NHL Grind Down: Wednesday, November 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.
Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.
Vancouver Canucks at Winnipeg Jets – 07:30 PM EST
| Vancouver Canucks | Winnipeg Jets | ||||||||
 | Ryan Miller |  | Ondrej Pavelec | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 7-6-6 | 8-9-2 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.84 | 2.63 | 17.50% | 80.70% | Team Stats | 2.63 | 3.21 | 15.30% | 80.50% |
Sandwiched between two extremely difficult tests in Montreal (4-3 OT loss) and Chicago (on Saturday night), the Canucks are desperate for a win in Winnipeg tonight after dropping each of their last three games. It’s been a lousy start to the season for the Canucks, and with a 1-4-2 record over their last seven games, they’re extremely fortunate to be playing in the underachieving Pacific Division. They’ll take on a Jets team tonight that looks to be in the midst of a free fall and has now lost six straight games and allowed an ugly 4.50 GA/G during that stretch. With that in mind, there’s certainly some opportunity here for the Canucks. As we’ve grown accustomed to, it’s the Sedin twins leading the charge for the Canucks offensively as they’ve combined for 11 goals and 20 assists in the first 19 games of the season. They’re joined by Jannick Hansen on the top forward line and, as a former 20-goal scorer, he’s a terrific value option. Radim Vrbata has been quiet to start the season (and is an ugly -11), but he still leads the team in SOG and has proven to be too dangerous to completely ignore. Defensively, Alex Edler has already picked up four goals and five assists and is the top option, with Yannick Weber an acceptable “punt” as Edler’s partner on the point of the top power-play unit. With Winnipeg leading the NHL in penalties, getting some exposure to the Canucks top power-play unit seems logical.
As mentioned above, the Jets find themselves in a tailspin right now and it’s crucial that they get things turned around quickly before they give up too much ground in the ultra-competitive Central Division. With eight of their last nine games being played on the road, they’ll be very pleased to hit the ice tonight in front of the Winnipeg faithful. Their recent struggles has prompted Paul Maurice to shake things up offensively and main fallout will be Andrew Ladd sliding off of the Jets top line to play alongside Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers in an attempt to create a more balanced scoring attack. That shifts Mathieu Perreault onto the top line alongside Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler and is obviously a big boost to his fantasy outlook. On defense, Dustin Byfuglien is a “stat-stuffer” and can help contribute fantasy points in just about every conceivable manner. He’s allowed a ton of freedom in the offensive zone and anchors the #1 power-play unit, making him one of the top-tier options on the board.
Elite Plays
VAN: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin
WPG: Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien
Secondary Plays
VAN: Jannik Hansen, Radim Vrbata, Alex Edler, Yannick Weber
WPG: Andrew Ladd, Mark Scheifele, Mathieu Perreault
Washington Capitals at Detroit Red Wings – 08:00 PM EST
| Washington Capitals | Detroit Red Wings | ||||||||
 | Braden Holtby |  | Jimmy Howard | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 11-4-1 | 9-8-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.06 | 2.31 | 22.40% | 84.80% | Team Stats | 2.28 | 2.50 | 17.20% | 82.80% |
Ovechkin still finds himself just one goal shy of breaking Sergei Federov’s record as the top Russian born goal scorer in NHL history, and what better way to break the record than by doing it against Federov’s old team, the Detroit Red Wings. The Capitals bring an impressive 11-4-1 record into the Joe Louis Arena tonight and sport a fairly distinct Corsi advantage over the Red Wings in this meetings, however leaving Detroit with two points won’t come easy. Obviously Alexander Ovechkin is the focal point of the Capitals and well worth his big ticket asking price more often than not. With four days since their last game, Barry Trotz had time to tinker with things and it looks like he’s finally decided to still Nicklas Backstrom on the top line with Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie, and that’s great news for all three players, especially Backstrom. Falling down to center Marcus Johansson and Andre Burakovsky obviously puts a dent into Evgeny Kuznetsov fantasy value, but that line is certainly capable of producing offensively. As the quarterback of the Capitals lethal #1 power-play unit, John Carlson is an elite option on the blue-line tonight. He’s already tallied three goals and nine assists in 16 games and is averaging over 24 minutes of ice-time per game.
