Tonight there are eight games scheduled in the NHL. As we enter March, there are just a handful of games remaining before playoffs. Although 16 teams are playing tonight, narrowing it down to just a few seems quite straightforward. Let’s take a look at pieces to build a winning lineup.
Center
Riley Nash (BOS): $4,500 vs. PIT
The unfortunate injury to Patrice Bergeron has opened a spot on the top line for a former first-round draft pick (2007), Riley Nash. In the Bruins last game, Nash had his first opportunity to center Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Nash scored the second Bruins goal and assisted the overtime winner. The ice-time and offensive linemates already make Nash a great play. Add to the fact that he his still priced at a discount, and he is the top cash game play on the board.
Nolan Patrick (PHI): $4,700 vs. CAR
The Philadelphia Flyers have supported their first-round draft pick all season by giving him top-six minutes and power-play time. Nolan Patrick has just 18 points on the season, but the Flyers are the hottest team in the NHL and the rookie is finally finding his groove. In his last six games, Nolan Patrick has scored four goals and one assist. In order to roster the high-priced wingers tonight, Patrick is a great salary-saving center who will take advantage of the very successful Flyers power-play.
Other centers to consider:
Cash – Connor McDavid ($7,400 vs. NSH), Sean Couturier ($6,900 vs. CAR)
GPP – Joe Pavelski ($6,700 vs. CHI), Vincent Trocheck ($6,500 vs. NJ)
Wing
Brad Marchand (BOS): $7,200 vs. PIT
The Bruins are a -160 favorite in one of the highest game totals on the night. Expect to see fireworks, as two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams will go toe-to-toe. There are a lot of star players in this game and it should be played at a very fast pace. The Bruins top line should be targeted in all formats as the Penguins lack defense. During even strength, the Pens are ranked fourth worst in goals allowed on the season. There are few teams in the league that have had an answer shutting down the Bruins top line and tonight should be no different.
David Pastrnak (BOS): $6,100 vs. PIT
The third part of a Bruins top line stack is David Pastrnak. The right-winger has recorded 55 points on the season (22 goals and 33 assists). He is also an important piece to the successful top power-play unit. The top Bruins line will likely be matched against Sidney Crosby tonight. Although seemingly a tough matchup on paper, he is sitting at just a 43.90 GF% which bodes well for the skilled Boston forwards.
Jakub Voracek (PHI): $6,300 vs. CAR
To pair with Nolan Patrick, Jakub Voracek is a great secondary piece to a mini stack. Playing alongside Patrick on the second forward line and top power-play unit, Voracek is one of the best set-up wingers in the game. On the season, Voracek has recorded 56 assists to go along with 13 goals in 63 games. The Carolina Hurricanes are not great defensively. To make matters worse, the team will likely be without their leader Jordan Staal, who is away from the team after the horrific news about his daughter. The Flyers should win this game handily while scoring with ease.
Tomas Hertl (SJ): $4,900 vs. CHI
As a cheap, value play, look to Tomas Hertl. The Sharks find themselves in a bit of a resurgence after the trade deadline. Adding the skilled Evander Kane has injected fire into a team gearing up for the postseason. After playing the Blackhawks in Chicago less than a week ago, San Jose will look for a better result. Chicago will start third-string goaltender J-F Berube. Although he shut the door on the Sharks in a 3-1 win his last outing, the fourth-round draft pick from 2009 has never quite found success at the NHL level. Now playing on the road, San Jose should score multiple goals. Hertl will play on the second forward line and top power-play unit giving him plenty of opportunities.
Other wingers to consider:
Cash – Rick Nash ($6,000 vs. PIT), Claude Giroux ($7,000 vs. CAR)
GPP – Nick Bjugstad ($4,600 vs. NJ), Alexander Radulov ($5,800 vs. TB)
Defense
Torey Krug (BOS): $5,000 vs. PIT
The last piece of a Bruins stack is Torey Krug. The offensive defenseman has recorded 10 goals and 29 assists in 57 games on the season. As a major part of the success on the power-play, Krug will play the point against a very undisciplined Penguins team. The Pens are ranked 23rd in the NHL for penalty minutes which could haunt them in this elite matchup.
Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI): $6,200 vs. CAR
If there is extra salary during lineup construction, take a shot on Shayne Gostisbehere. In 59 games this season, Ghost has recorded 50 points. He’s been a major contributor to the success of the Flyers in the latter half of the season. Averaging over 20 minutes of ice-time and contributing on the power-play make the young star a great cash game play with GPP winning upside. The Flyers should score a few goals tonight and Gostisbehere will likely chip in.
Other defensemen to consider:
Cash – Sami Vatanen ($4,300 @ FLA), Brent Burns ($7,400 vs. CHI)
GPP – Ryan Ellis ($5,500 @ EDM), Keith Yandle ($5,100 vs. NJ)
Goalie
Petr Mrazek (PHI): $8,200 vs. CAR
After running into injuries with their goalies this season, the Flyers made a necessary move to acquire ex-Red Wings starter, Petr Mrazek. Since coming to Philly, the netminder has won all three games showcasing a .947 save percentage. The Flyers will look to go for their seventh straight win, while Carolina is hoping to stop a seven-game losing streak. With how great the Flyers have been since December (26-8-3), Philadelphia is arguably the hottest team in the league and are one of the heaviest favorites on the board.
Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.
