NHL Stacking to Win: 4-7-16

The Chalk

The Predators will be taking on the Coyotes tonight, which provides them with a sweet matchup. The Coyotes are one of the worst teams on the defensive side of the puck. They have allowed an average of 3.0 goals per game (28th in NHL) and have a save percentage of .903% (27th in NHL). They have also struggled with their special teams this season. They have a hard time staying out of the penalty box, as they have an average of 12.13 penalty minutes per game (second-most in NHL) and have allowed a total of 67 power-play goals (most in NHL). And in two games against Arizona this season, Forsberg, Johansen and Neal have combined for an average of 16.4 fantasy points (six real life points). They are my top stack of the night and we all know the upside Forsberg and Neal have, which make them great GPP options for tonight's slate.

I know Toronto has been playing much better in the past couple of months, but I still think it is a good idea to attack them with some Flyers on your roster. In the month of March, Toronto's goalies had a save percentage of .904% (22nd in NHL). While many people can argue they were playing some great hockey, they were still having trouble stopping the puck from going through the pipes. On the year, Toronto has an allowed an average of 2.90 goals (sixth-most in NHL). They have also allowed a total of 50 power-play goals on the year (eight-most in NHL). Simmonds, Giroux and Gostisbehere are great tournament options for tonight. They have combined for a total of 12 real life points in their last five games. This is another stack that has big upside.

The Sharks will be taking on the Jets tonight, which provides them with an appealing matchup. This season, the Jets have allowed an average of 2.86 goals per game (23rd in NHL). They have also allowed a total of 59 power-play goals on the year (second-most in NHL). The Jets are another team that have struggled heavily in defending the power-play. They have allowed a total of 58 power-play goals on the year (28th in NHL). I know Burns, Couture and Pavelski can cost you a pretty penny, but they are worth the investment. They have combined for an average of 13.5 fantasy points per game over their last ten.

Contrarian Corner

A lot of games tonight have 5.5 game totals (all three stacks I mentioned are playing in games that have 5.5 game totals), but St. Louis-Chicago is sitting at a five-point total, so a lot of people just might not look at this game. Yes St.Louis is playing a very good team in Chicago, but I still believe they can do some damage against them. In March, the Blackhawks allowed an average of 2.85 goals per game (19th in NHL). They also have a penalty-kill percentage of .803% (23rd in NHL) on the year. This will not be an easy task being on the road against Chicago, but the Blues can certainly have a great performance. They have scored an average of 3.50 goals per game in the month of March (third-most during that span) and have scored a total of eight goals against the Blackhawks this season. They are a solid contrarian play of the night, as a lot of people will see these two teams going head-to-head and just fade the Blues.