This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EST and includes six games. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The two heavy favorites to build around are the Penguins and Ducks, who are set to host the lowly Sabres and Coyotes, respectively. As far as games projected to feature the most offensive fireworks, those are the Golden Knights-Rangers and Capitals-Jets matchups, each of which have over/unders of 6.0 goals. Stars-Blues and Predators-Blackhawks games round out this slate.
GOALIES
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. BUF ($8,400): The Sabres have been much better at goal prevention over the last handful of games, but they've struggled to score throughout the season, with a bottom-10 offense that averages 2.69 goals per game. With Buffalo playing its second game in as many nights, the red-hot Jarry is the chalk goalie play on home ice. Jarry's 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts and has allowed just 12 goals in that strong stretch.
Anthony Stolarz, ANH vs. ARI ($8,200): Stolarz is a close second to Jarry when it comes to appealing options in net. He has outplayed injured starter John Gibson (lower body), with a 6-2-1 record, 2.13 GAA and .932 save percentage. Stolarz's recent play has been even more impressive, as he got off to a 0-2-1 start. A Coyotes team that's averaging a league-low 1.79 goals per game is unlikely to end Stolarz's winning streak.
Jake Oettinger, DAL at STL ($7,300): Oettinger has appeal as a value play if he gets the nod in Dallas' net, even against a tough Blues offense. The 22-year-old netminder has quickly gone from goalie of the future to goalie of the present, judging by his 5-2-0 record, 1.88 GAA and .938 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at WPG ($9,600): Ovechkin's incredible 21-25-46 line through 29 games speaks for itself, and the league leader in shots on goal (131) has put 27 pucks on net in his last four games alone. If you need another reason to pay up for Ovechkin, consider that the noted power-play producer leads the Capitals in both goals (five) and points (10) with the extra man, while Winnipeg's 68.8 percent penalty kill is the second-worst in the league.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, WPG vs. WAS ($5,900): Dubois is enjoying a career season, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. His 14-11-25 line through 28 games includes a 3-3-6 line over the past six. Washington has been a tough matchup throughout the season, but the Capitals have slipped defensively of late, allowing 23 goals en route to a pedestrian 3-2-2 record in their last seven games.
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at NYR ($4,000): The most affordable member of Vegas' top line is a terrific bargain at $4,000. Stephenson has a 9-20-29 line in 28 games, including seven assists in the past three, as he held down the fort while Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone battled lower-body injuries and has been even more productive since the Golden Knights' top line became whole again. Meanwhile, the Rangers remain without top goalie Igor Shesterkin (lower body).
Ivan Barbashev, STL vs. DAL ($3,600): Despite his extended hot streak, Barbashev can still be had for just $3,600. The top-six winger has a 6-5-11 line in his last 10 games, including a pair of assists in Tuesday's win over the Stars.
Kaapo Kakko, NYR vs. VGK ($3,100): Kakko scored two goals in Wednesday's win over the Coyotes, including the game-winner on the power play, where he capitalized on being moved up to the top unit after Artemi Panarin exited with a lower-body injury. The bump up to the top power-play unit coupled with Kakko's first-line deployment at even strength makes the 2019 second-overall pick an appealing value option at just $3,100.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Penguins vs. Sabres
Sidney Crosby (C - $8,100), Evan Rodrigues (W - $5,600), Kasperi Kapanen (W - $3,100)
Pittsburgh's top line should continue its recent success against a Sabres team that's finishing up a back-to-back set. Crosby has been held off the scoresheet only once in his last nine games, totaling a 3-12-15 line over that stretch. Rodrigues' 9-13-22 season line includes a 1-5-6 output in the last four, while Kapanen has two goals in his last three games, including a highlight-reel tally against the Canadiens last time out.
Ducks vs. Coyotes
Ryan Getzlaf (C - $6,000), Troy Terry (W - $4,800), Sam Steel (W - $2,600)
This line has been effective throughout the season but can be locked in at a reasonable valuation for this favorable matchup against a Coyotes team that's surrendering a league-high 3.64 goals per game. Terry leads the team in both goals and points with an 18-11-29 line through 30 games, and three of those goals have come in the past two games. Getzlaf has 20 points in 26 contests, and the affordable Steel comes in on a two-game assist streak.
Blackhawks vs. Predators
Dylan Strome (C - $3,400), Patrick Kane (W - $7,800), Alex DeBrincat (W - $6,700)
Using Chicago's top line seems counterintuitive against the surging Predators, but the leading reason for Nashville's recent success has been starting goalie Juuse Saros, who's expected to take a seat after beating the Avalanche on Thursday. Backup David Rittich had been much less impressive, with a 3.10 GAA and .880 save percentage. Kane leads the Blackhawks in points with a 7-17-24 line in just 24 games, while DeBrincat has a team-leading 16 goals to go with six assists in 28 contests. Strome is playing a much more significant role under Chicago's new coaching staff, and the affordable center has a 1-2-3 line over his last four games.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at WPG ($7,300): Carlson's three power-play goals are second-most on the Capitals after Ovechkin's five, and his eight power-play points are tied with Evgeny Kuznetsov for second on the team. He should add to that success with the extra man against the 31st-ranked Jets penalty kill, and Carlson has been hot in general of late, with 16 points in his last 15 games.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at NYR ($6,000): Pietrangelo's always an excellent source of shots and blocks, so he's an incredible fantasy play when he's also producing offensively. That's been the case of late, as he has a 1-6-7 line over his five-game point streak and is averaging 19.7 fantasy points per game during that stretch.
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at PIT ($4,300): Dahlin has imposed his presence in the offensive end significantly more of late, with two goals on 13 shots over the past three games. Perhaps the 2018 first-overall pick is finally taking his game to the next level, in which case Dahlin's $4,300 valuation should only keep climbing from here.
Mattias Ekholm, NSH at CHI ($3,600): Elholm's starting to find his offensive game after a slow start to the season. He has a 1-2-3 line in his last five games after dishing just three assists through 23. His recent production is a better indication of Ekholm's ability, as he totaled 100 points in 196 games over the previous three campaigns.
