The Best NHL Picks and Analysis 1/5/2022

Welcome back to my famous NHL picks and analysis. I have been out of the groove for quite some time due to personal issues, but I assure you, I am back and ready to give the best and most accurate NHL picks and analyses. COVID has been running rampant through the NHL the past few months, so please watch the news after reading this article as things can, and most likely will change. Given all the games being postponed, and even taking a short break altogether, the playoff battle is starting to heat up!

Now let us take a look at who you should Lace the Skates, give a Slap Shot, or even give some skaters some Ice Time. All this while looking for who the sendoff to the penalty box. This may be a two-game slate, but it brings some GREAT hockey with four very powerful skating teams putting on a show.

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Lace the Skates (Cash plays)

Slap Shot (GPP Tournement Play)

Ice Time (Value Play)

Penalty Box (Fades)

Lace the Skates

Connor McDavid ($8600 DK)

Center Edmonton Oilers

McDavid is currently in Covid protocol after receiving a positive test, but he is not declared out as of yet. I would keep an eye on this one as he was withheld from practice Tuesday but will designate a Questionable tag heading into this matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has been simply electric all season for the Oilers tallying 19 goals and 34 assists so far this season, which is normal for this man, seems unreal right? Toronto’s goaltending has been questionable lately putting McDavid in a smash spot on the top line.

Jordan Kyrou ($4000 DK)

Left-Wing St.Louis Blues

Kyrou is an up-and-coming star for the Blues and proving to be their best player on the ice. In his last five matchups, he has scored 3 goals and 6 assists, which is something incredible and what the Blues have been looking for to make some moves charging towards the end of the season. Whether he faces Tristan Jarry or Casey Desmith it does not matter, this is an ideal matchup for this young man, he should have no issues exposing the Penguins’ currently weak defense. I mean, their top defense skater Letang has only blocked 6 shots in the last five, expect Kyrou to terrify this Pittsburgh team.

William Nylander ($7100 DK)

Right-Wing Toronto Maple Leafs

Nylander is having damn near a career year with 15 goals already this season, but of course, he skates with the great Austin Matthews! This man has slowly emerged as the star of this team, while Matthews has taken a seat in the back to correlate perfectly with this great forward. Edmonton goalies have ALWAYS been very leaky in my eyes, and it is costing them huge right now as the team is playing with heart, but the goalies keep failing them. This will be an easy game for Nylander and his fellow skate mates on Line 1, I consider this a dream matchup!

Austin Matthews ($8300 DK)

Center Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthews, like McDavid, has tested positive for COVID and is on the protocol. If he submits a negative test Wednesday morning, he will suit up and play his normal role on the team skating on the first line. This is great news for the Leafs if he plays as he has scored a goal in every game but one in the last 10 games! He is a necessity to this team and him and Nylander should use this dream matchup in their favor and put on a show. I mean the opposing rank is 27Th against Centers.

Slap Shot

Leon Drasaitl ($7700 DK)

Center Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl just became the sole leader in the NHL scoring battle with 25 in an overtime thriller with the Islanders. This is a great spot for him to keep momentum and keep going, building on that goal lead! He is on a 5 game points lead and just ONE point away from fellow center Connor McDavid. I do not expect him to take his foot off the gas and his point streak will continue in this one as well. I would go overweight on this skater!

Zach Hyman ($5400 DK)

Left-Wing Edmonton Oilers

Hyman has had these ups and downs this season, but given the Leaf’s goalie troubles, with Cambell starting, expect Hyman to have a fantastic game while skating with maybe the best line in hockey. Hyman is pushing for a career-high of 41 in this final stretch of the season, meaning he is going to be skating his butt off! He has not been relevant as of late, but this is the game he breaks out of his slump and produces some numbers! He shoots a ton on goal as well so expect the good ole Shot on goal bonus on DK.

Vladimir Tarensenko ($6800 DK) Pavel Buchnevich ($5200 DK)

Right-Wing St.Louis Blues Right Wing St.Louis Blues

I am pairing these two together for good reason, they just correlate. Tarensenko is just on a mission lately, along with Buchnevich with both being fantastic in the power play. If you play them, I would not be against using Kyrou either for a good ole three-man stack, ownership will be decently low, and the production is going to be crazy from the trio. Together they have 13 assists with Vladimir’s 6 goals in the last five, lock and load on this mini stack.

Jake Guentzel ($6000 DK) Bryan Rust ($5000 DK) Sydney Crosby ($7400 DK)

Left-Wing Pittsburg Penguins Right-Wing Pittsburg Penguins Center Pittsburg Penguins

This trio just works so well together. They are going against a surprisingly tough Blues team, with pretty decent goaltending, but these three just seem matchup-proof lately and I like them tonight! I like this whole game in general. If the Penguins are to win this line needs to produce some decent numbers as to not allow the Blues to pull away in this matchup. I expect this stack to be fairly low owned as people overlook the Penguins for some reason, I would like to see some of them in builds tonight.

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Ice Time

Robert Thomas ($3400 DK)

Center St.Louis Blues

Jason Spezza ($2600)

Center Toronto Maple Leafs

Kailer Yamamoto ($3200 DK)

Right-Wing Edmonton Oilers

Justin Hall ($2500 DK)

Defense Toronto Maple Leafs

Penalty Box

Kris Letang

Defense Pittsburg Penguins

Jesse Puljujarvi

Right-Wing Edmonton Oilers

Kasperi Kapanen

Right-Wing Pittsburg Penguins

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