This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
One week from Christmas, we have five NHL games on the slate. Some DFS success would be a nice gift to give yourself here in the holiday season. For Monday, here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Only one team is on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Ducks are in Detroit after being in New Jersey on Saturday. One team is on the first leg of a back-to-back, and that's worth noting, because it's Minnesota. If the Wild start Marc-Andre Fleury against his old team, the Penguins, that is a very different circumstance than Filip Gustavsson getting the start. While I don't have that information, the Wild play the Bruins on Tuesday, so if they want to save their better goalie for that matchup, Fleury will indeed face the Penguins.
GOALIES
Ville Husso, DET vs. ANA ($8,500): Husso's time with the Red Wings has not been ideal, but he has looked good the last couple times he's taken the ice, and Alex Lyon is banged up. At least this matchup should benefit the Finn. Anaheim is 29th in goals per game, and also on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. MON ($8,400): Hellebuyck has spent the last month gunning for the Vezina, and if he keeps this up he will add one to his trophy case. Over his last 10 starts he has an 1.70 GAA and .943 save percentage. This is not a matchup to fear, as the Canadiens have averaged 2.55 goals and 29.6 shots on net per contest.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Evgeni Malkin, PIT vs. MIN ($6,300): Malkin has put at least two shots on net in each of his last 14 games. However, he only has two goals in that time, the product of a 5.9 shooting percentage. Obviously, Geno's puck luck will improve, and he has five assists over those games as well. This is a bet on Fleury starting Monday. If that is the case, the Penguins icon has a .906 save percentage over the last three seasons.
Joe Veleno, DET vs. ANA ($3,500): Currently, Veleno is getting to center Detroit's second line, but with Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond on his Wings. Additionally, with Dylan Larkin out, he's averaged 4:21 per contest with the extra man over his last five outings. The Ducks, the one team on the second leg of a back-to-back Monday, are in the bottom eight in GAA and below average on the penalty kill as well.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Jets vs. Canadiens
Mark Scheifele (C - $6,900), Nikolaj Ehlers (W - $5,800), Gabriel Vilardi (W - $4,600)
It's a shame Kyle Connor is out right now, because this matchup is right up his alley. The Canadiens have allowed 34.4 shots on net per game, and while Sam Montembeault has managed a 2.80 GAA, that isn't imposing, and it's no guarantee he starts. In fact, given that he has yet to start three games in a row, I doubt he will be in net. Connor may be missing from Winnipeg's first line, but I'm still happy to stack these three who have shown strong chemistry since coming together.
Remember when there were questions about if the Jets would trade Hellebuyck and Scheifele this offseason? Wisely, the franchise decided to keep the two. Hellebuyck has been stellar in goal, and Scheifele has 33 points in 29 games with a 15.3 shooting percentage that would be his lowest in nine seasons. He also has five points over his last two games. Ehlers shoots quite a bit, if not as much as Connor, as he has 33 shots on net over his last 12 outings. He also has a whopping six points over his last two games. Vilardi's first season with the Jets has been hampered by injury, but he has seven points and 17 shots on net over his last six games after getting healthy. That does include six points over his last two games because, as I noted, these three have been working well together.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. SEA ($5,300): Getting back in the groove of things on the power play has helped Heiskanen pick up his production. He has at least one point in five of his last six games, with three of those points coming with the extra man. The Kraken are just outside the bottom 10 on the penalty kill, but recently they have been benefiting from Joey Daccord playing the best hockey of his NHL career. He has a career .895 save percentage, so I don't expect that to continue.
Shayne Gostisbehere, DET vs. ANA ($4,600): Gostisbehere's production has run hot and cold, but what has been there through it all is a hefty role on the power play. The defenseman has averaged 3:56 per game with the extra man and has 11 power-play points. While Anaheim is only just below average in terms of penalty-kill percentage, it benefited from a hot start for John Gibson that has fallen away, and it is also on the second leg of a back-to-back.
