Five games are on tap tonight in the NHL. It’s a small slate, but it will definitely be interesting. My strategy tonight is to exploit some teams playing back-to-back games, and to target some high scoring games. It’s going to be important to dig deep, and find value in players that will have low ownership.  With that, let’s take a look at each match up and sort through which players you should be looking to start.

Game Breakdowns:

 New York Islanders @ New Jersey Devils—Start Time—7:00PM

 Quick Stats:

• New York is 12-9-1 on the road this season
• 10^th in goals per game (2.92 G/GP)
• 21^st in goals against per game (2.78 GA/GP)
• 12^th ranked power play (19.9%)
• 26^th ranked penalty kill (76.5%)
• Averaging 32.5 shots per game (2^nd in the NHL)

 

• New Jersey is 7-7-5 at home this season
• 28^th in goals per game (2.14 G/GP)
• 19^th in goals against per game (2.67 GA/GP)
• 14^th ranked power play (19.4%)
• 24^th ranked penalty kill (78.2%)
• Averaging 25.0 shots per game (29^th in the NHL)

New Jersey is playing their second game in as many nights and aren’t really a threat to the Islanders. The real value in this matchup goes to Brock Nelson ($4500).  He’s centering the second line with Mikhail Grabovski ($3700) and Nikolay Kulemin ($3200), and a mini stack of Nelson and Kulemin would be as far as it goes for me. John Tavares ($7900) and Kyle Okposo ($6400) are always a good start together, but I’m saving salary for the main matchup of the night. When it comes to defensemen, Nick Leddy ($3300) is definitely a good play. Johhny Boychuk ($5700) is also a good play,= considering how poor the Devils’ penalty kill is, but I would only roll with him in a GPP and go with Leddy to save salary. In net, Jaroslav Halak ($7600) is a great play against a team that couldn’t score against Boston the night before.

When it comes to the Devils, there aren’t very many great options that I would recommend. If you decide to take a risk, I recommend Patrik Elias ($4200) and Michael Cammalleri ($5000). They both play together on the second line, and Cammalleri leads the team in goals, despite missing time due to injury. The salary for both players aren’t great, but the Islanders have a terrible penalty kill, and it might be the only way New Jersey scores a goal tonight.

All Games: Brock Nelson—C, Nikolay Kulemin—W, Nick Leddy—D, Jaroslav Halak– G

GPP Only: John Tavares—C, Kyle Okposo—W, Johnny Boychuk—D, Patrik Elias—C, Michael Cammalleri—W.

Buffalo Sabres @ Tampa Bay Lightning—Start Time—7:30PM

 Quick Stats:

• Buffalo is 4-15-1 on the road this season
• 30^th in goals per game (1.76 G/GP)
• 30^th in goals against per game (3.43 GA/GP)
• 30^th ranked power play (9.4%)
• 30^th ranked penalty kill (74.8%)
• Averaging 23.3 shots per game (30^th in the NHL)

 

• Tampa Bay is 15-4-1 at home this season
• 1^st in goals per game (3.26 G/GP)
• 12^th in goals against per game (2.52 GA/GP)
• 16^th ranked power play (18.7%)
• 13^th ranked penalty kill (81.8)
• Averaging 299 shots per game (15^th in the NHL)

This is probably the most lop-sided game of the night and the game that everyone will be taking advantage of. Buffalo ranks last in every category across the board, and Tampa is one of the best offensive teams in the league. You could say it’s a David vs. Goliath kind of matchup, but their won’t be an upset here.

The line that likely everyone will be stacking is Tyler Johnson ($8100), Nikita Kucherov ($5800), and Ondrej Palat ($6800). They have been the best line for the Lightning recently and will be again tonight. The prices are definitely hard to swallow, and will make filling out the remainder of your roster a challenge, but it will be worth it. Because this line is going to be so heavily owned, it wouldn’t be crazy to go with a stack of Steven Stamkos ($8500), Alex Killorn ($3500), and/or Brett Connolly  ($2900).  This line is clearly the cheaper option, and could definitely provide some very good value. When it comes to GPP, I would look to go with Valtteri Filppula ($3900) and Ryan Callahan ($4700). The combo will see time with Stamkos on the first power play unit, and I expect them to be on the score sheet tonight more than once. On defense, Victor Hedman ($6500) is the obvious choice, but his price tag might be too much for owners. If you want to save some cap space, Jason Garrison ($3600) and Anton Stralman ($3400) are both players I would consider using if you can’t fit Hedman in. And finally, if he starts, Ben Bishop ($7800) is the steal of the night. He’s the 7^th most expensive goalie, and that just doesn’t seem fair. The one objection I could see for not wanting to start Bishop is his save total could be low. Buffalo doesn’t generate much offense, and a 12 save night is a real possibility, but I’m banking on the shutout.

There’s really no reason to even consider starting anyone from the Sabres.

