This week we take a look at how some lesser-known names in great situations can lead you to playoff success.

Four Games Remaining

With one night of action behind us, the two teams with the most scheduled games between Tuesday March 6^th and Sunday March 11^th are the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. While they do play the most games, their Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday-Sunday schedule means they’ll be playing on the same nights as most other teams.

Boston Bruins

Brad Marchand – Riley Nash – David Pastrnak

Jake Debrusk – David Krejci – Rick Nash

Boston’s schedule this week sees them take on the Red Wings and Flyers, followed by a home and home series against the Blackhawks. Since the beginning of the calendar year, Chicago has averaged 3.17 goals against per game. While the Red Wings and Flyers have been closer to average with their 2.74 GA/GP and 2.89 GA/GP respectively, the Bruins aren’t exactly facing defensive dynamos this week.

At this point in the season, you probably can’t acquire Marchand or Pastrnak, but the other four members of this top-six possess some intriguing value during this crucial playoff week. With Patrice Bergeron out for the foreseeable future, I would almost guarantee that Riley Nash continues to see time with Pastrnak and Marchand for the rest of the week. The team is 3-0 during Bergeron’s absence, so they don’t have much reason to shake up the lines. The only downside to owning Riley Nash is a lack of power-play usage, so maybe the other R. Nash is a better option for you.

The Debrusk-Krejci-Nash trio has been extremely effective since Nash’s arrival, which is evident when you compare the 27 scoring chances they’ve generated to the eight they’ve allowed. Sure, the sample size is small, but it’s hard not to admire their 66.1 Corsi For %. While Rick Nash is already owned in 55% of Yahoo! Leagues, Krejci (27% owned) and DeBrusk (6% owned) should be much more attainable, and they both have four points in their last four games!

Chicago Blackhawks

Brandon Saad – Jonathan Toews – Patrick Kane

Tomas Jurco – Artem Anisimov – Anthony Duclair

Alex DeBrincat – Nick Schmaltz – Vince Hinostroza

The Blackhawks’ 10-16-2 record in 2018 has landed them only 22 points in the calendar year – second-worst in the NHL (behind only the Rangers). When a team is struggling, their coach is more likely to shuffle the lines in an attempt to find a winning combination. With that being said, I’m not even going to try and predict how coach Joel Quenneville will arrange his top-nine forwards. I’m simply going to recommend a player who’s available in most leagues and should see some exposure to the great Patrick Kane. Just before I make that recommendation, I’ll let you know the Blackhawks face the Avalanche, Hurricanes and Bruins (twice) this week. Three good teams looking to qualify for the playoffs, so not the most favourable matchup for Chicago.

If I wanted to add a Blackhawk this week, it would have to be Nick Schmaltz. I like Schmaltz this week because he and Artem Anisimov have played a considerable amount of time with Patrick Kane throughout the season (270+ minutes). The Schmaltz-Anisimov-Kane trio has been quite effective during their time together, sporting a respectable 52.28 Corsi For % and generating more scoring chances than their opponents. I mentioned how coaches shuffle their lines when nothing is working, but they also revert to what has worked in the past, which should bode well for Schmaltz. Despite the Blackhawks playing musical chairs with their lineups, Schmaltz is on pace for an impressive 57-point season.

No Days Off

Here’s a breakdown of this week’s schedule in terms of how many teams are playing each night:

Tuesday – 18 teams

Wednesday – 6 teams

Thursday – 24 teams

Friday – 8 teams

Saturday – 22 teams

Sunday – 8 teams

As per usual, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday make up this week’s ‘off-days’, days on which you probably have some open slots on your roster. Fortunately, a couple of teams play on all three of those days and could make the difference in your playoff matchup this week.

Calgary Flames

Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Micheal Ferland

Matthew Tkachuk – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik

I didn’t know how many different ways you could spell ‘Michael’ until I saw the Flames’ top six…

Calgary’s remaining opponents this week include the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, and New York Islanders. Up to this point in the season, the Islanders are allowing the most goals per game (3.51), the Sens are allowing the second-most goals per game (3.40) and the Sabres are allowing the fourth-most goals per game (3.23). Talk about dream matchups for the Flames’ offense…

It’s unlikely that Monahan or Gaudreau are available in your league, but the next best thing is owning someone who plays alongside them. For most of the season that’s been Micheal Ferland. While Ferland is pointless in his last eight games, the Flames are facing some defensively challenged teams this week, which should be help him bounce back. Since he just returned from an upper-body injury, he’s still available in 80% of Yahoo! Leagues and should provide some sneaky value. Monahan and Gaudreau have each registered one point in their last five games, but I fully expect them to break out of this cold spell and bring Ferland along for the ride.

While the Flames’ top line has been cold, their second line has been red-hot. In the past 10 games, Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik lead the team in even strength point production, and it’s not even close. The trio is sporting a 58.96 Corsi For % on the season, through almost 600 minutes together! Matthew Tkachuk leads the way with 13 points in his last 12 games, but Backlund also has an impressive six points in his last five, followed by Frolik has four in the same span. Tkachuk’s 74% ownership might be a bit high for you, but Backlund is still available in 74% of Yahoo! Leagues. Michael Frolik is that typical player who only seems valuable in the deepest leagues (just 2% owned), but his value this week is higher than many other options.

Vancouver Canucks

Brendan Leipsic – Bo Horvat – Jake Virtanen

Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Jussi Jokinen

Here I was, ready to tell you how good Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat have been. How you should hurry to add Horvat while he’s still available in 64% of Yahoo! Leagues. Alas, the hockey gods don’t care how much time I poured into praising Boeser, as the rookie sensation was taken to hospital following a scary collision with Cal Clutterbuck. As of right now, there’s no news on the exact severity of the injury, but I’m sure we’re all hoping for a speedy recovery (yes, even if your opponent has Boeser). The injury obviously changes the landscape of Vancouver’s forward lines, but I wouldn’t jump on Leipsic or Virtanen just yet because their spot on the top line isn’t set in stone. However, I will endorse Bo Horvat, who quietly has 36 points in 48 games this season, which translates to a 60-point season over 82 games. It’s starting to become evident why he was selected ninth overall in 2013.

Oh, and remember how the Sedin twins are supposed to be old and washed up? Daniel has 14 points in his last 10 games, and Henrik has seven in his last eight. While you might not be part of the 56% of Yahoo! leagues where Daniel is still available, you should be able to grab Henrik who has a nice and low 12% ownership. Considering the Canucks face the lowly Coyotes twice this week, the twins could help you win.

Follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza for the latest line combinations and injury updates!