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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, Jan. 20 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
- LW Brad Marchand (71K) & RW David Pastrnak (71K), Bruins (vs, Blackhawks): The lofty salaries may deter a lot of owners but the Bruins' top-two goal scorers are in a great spot at home. Chicago's 9.02 scoring chances against per 60 minutes ranks them in a tie for the third-most in the league. They move up to rank 24th in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes, but owners should take advantage of rare low ownership.
- LW Jeff Skinner (60K) & C Victor Rask (54K), Hurricanes (vs. Penguins): The Penguins rank worse than Chicago in expected goals allowed and the two are tied in scoring chances against. The two teams are near equal in Corsi For percentage, both ranking above 51.5 percent. Skinner has 11 of his 17 goals on home ice this season.
- C Vincent Trocheck (59K) & RW Jaromir Jagr (48K), Panthers (at Canucks): The Panthers should be the top road target of the night, even though they've lost the first two games of their Western Canadian road trip by a combined score of 9-5. Vancouver allows its opponents to shoot from an average distance of 32.50 feet, ranking 24th in the league.
Goalie Breakdown
- TARGET - Cam Talbot (98K), Oilers (vs. Predators): Prior to scoring four goals in a victory over the Calgary Flames Thursday, the Predators mercurial offense had scored just 10 goals in their previous six games. Talbot has won four consecutive starts and allowed more than two goals in just one of those games.
- BARGAIN - Al Montoya (75K), Canadiens (at Devils): Montoya will start the first half of the Canadiens' back-to-back, facing a Devils team ranking 30th in the NHL in shot attempts for per 60 minutes. Even in a win the prospective low save total depresses his ceiling, but he'll do just fine at the minimum salary if credited with the victory.
- FADE - Ryan Miller (101K), Canucks (vs. Panthers): The Panthers rank 28th in scoring chances per 60 minutes, and their average shot distance of 35.98 feet is the second furthest in the league. Still, they rank in the top half of the league in shot attempts per 60 minutes. Vancouver has allowed just two goals in its past two games, but it does allow 8.49 scoring chances per 60 minutes.
- CONTRARIAN - Cam Ward (100K), Hurricanes (vs. Penguins): Ward is an extremely risky selection, particularly at such a high salary. He allowed four goals on 19 shots in a disastrous road start his last time out, but had previously won four consecutive starts at home. Though Ward has allowed at least three goals in four of his past five games, he has made more than 30 saves twice.
Bargain Plays
- RW Anthony Mantha (30K), Red Wings (at Sabres): Mantha continues to work from a first-line role, on the right side of RW Gustav Nyquist and LW Henrik Zetterberg. He has just two shots on goal in his past three games, but he has two assists, eight hits and a blocked shot. There's a higher possibility for offense than in Detroit's previous three games, all coming against teams in playoff positions.
- C Andrew Shaw (29K), Canadiens (at Devils): Even with C Alex Galchenyuk back from injury, Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien is sticking with an effective first line of LW Max Pacioretty, C Phillip Danault and RW Alexander Radulov. This puts Shaw on the right side of Galchenyuk, an ideal spot for a bargain play with a net presence.
- D Zdeno Chara (25K), Bruins (vs. Blackhawks): Chara can be combined with Marchand and Pastrnak as an extra piece to the contrarian Bruins stack. He went without a shot on goal his last time out, but he had totaled 12 in his previous three games. He had 10 hits and eight blocked shots in his past five games. He can readily hit his required floor with any offense providing the tournament boost.
Top Fades
- RW Patrick Kane (80K), Blackhawks (at Bruins): Kane is priced 9K above the next most expensive right wing Friday. His three goals and 10 points this month may warrant the salary, but he has been surprisingly less effective on the road this season. Just 15 of his 47 points have come on the road, despite a higher shot rate. He'll face top G Tuukka Rask.
- C Alex Galchenyuk (52K), Canadiens (at Devils): Galchenyuk scored in his first game back from injury, but he went point-less in the following two outings. He has just four SOG over the three games, and he has been held to 16 minutes of ice time in two of the three. At a significantly lower salary, Shaw makes for a much better selection.
- LW Loui Eriksson (55K), Canucks (vs. Panthers): Eriksson's salary has bounced back up since being reunited with Henrik and Daniel Sedin. The reunion has been with lackluster results, as Eriksson still has just two goals and one assist on the month, bumping him to 10 goals and 11 assists for the season. He did have 11 SOG in his past three games, but he lacks offensive consistency.
Contrarian Options
- LW Taylor Hall (63K), Devils (vs. Canadiens): Hall continues to be the most appealing option from New Jersey, as he has racked up two goals and two assists during a four-game point streak. He has multiple SOG in every game this month, twice topping out at six in a game. His ice time has been somewhat variable this month, reaching a high of 20:02 and a low of 13:45 his last time out. He'll face Montreal's backup goalie.
- RW Reilly Smith (42K), Panthers (at Canucks): Smith is far from a household name for consistent fantasy producers, but he has been shooting at a high clip of late, totaling 14 SOG in his past four games. He has topped 18 and a half minutes of ice time in each of his past three games.
- D Shea Weber (46K), Canadiens (at Devils): Weber began the season with a clearly unsustainable shooting percentage, which has regressed ever since Nov. 22, as Weber has only two goals since then. The Devils have a top-10 ranked penalty kill, but their 141 times shorthanded are middle of the pack. Weber will have chances on the power play.
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