All Games: Everyone I mentioned above with the exception of Filppula and Callahan.

Columbus Blue Jackets @ Toronto Maple Leafs—Start Time—7:30PM

 Quick Stats:

• Columbus is 9-8-1 on the road this season
• 22^nd in goals per game (2.53 G/GP)
• 26^th in goals against per game (3.16 GA/GP)
• 3^rd ranked power play (23.9%)
• 19^th ranked penalty kill (79.9%)
• Averaging 27.5 Shots per game (26^th in the NHL)

 

• Toronto is 14-9-0 at home this season
• 2^nd in goals per game (3.15 G/GP)
• 25^th in goals against per game (3.10 GA/GP)
• 12^th ranked power play (19.9%)
• 10^th ranked penalty kill (82.5%)
• Averaging 29.3 shots per game (21^st in the NHL)

If you’re looking for a high scoring game, this is definitely the one. The goal total for this game is set a six, but it should be closer to ten. Both teams give up a ton of goals, but Toronto is definitely the better goal-scoring team. With that being said, the Leafs are free falling and that trend should continue tonight. Losers of eight of their last 10 games, the Leafs are just a disaster defensively and Columbus has found some scoring recently.

If you didn’t spend most of your salary on Tampa Bay, a stack of Ryan Johansen ($7600), Scott Hartnell ($5300), and Nick Foligno ($6700) is the way to go.  If you want to take advantage of Tampa and Columbus, Foligno and Hartnell are the duo I would go with.  Another interesting combo I would look to go with is Brandon Dubinsky ($6000) and Matt Calvert ($3300). They will both see time on the second power play unit, and I expect one of them to find the back of the net at least once.  Cam Atkinson ($4100) is another great play, but he’s coming back from injury so it might take him a bit of time to get back into form. On defense, David Savard ($3500) and James Wisniewski ($4600) are the first names that come to mind. Both are great options, but if you need to shave some salary to get your studs in, Savard is the way to go. If you’re looking for a cheap GPP stack on the blueline, Kevin Connauton ($3900) is paired with Savard on the second power play unit and has six points in his last five games.

Things just seem to be going from bad to worse for the Leafs. One day after firing head coach Randy Carlyle, the Capitals embarrassed Toronto at home 6-2. It’s hard to trust any Leaf players right now, but they still rank second in goals per game, and I expect them to score tonight. Tyler Bozak ($4400) and Phil Kessel ($7800) are definitely good options, but for some reason I like the Nazem Kadri ($4500)/James Van Riemsdyk ($7400) combo better tonight. If you need to save a lot of salary, Daniel Winnik ($2800) is the way to go, especially after his team leading six shots Wednesday night.  On defense, Cody Franson ($4600) and Dion Phaneuf ($4500) are expensive options to consider, but I would only use one in GPP.

All Games: Ryan Johansen—C, Scott Hartnell—W, Nick Foligno—W, Brandon Dubinsky—C, Matt Calvert—W, James Wisniewski—D, David Savard—D, Nazem Kadri—C, James Van Reimsdyk—W, Daniel Winnik—W.

GPP Only: Kevin Connauton—D, Tyler Bozak—C, Phil Kessel—W, Cody Franson—D, Dion Phaneuf—D.

Florida Panthers @ Calgary Flames—Start Time—9:00PM

 Quick Stats:

• Florida is 8-6-6 on the road this season
• 26^th in goals per game (2.24 G/GP)
• 9^th in goals against per game (2.45 GA/GP)
• 28^th ranked power play (13.7%)
• 14^th ranked penalty kill (81.4%)
• Averaging 31.4 shots per game (6^th in the NHL)

 

• Calgary is 11-8-2 at home this season
• 14^th in goals per game (2.78 G/GP)
• 15^th in goals against per game (2.61 GA/GP)
• 19^th ranked power play (18.0%)
• 27^th ranked penalty kill (76%)
• Averaging 27.2 shots per game (28^th in the NHL)

This might not be a very interesting matchup, but there is quite a bit of value here, mostly for Calgary. The top line of Sean Monahan ($4600), Jiri Hudler ($5000), and Johnny Gaudreau ($5100) is the only line I would trust. I don’t recommend going with all three in cash games, so if you have to pick two, Monahan and Hudler would be my choices. On defense, Mark Giordano ($5600) is definitely someone to consider, but again, his price might be hard to fit into any lineup, and if that’s the case, his partner T.J. Brodie ($4900) is a bit cheaper and provides similar value. For GPP, Mikael Backlund ($3200) and Curtis Glencross ($4900) is a stack I would turn to if your need the cap space. Jonas Hiller is confirmed to get the start tonight and is an excellent play if you choose to not go with Bishop.

