We have another awesome NHL slate of games on this glorious Tuesday night. I am again returning to give you the NHL Daily Focus and some plays for you to consider when filling out your rosters. We will go game by game and analyze who is trending up and who is not performing.
Avalanche @ Hurricanes
+105 5.5U -125
Avalanche: Looks like Pickard is going to get the start in net. In his spot starts this season he’s got a .934 SV% and 2.21 GA. The last time he saw these Hurricanes he came in relief and stopped all 17 shots against him. I think he could have a good game but may not be in line for the win. Duchene, MacKinnon, and Ladeskog are they only three in consideration for cash games. Iginla for GPP’s, he leads the team with 3 multi-point games.
Hurrcanes: Ward should be in net and hasn’t played too poorly in the last 10. He’s got a .920 SV% but hasn’t grabbed many wins due to his teams inability to score. Vegas thinks he’ll get the win at home where he’s been significantly better than on the road, but it may be a high goal cost. This team doesn’t score a lot so I’m not liking a lot here either. Eric Stall has scored 4 points in as many games and so has Victor Rask. Rask is near the bottom in terms of salary and if he stays hot you’ll have great salary relief and a point.
Wild @ Penguins
+175 5.5U -210
Wild: Backstrom is net and playing as poorly as the rest of the team. I wouldn’t trust him tonight. In fact I don’t see the Wild scoring a whole lot. They’ve had some tough match ups in the few games and have played terribly in the match ups. I’m not starting anyone in cash but the top line Pominville, Parise, and Koivu in a GPP is a flyer you could take.
Penguins: Narrative street warning! Fleury has defeated every team in the NHL except for the Wild. He is 0-5 with a 3.76 goals-against average and a .853 save percentage against Minnesota. With the way the Wild have played lately it should be a win for Fleury tonight. Fire him up. The Pens are a pretty safe cash option tonight. You can always throw Crosby out there and Malkin, Malkin is a little cheaper in places and has similar upside but both are at the high end of salary. Perron is a cheap winger that skates on the top line and Kuntiz is a value play as well. I think you pay up for the top guys in this team tonight, at least one of them.
Red Wings @ Sabres
-210 5O +175
Red Wings: Mrazek is in and Howard is injured for now. He’s playing Buffalo and is super affordable. Should get a win vs the worst team in the league. Easy cash game pick. The Red Winds shouldn’t have much trouble with this team. Abdelkater has been on fire recently and gets both top line and PP time. Pair him up with Nyquist and Zetterberg and you got your top line and hottest line on the team. Tartar is cheap and gets you exposure to Datsyuk, who isn’t climbing up the salary ranks quite yet, play him while he still under priced where you can. Kronwall is a good value at D too but doesn’t score as much as the guys above who are safer plays.
Sabres: Neuvirth is going to get the call in a tough match up. Not a safe play thing even as Detroit should roll. Just maybe don’t play anyone from this team, they scored a goal a game if you can figure out who is going to do it by all means fire that dude up in a GPP.
Islanders @ Rangers
+115 5.5U -135
Islanders: Halak put up a 40 SV game the last time he saw the Rangers in the Garden and got the win. That wasn’t the “hottest team in hockey” Rangers that we’ve seen as of late. There are better options tonight but if you want to throw him in a GPP he shouldn’t be highly owned. John Tavares has a great history against the Rangers scoring 26 points in 27 games and has scored 5 points in the last 4 games. Great GPP play. In the last few games this team has had goals from every line. Tough to tell where the scoring is coming from but Okposo and Boychuck have lead the team in point as of late along with Tavares.
Rangers: Lundquvist has been a brick wall during the Rangers run, only allowing 1,57 goals per game and wining 11 of 12 starts. This game could become high scoring so just like Halak I may roll him in a GPP in case he stays hot but there are better options in lower scoring games. Centers Nash and Brassard have combined for 10 points in the last 4 games but like the Islanders the whole team has been rolling and everyone is scoring. It’s hard to pick out players from this team for that reason and the goalies are also on fire. I won’t be total avoiding this game, it’s just hard to call.
Lightning @ Bruins
+115 5.5U -135
Lightning: Bishop should get the call tonight and he’s got a tough match up tonight going into Boston. The Lightning haven’t played Boston well over the last few years. It will be tough for him to get a win tonight. I don’t like the chances of going into Boston on 0 days rest after taking the shelling they did yesterday but that wasn’t Bishop (The first 4) and the Lightning have bounced back after a loss well this season. The injury to Hedman puts Stralman back in the top PP unit and he’s very cheap and on a 3 game point streak. Stammer is always a top option and with Johnson out they put Palat and Kucherov with Stammer which brings their value up a bit for me. Still a tough game but if they bounce back like they have and score 4 you’ll want a piece of this team.
