The Best NHL Picks and Analysis 11/18/2021 (11 Game Slate)

Once again the Ottawa Senators game is postponed due to a Covid outbreak in the team. Luckily, this has yet to affect the rest of the league as everyone is scheduled as normal. This big slate is FULL of amazing matchups that will be filled with action and possible heartache for some franchises. One big question I have for this slate is, CAN ANYONE STOP LEON DRAISAITL? This guy is just simply not human and embarrassing every team he has faced this season and is pulling away with the goal lead in the league with the closest person being 5 goals behind him with 12! Who will emerge as division leader? Can the Kraken finally pull out of last place in the league? Will the Chicago Blackhawks continue their run to the top of the board? Let us find out!

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Ice Time(Value Play)

Penalty Box(Fade)

Embed from Getty Images

Calgary Flames V Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres proved all the haters wrong in their last match against the Penguins when they all but shut them down, even dealing with multiple penalties against them and stopping the power play. Tonarski looks good there, and if he starts in this one, It could be a statement game, keyword COULD. They need to get past the high-flying Flames right now who have a pretty good offense. In the last ten games, the Flames have only lost 2 games in regulation, a pretty impressive stat right there if you ask me. This is while the Sabres have gone a measly 4-5 in the last 10.

This bodes well for the Flames as they have lost their last 3 of 4 and are looking to get back into the mix in their division and prove they be in the Stanley Cup talks this season. The Sabres, though, seem to be heating up on offense, being led by Okoposo and his explosive skating he has been presenting the last week or so. Both goalie duos for both sides are fairly good, but Calgary keepers have the edge as both of them have not allowed an average of 2 goals a game yet this season. Save percentage is fairly even, but the Sabres are super leaky lately and I believe they just got plain ole lucky against Crosby and the Penguins Tuesday night. Calgary has a bounce-back game tonight and runs the ice.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Elias Lindholm/Johnny Gaudreau

Kyle Okposo

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Andrew Mangiapane/Matthew Tkachuk/Sean Manahan

Kyle Okposo/Tage Thompson/Victor Olofsson

Ice Time(Value Play)

Noah Hanifin

Penalty Box(Fade)

Jeff Skinner

New York Rangers V Toronto Maple Leafs

Depending on who starts in the net for the Leafs, this one could be very interesting. This is the most evenly matched game on the slate tonight as each team is split right down the middle in offensive stats, to include goals for sitting at 2.71. Again, depending on who starts for either team, could determine the game flow of this one as one goalie from each has a save rate over .920 and the other two have a .856 average rate.

Two hot offenses against those types of numbers, WHOA! As of now, though, both teams are starting their star goalies which will make it difficult for either team to score as both defenses are also very stout. Both teams have great correlation as well as different skaters are leading the team in different stats, which actually could make stacking this game fairly simple.

This game will go one of two ways, either a shootout to the end, or a complete blowout, everything leans on who starts in the net. I will tell you now if Mrazek starts for the Leafs, load up on Rangers, if Georgiev starts for the Rangers, load up on the Leafs, another wise I would use players from this game as one-offs.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Austin Matthews

Chris Kreider

Artemi Panarin

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Austin Matthews/Mitch Marner/John Tavares/Jake Muzzin

Chris Kreider/Mika Zibanejad/Artemi Panarin (can replace with Ryan Stromme)

Alexander Kerfoot/William Nylander/Michael Bunting

Alexis Lafreniere/Adam Fox/Barclay Goodrow

Ice Time(Value Play)

Kevin Rooney

Penalty Box(Fade)

NONE

Pittsburgh Penguins V Montreal Canadiens

This game is just a disaster, and I want very little exposure to it. That being said, it seems like it could be the difference between winning a tournament and not cashing. This game will garnish low ownership, with good reason, both teams are obviously out of sync. The Penguins couldn’t even beat the measly Sabres, which should have, on paper, been a shutout!

I am glad their first line did score, but man they did not pull through in the power play. No matter who is in the net in this one, it will not matter as both offenses are straight-up horrible. It is pretty sad when the goal leader for both teams has 3 for the Penguins and 2 for the Canadiens. This game will be sloppy, and very unpredictable, I mean, someones gotta win right? Take your chances on this one, if either side goes nuts, you could be looking at early retirement!

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Jake Guentzel

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Sydney Crosby/Bryan Rust/Jake Guentzel/Kyle Latang

Evan Rodrigues/Kasperi Kapanen/Jeff Carter

Nick Suzuki/Tyler Taffoli/Brendan Gallagher

Ice Time(Value Play)

John Marino

Mike Hoffman

Penalty Box(Fade)

ANY OTHER PLAYER NOT MENTIONED FROM BOTH TEAMS (GARBAGE GAME)

New Jersey Devils V Florida Panthers

This Panthers team just straight up DEMOLISHED the Islanders just two nights ago. All but one even-strength line scored which is straight domination in my eyes, especially since they sliced and diced the best goalie in the league. They will get plenty of scoring in this one as well as they are firing on all cylinders and making it look easy. The Devils have a decent offense, but I do not think it will be enough to get it done tonight on the ice.

