There are a lot of slanted lines tonight between cellar-dwellers and playoff hopefuls tonight. There could be a lot of scoring to go around. Let’s take a look at the prime contenders for the starting six of your NHL daily fantasy team:
C- Tyler Johnson, TBL
Tyler Johnson has taken a massive step down this season. The 25-year-old center went from being one of the most prolific scorers in the league last season, hitting 72 points, to a pedestrian 37 points in 62 games. Johnson is missing Nikita Kucherov from the infamous “Triplets” line, but he has been picking up the pace in his last few games nonetheless. He has two goals and two assists on 12 shots on goal his last three games. Tonight the Lightning are at home hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bolts have won all four of their games on home ice against the Leafs. With Toronto set to start Garret Sparks tonight, Johnson should be licking his chops at the prospect of extending his point streak to four games. Get Johnson in your daily fantasy lineup.
LW- Brayden Schenn, PHI
Brayden Schenn is looking to wrap up what has been a tremendous step forward for him. Bouncing between the Flyers’ top two lines for the majority of the season, Schenn has reached a new career high in both goals and points, and is one off his career best in assists. He has four assists in his last four games, and tonight the Flyers will be going up against the Winnipeg Jets. Fortunately for Schenn, Claude Giroux looks to be back in the Philly lineup tonight after leaving last game with an apparent head injury. It’s no secret that Giroux is the glue that holds the Flyers’ offense together, and the Captain has three goals in his last four games to prove it. Giroux has 21 shots on goal in his last five games, and Schenn’s terrific passing is a major reason why. The two will be fun to watch tonight against the Jets in one of the biggest games of the year for Philly.
RW- James Neal, NSH
James Neal struck again Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets to reach the 30-goal plateau for just the second time in his career. Neal, who has seven goals in his last six games, has been firing on all cylinders. He alone has 23 shots on goal in that span with a +7 rating. Tonight the Predators will be taking on the Colorado Avalanche, who are crawling to the finish line. Neal scored in his last game against Colorado with five shots on goal. With the Preds on home ice, tonight would be a good night to have Neal in your starting six.
D- Roman Josi, NSH
Roman Josi is having a historically good season. It has probably flown under your radar because he is not exactly a household name on defense and Nashville is not a prominent hockey market. Heck, you probably haven’t even noticed that Nashville has been one of the most dominant teams in hockey since after the All-Star break. But Josi is quietly having the best offensive season by a Predators defenseman in history. Josi’s 56 points ties the franchise record set by Shea Weber two seasons ago. His 44 assists are a franchise best. He tallied three assists in his last game alone and has nine points in his last six games. Josi is just one of those players who is criminally underrated, either because of where he plays or because he isn’t even the most recognizable name on his team, what with Shea Weber patrolling the blueline opposite him. Put Josi in your lineup tonight and see if he can make history.
D- Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI
There has been much talk over whether Shayne Gostisbehere deserves any consideration for the Calder Trophy this year (hint: he totally does). Well, at the very least he will be nominated for one award: the Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey. The nominees range from being totally deserving (Jaromir Jagr, Pascal Dupuis) to being totally bogus (Ryan O’Reilly lololol), but it’s a nice honor nonetheless. Gostisbehere has assists in his last two games and will need to be a key factor tonight as the Flyers host the Jets. As GhostBear looks to tack on more points in his pursuit of becoming the first Flyer to win the Calder, put him in your starting six tonight.
G- Ben Bishop, TBL
Ben Bishop will be at home tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bishop has won four of his last five starts with two shutouts. He will be going up against a team that has had success at home lately, but has struggled to score on the road, especially in Amalie Arena. The Bolts need this game, and they need Bishop. Not much to say- Bishop is probably your best bet for goaltender tonight. John Gibson could be a solid backup plan.
