The Shot Dude: The Last Hoorah
In just a few days, all but one arena will be dark as we head into the NHL All-Star break.
Tonight will be the last time on skates for the teams involved -- except the Leafs and Preds -- before a week-long break.
Since your favorite Shot Dude never takes a break -- for very long, that is -- look for some NBA recommendations during the NHL hiatus. As for tonight, there are some attractive matchups to exploit and cash in to win, so let's get after it.
All nine NHL games can be viewed with the help of the Bovada data tool on our Home page:
Another favorite of mine that never takes a break is FanDuel. They have great games for you to join right now.
Forwards
Patrick Kane, Chicago ($9000) ... has scored an incredible 13 points in his last 9 games. Kane has been doing great work all season and is the front-runner to win the Hart Trophy. Dude's lit the lamp 30 times on 185 shots and has 73 total points in 52 games. Currently, he's outscored the next closest skater in the league by 15! The Blackhawks battle Carolina tonight, and I think Kane continues his outstanding play with another trip to the scoresheet.
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh ($8500) ... has well and truly put his slow start behind him with 13 points in his last 10 games. This recent offensive flurry now has Crosby at 16 goals on 139 shots and 40 total points in 46 games. Pittsburgh skates home ice against New Jersey with a chance to pull within one point of the Devils in the standings with a win.
Jaromír Jágr, Florida ($4700) ... has scored 15 goals on 77 shots in 45 games. With the 33 total points he's registered, this dude currently ranks second on the Panthers. Even at age 43, Jágr -- Czech for hunter, by the way -- is playing better than some of the NHL talent who's half his age. The Panthers have home ice advantage against Toronto, a team that's lost their last 2, and 7 of their last 10 games. Mike Babcock's a great coach, but he's not a miracle worker.
Defensemen
Torey Krug, Boston ($5500) ... ranks fifth in the NHL among defensemen with the 143 shots he's taken. Krug hasn't piled up the points, just 22 in 47 games, but it seems like this dude wants to improve his total with 13 shots in his last two games alone. Boston plays host to Anaheim, a team with just seven away victories and a paltry 1.50 goals/game average on the road.
Marc-Édouard Vlasic, San José ($5100) ... is a steady, less expensive version of his teammate, Brent Burns. Vlasic has registered 24 points in 44 games, shoots about twice every contest, and gives you $1900 more salary cap space to work with than Burns. Plus, Dude's not had a negative fantasy score in his last 10 games. The Sharks welcome the Avalanche to town and hope to take advantage of Colorado's generous defense that's yielded 133 goals this season.
Goaltender
Craig Anderson, Ottawa ($7800) ... has won 3 of his last 4 home starts and only allowed five goals in those games. Dude ranks fourth among netminders who have at least 18 home starts with a .931 save percentage. He's also coming off a 35-save shutout win over the Rangers in his last start. Tonight's opponent, Buffalo, fell victim to Anderson by a 3-1 score earlier this season. The Sabres have just 110 goals in 49 games so far.
Your favorite Shot Dude hopes you yell hooray when you see your fantasy winnings tomorrow morning.
Please, never take a break from giving it your best shot!
You can follow me on twitter@fsofia8.