Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Rain delay? Stay indoors with Canucks, Bruins

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Monday, Jan. 2 (all advanced stats are at 5-on-5 and courtesy of Corsica.Hockey) :

Triple Threat

C Bo Horvat (48K), LW Sven Baertschi (40K) and RW Alex Burrows (27K), Canucks (vs. Avalanche): Officially Vancouver's third line at even strength, this trio combined for two goals and three assists in the Canucks' last game, and Horvat leads the team in both goals (10) and assists (15). The affordably-priced line should produce once again versus Colorado, which allows the most goals per game and ranks as the third-worst possession team in terms of Corsi For percentage.

C Ryan Spooner (42K), RW David Pastrnak (61K) and D Torey Krug (42K), Bruins (at Devils) : Spooner is on a five-game point streak, but both his linemates, David Krejci and Frank Vatrano, are also classified as centers in Squad Up. He's joined here instead by fellow first-unit power play members Pastrnak and Krug. New Jersey has allowed the sixth-most man advantage opportunities, and slumping goaltender Cory Schneider holds a 2.90 GAA and a .904 save percentage on the season.

Goalie Breakdown

TARGET: Corey Crawford (82K), Blackhawks (at Blues): Should the Winter Classic ultimately proceed as scheduled (rain is a concern), Crawford's fine form and friendly price tag makes him an ideal selection. Since returning from a three-week injury layoff on Dec. 23, Crawford has stopped 99 of 106 shots, and his 5-on-5 save percentage of 95.23 leads all goaltenders with at least 500 minutes played.

BARGAIN: Tuukka Rask (75K), Bruins (at Devils): Coming in at the minimum price, Rask has won three of his last four starts. His season numbers are strong (1.92 GAA, .929 save percentage), though with the Bruins allowing the third-fewest shots against per 60 minutes, opportunities to rack up save points are rarely there. Facing the low-scoring Devils presents a solid opportunity for a win, however.

FADE: Calvin Pickard (82K), Avalanche (at Canucks): Pickard has been shelled in each of his last three starts, allowing a total of 15 goals. He's won just six of 16 starts, and has a sub-.900 save percentage on the season. Even if he were to play well, suiting up for the league's lowest-scoring team doesn't help Pickard's chances of gabbing a win.

Bargain Plays

C Frank Vatrano (28K), Bruins (at Devils): The aforementioned Vatrano has impressed since a late December promotion from the AHL, contributing two goals, two assists and 12 shots in five games. He's currently skating on the second line alongside Spooner and Krejci, and has seen some power play time as well. The opportunity for a substantial role is there with David Backes (concussion) sidelined.

D Alex Pietrangelo (32K), Blues (vs. Blackhawks): Playing a team-leading 25:04 per game, Pietrangelo has just one fewer goal (seven) and five fewer assists (11) than pricier teammate Kevin Shattenkirk (42K). Averaging 4.33 combined shots and blocks per game helps his Squad Up appeal even when he can't get his name on the score sheet.

Top Fades

RW Vladimir Tarasenko (78K), Blues (vs. Blackhawks): While similarly-priced counterpart Patrick Kane (83K) has the same concerns, Tarasenko's issue is that poor ice conditions at St. Louis' Busch Stadium may leave the sniper stuck in the mud. He's been in a slight dry spell, anyway, posting only one goal and one assist over his last six games.

C Patrice Bergeron (56K), Bruins (at Devils): While still one of the game's best all-around forwards, Bergeron's offensive numbers have completely dropped off (12 points in 36 games) despite shooting over 3.5 times per contest. His fantasy points per game average can be met or exceeded by several different players, each of whom are easier on the wallet.

Contrarian Options

D Tyson Barrie (46K), Avalanche (at Canucks): In spite of his team's poor overall form, Barrie is heating up as he enters 2017. He's tallied six assists in a four-game point streak, and he's recorded at least two shots in 11 straight games. He's scored just twice from 89 shots this season, and is due for some positive regression in that department as long as he keeps firing away.

C Adam Henrique (53K), Devils (vs. Bruins): Playing on the second line at even strength may help Henrique avoid the defensive coverage of Bergeron. While the Devils struggle to score, he had a solid five goals and five assists in December, and reliably sees first-unit power play time. With three multi-point games in his last 12, Henrique offers a measure of explosiveness.

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