Well, with the Super Bowl out of the way, hockey can go back to having 100% of your undivided attention now. There are four big games on tap for tonight, so there’s some crucial picks to be made in your starting six. Let’s take a look at the top candidates for your NHL daily fantasy team’s starting lineup:
C- Sidney Crosby, PIT
I will proudly don my Captain Obvious cape for this one, as it goes without saying that Sidney Crosby is a good pick for your daily fantasy lineup any day of the week. However, Crosby has been so hot even for Crosby standards that it deserves to be looked at. Crosby has 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points over the course of what is now a 10-game point streak. He has four goals and an assist on the man advantage within that span. The turn of the calendar year seems to have revitalized Sid, and the Crosby-Hornqvist-Kunitz line has been winning games for Pittsburgh as a result. The Penguins will be at home tonight taking on the Anaheim Ducks. It seems like any and all scoring for Pittsburgh has come from the top six. Don’t expect that trend to change any time soon. Today’s “No Duh” play comes in the form of Sidney Crosby.
LW- Jussi Jokinen, FLA
Jussi Jokinen is currently on a six-game point streak. In that stretch he has two goals and seven assists, giving him 10 goals and 25 assists on the year. His first year in Florida saw a bit of a dip in production, but he has rebounded nicely on the Cats’ second line this season. Florida’s acquisition of Reilly Smith helps. Vincent Trocheck rounds out the line. The Panthers will be taking on the Detroit Red Wings tonight, and Jokinen’s speed and finesse will come in handy. Goals will be coming at a premium with two of the top goaltenders in the league facing off against one another in Roberto Luongo and Petr Mrazek. Put Jokinen in your daily fantasy lineup tonight, his name will most assuredly find the scoresheet in some capacity.
RW- Lee Stempniak, NJD
Lee Stempniak is a fantasy favorite of mine because of how low under the radar he has been flying this season despite having a career year. What’s fascinating is not that at age 33, Stempniak is on pace to hit 20 goals for just the third time in his career. It’s that he has been incredibly productive on a bare-bone contract. Stempniak is currently signed to a one-year, $850,000 contract. He was essentially traded for a warm body last season at the trade deadline. And who was the team that gave him away? None other than his opponent tonight, the New York Rangers. Lee Stempniak is just another in a long list of casualties of players who have been unable to see playing time thanks to fan “favorite” Tanner Glass. In his final year as general manager, Glen Sather dealt Stempniak to the Winnipeg Jets for Carl Klingberg who would split for the KHL at the end of the year. The move did not make sense then and it looks abysmal now. Stemp rubbed it in the Rangers’ nose last week with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 Devils win. He had a goal in a 2-1 victory over the Blueshirts back in October. Long story short, spite is on his side. Play him tonight.
D- Dan Boyle, NYR
For as much of a beating as Dan Boyle gets for his age, he really does deserve quite a bit of credit. Even at 39, he is still generating offense for the Rangers while suppressing shots at a respectable rate. Boyle has five goals and 11 assists on the year, nine of those 16 points coming on the powerplay. What makes Boyle so attractive today of all days is his defensive partner- #93, Keith Yandle. Yandle and Boyle, when in the offensive zone together, get tremendous looks. The Rangers will be taking on the New Jersey Devils tonight. Boyle had an assist against them last week, and an assist on Saturday in a 3-2 win over the Flyers. People will sleep on Boyle, but he is more than capable of scoring. Sneak him into your starting six.
D- Mike Green, DET
Mike Green is currently on his longest goal-scoring streak of the season: two games. It may not sound like a lot, but it is a good indication that his game is on the rise. It is also of note that both goals came on the powerplay. Green is a consistent contributor of about three shots on goal per night and a couple of penalty minutes if you need them. Green could easily sneak a contribution to some side categories for you tonight as the Red Wings take on the Florida Panthers.
G- Roberto Luongo, FLA
Roberto Luongo just keeps getting hotter for the Florida Panthers. He is 4-0-1 in his last five games with a shutout and three games of 35 shots against or more mixed in. He will be in the highlighted goaltender battle of the day against Petr Mrazek of the Detroit Red Wings. The Panthers will need a win tonight to stay at least six points ahead of the streaking Lightning, who are also playing tonight. Luongo will need to come up big, as he has all season long. This will be Luongo’s first road start since January 17th, when he stopped 29 of 31 against Tampa Bay in a loss. Start Luongo between the pipes tonight.
