NHL Grind Down: Wednesday, January 18th

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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Pittsburgh Penguins at Montréal Canadiens

Pittsburgh Penguins Montréal Canadiens
Article Image Matt Murray Article Image Carey Price
Record Record
27-11-5 27-12-6
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 3.51 3.02 23.30% 78.10% Team Stats 3.04 2.49 21.70% 78.90%

After playing one of the most exciting games of the year the Penguins will try to keep to their scoring ways as they travel north of the border to take on a Montreal team that is first in the Atlantic Division. They did change up their lines a bit heading into that eight goal outburst against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night as Jake Guentzel found himself back on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. Meanwhile the top line of Sidney Crosby, Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust remained the same while Phil Kessel is back with Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin. Crosby and Sheary make for a decent option here as Crosby has racked up 12 points over the last games while helping out Sheary light the lamp five times over that same time period. Sheary also has nestled into fifth place on the Penguins scoring chart with 13 goals and 15 assists in the 36 games he has suited up for. Malkin and Hornqvist game be looked at every night they play as they get to play on the top power line with Crosby and Kessel. The Penguins have scored six times over the last six games when they have had the man advantage, so sticking with these guys tonight may be a good idea. Conversely, Montreal has given up a power play goals in six of the last seven games they have played in. With the injury to defenseman Kris Letang we can go back to using Justin Schultz with confidence as he has racked up nine points over the last eight games. He will man the point when the Penguins have the man advantage.

Slowly but surely the Canadiens are starting to get healthy again and that can only mean trouble for the rest of the league as they sit atop of the Atlantic Division with a 27-12-6 record. The top line of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov is the line to target here as not only will they heave the juicy matchups on home ice, they also double as the team’s top power play unit. Pacioretty leads the team with 20 goals and 17 points while Radulov has helped out on 22 goals as his 32 points are just five behind Pacioretty for the team lead. Artturi Lehkonen, Tomas Plekanec and Sven Andrighetto make up the team’s second line but there’s probably a couple of better plays than this if you are looking to dig deeper on the Montreal roster. Andrew Shaw has returned to skate on the third line and will no doubt carry a low price tag as he gets the opportunity to center the top power play unit when the Canadiens draw a penalty. With Galchenyuk back and Shaw on the top power play unit it looks like defenseman Nathan Beaulieu is the odd man out as Shea Weber will remain on the top power play unit. Weber leads the team with 15 power play points while accumulating a second best 109 shots on goal while he sits third in team scoring with 28 points in 45 games.

Elite Plays

PIT: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin
MTL: Max Pacioretty

Secondary Plays

PIT: Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Justin Schultz, Conor Sheary
MTL: Alexander Radulov, Alex Galchenyuk, Shea Weber, Andrew Shaw

Arizona Coyotes at Winnipeg Jets

Arizona Coyotes Winnipeg Jets
Article Image Mike Smith Article Image Ondrej Pavelec
Record Record
13-24-6 20-23-4
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 2.02 3.16 14.70% 77.20% Team Stats 2.70 3.06 17.40% 77.50%

Here’s a game that features two of the worst three teams in the Western Conference and usually when this happens, we want to stay away. That may be easier said than done on a night that only has eight other teams in action so there has to be some value here, right? Maybe not where Arizona is concerned as they are only one of two teams to get to not get to the 100 goal plateau so far this season. The only two players to look at in cash games would be Radim Vrbata, who leads the team with ten goals, 18 assists and 28 points while defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson is right behind him with 23 points on the season. This isn’t good even if you have Ondrej Pavelec starting the game in the opposing net. Vrbata skates with Alexander Burmistrov on the team’s second line while it’s almost a given that Winnipeg will put their best line against Martin Hanzal, Tobias Rieder and Anthony Duclair. One can only talk about how bad this team is until it sounds like a broken record but yet here we are. If you are looking for a cheap one-off play I’d take a look at Brendan Perlini as he leads the team with five goals in the last 13 games while skating on the team’s third line.

With the injury to Patrik Laine the Jets have been forced a few players as a top-six guy that may not have the talent to fill such a role. Drew Stafford was up in the top six but now we see Joel Armia skating on the second line with Mathieu Perreault and Bryan Little. The good news is that Winnipeg can score some goals as they have been shut out just once all year while lighting the lamp 129 times in 47 games. The top line of Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler is the line to target here in cash games as Scheifele leads the team with 45 while Ehlers has a team high 25 assists. The odd thing here is that although all three players have each found the score sheet 13 times or more in the last 15 games it is Ehlers who leads the way with nine goals over that time frame. Dustin Byfuglien is back on the point when the team draws a penalty but maybe his price tag is a little bit high compared to his production. While he is second on the team with 141 shots on goal he has just six of his 26 points with the man advantage. Jacob Trouba could be an option here as he has registered nine of his 14 points over the last 14 games. Winnipeg should be able to score here at home against a team that has given up 137 goals so far this season.