As for the Panthers, the only line stack I would use in Cash games is Nick Bjugstad ($5200) and Jonathan Huberdeau ($4300). Huberdeau had a nice night in Vancouver, but I wouldn’t expect to see the same production against Calgary. Some good GPP value plays would be Jimmy Hayes ($3700) and Aaron Ekblad ($4300).

All Games: Sean Monahan—C, Jiri Hudler—w, Johnny Gaudreau—W, Mark Giordano—D, T.J. Brodie—D, Jonas Hiller—G, Nick Bjugstad—C, Jonathan Huberdeau—W.

GPP Only:  Mikael Backlund—C, Curtis Glencross—W, Jimmy Hayes—W, Aaron Ekblad—D.

Chicago Blackhawks @ Edmonton Oilers—Start Time—9:30PM

 Quick Stats:

• Chicago is 12-7-1 on the road this season
• 6^th in goals per game (3.00 G/GP)
• 1^st in goals against per game (2.15 GA/GP)
• 15^th ranked power play (19%)
• 1^st ranked penalty kill (89.7%)
• Averaging 35.5 shots per game (1^st in the NHL)

 

• Edmonton is 7-13-2 at home this season
• 27^th in goals per game (2.17 G/GP)
• 29^th in goals against per game (3.32 GA/GP)
• 29^th ranked power play (13.1%)
• 25^th ranked penalty kill (77.9%)
• Averaging 27.8 shots per game (25^th in the NHL

Chicago comes in as the team playing on back-to-back nights, but they are so good that it doesn’t even matter. If you’re looking for a full line stack, Brad Richards ($5400), Patrick Kane ($8800), and Patrick Sharp ($8600) is the best option, even at that price. If you want to go a cheaper, Jonathan Toews ($5900) and Marian Hossa ($6200) play together both 5v5 and on the penalty kill. On defense, Duncan Keith ($6100) and Brent Seabrook ($4700) are great choices, but if you want bang for your buck, Niklas Hjalmarsson ($3100) is the player I would consider using.  For GPP, Brandon Saad ($4900) is on the top line and on the second power play unit, so he could find himself with at least a point by the end of the night. In net, I expect Antti Raanta ($9300) to get the start, but he’s the most expensive goalie of the night and doesn’t provide the best value. If for some reason Corey Crawford ($8100) gets the start, I would roll with him in both Cash and GPP lineups.

For the Edmonton Oilers, I wouldn’t look past the first line. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($4700), Jordan Eberle ($7100), and Taylor Hall ($6900) provide the only fantasy value in GPP. If you need to fill out your roster with a really cheap play, Derek Roy ($2600) gives you the best value at that price.

All Games: Brad Richards—C, Patrick Kane—W, Patrick Sharp—W, Jonathan Toews—C, Marian Hossa—W, Niklas Hjalmarsson—D, Corey Crawford—G,

GPP Only: Brandon Saad—W, Duncan Keith—D, Brent Seabrooke—D, Antti Raanta—G, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins—C, Taylor Hall—W, Jordan Eberle—W, Derek Roy—C.

Price-Adjusted Cash Game Rankings

Center

1. Tyler Johnson—Tampa Bay Lightning– $8100
2. Brock Nelson—New York Islanders– $4500
3. Brad Richards—Chicago Blackhawks– $5400
4. Steven Stamkos—Tampa Bay Lightning– $8500
5. Ryan Johansen—Columbus Blue Jackets– $7600
6. Jonathan Toews—Chicago Blackhawks– $5900

Wingers

1. Nikita Kucherov—Tampa Bay Lightning– $5800
2. Nick Foligno—Columbus Blue Jackets– $6700
3. Patrick Kane—Chicago Blackhawks– $8800
4. Alex Killorn—Tampa Bay Lightning– $3500
5. Scott Hartnell—Columbus Blue Jackets– $5000
6. Marian Hossa—Chicago Blackhawks– $6200
7. Jiri Hudler—Calgary Flames– $5000
8. Daniel Winnik—Toronto Maple Leafs– $2800

Defense

1. David Savard—Columbus Blue Jackets– $3500
2. Nick Leddy—New York Islandes–$3300
3. Niklas Hjalmarsson—Chicago Blackhawks– $3100
4. Victor Hedman—Tampa Bay Lightning–$6500
5. James Wisniewski—Columbus Blue Jackets– $4600
6. Duncan Keith—Chicago Blackhawks– $6100
7. Mark Giordano—Calgary Flames– $5600

Goalie

(Make sure to check www.leftwinglock.com for starting goalies)

1. Ben Bishop– $7800
2. Jonas Hiller– $7400
3. Jaroslav Halak– $7600
4. Corey Crawford– $8100

Draftkings Lineup:

C: Tyler Johnson

C: Brock Nelson

W: Nick Foligno

W: Nikita Kucherov

W: Daniel Winnik

D: David Savard

D: Niklas Hjalmarsson

G: Ben Bishop

U: Ryan Johansen

Rem. Salary: $100