The Detroit Red Wings looked like a lock to make the playoffs for the 24th consecutive season but their poor play as of late has put that streak in peril. Head coach Mike Babcock has become increasingly frustrated with structure breakdowns on defense while the offense is failing to light the lamp.
Luckily for Detroit, the Carolina Hurricanes come calling to make for a perfectly timed opportunity to get back on track. We are expecting a big night from the Red Wings as they will dominate our Tuesday Night NHL Fantasy Pick Six lineup that also features some strategically placed selections against other teams as well.
LW – Henrik Zetterberg – Detroit
Detroit is in free fall with seven wins in their last 10 games but can halt their playoff skid with a home game against the Carolina Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. ET. Carolina ranks 18th in the NHL for goals against on the season. Zetterberg is Detroit’s leading scorer with 16 goals and 46 assists but has been ice cold lately with just one assist in his last five games. We think the Wings and Zetterberg are due.
C – Pavel Datsyuk – Detroit
Again we pick on the Hurricanes with “The Magician.” Datsyuk has 24 goals and 37 assists with a plus-10 on the season. In his last five games Datsyuk has one goal and three assists with a minus-one. Zetterberg has a goal and two assists in his only previous game against the Canes this year.
RW – T.J. Oshie – St. Louis
The Blues host the Winnipeg Jets at 8 p.m. ET. Winnipeg is fighting for their playoff lives but is without suspended number one defenseman and team captain Dustin Byfuglien, which leave a huge void in their lineup. The Jets rank 16th for goals against in the NHL. Oshie has five assists in his last five games with a plus-four and is due to light the lamp. Oshie has 19 goals and 36 assists with a plus-16 on the season.
D – Niklas Backstrom – Detroit
The Red Wings top defenseman has a chance to dominate against a Carolina team that ranks a miserable 27th in the NHL for goal scoring. Kronwall has nine goals and 39 assists on the season with a disappointing minus-five. Like the rest of his team, Backstrom has been lackluster as of late with just one goal, one assist, and a plus-one in his last five games. That should change against Carolina in what has turned into a must win game for Detroit. We expect the cream to rise to the top and Backstrom to be a major contributor against the Canes.
D – Ryan McDonagh – New York Rangers
The Rangers are at the New Jersey Devils with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET. We will pick on an offensively depleted New Jersey team that ranks 28th in the NHL for goal scoring and 29th on the power play while losing seven out of their last eight games in the process. McDonagh is the Rangers top defenseman and has seven goals with 24 assists and a plus-19. McDonagh has six assists with a plus-one in his last five games.
G – Jimmy Howard – Detroit
We pick on a low scoring Carolina team and take a leap of faith with a proud and proven Detroit team that is looking to slam the breaks on a skid that is threatening their playoff position. Howard has been a big part of Detroit’s woes as of late with a terrible .875 save percentage that is far below his season average of .911. Carolina should provide the perfect tonic for Detroit and for Howard.
Sleeper – David Jones – Calgary
Calgary hosts the Arizona Coyotes at 9 p.m. ET. The Flames are still in playoff position but have no margin for error. Arizona is the worst team in the Western Conference and ranks 28th in the NHL for goals against while ranking 27th for penalty killing. Jones has a good shot at reaching the score sheet as a result. The Flames right wing has slumped as of late with just one assist in his last five games with an ugly minus-five. We expect a breakout performance against Arizona.
