NHL Grind Down: Wednesday, October 25th
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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Calgary Flames at St. Louis Blues
| Calgary Flames | St. Louis Blues | ||||||||
 | Eddie Lack |  | Jake Allen | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 4-2-0 | 4-2-0 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.50 | 2.88 | 20.00 | 89.70 | Team Stats | 3.11 | 2.67 | 20.80 | 80.80 |
Flames Offensive Outlook
2016-17 5v5 (adj): 53.68 CF/60 (21) | 52.58 CA/60 (26) | 2.05 xGF/60 (21) | 2.1 xGA/60 (21)
Calgary is coming off a hard fought game in Nashville last night. Look for Eddie Lack to get the start in net against the rested Blues. Needless to say, walking in tired to an enemy barn is a less than stellar arrangement for the Flames. To top things off the Blues are about the worst matchup for the Flames in general. On the young season, the Blues have the lowest xGA/60 at 5v5.
St. Louis is not a possession juggernaut but they are not inept, either. Prior to last night’s numbers being accumulated, the Blues had the lowest rates of scoring chances allowed and high-danger shot attempts allowed at 5v5. Even on a mini-slate, Calgary forwards are going to be tough to trust.
The line of Matthew Tkachuk, Michael Frolik, and Mikael Backlund are the most likely to bust through St. Louis’s defense. They rank among the league leaders in driving play and have established themselves as a premier line. They should be a contrarian play tonight with low ownership, which is what to look for on two game slates. The matchup is suboptimal, to be sure, but there is upside in this line.
Things are less rosy for Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. They lose Jaromir Jagr off the top line due to injury, and the elder statesman remains a strong teammate. This line also figures to see plenty of St. Louis’s defensive attention, which means plenty of Alex Pietrangelo on the blueline and Paul Stastny and the top line up front. Pietrangelo has been a strong defender thus far. Stastny is not a shutdown center but his line is able to dominate play.
Flames Special Teams Outlook
Where Calgary can attack St. Louis is on the power play. The Blues have allowed a top ten rate of shot attempts, scoring chances, and high-danger shot attempts while shorthanded. Calgary’s power play is about average in shot quantity and scoring chances but is above average in generating high-danger shot attempts.
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