Tonight we have another medium sized seven game slate to work with for our daily fantasy hockey needs. Below are the top three teams I’ll look to target on tonight’s slate:
Buffalo Sabres @ Chicago Blackhawks, (Chicago, -200, 5 over/under)
Detroit Red Wings @ L.A. Kings (L.A., -200, 5 over/under)
Minnesota Wild @ San Jose Sharks (San Jose, -140, 5 over/under)**
The Buffalo Sabres head to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks tonight. Last month the Sabres allowed an NHL ninth-most 3.00 goals per game and an NHL fourth-worst 13 power play goals against. While Buffalo was able to hold the York Rangers to one goal on Jan. 3 they had allowed 15 goals in their previous four games including a streak where they allowed a power play goal in four straight games. I’ll look at the Rangers game as an anomonly not likely to be repeated against Chicago tonight.
Artemi Panarin $7.9K (15G, 24A, 12 PPP, 98 SOG)
Artem Anisimov $6.8K (16G, 13A, 7 PPP, 63 SOG)
Patrick Kane $8.7K (11G, 26A, 11 PPP, 129 SOG)
clearly make up the top stack on the Chicago end. To complete a power play one stack you can add Duncan Keith to that trio.
This pick assumes a Chicago bounceback against an inferior opponent as Chicago has lost five of their last six games. Chicago has averaged 3.00 goals per game at home this season while Buffalo has averaged 2.74 goals against on the road. And it’s really the Buffalo penalty kill we’re looking to exploit tonight as Buffalo has allowed 18 power play goals in 19 road games this season — and have only killed off an anemic 72.3 percent of PK chances on the road. To that end, for our tournaments, we shouldn’t be afraid to utilize Chicago’s second power play unit as a way to potentially differentiate our lineups:
Richard Panik $3.4K (9G, 6A, 3 PPP, 68 SOG)
Vince Hinostroza $3.8K (4G, 5A, 50 SOG)
Marian Hossa $6.4K (16G, 7A, 6 PPP, 77 SOG)
(D) Brent Seabrook $5.7K (2G, 19A, 10 PPP, 56 SOG)
round out Chicago’s second unit. From that group a mini tournament stack of Hossa/Hinostroza/Seabrook would be the exposure I’d look for. The stack loses some upside as Panik, Hinostroza and Hossa all skate on different even strength lines.