This article is part of our FantasyAces NHL series.
Tuesday's slate of games has a number of interesting matchups. The Canadiens are a must-watch as they venture out on a Western Canada road swing, which begins in Vancouver on Tuesday, with a chance to tie an NHL record if they can achieve a 10th straight win to open the season.
At the other ends of the spectrum, we look at the Anaheim Ducks, a preseason Stanley Cup contending club according to many analysts. Well, this club is mired in a dreadful 1-5-2 start, with only six goals scored in their 8 games. If the axiom of a very good effort in a losing cause is a good barometer that a slumping team is ready to turn things around, Ducks fans have to be heartened by a 1-0 overtime loss in Chicago, where they outshot the 'Hawks by a 39-24 tally. Anaheim faces the Stars in Dallas on Monday, with a chance to get out of the doldrums. Another failure, on the other hand, could cost head coach Bruce Boudreau his job.
Here are my recommendations for games on Tuesday, October 27:
C: Claude Giroux, PHI vs. BUF ($5,600) – One of the league's top scorers looks like he's warming up after a bit of a slow start. He has three goals in his last four games and is playing more than 20 minutes per game after getting a reduced workload to start the season. The heavier ice time seems to agree with him, and the Flyers host an
Tuesday's slate of games has a number of interesting matchups. The Canadiens are a must-watch as they venture out on a Western Canada road swing, which begins in Vancouver on Tuesday, with a chance to tie an NHL record if they can achieve a 10th straight win to open the season.
At the other ends of the spectrum, we look at the Anaheim Ducks, a preseason Stanley Cup contending club according to many analysts. Well, this club is mired in a dreadful 1-5-2 start, with only six goals scored in their 8 games. If the axiom of a very good effort in a losing cause is a good barometer that a slumping team is ready to turn things around, Ducks fans have to be heartened by a 1-0 overtime loss in Chicago, where they outshot the 'Hawks by a 39-24 tally. Anaheim faces the Stars in Dallas on Monday, with a chance to get out of the doldrums. Another failure, on the other hand, could cost head coach Bruce Boudreau his job.
Here are my recommendations for games on Tuesday, October 27:
C: Claude Giroux, PHI vs. BUF ($5,600) – One of the league's top scorers looks like he's warming up after a bit of a slow start. He has three goals in his last four games and is playing more than 20 minutes per game after getting a reduced workload to start the season. The heavier ice time seems to agree with him, and the Flyers host an injury-depleted Buffalo lineup on Tuesday.
C: Nick Bjugstad, FLA vs. COL ($4,800) – The Panthers' No. 1 center is another guy off to a hot start, with three goals and three assists in six games. His linemates, Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr, lead a Florida attack that is hitting the scoreboard at a rate of 3.25 goals per game, which is significantly better than last year and speaks to an improved overall attack. He gets a good matchup against Colorado, which is only 2-4-1 and last in the Pacific Division.
W: Anthony Duclair, ARI at BOS ($4,400)– The rookie speedster has leapt out of the gate with five goals and two assists and has a favorable matchup on Tuesday against a slow-moving Bruins defense. The B's have one of the league's worst PK units (29th in the NHL at 68.2 percent), and Duclair's potted a pair of man-advantage goals as part of a dynamic Coyotes power play.
W: Jakob Silfverberg, ANA at DAL ($4,500) – The big, skilled winger is scoreless on the year, symptomatic of the anemic Anaheim, but like many of his mates, he played very well on Monday in Chicago (and a lot – 20:29). He gets a good matchup against a Stars team that plays a wide-open game. This guy and this team are too good for this bad stretch to continue.
W: Brayden Schenn, PHI vs. BUF ($4,550) – The injury to Michael Raffl means that Schenn will move back up to the top line and the top power-play unit. He also gets the aforementioned favorable matchup against the Sabres.
W: Nino Niederreiter, MIN vs. EDM ($4,300) – One of the younger keys to the wild attack, Niederreiter looks like he is getting on track with two goals, one assist and a plus-3 rating over his last four games. His Tuesday opponent, the Edmonton Oilers have a suspect defense and weak goaltending. The Wild are also one of the league's best home teams. All in all, that adds up to a good matchup for Nino and his mates.
D: Jeff Petry, MON at VAN ($4,250) – Signed to a big-dollar, long-term contract, Petry has found a home of the Habs' second defensive pairing and is also getting more playing time on the club's high-end power play. He has solid offensive skills, which should combine for his best point totals in years. His two points (in the last five games) have come on the power play, and he has posted a plus-1 rating in each of his last five outings.
D: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at BOS ($5,000) – Ekman-Larsson is off and running among the top-scoring blueliners once again with six points in nine games. He's the unequaled power-play quarterback, playing over six minutes per game with the man advantage so far this year. We did mention how poorly the Bruins' penalty kill has been performing, didn't we?
G: Roberto Luongo, FLA vs. COL ($7,600) – Luongo has continued where he left off last year, with a 2.17 GAA and a .934 save mark in six starts. It looks like he will be opposed by Colorado's backup goalie, Reto Berra, which ought to provide an advantage for the Panthers.
