This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate has five games scheduled after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite the limited overall selection, there are a few fantasy-friendly situations to target. The Flames at home against Arizona and Avalanche hosting Philadelphia are both massive favorites around which to build your lineup. Meanwhile, the Jets (vs. Columbus) and Capitals (in Buffalo) are also substantial favorites. Philadelphia-Colorado has the largest over/under at 6.5 goals. A likely preview of a first-round playoff matchup rounds out the action, with the Rangers hosting the Penguins.
GOALIES
Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. PHI ($8,500): Kuemper's last start was a rare loss due to a lack of goal support, but he's still in a nice groove, having allowed just five goals over his last five starts en route to a 3-1-1 record. A Flyers team that will be playing its second game in as many nights and is scoring just 2.56 goals per game – second-fewest in the league – is unlikely to throw off his rhythm.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. ARI ($8,300): Markstrom's coming off a poor performance in which he allowed four goals in a loss to the Sharks, but subpar outings have been few and far between for the standout netminder, who's 29-12-7 with a 2.11 GAA and .927 save percentage. A bounce-back effort should be forthcoming against a bottom-five Coyotes offense that's averaging only 2.59 goals per game.
Eric Comrie, WPG vs. CLS ($7,700): Comrie's likely to get the nod after Connor Hellebuyck started Thursday for the Jets. The backup has been effective when called upon, winning each of his last four starts to improve to 7-2-1 with a 2.34 GAA and .920 save percentage on the season. Columbus' offense sits just outside the top 10 at 3.23 goals per game, but Comrie's strong play this year makes him worth a look nonetheless for the favored Jets.
Craig Anderson, BUF vs. WAS ($7,300): Anderson's a high-risk, high-reward option for a Sabres team that's quietly played good hockey of late. The veteran goalie's 6-2-0 in his last eight starts, and though he allowed six goals apiece in the losses, Anderson has allowed two goals or fewer in four of the six wins. Meanwhile, Washington's coming off consecutive losses, and the Capitals mustered just two goals in each of those games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Patrik Laine, CLS at WPG ($5,600): Laine will be extra motivated against his former team, and he hasn't needed any extra motivation to light up many of his opponents of late. He has one of the best shots in the NHL and has put it to good use of late, scoring 19 goals in his last 24 games. A Jets team that's allowed three-plus goals in 18 of its last 20 games will have trouble keeping the sniper off the scoresheet.
Tage Thompson, BUF vs. WAS ($5,500): Thompson's emerging as a star for the Sabres, with four goals in his last five games and 27 in 60 this season. He's added five shots on goal in each of his last three games and at least five in seven of the last 12. Even in a tough matchup against Washington, Thompson's likely to outperform his $5,500 valuation given his recent production.
Evgeni Malkin, PIT at NYR ($5,400): Malkin has a 3-1-4 line over his three-game goal streak, and he's added 21 shots in the past four games. Countryman Igor Shesterkin has made it difficult for the Rangers' opponents to score this season, but the Vezina Trophy favorite has looked much more human of late, allowing at least four goals in three of his last five starts after a stretch of 18 starts without allowing four a single time.
Tom Wilson, WAS at BUF ($4,600): Wilson has quietly compiled a 4-6-10 line over his past 11 appearances, drawing within one goal of reaching the 20-goal mark for the third time in four years. The physical winger is a nice value option at $4,600 for the favored Capitals given his deployment in the top six at even strength and on the top power-play unit.
Kevin Hayes, PHI at COL ($3,800): Hayes has three consecutive multi-point games and a 4-5-9 line over the past six. He's been productive in a featured role since the Flyers traded Claude Giroux, and Hayes is worth taking a flier on at just $3,800 despite this difficult matchup.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Flyers
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,200), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,200), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $5,300)
Building around Colorado's top line will sap most of your cap space, but it could well prove to be worth it against a tired Flyers team that's giving up 3.41 goals per game. Only Connor McDavid (1.48) averages more points per game than MacKinnon, who sits at 1.41 with a 22-47-69 line in 49 games. Rantanen's in the top 20 in that category, too, as his 31-44-75 line through 61 games averages out to 1.23 points per appearance. Nichushkin's far from their level, but he's making the most of his top-line deployment with a 3-3-6 line in the past four games and 17-20-37 output in 46 games overall.
Flames vs. Coyotes
Mikael Backlund (C - $3,600), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $6,500), Dillon Dube (W - $2,500)
This trio has been effective since being put together, and bringing these guys in won't cost nearly as much as some of the other notable scoring lines in action Thursday. Tkachuk's 29-47-76 line in 63 games has him two goals back of Elias Lindholm's team lead and six points behind Flames leader Johnny Gaudreau. The power forward's production includes a 2-6-8 line over the past three games. Backlund has a goal, an assist and seven shots in his last two games, while Dube has added a 2-2-4 line in the last four games. An Arizona team that's allowing 3.56 goals per game will have trouble keeping this trio from wreaking further havoc.
Rangers vs. Penguins
Mika Zibanejad (C - $6,200), Chris Kreider (W - $6,600), Frank Vatrano (W - $2,800)
Coach Gerard Gallant was disappointed with Alexis Lafreniere's effort in the Rangers' last game and seems to have moved him off this line, but Zibanejad and Kreider should continue to produce both at even strength and on the power play regardless of who skates alongside them. Zibanejad's a streaky scorer who's locked in at the moment, with a 6-5-11 line in his last 10 games to push his season output to 26-39-65 in 64 games. Kreider has four goals in his last five games and eight in the past 11, though that's more par for the course rather than a hot streak for a player who ranks third league-wide with 42 goals. Vatrano has one goal in four games since joining the Rangers via trade, while the visiting Penguins are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to Buffalo.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. PHI ($7,200): Makar is one of two defensemen over the 70-point mark and the only one to reach 20 goals, as he's firmly in the Norris Trophy conversation with a 22-49-71 line through 60 games. Whether you're stacking Avs against Philly or just have money to spend on the blue line, Makar's a strong choice in this favorable matchup.
John Carlson, WAS at BUF ($6,800): Carlson has a four-game point streak going and a 1-7-8 line in his last seven games. His 53 points in 61 games are tied for sixth among defensemen, and Carlson will have a nice chance to add to that total against a Sabres team that's surrendering 3.47 goals per game.
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. CLS ($4,900): Morrissey's been rolling of late, scoring three times on 17 shots over his last five games while adding an assist and seven blocked shots. A home date with a Columbus team that's allowing 3.70 goals per game should offer a nice opportunity for Morrissey to build on his recent success.
Noah Hanifin, CGY vs. ARI ($4,500): Hanifin has put at least five pucks on net in four of his last six games, totaling a goal and an assist over that span. He has scored double-digit fantasy points in five of those six games, and the Flames will likely control puck possession against the Coyotes, giving Hanifin plenty of opportunities to put more rubber on net.
