Schedule Analysis: Avalanche of Wins Coming?

Although we're past the midway point of the season, with the All-Star break in sight and just three days on next week's calendar, it is vital to have a solid showing in the first half's last full week of action.

Four Aces
As always, players from teams with the busiest schedules provide you with the most opportunities for fantasy production. Ranked from the best to worst schedule, here are the eight teams playing four games this week:

1. Colorado Avalanche
The Avs start the week with two very winnable games (Jets and Sabres) before hosting the Blues and traveling to play the Stars on back-to-back nights. While Colorado is playing Buffalo for the first time this season, they are outscoring the rest of this week's opponents by a combined score of 22-11.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 5-0

2. Chicago Blackhawks
The Hawks play three tough opponents on the road in four days before returning home to host the Blues on Sunday.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 5-1

3. Ottawa Senators
The Sens finish up their west coast swing and head to New Jersey before beginning their three-game home stand.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 2-2-2

4. St. Louis Blues
The Blues host Pittsburgh before hitting the road (11-7-4) for three straight before they shut it down (zero games next week) for the All-Star break.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 1-2-3

5. San Jose Sharks
Usually playing three of four games at home is a good thing, but not for San Jose, who are 8-12 at home this season. Still, we expect them to put up a win against the road-weary Sens and Kings (season series 2-1, 11:8 GF:GA), though after that, all bets are off.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 2-3

6. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pens begin and end the week with tough matchups against the Blues and Caps.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 3-1

7. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings and Stars will face off for the first time this season, The Wild won't be an easy opponent before L.A. hits the road for back-to-back road tilts against the Yotes and Sharks.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 3-4

8. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have arguably the toughest schedule with road games against the Panthers and Lightning on back-to-back nights to start the week. They'll finish out the road trip in Dallas on Thursday then back home to host the Preds on Saturday. Combined record against this week's opponents: 1-4

Three of a Kind

Hold 'Em
1. Boston Bruins
Regardless of the Canadiens' struggles, Boston has had a tough time (1-3, outscored 14-8) with their rivalry matches this season. Otherwise, Vancouver wasn't a problem (4-0) in their previous meeting and the Bruins see Columbus for the first time this season.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 2-3

2. Washington Capitals
Looks can be deceiving, as the Caps will likely have their way with the Ducks and Pens, though the Jackets could put up a good fight.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 2-1-1

3. Calgary Flames
Nothing about the Flames' mediocre season inspires confidence, much less their issues on the road (6-11-3), but their goalies have grabbed a few shutouts this month and if they were ever gonna grab a few wins in a row on the road, it could be against this week's trio of lackluster opponents.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 1-0

Fold 'Em
28. Minnesota Wild
The Wild (8-7-6 on the road) finish out their west coast trip with three games in four nights.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 2-1-1

29. Vancouver Canucks
On the other coast, the Canucks finish their road trip out east.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 1-2

30. Columbus Blue Jackets
While on paper the Jackets should get shredded, armed with their No. 1 goalie and two-game winning streak, there's always the danger of them spoiling this week for a few teams.
Combined record against this week's opponents: 1-1

The Flop

The NHL is a fickle thing, as on any given night, any team can win. We all know this. In The Flop, we will underscore trends for daily matchups.

Monday
The Jets have been torched (9-4, 2-6 on power play) in two losses to the Avalanche this season. While team points leader Nathan MacKinnon has just four points in 11 career games against Winnipeg, Matt Duchene enjoys a point-per-game pace in 17 career games against the Jets as well as 23 points in 23 road games this season. As for the twine tender in this one, Semyon Varlamov has been yielding to a surging Calvin Pickard, but both have identical 2.76 GAA's against Winnipeg. Additionally, both the Panthers and Penguins will be playing on back end of back-to-back nights. With both No. 1 goalies confirmed starting in Sunday's game, both Al Montoya (preferred) and Jeff Zatkoff may be decent streaming options in both standard or DFS formats. But if I had to choose, though he's unlikely to repeat his shutout win against Edmonton twice within a week, I would prefer Montoya, who has given up more than two goals just once in 11 games this season.

Tuesday
Quick instincts might have you prey on the Caps/Jackets matchup. Believe it or not, the hapless Jackets have held their own with the Capitals this year, including a 5-4 shootout win earlier this month. Sure, Sergei Bobrovsky may show a bit of rust and regardless of his career numbers (4-3-3, 3.07 GAA) versus Washington, I wouldn't guarantee a greek tragedy.

Wednesday
Although this will be their first game of the season, Colorado played well (2-0, 10:4 GF:GA) against Buffalo last season. Call us old fashioned, but Ryan O'Reilly may show up with a little extra juice in his first game against his old mates. This has a high-scoring affair with grudge match written all over it.

Thursday
While the Lightning and Hawks teams combined for just one goal in their opening-month game, Corey Crawford (2-1-2, 1.53 GAA) holds the career split stats edge over Ben Bishop (3-1-1, 2.75) in this marquee matchup. Patrick Kane has five goals and 16 points in 11 career games versus the Bolts. In the other locker room, Steven Stamkos (11 goals, 17 points) has put up similar numbers in 10 career games versus the Hawks.

Friday
Detroit holds a slight edge (2-1, 10:9 GF:GA) over Buffalo in this season's series. With a pending game against the Ducks on Saturday and Jimmy Howard's career numbers (6-0-1 and 1.46 GAA) in eight career games versus Buffalo, this looks like a fantastic value for DFS players to grab Howard.

Saturday
Twenty of the NHL's 30 teams will be in action Saturday, and no contest is more intriguing from a fantasy stand point than Dallas versus Colorado. While the Avs burned the Stars for an opening week 6-3 win in October, both teams have evolved a lot since then. I'm not sure who will have the edge when this game is over, but putting together two of the league's top five scoring teams makes it the perfect climate for DFS; just look elsewhere for a goaltender that night. As previously mentioned, if Howard starts against Buffalo on Friday, winner of five straight, Petr Mrazek is very likely to get the nod at home against a Ducks team that scored only 84 goals through 43 games this season.

Sunday
With the Rangers and Flames beginning a back-to-back set Sunday, you may see Antti Raanta against the Sens, though Raanta's has had little opportunity to improve on his career-long road woes, so Henrik Lundqvist is likely to get the start in Ontario and Raanta should get the nod next week against Buffalo on Monday at home. As for Calgary, both Jonas Hiller and Karri Ramo have notched impressive shutout victories over some of the league's top teams, including Florida and Colorado. While Ramo has seen the bulk of the action this season, both have comparable small sample career numbers versus the Canes, leading me to believe both could get the nod versus Carolina, but I doubt you will want either tender in Monday's tilt versus host Dallas.