The Panthers currently sit 2nd in the NHL in scoring with almost 4 goals a game and the way they have been playing, they will be 1st soon. I should also mention they are sitting in first place in the Eastern conference as well with a one-game lead over the Hurricanes, which is impressive as they have been playing good hockey this season. The Devils’ goaltending will be the death of them in this one and Huberdeau and gang will zig and zag their way to easy win tonight.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Jonathan Huberdeau

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Pavel Zacha/Jesper Bratt/Dougie Hamilton

Andreas Johnsson/Nico Hischier

Jonathan Huberdeau/Aleksander Barkov/Aaron Ekblad

Patrick Hornqvist/Sam Reinhart/Brandon Montour

Ice Time(Value Play)

P.K. Subban

Penalty Box(Fade)

NONE

Tampa Bay Lightning V Philadelphia Flyers

This is another matchup where both teams are really evenly matched, surprisingly. The Flyers have not looked all that good, but man have they been flying under the radar. Almost every match they play, it has been kept close, and that is due partly to their defense which is always on point season in and season out led by provorov.

They picked up Cam Atkinson in the offseason and he has shown to be worth every penny as he leads the team in goals and has added some nice correlation. That being said, the Lightning is just as good. Carter Hart is looking decent, but not great, and if the Lightning sense a weakness in a team, they will attack it to the full extent. This game is no exception. Killorn and Stamkos are having a great year as their stats are almost matched evenly, making Killorn a candidate for the most improved player!

This team attacks in every direction, and having the top defense skater in the NHL helps also. The Flyers will have their handful in this one and will need to bring their best game to the ice as the Lightning will not hold back. Expect Tampa to win this one by at least 2 goals and continue with the good season they are having.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Steven Stamkos/Victor Hedman

Sean Couturier

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Steven Stamkos/Brayden Point/Ondrej Palat

Alex Killorn/Anthony Cirelli/Ryan Mcdonagh

Cam Atkinson/Sean Couturier/Claude Giroux

Ice Time(Value Play)

Joel Farabee

Penalty Box(Fade)

Ryan Ellis

San Jose Sharks V St. Louis Blues

The Blues are currently riding a 3 game losing streak, the most recent coming to the AWFUL Arizona Coyotes. That is concerning as the Yotes are not even AHL good let alone NHL.

The St.Louis offense has finally come down to earth, and maybe showing some weakness? This downfall comes at a bad time as the Sharks have just been getting better, which spells trouble for Blue Goalie Binnington. The Sharks do not allow a ton of points, which spells trouble for Kyrou and the crew as they do have not to look organized.

I still expect this game to be a high-scoring affair, and one you should get exposure to in your builds. Both goalies, although not allowing a ton of goals, are kind of weak compared to the field and both teams do shoot the puck a ton. One thing I should mention, a skater by the name of Robert Thomas is currently sitting at 7 goals in the last 5 GAMES with 7 assists to follow.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Timo Meier

Jordan Kyrou

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Timo Meier/Tomas Hertl/Erik Karlsson

Jordan Kyrou/Pavel Buchnevich/Vladimir Taransenko

Ryan O’reilly/David Perron/Brayden Schenn

Ice Time(Value Play)

Mario Ferraro

Justin Faulk

Robert Thomas

Penalty Box(Fade)

NONE

Dallas Stars V Minnesota Wild

The Stars are aligning for Dallas as they are finally getting it done on the ice. In the last five games, Robertson has scored 7 goals, against some pretty good goalies at that. This one should be a cakewalk for him and his fellow teammates. Both of Minnesota’s goalies have been awful this season, with very little help from their offense.

This has the Stars licking their chops as they enter this one, ready to attack at every corner of the net. Without the likes of Hartman for the Wild, this offense is not really that explosive as he leads in every department on the stat board for the team. This guy is one of the main reasons they are sitting top 5 in their conference, which could be a problem come playoff time if they do not start working as a team. The Wild, though, should get to the back of the net and keep this matchup at least semi-close, but it won’t be enough as the Stars will win this game and walk out with their chests puffed out ready for the next one.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

NONE

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Jason Robertson/Joe Pavelski/Miro Heiskanen

Ryan Suter/Jamie Benn/Rooper Hintz

Kirill Kaprizov/Mats Zuccarello/Ryan Hartman

Kevin Fiala/Marcus Foligno/Jared Spurgeon

Ice Time(Value Play)

NONE

Penalty Box(Fade)

NONE

Embed from Getty Images

Winnipeg Jets V Edmonton Oilers

As mentioned in the intro, who is going to stop Leon Draisaitl? He has been scoring at will and no team seems to have an answer. It does not help that, although he leads the team in every category, there are still really good shooters on this team. This is the most well-correlated team in the NHL which is why they are basically tied for first in their conference. But they are going against a team who, just the other night, pummeled them back to reality.

