Decent slate here with some interesting spots I am wanting to hammer. We are have crossed 10% of the season being played, so teams are really starting to show their identities as to what their strengths and weaknesses are. My job is to identify those weaknesses and exploit them dramatically. You have to take stands if you want to win big, and I am here to nudge us in the right direction. As always, subscribe to the Army. Now, we stack.
Correlated Snipe #1 – Josh Norris – Brady Tkachuk
There are 2 ways to stack this game viably, and I am choosing this line. This will be the second game of a back to back with travel for Edmonton, which isn’t a big deal; however, Brady Tkachuk isn’t fun to playnon any day, especially a back to back. I just see Tkachuk as a matchup nightmare for the Oilers, and he is at home and will be deployed strategically. The Oilers are a softer skill-based team, and may be without Darnell Nurse after he got annihilated by Ryan Reaves the other day. I just don’t know who is physical enough or strong enough to contain Brady Tkachuk on this Oilers roster. I just like this correlation and matchup in this spot, and will take the upside at home for the Senators captain and top center.
Oct 21, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Correlated Snipe #2 – Nikita Kucherov – Jake Guentzel – Brayden Point
I am not sure if Point will play, but if he does, we need to throw him into some stacks when playing the Lightning. This is an expensive build, but the upside is remarkable here. The Penguins can be a target we lock onto for the rest of the season until further notice. Kucherov is a top 5 or 10 player in the league, and this Penguins team has no defenders capable of getting in his way. This also opens up an avenue for a revenge game against the Penguins, and I like that it is in Pittsburgh for that reason. This should not be overthought. This is a great offense and top line vs an atrocious defense and inconsistent goaltending.
Grinders:
Jake Neighbors – Top line and top powerplay unit for the Blues. The Blues are at home against the Wild who are due to lose some games.
Brock Faber – Too cheap for a number one defenseman on any team. Faber is playing a ton, and it’s only a matter of time before the production picks up.