We’re now approaching the final 30 games of the season. There is going to be a mad dash for the final two wild card spots. It will be interesting to see which teams decide to go for it and which decide to sell at the deadline. The next few weeks should make that determination for several organizations. In other news, Sidney Crosby has made his return, which is a good thing for hockey fans. Alright, let’s take a look at another busy night in the NHL.
Center
Bo Horvat (VAN): $5,500 vs ARI
Horvat is putting together a nice season with 15 goals, 25 assists, for 40 points in 47 games. In his last eight games, he has five goals and seven assists for 12 points. He’s also shooting the puck more, with a five-shot night and a nine-shot night in his last seven games. He is skating on the “top” line with Tanner Pearson and Loui Eriksson, as well as centering the top power-play unit. Tonight, the Coyotes will likely turn to Adin Hill in goal.
Wing
Jared McCann (PIT): $4,600 @ BOS
McCann is another one of those Penguins that seemingly comes out of nowhere to be highly productive in Pittsburgh. With 28 points in 44 games, he has already met his career highs from back in 2018 with the Panthers. Of course, his position in the lineup certainly helps. Tonight, he will skate alongside Sidney Crosby and Dominik Simon. He will center the second power-play unit. McCann is also riding a three-game point streak. The Bruins will be without starting netminder Tuukka Rask this evening, who went down with another concussion earlier this week. Jaroslav Halak is more than a capable backup, but it is still worth noting.
Max Pacioretty (VGK): $7,400 @ OTT
I’m certain that I speak for most people when I say that the firing of Gerard Gallant was stunning and unwarranted. To take an expansion team to a cup final and then follow it up with another hard-fought playoff appearance was extremely impressive. Regardless, the Golden Knights have made their decision and will move on with Peter Deboer behind the bench this season. Several Vegas players including Marc-Andre Fleury expressed their disappointment in how their own play had effected the livelihood of people they cared about. This is a long way of saying, I expect Vegas to bring it tonight. Pacioretty has been leading the charge for them all season with 45 points in 49 games. He also has 208 shots on goal. Heading into Ottawa to face Marcus Hogberg and the Senators is a nice place to start a run. I expect that to happen tonight.
Defense
Adam Fox (NYR): $3,700
Tony DeAngelo may be the Ranger defenseman garnering the most attention right now, but Adam Fox has been red hot as well. Fox has nine points in his previous seven games. He is manning the second power-play unit, and skating alongside Ryan Lindgren at even strength. Fox has impressed as a rookie, and he is starting to get more involved as the year rolls along. I like him at this price.
Goalie
Elvis Merzlikins (CBJ): $7,500 vs CAR
It was disappointing to see Joonas Korpisalo go down with an injury this year in the middle of an All-Star campaign. However, Elvis Merzlikins has been a wonderful story as well. Merzlikins touts a 2.53 GAA with a stellar .921 SV%. The Columbus goaltending has singlehandedly kept them in the playoff chase. Tonight, the Blue Jackets welcome the Hurricanes to town. It’s certainly a tough matchup, but Carolina has scored just five goals over their previous three games, and Columbus really needs this one to stay in the hunt.
Chris Genova is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyOneTimer.
