This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's a quiet night around the NHL, with only two games on the slate. That being said, you can still head into your weekend on a high note with some DFS success. Time to get into the recommendations to help you set your lineup!
SLATE PREVIEW
The top-two teams in GAA, the Flames and the Hurricanes, are facing each other. However, the Flames are on the second leg of a back-to-back. That being said, Calgary's backup goalie Dan Vladar has a 2.10 GAA and .928 save percentage, so he's no slouch. This might be a tough game for DFS purposes, though with only two matchups on the slate you might not be able to avoid it entirely.
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. CGY ($8,300): Andersen has been putting together a stellar season, posting a 1.91 GAA and .929 save percentage. Out of the four teams playing Friday – the Capitals and Blues are in the other game – the Flames average the fewest goals per game. Throw in the fact Calgary is on the second leg of a back-to-back and things are boding well for Andersen.
VALUE PLAYS
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR vs. CGY ($5,800): Svechnikov has notched 24 points in 28 games. That includes eight points with the extra man. This isn't surprising, given that the Russian had 17 power-play points last season and 20 the season before that. While both of Calgary's goalies have played well, the team is still on the road on the second game of a back-to-back.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL vs. WAS ($4,900): The Capitals have only allowed 28.4 shots on net per contest. As such, I wanted to get a Blues player who may be able to overcome that. Buchnevich has tallied 96 shots on goal in 31 games. The Russian has also been on a tear, as he has 20 points in his last 15 outings.
LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Capitals at Blues: Nicklas Backstrom (C - $5,400), T.J. Oshie (W - $4,200), Conor Sheary (W - $3,800)
The Blues have a 2.76 GAA and have allowed 32.1 shots on net per contest. Both of those are the highest of these four teams. Jordan Binnington has also been on a rough run. He has a 3.81 GAA and .890 save percentage in four starts since returning to action. This is definitely the matchup to target, and I am going with Washington's second line to save a little salary. Not that I would mind having Alex Ovechkin in my lineup.
Backstrom has played in three games this season and has an assist in each of them. He's also put 11 shots on goal. Oshie has five points in his last eight games, and he's been playing a ton on the power play. Over that time he's averaged 3:28 with the extra man. Sheary has seven points in his last eight games, and this season he's tallied eight goals and eight assists in 28 contests.
DEFENSE
Jaccob Slavin, CAR vs. CGY ($4,900): Slavin has been pretty consistently a 30-point defenseman, but this year he already has 18 points in 31 games. That's even with the fact he has only one goal on 66 shots on net. His 1.5 shooting percentage is considerably below his career average. Maybe a little bit of puck luck will combine with the fact the Flames are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS at STL ($4,100): After a bit of a dry spell, Orlov has three points in his last three games. That gives him 17 points in 34 contests. As I mentioned earlier, Binnington has a 3.81 GAA over his last four starts. Are you thinking, "But what if they start Ville Husso?" He hasn't played since December 7 and has a 3.26 GAA and .906 save percentage over his last five games.
