COL: Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Tyson Barrie, Matt Duchene
WSH: Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie, Marcus Johansson
Second Best Goaltender Play of the Night
WSH: Philipp Grubauer
Anaheim Ducks at New Jersey Devils
| Anaheim Ducks | New Jersey Devils | ||||||||
 | John Gibson |  | Cory Schneider | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 46-25-11 | 38-36-8 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.62 | 3.33 | 23.10% | 87.20% | Team Stats | 2.22 | 2.50 | 19.90% | 83.00% |
The Ducks continue their early season east coast swing with a stop in Newark to square off against the New Jersey Devils. This will be Anaheim’s third game in four nights and are off to an 0-3 start, so tonight’s game should have a bit of urgency to it. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have been split up from the top line but still see the most time on the team’s top power play unit. Getzlaf leads the team in points with a goal and three assists while defenseman Cam Fowler seems to have found his scoring touch again as he has a two goals and one assist. Fowler and fellow defenseman along with second liner Jakob Silfverberg complete the top power play unit. I wouldn’t be opposed to taking Silfverberg with second liners Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano here either. The only thing that scares me is that if Cory Schneider is in net, he can be awfully tough.
The Devils dropped two close games down in Florida so a return home might do them a bit of good. They picked up P.A. Parenteau off of waivers and he has fit right in by figuring in on two of the three goals the Devils have scored so far. He gets second line power play duty while skating on a line with Travis Zajac and Taylor Hall. New Jersey’s other scoring line has Adam Henrique centering Mike Cammalleri and Kyle Palmieri. The knock on the Devils has always been that they play a low paced game but I look for that to change this year because they have added a few more skill players to the roster over the last few years. I mean, let’s face it, with all the younger and faster talent coming in to the league, you have to keep up. Damon Severson is getting some power play time from the blue line but here again it may be the younger Yohann Auvitu that may be the better play.
Elite Plays
ANA: Ryan Getzlaf
NJ: None
Secondary Plays
ANA: Corey Perry, Andrew Cogliano, Cam Fowler
NJ: Taylor Hall, P. A. Parenteau, Mike Cammalleri
Arizona Coyotes at Ottawa Senators
| Arizona Coyotes | Ottawa Senators | ||||||||
 | Mike Smith |  | |||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 35-39-8 | 38-35-9 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.54 | 3.00 | 17.70% | 77.30% | Team Stats | 2.80 | 3.50 | 15.80% | 75.80% |
I don’t know how he does it but Shane Doan continues to score goals, even when he’s on the team’s third line. It could be that the team isn’t that good and that may be true. Regardless, Doan does play on the team’s second power play unit and could be a sneaky one-off in Ottawa tonight. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson picked up right where he left off last season by scoring one of four goals in their only game which saw the Coyotes beat Philadelphia on home ice in overtime. Max Domi, Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata have the honors of being on the team’s top line and top power play unit. Second liners Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder could be in play here as the senators have already given up seven goals in two games, despite winning them both.
Based on their first two games, Ottawa has been a team that skates fast and can score a few goals as well. They do however tend to give them up as well but either way you slice it defenseman Erk Karlsson has to be in the conversation each and every night. Karlsson has tallied four points in the first two games and is usually at the top of the Senators scoring leaders by the end of the season. The top line of Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone are in play as its Turris who is the only one that doesn’t skate on the top power play unit. Second liners Bobby Ryan and Derick Brassard take the final two top line power play spots, making them an intriguing play here tonight. Look for the same old thing from Ottawa tonight, let up some goals but score more.
Elite Plays
ARZ: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
OTT: Erik Karlsson
Secondary Plays
ARZ: Shane Doan, Max Domi, Martin Hanzal, Anthony Duclair, Tobias Rieder
OTT: Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, Kyle Turris, Derick Brassard, Bobby Ryan
Pittsburgh Penguins at Montreal Canadiens
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Montreal Canadiens | ||||||||
 | Mike Condon |  | Al Montoya | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 48-26-8 | 38-38-6 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.94 | 2.00 | 18.40% | 84.40% | Team Stats | 2.63 | 2.00 | 16.20% | 81.90% |
Even without superstar Sidney Crosby the Penguins have chalked up two tough wins against Washington and Anaheim. Tonight the travel north of the border to take on a Carey Price-less Montreal team who has beaten Buffalo and lost to Ottawa. It’s hard to ignore Evgeni Malkin on any night but the pair I like is Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino as they skate on the team’s second line but play with Malkin, Patric Hornqvist and defenseman Kris Letang on a power play unit that gets plenty of time with the man advantage. The Penguins can always score and tonight should be no exception, even on the road. The only red flag could be is the fact that this is their third game in four nights.
Montreal has their home opener tonight as they face the Pittsburgh Penguins and there’s no doubt that you may run into the top line of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher in some of your cash games tonight. Afterall, Montreal has scored seven goals in their first two games with Gallagher and Galchenyuk leading the way. Shea Weber and Andrei Markov man the points on the power and should be considered as in play as well. Tomas Plekanec centers the second line with Artturi Lehkonen and Alexander Radulov, but I think I’d stick with the top five here.
Elite Plays
PIT: Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang
MTL: None
Secondary Plays
PIT: Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, Patric Hornqvist
MTL: Brendan Gallagher, Alex Galchenyuk, Max Pacioretty, Shea Weber, Andrei Markov|