The Jets powered through this Oilers team like they were a mid-tier team and made it look easy. Besides Draisaitl’s two goals, the Oilers did absolutely nothing. This only fuels the fire as they want their revenge, which should have Winnepeg shaking in their skates. That being said, the Jets have this team figured out and exposed their weakness, the goalie. Edmonton has been so leaky in that position, making it more pressure for the Offense to do their job harder and faster. The Jets will not go quietly in this matchup, they will score and keep the Oilers chasing.

This is a team that has an amazing power-play unit, and they will stop at nothing to drop the Oilers down another notch. This is my favorite game on this slate and, although it will garner ownership, I want a piece of it.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Leon Draisaitl/Connor McDavid

Andrew Copp

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Leon Draisaitl/Ryan Nugent-Hopkins/Zach Hyman/Darnell Nurse

Connor McDavid/Jesse Puljujarvi/Tyson Barrie

Mark Sheifele/Kyle Connor/Andrew Copp

Ice Time(Value Play)

Kailer Yamamoto

Penalty Box(Fade)

NONE

Columbus Blue Jackets V Arizona Coyotes

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, this Coyotes team is not good. These two wins have been straight luck and I am not going to waste my time even talking bout them. They have one good player and that’s about it. I have seen AHL teams more organized than this. Shayne Gostisbehere leads the team with 13 total points, everyone else, just 2!

The poor guy basically wasting his career on this garbage team. Plain and simple, the Blue Jackets will score a ton in this one easily and get the win without breaking a sweat. They will be banking on their second line to keep performing led by Voracek and Sillinger.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Oliver Bjorkstrand

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Oliver Bjorkstrand/Jakub Voracek/Cole Sillinger

Alexandre Texier/Zach Werenski

Shayne Gostisbehere

Ice Time(Value Play)

NONE

Penalty Box(Fade)

ALL ARIZONA COYOTES NOT MENTIONED

Detroit Red Wings V Vegas Golden Knights

This game is one I have been looking forward to for weeks. The up-and-coming Red Wings against an injury-plagued Golden Knights team who is just rolling. In the last ten games, Vegas has only lost twice, and that’s without their leading scorer! They had to adjust their lines about every matchup and just keep winning! This matchup may slow them down though as the Red Wings keepers have stepped up to the plate and have been more than decent recently.

The Golden Knights need to bring everything they have to this one if they want the win. The Red Wings, oh the Red Wings….it is awesome to see them back in old school form. This team is so fun to watch, they play hard, they play fast, and they score goals, what else do you want from a team. Lucas Raymond has been their breakout star along with Dylan Larkin. Just simply fun to watch, and this game, in general, is going to be some good hockey, but I think the Red Wings come out on top and really shake things up.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Tyler Bertuzzi

Lucas Raymond

Chandler Stephenson

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Tyler Bertuzzi/Lucas Raymond/Moritz Seider/Dylan Larkin

Filip Hronek/Filip Zadina

Chandler Stephenson/Jonathan Marchessault/Nicolas Roy

Ice Time(Value Play)

Nicolaus Hague

Penalty Box(Fade)

NONE

Carolina Hurricanes V Anaheim Ducks

A great game to end a great night of hockey. Troy Terry for Anaheim has just been fantastic, and no one even really knew who he was until now. He has single-handedly transformed this team into a champion contender. They are also ahead of Edmonton in the standing by a game and have 2 more points than them.

If that does not tell you they are the real deal, I do not know what does. The Ducks Even strength first line is just nasty this year and they are just having fun and getting it done! They will be facing a red-hot Anderssen in the net for the Hurricanes who is the best goalie in the league with way less than 2 goals allowed per game and a .938 save rate. I do not see that slowing this offense down, but what will get slow down…the Hurricanes.

The Ducks have great defense skaters and will make it tough for the Hurricanes to even get close to the net. Gibson has looked good in the net for the Ducks and the Hurricanes will need to shoot from afar if they want a shot. BUT they are a fast team, they could easily expose this defense skating squad and come up with some fancy maneuvering to sneak on by.

DO NOT expect this game to be low-scoring, though, and the Hurricanes are a great team, they shoot the puck a ton, and the correlation and the way they use all their lines could expose a hole in the Ducks game plan. Gibson is good, but I think the Canes will have their way with him. High scoring, exciting game, CANNOT wait for this matchup.

Lace the Skates(Cash Play)

Troy Terry

Kevin Shattenkirk

Andrei Svechnikov

Slap Shot(Gpp Play)

Troy Terry/Adam Henrique/Ryan Getzlaf/Kevin Shattenkirk

Andrei Svechnikov/Vincent Trocheck/Tony Deangelo

Jesper Fast/Teuvo Teravainen/Martin Necas

Ice Time(Value Play)

NONE

Penalty Box(Fade)

NONE

Embed from Getty Images

Favorite Goalies

Jacob Markstrom

Sergei Bobrovsky

Elvis Merzlikins

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