Looking Ahead 2014: Week Nine

steve laidlaw

2014-11-28

CamAtkinson

 

Which teams have the best schedule for Week Nine.

 

There are no guarantees in fantasy hockey, but a pair of tried and true strategies will always pay off in the long haul:

  • Bet on the best combination of talent and opportunity to achieve the desired level of production you are looking for from your roster. Talent means nothing without opportunity, and vice-versa.
  • Focus on the process by which you make roster decisions, as opposed to the results they yield. Long-term success is not attainable without the knowledge of why you were successful in the short term.

 

With that in mind, let's take a look ahead at some teams and players to target or avoid in the coming week or so:

 

Love 'Em (These squads are the best bet to produce for fantasy owners)

 

Detroit – Nothing portends fantasy success quite like playing five of seven games at home between Friday, Nov. 28 and Sunday, Dec. 5.Oh, and then the squad travels to North Carolina to take on an overmatched and underwhelming Hurricanes squad a day later. No team in the entire league has a more enviable schedule over the next week or 10 days than the Red Wings. This bodes quite well for the squad's workhorse netminder Jimmy Howard, who's save percentage currently stands at an impressive .920 through 18 starts.

 

Tampa Bay – This is a really, really good team… that plays Buffalo twice in three days between Dec. 2 and Dec. 4. What more needs to be said? Well, the Lightning also play five games between Nov. 28 and Dec. 6. Lean on any and all fantasy-relevant Tampa Bay players in the short term.

 

Leave 'Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed for the immediate future)

 

Winnipeg – The Jets travel to Boston to take on an extremely solid Bruins squad on Friday, Nov. 28. Their next game is not until Wednesday, Dec. 3, and they only play three games between Nov. 28 and Dec. 6. It's not unreasonable to suggest fantasy owners should bench all of their Jets, especially in 10-team or 12-team weekly leagues. There is no matchup-proof players like Sidney Crosby or Claude Giroux on this team. Andrew Ladd (of all people) leads the Jets in scoring with 16 points in 24 games. Look elsewhere for fantasy production.

 

Steer Clear

New York Rangers 2.00 – two games – TBL and DET

Minnesota 2.05 – two games – MTL and ANA

Winnipeg 2.10 – two games – EDM and COL

Carolina 2.15- two games – NSH and WAS

Edmonton 2.00 – two games – ARI and WPG

Monday, December 1 to Sunday, December 7

Best Bets

Tampa Bay 4.30 – four games – NYR, BUFx2 and CBJ

Detroit 4.25 – four games – FA, DAL, NYR and CAR

Ottawa  4.11 – four games – NYIx2, PIT and VAN

Florida 4.11 – four games – CBJx2, DET and BUF

San Jose 4.09 – four games – PHI, BOS, CGY and EDM

Steer Clear

Philadelphia 2.57 – two games – SJS, ANA and LAK

New York Rangers 2.00 – two games – TBL and DET

Nashville 2.78 – three games – CAR, STL and CHI

Minnesota 2.05 – two games – MTL and ANA

St. Louis 2.80 – three games – CHI, NSH and NYI

Tuesday, December 2 to Monday, December 8

Best Bets

Carolina 4.36 – four games – all at home

Detroit  4.25 – four games – three at home

Ottawa 4.11 – four games – NYIx2, PIT and VAN

Pittsburgh 4.32 – four games – three at home

San Jose 4.09 – four games – PHI, BOS, CGY and EDM

Steer Clear

New York Rangers 1.90 – two games – DET and PHI

Columbus 2.04 – two games – both on road

Edmonton 2.04 – two games – WPG and SJS

Minnesota 2.05 – two games – MTL and ANA

Colorado 2.14 – two games – both on road

Wednesday, December 3  to Tuesday, December 9

Best Bets

San Jose 4.14 – four games – BOS, CGY and EDMx2

Chicago 4.04 – four games – STL, MTL, NSH and NJD

St. Louis – 4.01 – four games – CHI, NSH, NYI and FLA

Winnipeg 4.00 – four games – three at home

New Jersey 3.94 – four games – TOR, WAS, CAR and CHI

Steer Clear

Arizona 1.84 – two games – LAK and BOS

New York Rangers 1.90 – two games – DET and PIT

Boston 1.95 – two games – both on road

Philadelphia 2.57- three games – all on road

Nashville 2.69 – three games – STL, CHI and COL

Thursday, December 4 to Wednesday, December 10

Best Bets

Toronto 4.47 – four games – three at home

Detroit 4.15 – four games – three at home

San Jose – 4.14 – four games – BOS, CGY and EDMx2

New Jersey 3.94 – four games – TOR, WAS, CAR and CHI

Vancouver 3.85 – four games – PIT, TOR, OTT and MTL

Steer Clear

Philadelphia 1.71 – two games – both on road

Arizona 1.84 – two games – LAK and BOS

New York Rangers 1.90 – two games – DET and PIT

Boston 1.95 – two games – both on road

Colorado 2.15 – two games – DAL and MTL

 

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UPCOMING GAMES

Mar 29 - 19:03 BUF vs N.J

Starting Goalies

Top Skater Views

  Players Team
JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY MTL
AUSTON MATTHEWS TOR
NATHAN MACKINNON COL
JACK QUINN BUF
FILIP FORSBERG NSH

Top Goalie Profile Views

  Players Team
IGOR SHESTERKIN NYR
IVAN FEDOTOV PHI
FREDERIK ANDERSEN CAR
LOGAN THOMPSON VGK
ALEKSEI KOLOSOV PHI

LINE COMBOS

  Frequency T.B Players
25.9 STEVEN STAMKOS BRANDON HAGEL ANTHONY CIRELLI
23.4 BRAYDEN POINT NIKITA KUCHEROV ANTHONY DUCLAIR
15.4 TYLER MOTTE TANNER JEANNOT LUKE GLENDENING

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