Tuesday fantasy hockey tips: NHL picks, matchups, more
Other highlights from a hectic Tuesday include the Stars’ and Devils’ respective backups doing battle after both teams lost elsewhere on Monday, and a potentially titanic tilt between two Vezina candidates in Linus Ullmark and Ilya Sorokin when the Bruins host the Islanders. Unless Boston’s Jeremy Swayman is offered his turn in the B’s crease. Which is wholly possible.
Elsewhere, the Kraken are in for a tough one against the sizzling Lightning in Tampa, while the Predators are seeking sweet revenge at home after falling, badly, to the Oilers on Nov. 1. No Evander Kane in this one, who earned a hat-trick in that earlier 7-4 victory over Nashville. Perhaps headlining this thoroughly entertaining evening of hockey all around, the cream of the Central faces the pride of the Pacific in Winnipeg. But this time the Golden Knights will be forced to compete without Jack Eichel, who scored the game-winner in October’s tight 2-1 win over the Jets. Vegas’ blue line is also missing some key pieces in Alex Pietrangelo, (maybe) Shea Theodore, and Zach Whitecloud. Advantage Winnipeg, it would seem.
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All times Eastern.
7 p.m., Scotiabank Arena, Watch live on ESPN+
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One paper, this matchup is as lopsided as they come. One of the NHL’s most potent offenses – averaging 4.00 goals/game since Nov. 25 – is hosting the 32nd ranked defense. The Ducks are playing their second in as many nights after losing 3-0 in Ottawa on Monday. Projected starter John Gibson is recovering from an illness. To a player, the Maple Leafs are extra jazzed about Mitch Marner’s quest to extend his point streak to 23 games (and counting). It all adds up to a skewed result in favor of the rested home side.
10:30 p.m., SAP Center at San Jose, Watch live on ESPN+
While both the Coyotes and Sharks are allowing themselves to be scored upon in generous measure at present, they’re also catching the netting themselves. With a rusty James Reimer returning to San Jose’s crease post-injury, and a perpetually bombarded Karel Vejmelka projected to start for Arizona, I’m anticipating more than a handful of total goals once the final buzzer sounds. Start your Sharks and Coyotes, if you got ’em.
Dylan Strome, Washington Capitals (31.3%): Against his old (struggling) team in Chicago? While centering a top line with Alexander Ovechkin, who’s four shy of tying the great Gordie Howe’s mark of 801 career goals? Yes, please. While hardly a fantasy gem night in an out, Strome shines with great potential on this eve.
See also:
Jack Roslovic, Columbus Blue Jackets (43.3%)
Dylan Cozens, Buffalo Sabres (52.4%)
Nicholas Paul, Tampa Bay Lightning (34.8%)
Nino Niederreiter, Nashville Predators (39.4%)
Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers (70.5%)
Arturri Lehkonen, Colorado Avalanche (62.9%)
Casey Mittelstadt, Buffalo Sabres (2.2%): The 24-year-old is skating on a Buffalo top line and power play in place of Jeff Skinner, who’s been suspended three games for cross-checking Pittsburgh forward Jake Guentzel in the face. Bearing in mind how both temporary linemates Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch have performed of late – at least before running into the red-hot Penguins – this is a good gig. Running warm and cold this campaign, Mittelstadt should seize this rich opportunity in getting back on scoring tracking against the visiting Kings.
Paul Stastny, Carolina Hurricanes (3.4%): Hey, the veteran scored the opener/game-winner in Saturday’s 3-0 blanking of the Islanders, assisted by Andrei Svechnikov and defenseman Brady Skjei. Filling on a top line once more in place of a hurt Sebastien Aho, Stastny is in a solid place to again contribute in Detroit. The Hurricanes are 4-0-1 on their current road trip.
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See also:
Dawson Mercer, New Jersey Devils (5.6%)
Pavel Zacha, Boston Bruins (3.2%)
Yanni Gourde, Seattle Kraken (8.6%)
Kailer Yamamoto, Edmonton Oilers (6.2%)
Nick Bonino, San Jose Sharks (1.7%)
Owen Tippett, Philadelphia Flyers (5.3%)
Tyson Barrie, Edmonton Oilers (60.8%): Edmonton’s puck-moving defender has four assists in his past three contests, including three with the extra skater. The opposing Predators’ penalty kill is consistently mediocre at best.
See also:
Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers (37.3%)
J.J. Moser, Arizona Coyotes (22.0%)
Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers (44.1%)
Dmitry Orlov, Washington Capitals (11.8%): Clearly rearing to go, Orlov logged two assists, three shots on goal, two blocked shots, and one hit in more than 21 minutes of ice-time against Winnipeg on Sunday. That works out to 3.4 fantasy points in ESPN.com standard leagues. Not bad for someone who lost the previous 16 games to a lower-body injury. Also, don’t underestimate the boost Orlov’s return provides the Capitals as a unit altogether.
See also:
Matt Benning, San Jose Sharks (5.1%)
Jonas Siegenthaler, New Jersey Devils (3.3%)
Akira Schmid (projected), New Jersey Devils (4.5%): The Devils’ young backup has been nothing short of stupendous when called upon this season. Posting a .940 SV% and 1.70 GAA, Schmid boasts five wins on the year despite only starting four games. That’s a cool trick. I’m willing to roll the dice with the 22-year-old when the road-dominating Devils visit Dallas on this occasion; all else being equal weariness-wise, with the Stars travelling home from Monday’s disheartening loss in Pittsburgh.
Charlie Lindgren (projected), Washington Capitals (7.4%): The NHL’s first star of the week has won four straight in relief of Darcy Kuemper, posting a .949 SV% and 1.50 GAA. The Blackhawks have scored one total goal in their past three games. Unless Kuemper makes a surprising return after missing 10 days with an upper-body injury, Lindgren is a blazingly obvious fantasy start in this match-up.
See also:
Daniil Tarasov (possible), Columbus Blue Jackets (0.2%)
Pyotr Kochetkov (projected), Carolina Hurricanes (18.6%)
Ilya Samsonov (projected), Toronto Maple Leafs (63.3%)
Logan Thompson (projected), Vegas Golden Knights (91.0%): If offered the start over Adin Hill, the Knights’ No. 1 is getting a fantasy pass from me against the surging Jets in Winnipeg. No Eichel, Vegas’s blue line is missing some key figures, and Thompson himself hasn’t been too terrific of late (2-4-0, .899 SV%, 3.61 GAA).