Welcome to the Wednesday, March 8th, addition of the FanDuel NHL Blue Line Power Plays column. With a limited number of NHL games tonight, we’ll highlight several top scoring options, but differentiate our lineup with several value picks for affordability. The salary we discuss are set by FanDuel for Wednesday.
After a loaded schedule on Tuesday night, the NHL gives most of the league a night off. But. Wednesday night is rivalry night and we have three fun match ups to watch! With a limited number of teams playing, we’ll have a narrow list of options and have to make sure the top scorers are in our lineup, and we grab the right value plays.. Here’s a look at who’s playing tonight:
Red Wings at Bruins (8pm ET)
Senators at Stars (8pm ET)
Penguins at Jets (8pm ET)
The Red Wings have struggled all season and the Bruins should handle Detroit easily in Boston tonight. We’ll take a look at the B’s goalie and try to stack some scoring options in Boston.
The Senators are on a roll, and Anderson has been fantastic back in goal for Ottawa. But they’re visiting a Dallas Stars team who’s surprised the Capitals in Washington, D.C. over the weekend. That could be a higher-scoring game that it first appears.
Finally, the Penguins have been hot-and-cold over the last month. They’re visiting the Jets in Winnipeg. The Jets have also been hard to judge lately, with some solid goal tending, at times, and some hot offensive play from its young player-makers. We may add a few Pengs and Jets for tonight.
Next: Top Centers
Top Centers
At center we’re going to stack our team with the Bruin’s top-line leader Patrice Bergeron ($7,300) and recently called up 3rd line leader Austin Czarnik ($3,100).
The last time the Bruins played the Red Wings at home, Bergeron had an assist and 16 total FanDuel NHL points. Not a bad outcome. But recently Patrice has been hot, scoring around 20 FanDuel NHL points in four of the last five games, including a 9.6 point result. Bergeron had five assists and three goals in the last five games, and is a candidate for 20 points in a favorable match up tonight.
With Spooner’s recently injury, the Bruins called up Czarnik from the AHL and he’s now centering the B’s 3rd line. Admittedly, this is a value play to afford some big scoring options throughout our lineup. However, Czarnik could have multiple scoring options in a juicy match up for the Bruins, in his 2nd game back on the team, since late January.
Next: Top Wings
Top Wings
Jason Spezza ($6,300) scored between 12.8 and 23.7 FanDuel NHL points over the Dallas Stars’ last four games. Spezza is on the Stars top line which has been on fire lately. On Sunday, most FanDuel NHL players faded Stars players who were visiting the Capitals. Unfortunately for them, the Stars scored four goals, includes Spezza’s short-handed goal. We expect Spezza and the Stars to stay hot on home ice against a tough Senators team tonight.
We already have a center from the Bruins’ 1st and 3rd lines. So to cover all three lines, we’re going to grab 20-year-old budding star David Pastrnak ($6,900). Over the last six games, Pasternak has either a goal or assist, totaling one goal and six assists in that time. It’s likely Pastrnak will be involved in another 2nd line goal tonight against the Red Wings.
Since Valentine’s Day, Patrik Laine ($7,600) only has one game below 10 FanDuel NHL points. In three of the last five Jets games, Laine was involved in two scoring results, totaling over 25 FanDuel NHL points in each game. Tonight, Patrik and the Jets face a tough Penguins team on home ice. But the last time the Jets faced the Penguins, in Pittsburgh, Laine still had a goal and 16.8 FanDuel NHL points. Patrik should stay hot tonight.
We may see a hit to the value of Jake Guentzel ($4,400), not that he’s on Bonino’s 3rd line. But the Penguins 3rd line is still strong, with Hornqvist and Guentzel. Jake is also scored a goal in Pittsburgh’s last game against the Sabres. We think Guentzel stays hot tonight and is involved in another scoring result in Winnipeg.
Next: Top Defense
Top Defense
Erik Karlsson ($7,300) is finally starting to give Burns a run for his salary in FanDuel NHL. Karlsson has been on fire that last two months. Even when not involved in a scoring result, Erik is putting up big numbers. On March 2nd against the Avalanche, Karlsson had no goals or assists, but still had 19.2 FanDuel NHL points through six shots on goal and six blocked shots. Over the last five games, Erik has a goal and five assists. Tonight in Dallas, I expect Karlsson to post another 20+ FanDuel NHL points.
Tobias Enstrom ($3,300) is our value play at defense. We have an expensive lineup tonight, and we had to find another low salary, but high point potential. Enstrom is playing on the same line with Laine, and could be involved in a helper or two tonight. Also, I expect Tobias to get a few shots on goal and hopefully involved in a few blocked shots from a hot Senators offense.
Next: Top Goalie
Top Goalie
We have limited goalie options tonight, but I quickly liked Tuukka Rask ($8,800) match up on home ice, against a struggling Red Wings team. Rask had two tough losses over the last two games, against the Senators and Rangers. In each game, he only had around 19 to 25 saves. Tuukka only gave up a joint five goals in those two games, but it wasn’t enough for the additional twelve FanDuel NHL points, and he fell just short of ten points each time.
But over a four game period, Tuukka is 2-2, and had over 30 saves against the Stars. In the February 28th match up against a hot Coyotes team, Rask only gave up one goal, with 22 saves, and totaled 25.6 FanDuel NHL points. We think Rask will have a similar outcome tonight.
Always check NHL lineups throughout the day when playing FanDuel NHL. The NHL isn’t overly forthcoming with injury news, and players are often scratched at the last-minute with little information. Also, goaltenders are never a sure-thing. Follow us on twitter, @fantasycpr, for updates as we get closer to lineup lock time. Good Luck today FanDuelers!