Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Defense is the best offense vs. Coyotes, Avs

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, March 31 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

LW Marcus Johansson (45K) and D Kevin Shattenkirk (46K), Capitals (at Coyotes): Washington's big guns are all on the pricey side, but in a plum matchup against Arizona, which allows the second-most goals and shots per game, its secondary stars should thrive. Johansson is on a four-game point streak (one goal, seven assists), while power-play specialist Shattenkirk has seven assists and 16 shots over his last five games.

C Patrik Berglund (42K) and D Alex Pietrangelo (46K), Blues (at Avalanche): There's no better matchup than one against Colorado, which has allowed at least four goals in seven straight games. Vladimir Tarasenko and co. are extravagantly-priced, but the affordable Berglund has been in fine form, with three goals and two assists in his last five games. Pietrangelo has four points and 16 shots in that span.

C John Tavares (97K) and LW Josh Bailey (50K), Islanders (vs. Devils): Tavares is almost prohibitively expensive, but is hard to look past considering the success he's had with Bailey and Anders Lee (56K), both of whom are left wingers in Squad Up. The trio has managed a 55.74 Corsi For percentage in over 550 minutes together, and Devils netminder Keith Kinkaid allowed six goals in his lone start against the Islanders this season.

Goalie Breakdown

TARGET - Sergei Bobrovsky (86K), Blue Jackets (at Blackhawks): A road matchup in Chicago is tough, but Bobrovsky has been playing too well to ignore, especially at such a friendly price. He's won nine of 10 starts in March, with a 0.99 GAA and a .971 save percentage. His teammates will be playing on back-to-back nights, but Bobrovsky was rested Thursday in Carolina.

BARGAIN - Aaron Dell (75K), Sharks (at Flames): Dell has lost his last three starts during the Sharks' ongoing swoon, but he still boasts a 10-6-1 record with a 2.09 GAA and a .928 save percentage through 18 appearances. He looks to be the safest selection from the assortment of minimum-priced netminders.

FADE - Henrik Lundqvist (112K), Rangers (vs. Penguins): Since returning from injury, Lundqvist has allowed five goals in each of his first two games back, on the road against Anaheim and San Jose. He'll have the comforts of playing at home against the scuffling Penguins, but his salary makes him difficult to back.

CONTRARIAN- Jaroslav Halak (113K), Islanders (vs. Devils): In his first start since being recalled from the AHL, Halak made 37 saves in a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh last Friday. Another win looks like a solid bet, given that the Devils have lost six of their last seven games and score the second-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes.

Bargain Plays

RW Brock Boeser (25K), Canucks (vs. Kings): Joining the Canucks following the conclusion of his college career at the University of North Dakota, Boeser has two goals and nine shots over his first three professional games. He's seeing time on Vancouver's top power play unit, helping his appeal against a stingy Kings team that allows the fourth-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes.

C Tanner Kero (25K), Blackhawks (vs. Blue Jackets): Chicago's lines seem to constantly change, but Kero is currently centering a high-powered line with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin. He recorded a goal, an assist, and five shots in Chicago's most recent game. The matchup with the aforementioned Bobrovsky looks difficult, but Kero's salary lessens the risk involved.

LW Conor Sheary (32K), Penguins (at Rangers): Pittsburgh's in a bit of a skid, having lost four straight games (two via shootout), scoring a total of seven goals in that span. Sheary had an assist and nine shots in that stretch, but he remains nearly a point-per-game player who skates alongside Sidney Crosby at even strength. It's easy to envision a breakout, given the aforementioned Lundqvist's shaky form.

Top Fades

LW Tanner Pearson (54K), Kings (at Canucks): Pearson has the second-most goals (23) and the third-most points (42) on the Kings, but he's in a run of bad shooting luck, having found the net twice on 38 shots in March. Considering how often Los Angeles struggles to score, it's hard to reconcile Pearson's price tag.

RW Patrick Kane (85K), Blackhawks (vs. Blue Jackets): Only a multi-point effort will justify Kane's salary, something that doesn't seem likely given Bobrovsky's recent play. Columbus isn't airtight defensively; the team allows the fifth-most scoring chances and the sixth-most expected goals per 60 minutes, but it's hard to imagine Chicago running wild.

D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (45K), Coyotes (vs. Capitals): Arizona has played a whopping 15 games in March, with Ekman-Larsson getting on the score sheet in just three of them. He's still a threat on the power play, but considering the Coyotes have scored exactly one goal in each of their last four games and will face the league's stingiest defensive team, Ekman-Larsson is best avoided.

Contrarian Options

RW Sven Andrighetto (25K), Avalanche (vs. Blues): Not much has gone right for the Avalanche this season, but a bright spot has been trade deadline acquisition Andrighetto. The former Canadien has recorded a point in nine of 13 games with his new club, and enters Friday on a two game multi-point streak. Colorado may not score more than a goal or two, but Andrighetto should find a way to get involved.

C Mika Zibanejad (54K), Rangers (vs. Penguins): Center is a position that never lacks marquee names, so someone like Zibanejad may fly under the radar. The former Senator has tallied nine points in March and is currently enjoying top power play unit duties on top of his second line role. Pittsburgh allows the fourth-most expected goals per 60 minutes, and has coughed up 15 regulation goals in their four-game losing streak.

LW Brandon Saad (50K), Blue Jackets (at Blackhawks): Saad fired seven shots on goal but failed to score in his only other meeting with Chicago this season. Though his shots are down this season, his assists are up, and he ranks as Columbus' third-best forward in terms of Corsi For percentage. The revenge game narrative is in play as Saad faces his former club.

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