Elite Plays

ARZ: None
WIN: Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele

Secondary Plays

ARZ: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal, Tobias Rieder
WIN: Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Mathieu Perreault

Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings

Boston Bruins Detroit Red Wings
Article Image Tuukka Rask Article Image Petr Mrazek
Record Record
23-19-5 19-19-6
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 2.45 2.47 16.40% 86.50% Team Stats 2.43 2.89 11.50% 82.40%

Boston has only been able to win two games in a row just once over the last 21 games. This can’t bode well for their playoff chances if they continue to play like this as both Toronto and Ottawa are now just three points away from sending them packing come early April. Their recent 4-0 loss to the Islanders on home ice could be viewed as the low point of the season as they try to turn it around in Detroit tonight. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak skate on the top line and on most nights it doesn’t matter what venue they are playing in, they get the job done. Marchand leads the team with 26 assists and 43 points while Pastrnak has netted 19 goals in the 40 games he has played in this season. They also get the extra power play minutes when the Bruins draw a penalty and have scored five goals with the man advantage in the last four games. Defenseman Torey Krug makes for a decent play on the point as he has registered half of his 28 points over the last 15 games while quarterbacking the top power play unit. Ryan Spooner makes for a nice one-off play from the third line as he seen seven of his 21 points come with the man advantage. David Krejci and David Backes are joined on the second line with Frank Vatrano and could be used here for tournament play. Krejci is third on the team in points with ten goals and 18 assists while Backes has recorded 21 points in 39 games. Look for the Red Wings to try to shut down the top line if they can as the Bruins try to get something going tonight.

Jared Coreau has stopped every shot he has faced over the last two games which is pretty impressive considering those two teams were Pittsburgh and Montreal. Coreau will look to pull the trifecta out of his hat tonight as Detroit plays their last of three home games against the Boston Bruins. Detroit started off the season at 6-2 but since that point they have fallen all the way down to seventh in the Atlantic Division and would have to jump over three other teams before even thinking about trying to vie for the last playoff spot. The top line of Henrik Zetterberg, Anthony Mantha and Gustav Nyquist is the easy chalk here for you cash game considerations. Zetterberg leads the team with 31 points while Mantha has lit the lamp 11 times and has recorded 11 assists in the 29 games he has appeared in. The bigger picture here is that Mantha has 15 of his 22 points over the last 13 games. The second line will see Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen jump up to skate alongside of Zetterberg and Mantha when the Red Wings draw a penalty. Vanek makes for a decent one-off play here as he has 30 points in 33 games with seven of those points coming with the man advantage. Dylan Larkin continues to lead the team with 115 shots on goal but has just 16 points to show for his efforts. Mike Green is the choice on the back line as he is clearly their best offensive defenseman. The injury to Niklas Kronwall has all but made head coach Jeff Blashill use Green on the top power play unit which all but makes the most sense. Green’s three points in the last five games equals Kronwall’s 25 game total this season.

Elite Plays

BOS: Brad Marchand
DET: Anthony Mantha

Secondary Plays

BOS: David Pastrnak, Torey Krug, David Krejci, Ryan Spooner, Patrice Bergeron
DET: Henrik Zetterberg, Thomas Vanek, Mike Green, Gustav Nyquist

Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers

Florida Panthers Edmonton Oilers
Article Image James Reimer Article Image Cam Talbot
Record Record
20-18-8 24-15-7
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 2.29 2.60 14.60% 84.30% Team Stats 2.78 2.59 20.40% 81.50%

The Panthers continue their four game west coast trip with a stop in Edmonton to play the Oilers. Florida dropped their first game in Calgary last night by a score of 5-2 and from the looks it, may be in for another tough time tonight. Their 20-18-8 record is good for 11th place in the Eastern Conference and they haven’t had their bye week yet. Vincent Trocheck continues to be the best play if you are looking at the Panthers as an option for your line ups tonight. Since Alexander Barkov was injured 10 games ago Trocheck has lit the lamp eight times and has assisted on seven other goals. That’s not bad considering he had recorded 16 points in the first 35 games. Jared McCann and Jaromir Jagr skate with him on the top line and should be viewed as a tournament play only. Jonathan Marchessault makes for a decent one-off play here as he skates alongside of Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith. Marchessault has been pretty consistent all year as he has lit the lamp three times and has grabbed four assists over the last 11 games and is second on the team in scoring with 27 points. Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad are the choices on the back line with Yandle having a slight advantage over the young gunner. Yandle has ten of his 22 points come with the man advantage while Ekblad has a team leading 150 shots on goal with just seven goals and six assists to show for it.

