Every Thursday I will be providing my recommended player picks for your daily fantasy hockey lineups. The goal is to help you to the top of the leaderboards in FanDuel and DraftKings tournament play.
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Tonight is a very small slate for a Thursday. There are just three games with the Philadelphia Flyers playing their third game in four nights as they head to Boston to take on the Bruins. The New York Rangers head to New Jersey to take on the Devils and the Columbus Blue Jackets will visit a Winnipeg Jets that will also play their third game in four nights
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GOALTENDER
NOTE: Make sure to check the “RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page":https://rotogrinders.com/lineups/nhl?site=fanduel page prior to game time, to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting.
Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins – Tuukka Rask started the season off with a tough stretch in October that saw him put up an abysmal .902 SV%. He bounced back in November with an elite .933 SV%. December once again saw Rask put up ugly numbers with a .904 SV% and he has once again turned things around in January with an incredible .941 SV%. He has had a roller coaster of a season, obviously, but tonight is a solid matchup. The Philadelphia Flyers are playing their third game in four nights since coming off the All-Star break, so fatigue should be a factor despite being 2-0 in their first two games. The Bruins are heavy favorites at -210, which should instill confidence in using Rask tonight.
FORWARDS
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – As mentioned above, the Flyers should be tired tonight, which benefits arguably the best line in hockey. David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand have a fantastic matchup against a Flyers team that has a 46.58 CF% in January — the fourth-worst mark in the NHL. Additionally, they’re allowing a 62.89 CA/60, which is the third-most in January. On the flip side, Boston has been dominant with a 53.01 CF% and 59.93 CF/60, both rank seventh in the NHL in January. Pastrnak leads the Bruins in goals (28), points (59), and shots on goal (190), which gives him a high floor for cash games but also an elite ceiling in tournaments. Stack him up with his two linemates for increased upside in tournaments.
Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – This upcoming free agent continues to put up points for Columbus despite his uncertain future with the team. His 55 points in 47 games lead the team and his 19 goals sit second behind just Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets are in a similar spot as the Bruins tonight, other than the fact that they are on the road. They take on a Winnipeg Jets team that is playing their third game in four nights since the All-Star break. Again, the Jets have struggled in January with possession with just a 46.93 CF%, which ranks 25th, and are giving up the sixth-worst CA/60 in the league at 61.08. Panarin plays on the top even strength line and top power play unit, which gives him plenty of offensive opportunity.
Chris Kreider, New York Rangers – Keith Kinkaid started off the season respectively putting up identical .910 SV% in October and November, but those have slipped to a .876 in December and .897 in January. While the New York Rangers do not necessarily possess an offense to be worried about — they sit 27th in the NHL with 2.73 GF/GP — the possession numbers for New Jersey haven’t been great lately and he’s getting plenty of shots against as a result. In January, the New Jersey Devils have allowed 59.87 CA/60, which is the 9th most, and their 45.83 CF% ranks 29th. Chris Kreider leads the Rangers with 22 goals and sits second in both points and shots with 37 and 138, respectively. While these numbers aren’t great in 49 games, he’s the best option for goals on the Rangers. And on a small three-game slate, you need to be a bit more open-minded.
DEFENSE
Torey Krug, Boston Bruins – In 11 January games, Torey Krug has put up a solid 10 points — including five on the power play. His 23 shots leave a bit to be desired, but it is the power play numbers that are encouraging. The Bruins have the league’s second-best man advantage this season, converting at a 27.3 percent clip. Conversely, their opponents in the Philadelphia Flyers have the fourth-worst penalty kill — successfully killing off just 76.4 percent of their penalties. Playing on the top unit with Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak is a huge advantage for Krug and he should be able to take full advantage of this special teams mismatch.
