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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Monday, April 17 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
- C Sean Monahan (49K) & LW Micheal Ferland (25K), Flames (vs. Ducks): Drafting Monahan and Ferland saves you a nice amount of cash over selecting LW Johnny Gaudreau (62K). Considering Gaudreau has taken four shots and has only one assist, you won't miss his services too much. Ferland, on the other hand, has registered 10 shots. Monahan has two power-play markers to start the series.
- LW Alex Ovechkin (69K) & C Nicklas Backstrom (64K), Capitals (at Maple Leafs): Ovechkin was dominant in Game 2, scoring a power-play goal on nine shots and registering seven hits. Backstrom also tallied his first goal of the series in Game 2. With Washington maintaining a solid CF% lead over Toronto (53.6 to 46.3), Ovechkin and Backstrom should continue to take over this series.
Goalie Breakdown
- TARGET - Pekka Rinne (102K), Predators (vs. Blackhawks): Asking for a third consecutive shutout against the Blackhawks is an extremely tall task. But Rinne is looking more like the Rinne of old to open the playoffs, and there's no reason he can't continue to stifle Chicago's offense. Despite firing 59 shots, Chicago has just eight high-danger chances.
- FADE - John Gibson (86K), Ducks (at Flames): If the Flames are going to get back into this series, Game 3 at home is a must-win. They'll stand a better chance of getting that victory with Gibson moving out of Anaheim. The Ducks goaltender was 8-9 on the road this year, with a .913 SV% and 2.53 GAA. The Flames lead all playoff teams in xGF60 with a mark of 3.64.
Bargain Plays
- LW Micheal Ferland (25K), Flames (vs. Ducks): As mentioned, Ferland has been active on the offensive end, firing 10 shots on net. Though he's yet to register a point, he's putting himself in a position to do so. He has an established spot on the power play and plays with Calgary's top offensive weapons.
- RW Bobby Ryan (36K), Senators (at Bruins): Ryan leads the Senators in shots with eight, and has a goal and assist through Ottawa's first two games. The 14 minutes a night he's playing isn't a lot, but it is enough for Ryan to be productive. Boston G Tuukka Rask posted a 2.41 GAA on the road this season.
Top Fades
- RW Patrick Kane (78K), Blackhawks (at Predators): Kane has taken nine shots to open the Chicago-Nashville series. But with Rinne a brick wall in the crease, Kane has been stifled. At his price, he needs a multi-point effort to truly be worth value. Whether or not Chicago can squeeze anything by Rinne right now isn't worth this sizeable an investment.
- D Dougie Hamilton (51K), Flames (vs. Ducks): Hamilton has eight penalty minutes and just two shots on net through Calgary's first two games. For the regular season, Hamilton averaged 2.7 shots per game and collected just 64 PIMs over 81 games. Though he's playing 22 minutes a game, sitting in the box and being passive on the blueline is of no help.
Contrarian Options
- LW James van Riemsdyk (50K), Maple Leafs (vs. Capitals): Toronto's headlining rookie class should capture most of the ownership for those who target any Maple Leafs. But it has been JVR putting together a strong postseason, picking up a goal and an assist with 11 shots on net. His ice time is up to 21 minutes a game from 15 in the regular season.
- D T.J. Brodie (25K), Flames (vs. Ducks): Some may associate Brodie's bargain price with lack of production. That would be fair considering he tried just 78 shots in 82 regular season games. But the long-time Flame has two power-play assists, seven shots, and three blocked shots to open the series. His six minutes of PP time gives him great upside.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
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