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Scott Cullen provides his NHL DFS prop picks for February 2nd, 2021 on Monkey Knife Fight. Make your DFS picks with his fantasy hockey advice.
There are eight games on the National Hockey League Schedule Tuesday and Monkey Knife Fight has contests for all of them to add to the fun.
Among those nine games are a couple of noteworthy matchups that include both teams entering the game with a winning record. That includes the Colorado Avalanche, missing center Nathan MacKinnon, visiting the Minnesota Wild.
The Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets also meet for the second game of a back-to-back after the Flames took a shootout decision Monday
Here are some Star Shootout angles to consider for Tuesday’s NHL action on Monkey Knife Fight:
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STAR SHOOTOUT - MAIN GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Anton Khubodin LESS THAN 29.5 SAVES
This seems high right off the bat. Khudobin is averaging 25.7 saves per 60 minutes early in the season, playing behind a Stars team that has allowed the sixth-lowest shots per game (26.4) and going up against a Columbus Blue Jackets team that is below average in terms of shot generation, averaging 28.7 per 60 minutes this season. A matchup of a strong defensive side against a mediocre offense could make it difficult for Khudobin to record 30 saves because he might not see enough shots to get there.
Jordan Binnington MORE THAN 25.5 SAVES
On the other hand, this is a relatively low number to cover and the Blues goaltender is averaging 28.0 saves per 60 minutes this season. Arizona does have a bit of a popgun attack, putting 27.8 shots on goal per 60 minutes but the Blues haven’t been great defensively overall, allowing 30.9 shots per 60 which leaves plenty of room for Binnington to record 26 or more saves. The challenge in this case is that Binnington has faced 27 or fewer shots in five of his seven starts but faced 38 and 46 shots in the two other starts, which has served to inflate his averages. Still, this is a reasonable number to cover.
Dougie Hamilton LESS THAN 4.5 SHOTS + BLOCKS
While Hamilton has recorded at least five shots plus blocks in two of the past three games, he has not been generating shots or blocked shots at the same rate this season, managing 2.5 shots per game and 0.5 blocks per game. He does have a favorable matchup tonight, against a Chicago team that is allowing nearly 33 shots on goal per 60 minutes, the fourth highest rate in the league but it’s still not easy to generate five shots plus blocked shots in a game.
RAPID FIRE
Kyle Connor +0.5 fantasy points vs. Mikko Rantanen
Connor has been consistently productive for the Jets, producing 11 points (6 G, 5 A) and 25 shots on goal in nine games. So is Rantanen, who has 10 points (7 G, 3 A) and 35 shots on goal in 10 games for the Avalanche but the main factor for this matchup is that Avalanche star center Nathan MacKinnon is injured and if MacKinnon isn’t playing it’s reasonable to project that Rantanen will have a harder time generating offense.
Vincent Trocheck +0.5 fantasy points vs. Johnny Gaudreau
Trocheck is off to an excellent start for the Hurricanes, with six points (4 G, 2 A) and 19 shots on goal in six games, which makes him a lively underdog in a matchup with Johnny Hockey, who has 10 points (6 G, 4 A) and 19 shots on goal in eight games.
Matthew Tkachuk +0.5 fantasy points vs. Patrick Kane
Kane is consistently productive and this season is no different, even though Chicago’s forward ranks have been decimated by injuries. Kane has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) and 35 shots on goal in 10 games. Tkachuk has six points (3 G, 3 A) and 30 shots on goal in eight games but the big difference tonight could be the opposition. Chicago takes on a Carolina team that is dominating play with the best possession numbers in the league. Calgary remains in Winnipeg and the Jets have been running around league average in that respect.
STAR SHOOTOUT - NIGHT GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Matt Murray LESS THAN 28.5 SAVES
In seven starts this season, Murray has recorded more than 28 saves just once. He lasted just 7:20 before getting pulled from Sunday night’s loss to Edmonton and it is really difficult to like the chances of a goaltender who is rocking a. .849 save percentage.
Jonathan Quick LESS THAN 27.5 SAVES
This does not seem like an unreasonable number to cover but Quick has had more than 25 saves twice in five starts this season and, perhaps more importantly, takes on an Anaheim Ducks team that is having a difficult time generating shots, with just 23.7 shots on goal per 60 minutes, the third lowest rate in the league.
Darnell Nurse LESS THAN 4.5 SHOTS + BLOCKS
In 11 games this season, Nurse has produced 37 shots plus blocks, an average of about 3.4 per game. He does have the benefit of facing an Ottawa Senators squad that may be the worst in the league. Nurse has had five or more shots plus blocks in three of 11 games this season, though he has hit that threshold in each of the past two games.
Anze Kopitar MORE THAN 0.5 ASSISTS
The veteran center remains the cornerstone piece of the Kings attack and has picked up 11 assists in eight games, held without an assist in just two of those eight contests.
Brady Tkachuk MORE THAN 4.5 FANTASY POINTS
While Tkachuk has seven points in nine games, which is fine, he is really elite as a shot generator with nearly 4.8 per game. Edmonton is not an especially formidable defensive team and Tkachuk was really productive against them Sunday with a goal and assist and eight shots on goal.
RAPID FIRE
Tyson Barrie -0.5 fantasy points vs. Adam Larsson
Two Oilers defensemen that offer very different approaches to the game. Barrie is the puck mover who has seven points (1 G, 6 A) and 40 shots plus blocks in 11 games. Larsson is the stay-at-home defensemen who has three points (1 G, 2 A) and 49 shots plus blocks in 11 games but his blocked shot rate has dipped in the past half dozen games.
Drew Doughty +0.5 fantasy points vs. Jeff Carter
Both Kings skaters have six points in eight games this season, though Doughty is the one with more goals. Carter does have 25 shots on goal, compared to Doughty’s 17, which is why he would be favored but that might not be enough to like Carter minus a half fantasy point.
