We end our daily fantasy hockey week with a six-game slate that offers us some nice choices to go after for our daily fantasy needs. Out of the twelve teams on the slate my top-three stacks are:
Toronto Maple Leafs @ New Jersey Devils (Toronto, -124, 5.5 over/under)
Arizona Coyotes @ Anaheim Ducks (Anaheim, -230, 5.5 over/under)
Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks (Calgary, -120, 5.5 over/under)
When I started writing this article last night the the lines I saw for the Toronto/New Jersey game and the Calgary/Vancouver game were essentially pick’ems. I do find it interesting the lines have swung in Calgary’s and Toronto’s favor. Tonight’s slate, for me, lends itself more to tournaments.
While Vancouver has been much better recently I want more shares of Calgary tonight. Last month Calgary averaged 3.38 goals per game — fifth-best in the league — and their power play clicked at an NHL-best 34.7 percent. Calgary beat Vancouver in their most recent meeting 4-1 on Dec. 23. The Flames have scored eight goals over their past two games (albeit against inferior opponents: Colorado and Arizona) and scored five power play goals over those two games.
Vancouver allowed 2.93 goals per game in December but they have been much better recently, winning five straight and only allowing seven goals over that time frame. They have allowed two power play goals over their past three games and to that end I’ll look to Calgary’s power play as the basis for some of my lineups tonight. On the road Calgary’s power play has clicked at a rate of 23.2 percent and they have scored 13 road power play goals.