This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EST and features three games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite playing for the second time in as many nights, the Bruins are road favorites against a Rangers team that has been ravaged by injuries. The Avalanche are also road favorites in Arizona, while Kings-Wild features two of the league's hottest teams, with Los Angeles having won six straight and Minnesota winning each of its last four. Minnesota's also the clear favorite in that one, making Los Angeles the lone road underdog in the three games.
GOALIES
Tuukka Rask, BOS at NYR ($8,200): Rask will get the nod after Jaroslav Halak took on the Islanders on Thursday. The Finnish netminder has a 7-2-1 record, 2.56 GAA and .901 save percentage behind the stout Boston defense, and he'll take on a bottom-10 Rangers offense that has been further neutered by Artemi Panarin's absence.
Philipp Grubauer, COL at ARI ($7,700): Grubauer's coming off his worst performance of the season, but that was only the fourth time all year that he has allowed at least three goals. The German netminder still has an outstanding 9-5-0 record, 2.01 GAA and .923 save percentage overall, so he's likely to bounce back against a Coyotes team that's scoring only 2.63 goals per game.
Kaapo Kahkonen, MIN vs. LA ($7,800): Kahkonen has presided over the entirety of Minnesota's four-game winning streak, stopping 103 of 109 shots along the way for a .945 save percentage. Overall, the 24-year-old Finn has an excellent 2.37 GAA and .917 save percentage.
Jonathan Quick, LA at MIN ($7,200): On the other side of the Kings-Wild matchup, Quick has a three-game winning streak of his own working, and he has returned to vintage form with two shutouts and just two total goals allowed in that stretch. The decorated veteran netminder is the premier bargain option in net here.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. BOS ($6,000): Zibanejad seems to have finally woken up from his early-season slumber, as his 1-2-3 line in the last two games matches his scoring output from the first 15. Now that he's gotten going, Zibanejad will be tough to stop, as he scored at least 74 points in each of the previous two seasons.
Mats Zuccarello, MIN vs. LA ($4,700): Zuccarello's return has sparked Minnesota's improvement, as the diminutive winger has a remarkable 3-6-9 line during the team's four-game winning streak. He won't keep this pace going forever, but keep locking Zuccarello in as long as he's rolling.
Phil Kessel, ARI vs. COL ($4,100): Speaking of streaking wingers, Kessel has put together a four-game point streak of his own, racking up a 3-3-6 line over that stretch. Keeping it going won't be easy against the stingy Avalanche, but the six-time 30-goal scorer certainly has the skills to thrive despite the tricky matchup.
Nathan MacKinnon, COL at ARI ($9,000): Getting MacKinnon in your lineup is rarely a bad idea, and a strong night from the three-time 90-point scorer can almost single-handedly carry your lineup on less busy nights like this one. Currently stuck in his first two-game point drought of the season, MacKinnon's likely to work his way back onto the scoresheet against a Coyotes team that has allowed 10 goals in its last three games, including three apiece in two games against a Ducks offense that's averaging fewer than two goals per game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins at Rangers
Patrice Bergeron (C - $7,900), Brad Marchand (W - $8,800), David Pastrnak (W - $7,400)
The Perfection line is a handful for even the stoutest defensive teams, let alone a Rangers team that's without Jacob Trouba (hand), K'Andre Miller (COVID-19 protocols) and Anthony DeAngelo (not injury related) on the blue line. Marchand leads the Bruins with 20 points through 17 games, and he's tied with Pastrnak for the team lead with nine goals. Pastrnak's 9-5-14 line is remarkable considering it has come in just 10 games, and Bergeron's hot on Marchand's heels with a 7-12-19 line.
Kings at Wild
Anze Kopitar (C - $5,700), Dustin Brown (W - $5,000), Alex Iafallo (W - $4,800)
The Kings have borrowed a page from the Bruins' playbook for their recent success, keeping the puck out of their net while getting terrific production from the top line. Kopitar leads the team with 21 points through 18 games, while Brown's second with 17, including a team-high 11 goals. Iafallo's five goals trail only Brown among Kings, and he's third among the team's forwards (and fourth overall behind Drew Doughty) with 13 points. Brown in particular has been phenomenal lately, with a 7-2-9 line in his last seven games.
Avalanche at Coyotes
J.T. Compher (C - $2,700), Andre Burakovsky (W - $3,500), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $2,500)
Colorado's third line offers intriguing value for those looking to clear cap space. None of the three is having a particularly strong season offensively, but this could be a good time to buy low on this trio, which also shares the ice on Colorado's second power-play unit. Compher's coming off his best game of the season, scoring a goal on four shots Wednesday against Minnesota. The slumping Burakovsky has hit a seven-game point drought after opening the season with a 3-5-8 line through six games, but his 20-25-45 output in just 58 games last season suggests it's only a matter of time until the skilled winger gets going again. The big-bodied Nichushkin has a meager 2-1-3 line through 16 games, but he's another player who's capable of much more than he's shown, as evidenced by last season's 13-14-27 output over 65 contests.
DEFENSEMEN
Jakob Chychrun, ARI vs. COL ($6,300): Chychrun has been terrific all season, and the 22-year-old Boca Raton native is only getting better. His 5-9-14 line through 19 games includes two goals and an assist over the last two games, and Chychrun's 9.8 shooting percentage isn't as unsustainable as it appears at first glance, as he has already finished above eight percent twice in four previous seasons.
Devon Toews, COL at ARI ($5,600): Toews continues to stuff the stat sheet on a nightly basis, reaching double digit fantasy points in each of the past five games while averaging 13.9 over that stretch despite totaling only one goal and two assists. He's a high-floor option due to his secondary stats, but Toews is also no slouch when it comes to marking the scoresheet, with a 4-4-8 line through 13 games with Colorado.
Ryan Lindgren, BOS at NYR ($3,000): Lindgren has been a much-needed two-way contributor over the past three games for the depleted Rangers defense corps. He has two assists and a pair of four-block performances over that stretch, and all five of Lindgren's assists this season have come in the past 10 games.
Jonas Brodin, MIN vs. LA ($4,600): Brodin has played well recently, posting a 2-3-5 line over the last seven games. That strong stretch includes a two-assist, four-shot, three-block stat-stuffing performance the last time these two teams met.
