The Shot Dude: Tuesday Ticket
A great way to get tickets to a sporting event at the spur of the moment is to have a hookup guy in your contact list.
Your favorite Shot Dude is your hookup guy for fantasy sports advice, and I have your Tuesday ticket to the NHL.
With eight awesome NHL games on tap for tonight, you know I have you covered with some fantasy lineup ideas to obliterate the competition.
To check out all today's hockey matchups, consult the Bovada data tool located on our Home page:
Since FanDuel is the best source for fantasy games, head over there and challenge a friend when you're done here. Let's see who's on today's ticket:
Forwards
Jaime Benn, Dallas ($7900) ... is a hockey point production machine no matter what his recent game log suggests. Dude's already reached the 70-point plateau this season, which now makes it three straight seasons of accomplishing that feat. In spite of that, Benn has just two assists in his last five games, but I feel a breakout coming tonight against Montréal. Not only has Benn registered 5 goals and 4 assists in just 7 career games against the Canadiens, but the Habs are also mired in a four-game losing streak, and winners of only 3 games in their last 10.
Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay ($6700) ... seems to be smack-dab in the middle of a profound point scoring haze, with 7 in his last 4 games. This binge includes a 2-assist game last night against Philadelphia that resulted in a fantasy score of 6 on FanDuel. Even though the 32 points Johnson has tallied this season are far behind his career mark of 72 he set last year, this recent flurry is a wave I want to ride. All the dude's gotta do is stay in one piece, which has been an issue for him this season.
The Lightning has home ice tonight and has won 9 of 10, but will face a stiff challenge from Boston who seeks to claim first place in the Atlantic Division standings with a win.
Joe Thornton, San José ($6600) ... is even hotter than Johnson -- with 13 points in his last 10 games -- and comes into tonight's tilt with Edmonton riding a 5-game points streak. I look at Thornton as a bittersweet-type player who can turn in a great fantasy score on any given night but also go an entire game without taking a single shot, as he has in 5 of his last 10 times on the ice. Thornton's career against the Oilers has been fantastic; dude's picked up 57 points in 52 games, and I think that production increases tonight. Edmonton is one of only five NHL teams to have allowed at least 200 goals this season.
Defensemen
Shea Weber, Nashville ($5800) ... has proved he has the hardest shot in the NHL, but fantasy players are looking for scoring. With 5 points in his last 3 games, Weber seems to be waking up offensively. Dude's taken 148 shots in 63 games, leading to 17 goals and 41 total points. Fourteen of those shots have come in four games this season against tonight's opponent, Winnipeg. The Jets are scuffling right now, only producing 2 victories in their last 10 games, and own a -25 goal differential on the year.
Keith Yandle, New York Rangers ($5300) ... is just the kind of hard-working d-man I'd want on my hockey team every night. As far as fantasy production, dude's on-par with his mid-level price. His goal total doesn't blow you away, but the 37 points and 140 shots he's produced in 66 games is encouraging. Yandle averages just under 20 minutes of ice time per game and has a great matchup tonight at Buffalo. The Sabres are average on the road but have compiled a dismal 12-17-5 record at home.
Goaltender
Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay ($9300) ... is scorching right now, with the six straight starts he's won. Five of those games were on the road, but tonight Bishop defends home ice against Boston. Dude just registered a 32-save, 4-1 victory against the Bruins eight days ago. Bishop deserves serious Vezina Trophy consideration, as he currently ranks second with a 2.06 GAA, fourth with a .926 save percentage, and sixth in wins with 28 among netminders with at least 22 appearances. This should be the game of the night, so tune in if you can!
Your favorite Shot Dude hopes you have a ticket to ride off into the sunset with some fantasy winnings.
Find your place in this world by always giving it your best shot!
You can follow me on twitter@fsofia8.