The Red Wings held Ovechkin and the Capitals in check last week as they walked away with a 1-0 victory over Washington despite being outshot 38-27. They’ve been rather mediocre to start the 2015-16, but with Pavel Datsyuk back in action, it’s hard to imagine they don’t take a big step forward. Detroit salvaged two points against Ottawa on Monday night, but their 37 shots on goal was a season high and is an immediate reflection what Pavel Datsyuk presence can do for this team as they were one of the best teams by Corsi Standards last season, but ranked near the bottom of the league without “The Magician” early on in 2015-16. The Capitals have allowed just 2.31 goals against per game this season, but on just a three game night, Detroit deserves your attention. Offensively, the Wings sport two very impressive forward lines. Henrik Zetterberg centers Justin Abdelkdader and Gustav Nyquist on the top line, with Datysuk skating between youngsters Tomas Tatar and Dylan Larkin on the second line. All six players see plenty of run with the man advantage and this Detroit power-play finished 2nd in the league last season. Mike Green is the top option on Detroit’s blue-line and has the added motivation of taking on his former team in this one. Alternatively, Niklas Kronwall is locked into 20+ minutes a night and has a nice offensive upside.
Elite Plays
WAS: Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson
DET: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Gustav Nyquist, Mike Green
Secondary Plays
WAS: Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie, Andre Burakovsky, Matt Niskanen
DET: Justin Abdelkader, Tomas Tatar, Dylan Larkin, Niklas Kronwall
Chicago Blackhawks at Edmonton Oilers – 09:30 PM EST
| Chicago Blackhawks | Edmonton Oilers | ||||||||
 | Corey Crawford |  | Ben Scrivens | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 10-7-1 | 6-12-0 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.72 | 2.44 | 18.80% | 81.30% | Team Stats | 2.61 | 3.22 | 21.10% | 78.90% |
On just a three-game slate, the Blackhawks will likely have some very high ownership rates tonight in cash games as they take on the Edmonton Oilers and they’d be a very dangerous fade considering Edmonton’s reputation for it’s defensive inepitude. The Oilers have allowed the third most goals against per game on the young season (3.22) and that number has ballooned to 3.73 GA/G over their last eleven games (where they’ve gone just 3-8-0). The defending Stanley Cup Champs have sputtered a bit to start the season, but look to be gaining momentum after two straight wins. With 13 goals and 15 assists through the first 18 games, Patrick Kane leads the league in scoring as it the premier play of the evening. He’s joined by the impressive KHL defector Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov on the team’s “second” line and both players offer nice value. Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa are joined by Marko Dano on the top line, and while they’ve been a bit less productive thus far this season, they’re also excellent options in all formats. Duncan Keith return has put a small dent in Brent Seabrook fantasy value, but both still log plenty of playing time with the man advantage and are very solid options against Edmonton’s 78.9% penalty kill.
On a three game night, every team is in play; just don’t get carried away here with the Oilers. The Connor McDavid injury offset the balanced scoring approach Todd McLellan was hoping for, but it looks like he’ll separate his top line of Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle in order to get some semblance of it back. Not surprisingly Taylor Hall has led the charge in the scoring department as the 24 year-old has already racked up 8 goals and 12 assists in 18 games as is a fine play despite the very tough matchup opposite Jonathon Toews and Marian Hossa. Leon Draisaitl has certainly lived up to the expectactions of being the 3rd overall pick from the 2014 draft as he’s poured in five goals and eight assists in just eight games and it thriving as the center on the Oilers top line. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle team up Benoit Pouliot on the second line and, although I still prefer to target the Taylor Hall line, they’ll likely see the more favorable matchups in this one. With Justin Schultz still watching from the pressbox, Andrej Sekera is really the only defenseman worth even the slightest look.
Elite Plays
CHI: Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith
EDM: Taylor Hall
Secondary Plays
CHI: Marko Dano, Artem Anisimov, Andrew Shaw, Teuvo Teravainen, Trevor Daley
EDM: Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, Benoit Pouliot, Andrej Sekera