Looking Ahead returns to examine the favourable schedules for the first week of the season.
Greetings Dobbernation!
You may know me as Fighting Emu on the forums and I'm thrilled to be taking on the Looking Ahead column this year. We'll take a look at your best and worst matchups in weekly start leagues and try to dig beneath the surface and make sense of those difficult roster decisions. I really enjoyed Bob's format and will try to stay true to it while hopefully adding my own unique spin. Each week I'll continue posting a team to Target, Consider, Beware, and Avoid- over a two-week period as per the old format. I'll also continue to recommend some of those low ownership guys (Yahoo) for leagues that allow streaming over the same two week period. Lastly, each month I'll be adding another feature that might provide some insight to people in leagues with daily changes.
Cloudy with a Chance of Add/Drops will be a monthly forecast breaking down teams with favorable games played totals projected over the next thirty-day period. Hopefully this will help with those tough calls at the bottom of your roster when you want to take a flier on the waiver wire- especially in formats with limited moves. I hope that at the very least each week- I can provide some insight, a bit of humor and more bad puns than a Flintstones marathon!
So without further ado…
Big Bad Bruins (Target)
Games: 4 Away, 3 Home
@ Phl, Det, Was, Col, @Det, @Mtl, @Buf
The B's kick off their season with a bang, being one of only two teams starting seven games in the next two weeks. Although they face some quality competition in that schedule it should be noted that most of those teams are relatively middling in terms of Goals and Shots allowed per game, categories for which the Bruins were conversely ranked 3rd(Goals For) and 5th (Shots For) last year.
Washington will be especially interesting considering they were giving up an average of 33 shots per game last season- good for fourth worst in the league- although Barry Trotz may have something to say about that this year. Look for some lucky bounces as they finish up their three game road trip in Buffalo on the 18th as well. Start your Black and Yellows with confidence.
Lightning Storming Out of the Gate (Consider)
Games: 2 Away 4 home
Fla, Ott, Mtl, NJ, @Van, @Edm
Tampa Bay skaters should see some favorable ice time to start the season with a four game home stand and you just might want to mark October 10th down on your calendar if you own any of them. There will be plenty of room for carnage when they face off against the lowly Panthers who were second worst in the league for Goals Allowed and a miserable league worst in Penalty Kill Percentage. Of special note, will be who is able to lockdown those coveted top-line power-play minutes. The early favorites seem to be Callahan and Garrison- but this situation bears monitoring.
Arizona (2.05)- 2 games: Win, LA
Vancouver (2.20)- 2 games: @Cgy, Edm
Thursday, October 9 to Wednesday, October 15- 2014
Best Bets
Tampa Bay (4.57)- 4 games: Fla, Ott, Mtl, NJ
Edmonton (4.l1)- 4games: Cgy, @Van, @LA, @Ari
