Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Thursday picks

By Chris Morgan

Thursday is typically a good day for NHL fans, as the league tends to put several games on the slate for our enjoyment. This Thursday is no different, as there are eight contests scheduled for our viewing pleasure. On top of that, we can play some daily fantasy hockey to hopefully add to that enjoyment, and here are some potential picks to sink your teeth into…

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GOALIE

Craig Anderson, OTT at NJD ($33): For unfortunate personal reasons, Anderson has been away from the Senators much of this season. However, when he’s played he’s been excellent, as he has a 2.37 GAA and a .926 save percentage. The Devils have only scored 2.29 goals per game, which is tied for being the second worst average in the league. When it comes to shots per game, they are even worse, as they rank dead last with 27.5 per contest. Anderson has only played in two games since returning — one of which was a a shutout — but the Devils should help further ease him back into action.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Thomas Greiss, NYI vs. NYR ($38): Both the Rangers and Islanders have been hot recently, but it’s the Rangers who are sporting a six-game win streak heading into this contest. While both teams have high-powered offenses, the Rangers have been better, as they’ve scored 3.39 goals per game. A hot streak after taking over for Jaroslav Halak briefly had Greiss ranked in the top five in save percentage, but that number has dropped down to .918 on the season. Part of the problem issue has been that Greiss has a 4.10 GAA and a .866 save percentage in February.

CENTER

Ryan O’Reilly, BUF vs. COL ($20): O’Reilly gets to take on his old team, and the Avalanche have the kind of defense that’s liable to roll out the red carpet out for him. Colorado has allowed a league-worst 3.39 goals per game, and their penalty-kill percentage (78.0) ranks 25th in the NHL. That latter number is particularly enticing, considering that O’Reilly has notched 16 power-play points in 47 games. He’s been playing well with and without the extra man recently as well, as he’s tallied seven points in his last eight games.

CENTER TO AVOID

Claude Giroux, PHI at EDM ($23): While the Flyers were having offensive success earlier this season, their 2.54 goals-per-game average has them ranked in the bottom 10 of the league in that category. In January they only averaged 2.08 goals per game, and February (1.20) has been even worse. Giroux has been part of that, as he only has one point in his last seven games. Edmonton’s Cam Talbot has an impressive 2.36 GAA, and the fact Philadelphia will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back doesn’t help Giroux’s case.

WING

Nino Niederreiter, MIN vs. DAL ($19): The Stars are making a run at challenging the Avalanche for being the most porous defense in the league. Dallas has allowed 3.86 goals per game in February, which is tied for the worst in the league with the Islanders. Beyond that, the Stars have the worst penalty kill in the NHL. Niederreiter has had some power-play success recently, as he’s tallied eight points with the extra man over his last 15 games. Anytime a successful power-play producer gets to go up against Dallas’ penalty kill, it represents a potential boon for your fantasy lineup.

Chris Kunitz, PIT vs. WPG ($16): Kunitz may have only scored eight goals this season, but that can at least partially be chalked up to his 8.6 shooting percentage, which is the worst of his career by a significant amount. The opportunities should still be there for Kunitz, considering that he’s currently Pittsbugh’s top-line left wing and has started 40.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. The Jets have allowed 3.15 goals per game, and their team save percentage is a paltry .898. Also, Kunitz does have three goals in his last seven games, so perhaps the puck luck is starting to turn around.

WINGS TO AVOID

Wayne Simmonds, PHI at EDM ($23): The offensive struggles of the Flyers were mentioned earlier in the discussion of Giroux, but Simmonds has also cooled down a bit. He’s averaged 6.7 fantasy points per game, but a hot start is partially responsible for that. Even with his numbers dropping, Simmonds still has a 16.0 shooting percentage, which is the highest of his career. The Oilers have allowed 2.53 goals per game, and they’ve only allowed 29.6 shots on net per contest.

Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at PIT ($20): The Penguins have allowed 2.78 goals per game. That’s not good, but it’s much better than where it was a little while ago. A healthy Matt Murray has really helped stabilize things in net for Pittsburgh, which has allowed 1.83 goals per game in February. In his last 10 games, Murray has a 1.78 GAA and a .943 save percentage. Ehlers is having a good season, but he has zero points in his last six games. With Murray playing the way he is, this matchup doesn’t look as good for Ehlers as it did a month ago.

DEFENSEMEN

Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. DAL ($20): Spurgeon has averaged 7.2 fantasy points per game, which is actually more than Ryan Suter (6.9). He’s played 24:17 a night, including 2:15 on the power play, and in that time he’s notched 26 points. The Stars, as previously mentioned, have given up a ton of goals, and they have the worst penalty kill in the league. On top of that, they rank seventh in shot attempts per 60 minutes (59.04), whereas Spurgeon has 102 blocked shots in 52 games. He should have the chance to block a few more in this matchup, meaning Spurgeon can contribute on both ends of the ice against Dallas.

Tyson Barrie, COL at BUF ($15): Injuries have hampered Barrie a bit recently, but he’s played in Colorado’s last two games and seems like he’s ready to go. When he’s healthy, there are reasons to be intrigued by Barrie. He’s started 37.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, the most on the team, and has averaged 3:21 per game with the extra man. The Sabres have the 29th-ranked penalty kill, and they’ve allowed a league-worst 34.6 shots on net per contest. Barrie has taken 114 shots on net in 46 games, so he’s looking like a decent value play in this matchup.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Dustin Byfuglien, WPG at PIT ($23): Big Buff is having a fine season, but he hasn’t scored a goal in his last 13 games. Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba both have averaged 7.2 fantasy points per game, but Trouba only costs $18. As such, if you really want a Jets defenseman, it’s hard to argue for Byfuglien over the decidedly cheaper Trouba, but you may want to avoid both against Murray and the Pens.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at LOS ($18): Ekman-Larsson’s production has picked up a bit recently, but he still hasn’t been as involved offensive as he has in the past. In seven of his last 10 games, he’s registered one shot on goal or fewer. Overall, he’s only averaged 5.2 fantasy points per game, which is not terribly impressive. The Kings have allowed a meager 25.7 shots on net per game, the fewest in the league. Additionally, you can’t necessarily expect Ekman-Larsson to contribute fantasy points defensively, as he only has 60 blocked shots in 55 games.

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