Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Stars will score as Dallas heads to Edmonton

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Tuesday, March 14 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

  • LW Jamie Benn (63K) & C Tyler Seguin (66K), Stars (at Oilers): The Stars' top line of Benn, Seguin and C Jason Spezza played just 13.91 percent of 5v5 minutes in their most recent game. The team ranks third in Corsi For percentage over the past month, while the top trio owns a rating of 51.50 percent in more than 160 minutes of 5v5 this season. The Oilers have an expected goals against per 60 minutes of 2.51.
  • LW Patrick Maroon (44K) & C Connor McDavid (92K), Oilers (vs. Stars): Despite the Stars' improved Corsi rating, their expected goals allowed per 60 minutes sits at 2.61. The Oilers' top line should top 400 5v5 minutes together for the season during this game, and they average a whopping 12.18 scoring chances and 3.30 expected goals per 60 minutes.
  • LW Ondrej Palat (51K) & RW Nikita Kucherov (68K), Lightning (at Senators): Despite the Senators' winning streak, they rank in the bottom five of the league in Corsi For percentage over the past month, while the Lightning is seventh. They're averaging just 48.47 percent of all shot attempts over their past 14 games. Tampa Bay played Monday night, but Ottawa is also without RW Mark Stone for the foreseeable future.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Goalie Breakdown

  • TARGET - Frederik Andersen (99K), Maple Leafs (at Panthers): The Panthers have averaged 32.71 shots on goal per 60 minutes since Feb. 14, but they've had just 6.66 scoring chances and 2.26 expected goals. They've relied heavily on power-play production, but the Maple Leafs have the ninth-ranked penalty kill. Andersen has allowed just two goals in each of his past five starts.
  • BARGAIN - Andrei Vasilevskiy (78K), Lightning (at Senators): Peter Budaj started and won Tampa Bay's game, Monday, making Vasilevskiy the likely candidate for the second half of the back-to-back. The Senators will be without their No. 2 points leader in Stone, once again handicapping an offense which has scored three or more goals in five-straight games.
  • FADE - Thomas Greiss (94K), Islanders (at Hurricanes): The Islanders will head to Carolina for the second half of a back-to-back, after dropping Game 1 in New York by a score of 8-4. G Jean-Francois Berube allowed four of those goals in a 28-minute start. Greiss allowed four goals in relief, and he isn't likely to fare much better in the rematch.
  • CONTRARIAN - Braden Holtby (100K), Capitals (vs. Wild): Holtby has not looked like the reigning Vezina Trophy winner over his past three starts, allowing 12 goals on 67 shots. The Wild lead the league in shots on goal per 60 minutes since Feb. 14, averaging 34.83 SOG. They do get 9.17 scoring chances and 2.80 expected goals per 60 minutes, but Holtby does have the potential for a high saves total.

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

Bargain Plays

  • C Josh Ho-Sang (25K), Islanders (at Hurricanes): After a slow start to his NHL career, Ho-Sang now has four points in his past four games, including a goal and an assist in Monday's loss to Carolina. It was his first game with multiple shots on goal since his debut and his very first two-point game. He sees time on the second power-play unit, and he has been seeing some 5v5 time with C John Tavares.
  • LW Miles Wood (25K), Devils (vs. Jets): Wood has been playing his 5v5 minutes on the left side of fellow top prospect C Pavel Zacha. Wood snapped a four-game point-less streak his last time out, notching three shots on goal in 13:20 of ice time. Winnipeg has the fourth-highest expected goals allowed per 60 minutes since Feb. 14.
  • D Marc Edouard-Vlasic (30K), Sharks (vs. Sabres): The Sabres own the league's 29th-ranked penalty kill at just 76.4 percent kill rate. Vlasic plays on the Sharks' second unit, though he has just six power-play points this season. His value is frequently returned via blocked shots and hits in more than 20 minutes of TOI per game.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Top Fades

  • C John Tavares (80K), Islanders (at Hurricanes): Tavares was held off the score sheet in the Hurricanes' beat down of the Islanders Monday. His salary remains extremely high, even though the Hurricanes have played better on home ice. Opt for New York's cheaper options if looking for a contrarian.
  • RW Brendan Gallagher (60K), Canadiens (vs. Blackhawks): Gallagher picked up an assist and tallied six SOG in Montreal's most recent game, but he played just 12:34 and 11.45 percent of 5v5 minutes. Chicago has allowed just 6.75 scoring chances per 60 minutes over its past four road games.
  • D Jaccob Slavin (28K), Hurricanes (vs. Islanders): A low salary mitigates the risk with Slavin but it may also attract more recency bias, after Monday's hat trick. Prior to the career game, he had just four career goals. He has been receiving large amounts of ice time, but he doesn't factor on the power play.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Contrarian Options

  • D John Klingberg (41K), Stars (at Oilers): Klingberg has played at least 22:30 in three-straight games, though he has just one assist to show for it. The majority of his 5v5 and power-play time comes with the top trio of Benn, Seguin and Spezza. He should factor in if the forwards are able to notch some goals.
  • LW Mike Hoffman (62K), Senators (vs. Lightning): Hoffman has played his best hockey of the season with C Derick Brassard and Stone, but he currently skates on a 5v5 line with C Jean-Gabriel Pageau and LW Tom Pyatt. The three have a Corsi rating of just 47.79 percent at 5v5, but Hoffman is easily the primary shooter. He had a goal and an assist on four SOG in Ottawa's most recent outing.
  • C Nicklas Backstrom (61K), Capitals (vs. Wild): LW Alex Ovechkin is in the well-documented worst slump of his career, but Backstrom hasn't fared much better. He has just two goals and two assists in March. Ovechkin won't be kept off the score sheet much longer, particularly in a difficult matchup, but Backstrom's lower salary represents much less risk, while the two remain tied together for point production.

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