Thanks to a nice three game winning streak the Edmonton Oilers are back in second place in the Pacific Division with a record of 24-15-7. Their 55 points has them just one point above the San Jose Sharks and four points ahead of the fourth place Calgary Flames. I have a funny feeling that the top line of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Maroon will be seen in a lot of cash game plays in tonight’s contests. While McDavid leads the team with 51 points and Draisaitl leads the team with 15 power play points it has been Maroon who has had the hot hand as he has scored eight of his team leading 18 goals over the last ten games. The second line of Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Benoit Pouliot has been struggling a bit lately with Nugent-Hopkins leading the way with three goals and three assists over the last ten games. That’s actually not bad for him however as he had 16 points in the previous 36 games. Milan Lucic and Mark Letestu join McDavid and Draisaitl on the team’s top power play unit that has lit the lamp two times over the last eight games. This can easily explain the lack of production out of both of these players as they each have just three points in the last ten games. Until the power play starts to click, it may be a good idea to stay away from both Lucic and Letestu. On the back line there is a host of players that could be used as the Oilers can’t seem to settle on a point man for the team’s top power play unit. Andrej Sekera leads the defensive corps with 20 points while Oscar Klefbom has netted seven goals and snared nine assists on the 113 shots on goal he has taken so far this season.

Elite Plays

FLA: Vincent Trocheck
EDM: Connor McDavid

Secondary Plays

FLA: Jaromir Jagr, Jonathan Marchessault, Keith Yandle, Aaron Ekblad
EDM: Patrick Maroon, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Milan Lucic, Andrej Sekera

San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings

San Jose Sharks Los Angeles Kings
Article Image Martin Jones Article Image Peter Budaj
Record Record
26-16-2 22-18-4
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 2.61 2.32 16.50% 82.60% Team Stats 2.50 2.43 16.90% 83.20%

Any time these two teams get together you can expect a well hard fought game. This is their fifth and final meeting this season and of course the winner will get the seasonal bragging rights as the series is tied up at two games apiece. San Jose won the first two by scores of 2-1 and 4-1 while the kings won the last two by scores of 3-2 and 2—1. As you can see, there usually isn’t a lot of scoring between these two teams but they don’t shut each other out either. Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau skate on the team’s top line that also doubles as the top power play unit. Pavelski leads this group with 15 goals and 25 assists so far this season. The only player that has him beat in both categories is All-Star defenseman Brent Burns who has lit the lamp 18 times this season to go along with 27 assists on a league leading 173 shots on goal. Burns is almost match-up proof but as you know, his salary is mostly the problem as you try to fit him into your lineups on a nightly basis. Logan Couture makes for a nice one-off play here as he skates on the second line but gets exposure to the top line when the Sharks draw a penalty. Couture leads the team with seven power play goals as his 27 points ranks third on the team. Joonas Donskoi is injured which has shaken up the second line a bit as Couture now has Mikkel Boedker and Kevin Labanc as his wingers. It’s tough to recommend them on nights when they don’t play the Kings so looking at them here is probably a waste of time.

The Kings come into this one tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the western Conference. Their 48 points is tied with Vancouver while Nashville and Dallas are right behind them with 46 and 45 points respectively. The good thing is that they have had their bye week while most of the other teams that they are competing with have not. Regardless a win here could go a long way especially against a division rival. Joe Carter and Tanner Pearson will be looked upon to lead the way as they skate on the team’s top line as well as get the extra minutes when the Kings go on the power play. Carter leads the team with 23 goals and 40 points while Pearson has registered eight of his 23 points over the last ten games. Dustin Brown is their line mate at even strength and could be used as a cheaper option to provide some salary relief. Anze Kopitar leads the team with 20 assists while centering the second line alongside of Marian Gaborik and Trevor Lewis. Kopitar also gets the extra minutes on the power play as he sits in third place on the Kings scoring chart with 24 points on the season. The interesting note here is that eight of those 24 points have come in the last nine games so maybe he’s getting back on track. Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin are the choices from the back line as they both see ample opportunity playing on the team’s top power play unit. Since going with the ‘two defensemen’ scenario on the power play Muzzin has stepped up his game as he has registered seven of his 14 points over the last ten games. Doughty is the safer bet however as ten of his 23 points have come with the man advantage.

Elite Plays

SJ: Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski
LAK: Jeff Carter

Secondary Plays

SJ: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture
LAK: Tanner Pearson, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin

About the Author

elctrceye
Tom Woollam (elctrceye)

Tom Woollam is a freelance DFS writer and has been a member here at RotoGrinders.com since December 2011. He has played Fantasy Sports for the last 30 years and has been in the daily fantasy sports game for the last four. You can find him on twitter @elctrceye.