Sunday Daily Puck: Final Day Blues

Sunday Daily Puck: Final Day Blues

This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.

Around the Rink

With the playoff field set, the four teams playing Sunday (each of whom will be playing postseason hockey) don't really have anything to play for. While seedings could change, along with Anaheim having the opportunity to win their division with a victory, it's likely that each team will rest a good amount of key players, so be sure to check back before the night's puck drops before setting any lineups.

Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)

Flyers (Michal Neuvirth) vs. Islanders (Thomas Greiss), 7:00 PM
Ducks (John Gibson) vs. Capitals (Philipp Grubauer), 7:30 PM

For updates later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid.

Injury News for Teams Playing Sunday

Philadelphia Flyers
Michael del Zotto, D (wrist) – could return in the event of a deep playoff run

New York Islanders
Jean-Francois Berube, G (lower body) – not expected to dress Sunday
Cal Clutterbuck, RW (lower body) – questionable Sunday
Mikhail Grabovski, C (concussion) – unlikely to play Sunday
Jaroslav Halak, G (groin) – about two weeks from making a return
Travis Hamonic, D (knee) – may be ready for the start of the postseason
Anders Lee, C (leg) – out indefinitely
Matt Martin, LW (upper body) – status unclear for Sunday
Brian Strait, D (upper body) – questionable Sunday

Anaheim Ducks
Kevin Bieksa, D (upper body) – may not return until the playoffs
Shawn Horcoff, C (undisclosed) – status for Sunday is unclear
David Perron, RW (shoulder) – expected to miss at least another week
Brandon Pirri, LW (upper body) – didn't travel with the team ahead of Sunday's game
Rickard Rakell, C (appendicitis) – out Sunday
Mike Santorelli, C (undisclosed) – questionable for Sunday's tilt
Clayton Stoner, D (undisclosed) – also questionable
Sami Vatanen, D (illness) – out Sunday

Washington Capitals
No current injuries

Hot

Wayne Simmonds, RW, PHI – While Shayne Gostisbehere has rightly received a ton of credit for Philadelphia's playoff berth, Simmonds has been at least as important during the Flyers' late-season push. While he currently sits at career-high totals of 32 goals and 60 points through 81 games, 20 of those goals and 34 of those points have come in the Flyers' last 36 games. Simmonds can always be counted on to show up in big games and make his way to the dirty areas of the ice, and at no time was that more evident than in the team's five most recent games. All were essentially must-win situations, and Simmonds stepped up with six goals and seven points in that span.

Recommended Pickup

Jakob Silfverberg, RW, ANA – A skilled player known for being responsible in his own zone and having a pass-first mentality, Silfverberg has been quietly filling the net of late. After previously scoring a career-high 13 goals in 81 games during the 2014-15 campaign, Silfverberg has set a new personal best in goals with 20 this season, including 11 in the past 14 games. Unsurprisingly, with more goals have come more shots on goal for Silfverberg. During his 14-game, free-scoring spree, Silfverberg averaged 3.36 shots on goal per game, opposed to the 2.48 he averaged in the 67 preceding games. If Silverberg keeps shooting, he should keep scoring.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe Mahoney
Wrote about hockey because he was no longer good enough to play.
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