Geek of the Week: Big Bet on Boston Looking Good

Scott Maran

2018-04-15

Heading into the start of the playoffs, there might not have been a harder matchup to pick a winner than from the Bruins-Leafs series. While both teams were one of the best during the regular season, through the NHL’s playoff format both powerhouses found themselves meeting each other in only the first round. Boston may have been the higher seed, but a significant number of people predicted the Leafs to ultimate take the series and advance to the second round (including yours truly).

However, in only two games, the Bruins have pummeled the Leafs and the series is looking like it may already be over. Outscoring their opposition 12-4, almost every Bruins player has gotten in on the action, with almost two-thirds of the roster already having at least a point. There have also been huge performances from several players, as many Bruins now lead the league in playoff scoring. For those of you who bet big on the Bruins, it looks like it’s already paying off handsomely.

David Pastrnak

Let’s start with the big name, David Pastrnak. Though he’s not a household name like Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, any NHL fan will know about the 21-year-old Bruins winger. After his breakout campaign last year where he scored 70 points in 75 games, Pastrnak managed to improve upon that with his first 80-point season this year. Entering the playoffs, Pastrnak was going to need to be at his best for the Bruins to get past the Leafs.

Now in just two games, saying Pastrnak’s been at his best would be a huge understatement. With four goals and five assists, Pastrnak’s nine points are over double the most by any non-Bruins player so far. No player has had the kind of start Pastrnak has had, as his six-point night in Game 2 against the Leafs was tied for the most points scored in a playoff game by a Bruin. His early Fantasy Hockey Geek value of 165 is obviously absurd, as he’s averaging over three points per game right now.

I know it’s obviously early in the playoffs, but Pastrnak’s start is still very impressive. Only four other players have scored more than five points in their first two games of Round 1 in the playoffs and in fantasy leagues going on during the playoffs, this is a huge initial boost. His nine points, +6 rating, two penalty minutes, and eight shots on goal is a dream come true for fantasy owners.

Torey Krug

Even though some may say Brad Marchand or Patrice Bergeron would be the next most-valuable Bruin through their incredible two games, Torey Krug’s fantasy value has been even more impressive. Marchand leads him by one point, but his six points are by far the most recorded by any defender so far. Behind him are Brian Dumoulin and Ryan McDonagh with only three points apiece, and Krug has the peripherals to back it up. His four power-play points have been an integral part of the Bruins’ success with the man-advantage, as Brent Burns is the only defender to have more shots than Krug.

Brad Marchand

The other winger on the highly regarded Bruins’ first line has also been dynamite through the first two games of the postseason. Posting six points and the most assists in the playoffs, Marchand has been one of the Bruins’ other top scorers. Combined, the entire first line has produced 20 points against the Leafs and Marchand has so far been able to maintain his blistering scoring pace he set during the regular season, where he tallied 85 points in only 68 games.

Kevan Miller

Even though Miller only has one assist while the rest of the Bruins have been scoring like crazy, still ranks as the fourth-most valuable player to own over the last two games (according to our Fantasy Hockey Geek tool).
 

 

Rank

FHG Value

GP

G

A

SOG

PPP

HITS

Alex Killorn

3

102

2

3

0

5

2

8

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Kevan Miller

4

90

2

1

0

5

0

12

Nikita Kucherov

5

87

2

2

2

6

2

2

Brad Marchand

6

78

2

1

5

6

1

3


Ranked ahead of even Brad Marchand, Miller has always been a beast in the hits department and this is his main source of fantasy value. With the 9th most hits in the postseason so far, Miller has provided a lot of underrated fantasy value so far and may continue to if he’s able to keep getting an occasional point through the playoffs.

One Comment

  1. Invictus350 2018-04-16 at 01:02

    idk i thought it was pretty easy to pick that series… and i even dislike the Bruins. I had a much harder time with some other divisions..

    I’ve said it before but I still think that FHG overrates hits.. 12 hits but not much of anything else. Give me the guys helping me in the other 4 categories

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