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It’s playoff time in fantasy hockey, which means tough stretch run decisions must be made. Do you drop the player who held your squad together only to fade away when you needed him most? Snag the risky young talent who gets more ice time after his team is eliminated from the playoffs?
Here’s the latest information to help you win your week.
TEAMS TO THE GOAL
Ottawa Senators
Even if their playoff hopes are quickly fading, the Sens have caught the league’s attention with their high-end offense. With a 5-2 win over the Panthers on Monday, they have now scored 15 goals in their last three games and that scoring pile should continue. After hosting the Flyers on Thursday, the Sens face their toughest opponent of the week in the Leafs, but note that the season series is 1-1-1 with an average of seven goals scored per game. If they get over the Leafs, they’ll have another easy matchup with a visit to Columbus on Sunday.
Alongside the usual top-tier options in Brady Tkachuk And Tim Stutzlethere will be many chances to score Shane Pintowho scored on Monday, and also for Derick Brassard, who plays with pinto on the powerplay. Note that too Jacob Chychrun injured, Jake Sanderson is quarterback of the top powerplay unit while Thomas Chabot And Erik Brannstrom Share the tasks on the second unit.
Philadelphia Flyer
The Flyers have a very favorable schedule this week, with three of their four opponents playing in the second half of a back-to-back game. The Habs (Tuesday), Sabers (Saturday), and Penguins (Sunday) will all take on the Flyers after playing the night before. It also means the Flyers could face up to three backup goalies this week, not counting Thursday’s game against the Sens, who are currently carrying their third and fourth goalies.
The Flyers are spreading their scores, but lately their best players have been Owen Tippett And Joel Farabeeplaying on a line centered around Noah Cates. Tippett and Farabee each scored eight goals in March to lead the team, and Tippett has netted 46 shots, averaging more than four per game and 13 more than the next highest total Scott Laughton.
TEAMS TO AVOID
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets are looking enticing having a roster that includes some big names and taking on struggling teams in the Sharks and Red Wings this week. However, the Jets have been in a bit of free fall lately, going just 5-5-0 in their last 10 games. Kyle Connor scored just one goal in 13 games in March. On top in the middle Markus Scheifele and Norris candidate Josh Morrissey are a combined minus-25. The Jets are so desperate for a spark that they plan a mission Vladislav Namestnikov, who has only scored eight goals this season, is tied with Scheifele and Wheeler. With just three games scheduled, the Jets are just too unreliable given their recent struggles.
Pittsburgh penguins
At first glance, the schedule of the pens is not that difficult. After visiting the Wings on Tuesday, they will play their remaining three games at home on Thursday with the Preds and on the weekend with the Bruins and Flyers. But you look up and down the Pens range and there’s a dearth of attractive fantasy options. Jason Sugar And Rickard Rackel are probably your best options outside Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin And Jake Guentzelbut even Rakell has become a tricky game as he fell in line with Ryan Pohling And Danton Heinen. Michael Granlund will get a chance at Malkin and Zucker, but he’s been a disappointment for the most part since arriving from Nashville. With shallow depth, a battered defense and shaky goalies, the Pens just don’t have much to offer.
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Tyson Foerster, C, Flyer
In addition to the aforementioned Tippett and Farabee, keep an eye out for Foerster, who is one of the Flyers’ top picks, scoring three goals in four games before being relegated to the AHL Lehigh Valley. The minor league assignment was intended to be temporary; With a two-day break before Tuesday’s clash with the Habs, the Flyers sent Foerster down so he could play Hershey on Sunday and will likely call him up again. Over the past week, Foerster averaged a 17:52 TOI/GP, the fourth-highest among Flyers forwards, showing that John Tortorella isn’t afraid to play against the rookies.
Phillip Danault, C, Kings
Danault has provided three assists against the Blues and has seven points in his last six games. It helps if your wingers, Viktor Arvidsson And Kevin Fialaare red hot, and although the Kings are playing all four games away this week, none of their opponents are particularly strong on defense.
Dylan Strome, C/RW, Capitals
The Caps’ recent lineup shuffle got Strome into the top line, where he did an excellent job of centering Tom Wilson And Alex Ovechkin. With two points on Saturday against the Pens, Strome is now Washington’s leading scorer in March with 17 points in 12 games and ranks 12th in the league. Yevgeny Kuznetsov has drawn the ire of the Caps coaching staff all season, so Strome’s strong play should make him the main linchpin for the rest of the season.
Phil Di Giuseppe, LW/RW, Canucks
Di Giuseppe has become one of Rick Tocchet’s favorites and has cemented his place on the second row alongside J T Miller And Brock Bad. The longtime minor league journeyman is a proven scorer in the AHL and can now show what he can do. Only three Canucks – Miller, Elias Petterson And Andrei Kuzmenko – have scored more points than Di Giuseppe in the past week. He’s worthy of streaming in the deepest leagues given his role on one of the league’s top teams over the last month.
Michael Matheson, D, Canadian
Matheson’s assist against the Sabers on Monday took his points streak to four games and he’s been invaluable to the Habs blue line since returning from injury. He plays a lot of minutes and currently quarterbacks their top power play. Though Matheson has never been known for his offense, he’s put a lot more effort into shooting the puck lately, averaging 2.56 shots per game compared to 1.89 last season.
Joonas Korpisalo, G, Kings
The Kings have stubbornly stuck to their rotation and barring changes, Korpisalo will be the lucky one this week, facing off against the Flames and Kraken but avoiding the Oilers. Korpisalo remains undefeated since joining the Kings and goes 4-0-1 with a .929 save percentage. The Kraken might seem like an intimidating opponent, but they were very average at home with 15-16-4.
Laurent Brossoit, G, Golden Knights
Brossoit looked fantastic after missing a month through injury and conceding just three goals against the Oilers. He has played sparingly this season due to injuries but given his strong performance, he will likely split starts in the future Jonathan Schnell. The Knights’ goalie-friendly system means wins are a little easier to come by, making Brossoit worth a stream or two, especially with a matchup against the Sharks coming up on Thursday.
Source : sports.yahoo.com