Bruins: Rask should be in net tonight and It’s tough call. He swept Tampa Bay last year going 4 -0-0 allowing less than a Goal a game. Tampa’s offense will be without Johnson and Hedman tonight but are still one of the best offenses in the NHL. If you think those BvP numbers bare the results then get Rask in your lineups. Tampa look tired and without Johnson and Hedman a little lost. The Bruins are all priced well and don’t exaclty light up the fantasy scoreboard. Your pretty safe with Lucic, Krejci, and Bergeron, exposure to the top two lines a PP time.
Canucks @ Predators
+130 5O -150
Canucks: Miller has been playing great as of late but runs into the Predators who have put together a 7-1-2 last 10. Miller is great GPP play tonight as getting the win will be tough in Nashville where they have only lost 3 games this whole season. Don’t see much here, just the Sedin sisters in a GPP. Preds PK is on right now and the Vancouver PP has been turned off.
Predators: Rinne is the best net minder in the NHL this season and should have a win in line for him tonight. He is expensive everywhere, with good reason and you should get him in your lineups tonight. With Neal on IR Wilson and Ribeiro have been on a tear scoring 6 points each in the last 5 games. Josi on D has been putting up numbers close to that and expect the team to play well tonight. Stack the PP in a GPP due to the recent numbers and if Neal is back play him in GPP not cash as injury may limit his upside and keep playing his replacements in the meantime. Forsberg is on a lul but can always put one in the back of the net.
Panthers @ Jets
+120 5O -140
Panthers: Luongo has been pretty solid in net this year for the Panthers. Versus each other these team seem to take the win at home so I’m not to trusting of Luongo getting the win tonight. Florida has played well on this latest road trip but there are better cash options than these guys. Huberdeau is their hottest player right now scoring 5 points in the last 4 with Jokinen not far behind but the scoring has been all over making it hard to single out a line or a player. Most of the offense goes through Bjugstad and they all are very easy to fit in a line up at their price.
Jets:It’s hard to trust either Goalie for the Jets, if Hutchinson is in net he has played better than Pavelec and the whoever starts should get a win at home tonight, but once again hard to trust Jets goalies as of late. If they can score 5 at home like the last time they palyed the Panthers it’s coming from the PP team Little, Ladd, Wheeler, Perreault, and Byufligen who are the top 5 scorers on the team as of late and on the season. They are all very close in price and I usually go with who is the cheapest since they all have something to do with the others scoring.
Oilers @ Blues
+240 5.5U -280
Oilers: Doesn’t really matter who is in net for the Oilers tonight, look elsewhere for a Goalie. You may want to look elsewhere for offense too but if your up for it Eberle has 4 goals in as many games and Roy and Hall have been the assistmen in those goals.
Blues: Looks like Allen gets the call tonight and fire him right up, biggest favorite on the board, the Oilers have issues with the Blues, the issue being they almost never beat them. Allen should get an easy victory tonight and the Blues offense should continue to roll. The top two lines and Shattenkirk are all in play. Still expensive and on the rise but still like Lehtera’s price so he’s an easy in. The Steen, Oshie, Backes line is almost unafforadable now but you can get Schwartz and Taresenko for less and they have very similar opportunity.
Senators @ Stars
+130 5.5O -150
Senators: Lenher is going to start tonight and carries a .904 SV% and 3.03 GA per game but the Stars may be without Seguin and Been making him look better on paper but will struggle to pick up the win. Another team who has play well lately and the scroing is pread out. Maybe a little Turris and MacArthur tonight, and Hoffman has scored 3 goals in the last 4 games. Karlsson is always in play.
Stars: Lehtonen is going to get the call and should have a win in front of him. He is kinda a boom or bust option in a high scroing game I’d look elsewhere, he has given up 14 goals in his last 4 games.There is another narrative street warning in this game as Spezza faces his former team of 11 years and it looks like there will be some scratches in the game that will give Spezza some extra work tonight and has a great value price across the industry. Ritchie has been getting top line minutes and some PP time with Seguin and Benn. Seguin should be in tonight but Benn is questionable. Ritchie is cheap and provides some extra cap space. Eakin and Cole are two value guys getting minutes with the studs out there in Dallas.
Sharks @ Coyotes
-140 5.5U +120
Sharks: Niemi has yielded 15 goals his last four outings but owns a 12-4-4 career record versus Arizona. He is probably going to win but may give up a 2-3 goals in the process. Burns in D is expensive but his floor is like 3.5 DK points so he’s worth it in this match up. Melker Karlsson was put on the top line and he has scored 10 points in his first 14 NHL games and a great value play tonight. Anyone on the PP unit is a good play tonight. Pay up for Pavelski or Couture and Burns.
Coyotes: I wouldn’t really start any Arizona goalie. Over the last few weeks they have been blown out a few times and the Sharks do have the snipers enough to make it that way. Both teams are pretty soft in a fantasy manner and give up points to the opposition. Boedekker leads the team in points and is the top point scorer in the last few games and Yandle and Ekman–Larsson are always dangerous from the blue line but this team hasn’t put it together well lately and I don’t see many scoring options here.
Power Play Stacks: Red Wings vs Buffalo, Rangers vs Islanders, Blues vs Oliers, and contrarian late night hammer stack is Arizona vs Sharks.
