This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The holiday weekend is over, but that doesn't mean you have to dread Monday. After all, there are six NHL games to be played, which means a chance to make some money on the DFS front. Here are my recommendations as people all over the United States rev things back up into gear. Can't sit around eating sweet potato casserole forever.
SLATE PREVIEW
Fresh legs Monday! There are no teams on a back-to-back. However, there are a couple bad defenses and some iffy goalies taking the ice, so there are still matchups to take advantage of.
GOALIES
Logan Thompson, VGK at CLM ($8,500): One, I like the chances of Thompson picking up a win, as the Blue Jackets are one of the worst teams in the league defensively so goal support should be there. Two, Thompson has been no slouch, as he has a 2.48 GAA and .920 save percentage. When a goalie plays well and his team scores goals, it tends to pay off.
Jake Oettinger, DAL at STL ($8,000): The Blues have climbed out of the bottom of the league in goals scored, which isn't surprising, but they have still averaged 2.90 goals per contest. Oettinger's last couple starts have been rough, for he still has a 2.52 GAA and .917 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Sam Bennett, FLA at EDM ($5,100): With Aleksander Barkov out, Bennett's steps into a bigger role. He played 19:13 in the first game sans Barkov. Bennett has 15 points even though he has a 7.5 shooting percentage speaking to bad puck luck, and the Oilers have a 3.57 GAA and have allowed 33.7 shots on net per contest.
Ty Dellandrea, DAL at STL ($2,500): Dellandrea plays on Dallas' second line, and he has a point in three of his last four games. In fact, he has at least one point in eight of his last 12 outings. Jordan Binnington has been inconsistent, to say the least, in net, leaving him with a 3.05 GAA and .901 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights at Blue Jackets
William Karlsson (C - $3,900), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $6,300), Reilly Smith (W - $4,400)
That Blue Jackets defense I mentioned? It has a 4.20 GAA and has allowed 36.3 shots on net per contest. Joonas Korpisalo has a career .901 save percentage, so he's not likely to be the one to turn things around for Columbus either. Vegas has a golden opportunity in this one.
After a few games where he went cold, Karlsson has two points in his last three games. He has 15 points in 23 contests all in all. Marchessault is the one guy on this line that is on the top power-play unit. He's notched six of his 17 points with the extra man. Additionally, the 31-year-old winger has already put 78 shots on net. Smith has 10 goals on 60 shots on net. Sure, he has a 16.7 shooting percentage, but the last time Smith played over 70 games in a season he had 27 goals with a 16.0 shooting percentage.
Lightning at Sabres
Nick Paul (C - $3,800), Steven Stamkos (W - $7,100), Alex Killorn (W - $3,700)
Craig Anderson is doing his best, but even with a .917 save percentage he has a 2.76 GAA, and the Sabres have a bottom-five penalty kill. At 41, Anderson can't necessarily be asked to shoulder the load at this point in his career. For now, though, he is, and that's to the advantage of the Lightning.
Paul has two points in each of his last two games. While his 23.1 shooting percentage should regress, as long as he's playing alongside Stamkos. Speaking of Stamkos, he has a six-game point streak. He has 23 points in 20 games, including 11 with the extra man. Killorn started the season a little slow, but Tampa's lineup machinations got him into the right spot for him. Over his last six games he has nine points.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK at CLM ($4,900): Even with less of a power-play role, Theodore is still producing. He has 17 points and 55 shots on net in 23 games. Of course, time with the extra man is not necessarily a requirement to succeed against the Jackets. They have a 4.20 GAA and have given up 36.3 shots on net per game, after all.
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. FLA ($3,600): Barrie's game has been the usual this season. He's averaged 3:22 per game with the extra man and notched seven power-play points in 21 games. The Panthers have the 22nd-ranked penalty kill, which isn't terrible, but certainly won't scare Barrie. Plus, if Sergei Bobrovsky is in net, he has a 3.62 GAA and .888 save percentage.