Boston (3.95)- 4 games: @Det, Was, Col, @Det
NY Rangers (3.92)- 4 games: @Stl, @Clb, Tor, NYI
Anaheim (3.90)- @Pit, @Det, @Buf, @Phi
Steer Clear
Vancouver (1.10)- 1 game: Edm
Minnesota (1.90)- 2 games: Col, @Col
Pittsburgh (1.94)- 2 games: Ana, @Tor
San Jose (2.11)- 2 games: Win, @Was
St. Louis (2.21)- 2 games: NYR, Cgy
Friday, October 10 to Thursday, October 16- 2014
Best Bets
Carolina (4.26)- 4 games: NYI, @NYI, Buf, @NYR
NY Rangers (4.21)- 4 games: @Clb, Tor, NYI, Car
Los Angeles (4.20)- 4 games: @Ari, Win, Edm. Stl
NY Islanders (4.00)- 4 games: @Car, Car, @NYR, SJ
Boston (4.00)- 4 games: Was, Col, @Det, @Mtl
Steer Clear
Minnesota- (0.90)- 1 game: @Col
Vancouver (1.10)- 1 game: Edm
Winnipeg (1.71)- 2 games: @SJ, @LA
Detroit (1.89)- 2 games: Ana, Bos
Arizona (2.08)- 2 games: LA, Edm
Saturday, October 11 to Friday, October 17- 2014
Best Bets
NY Rangers (4.21)- 4 games: @Clb, Tor, NYI, Car
Los Angeles (4.20)- 4 games: @Ari, Win, Edm, Stl
Anaheim (4.09)- 4 games: @Det, @Buf, @Phi, Min
Edmonton (4.05)- 4 games: @Van, @LA, @Ari, Van
Boston (4.00)- 4 games: Was, Col, @Det, @Mtl
Steer Clear
St. Louis (2.02)- 2 games: Cgy, @LA
Minnesota (1.76)- 2 games: @Col, @Ana
Philadelphia (2.05)- 2 games: Mtl, Ana
Arizona (2.00)- 2 games: LA, Edm
Pittsburgh (2.05)- 2games: @Tor, Dal
Sunday, October 12 to Saturday, October 18- 2014
Best Bets
Buffalo (4.10)- 4 games: Ana, @Car, Fla, Bos
Toronto (3.90)- 4 games: @NYR, Col, Det, @Det
Colorado (3.85)- 4 games: @Bos, @Tor, @Ott, @Mtl
Boston (4.09)- 4 games: Col, @Det, @Mtl, @Buf
Washington (3.36)- 3 games: SJ, NJ, Fla
Steer Clear
Minnesota (0.86)- 1 game: @Ana
St. Louis (1.85)- 2 games: @LA, @Ari
Phiuladelphia (1.90)- 2 games: Ana, @Dal
Winnipeg (1.91)- 2 games: @LA, Nas
Arizona (2.00)- 2 games: Edm, Stl.
Monday, October 13 to Sunday, October 19- 2014
Best Bets
Buffalo (4.10)- 4 games: Ana, @Col, Fla, Bos
Boston (4.09)- 4 games: Col, @Det, @Mtl, @Buf
Anaheim (4.03)- 4 games: @Buf, @Phi, Min, Stl
San Jose (3.90)- 4 games: @Was, @NYI, @NJ, @NYR
Colorado (3.85)- 4 games: @Bos, @Tor, @Ott, @Mtl
Steer Clear
Minnesota (1.66)- 2 games: @Ana, @LA
Philadelphia (1.90)- 2 games: Ana, @Dal
Arizona (2.00)- 2 games: Edm, Stl
Vancouver (2.05)- 2 games: @Edm, TB
Pittsburgh (2.15)- 2 games: Dal, NYI
Tuesday, October 14 to Monday, October 20- 2014
Best Bets
Buffalo (4.10)- 4 games: Ana,, @Car, Fla, Bos
Boston (4.09)- 4 games: Col, @Det, @Mtl, @Buf
Anaheim (4.03)- 4 games: @Buf, @Phi, Min, Stl
San Jose (3.90)- 4 games: @Was, @NYI, @NJ, @NYR
Colorado (3.85)- 4 games: @Bos, @Tor, @Ott, @Mtl
Steer Clear
Minnesota (1.66)- 2 games: @Ana, @La
Philadelphia (1.90)- 2 games: Ana, @Dal
Arizona (2.00)- 2 games: Edm, Stl
Vancouver (2.05)- 2 games: @Edm, TB
Pittsburgh (2.15)- 2 games: Dal, NYI
Related Posts
UPCOMING GAMES
WPG
STL
DAL
COLStarting Goalies
Top Skater Views
PIT
CAR
VGK
L.ATop Goalie Profile Views
WSH
CBJ
EDM
TOR
LINE COMBOS
| Frequency |
 DET Players
| |
|---|---|---|
| 21.9 | AUSTIN WATSON CRAIG SMITH TYLER MOTTE | |
| 21.3 | MARCO KASPER PATRICK KANE ALEX DEBRINCAT | |
| 17.2 | VLADIMIR TARASENKO MICHAEL RASMUSSEN J.T. COMPHER | |
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