This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's the day before Halloween, but it's all treats today. I certainly don't have any tricks within my recommendations. That would be a weird way to approach my job. We are also being treated to eight NHL games Saturday night starting at 7 p.m. EDT or later. There are two afternoon games, but they aren't included in this slate.
SLATE PREVIEW
Here's the lowdown on teams playing the second night of a back-to-back: Panthers, Red Wings, and Blackhawks. Oh, and the Blackhawks also have the highest GAA on the league and are playing the Blues, who have scored the most goals per game in the NHL. Expect me to revisit that in the Line Stacks section.
GOALIES
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. CHI ($8,300): Binnington has a 3.01 GAA, but a .916 save percentage. If the Blues stop allowing 35.3 shots on net per game – and I expect they will – his numbers will get better. Plus, thanks to the goal support he's 4-1-0 anyway. The Blackhawks have struggled offensively, and struggled with COVID-19 issues, and being on the road for the second game of a back-to-back won't help them.
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. NJD ($8,000): Jarry is off to a hot start, as he has a 1.73 GAA and .933 save percentage. He's only allowed more than two goals once this season, and that was three goals against the Lightning. The Devils have scored 2.80 goals per game this year, but last year that number was down to 2.59. With the sample size we have this year, last season's numbers still matter.
Mikko Koskinen, EDM at VAN ($7,900): Mike Smith may return from his leg injury this weekend, but right now that's up in the air so my recommendation is Koskinen. He's shouldered the load thus far to the tune of a 2.62 GAA and .926 save percentage. The Canucks have scored 2.50 goals per game through eight outings, and that comes after they averaged 2.64 goals per game last year.
VALUE PLAYS
Patrice Bergeron, BOS vs. FLA ($6,700): Bergeron is off to a slow start with only three assists to his name, but that's not going to remain the case. He had 23 goals last year and had over 30 goals in each of the previous three seasons. Also, he still centers a line with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. The Panthers have gotten excellent goaltending this season, but they are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back, and Spencer Knight is still a bit unproven, even if he has been impressive in limited action.
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at SAN ($6,200): The Jets have had some issues getting pucks on goal this year, but not Ehlers. He's registered 29 in seven games. In spite of this fact, the Dane only has two goals this season. That's likely to change, and San Jose's top goalie Adin Hill has an .893 save percentage.
Andrew Mangiapane, CGY vs. PHI ($5,800): Mangiapane has come out the gate with seven goals in seven games. Sure, his 35.0 shooting percentage will regress, but he had 18 goals last year. Additionally, he's started 59.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest on the Flames. Carter Hart's .915 save percentage may be a big improvement on last season, but this year the only game where he's allowed fewer than three goals was at home against the expansion Seattle Kraken.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Blues vs. Blackhawks
Brayden Schenn (C - $5,100), David Perron (W - $6,400), Klim Kostin (W - $3,200)
As I said earlier, the Blackhawks have the highest GAA in the NHL and are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. Stacking a line from the Blues is an obvious choice, although things are a bit jumbled right now. Ryan O'Reilly and Brandon Saad are out due to COVID-19 protocols, leaving these three at the time line for the Blues. Hey, the matchup is still great.
Schenn has five points in six games and his minutes should increase with O'Reilly out, giving him more opportunity. Perron has eight points in six contests, including six goals. He's also excellent on the power play, having had over 20 power-play points in each of the last two seasons. Kostin hasn't played much in the NHL, and could end up possibly not skating with the top line that much. Things could always get moved around. However, the 22-year-old does have three points this season in limited action.
Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings
John Tavares (C - $5,800), Mitch Marner (W - $5,900), Alex Kerfoot (W - $2,600)
The Red Wings have been more competitive to start this season, but the GAA is still over 3.00 after being exactly 3.00 last season. Additionally, like their old rivals in Chicago, Detroit is on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. Recently, Marner has been playing on the second line with William Nylander moving up to the top line. That helps for a line stack, though.
Tavares had 60 points two years ago, 50 points last year, and has four points to start this season. He's also notched 28 shots on goal in eight games this year. Marner doesn't have a goal yet, but he's tallied 24 shots on net. He's more of a playmaker than a goal scorer, but either way the points will come. Kerfoot is more of a veteran depth forward, but he's on Toronto's second line right now, and that's a good place to be in this matchup.
DEFENSE
Neal Pionk, WPG at SAN ($5,200): Pionk can almost be taken for granted at this point, but he has eight points in seven games and has put 18 shots on goal. He's also averaged a career-high 3:00 on the power play, which is notable because he already has a season with 25 power-play points to his name. The Sharks don't have a bad team GAA, but that's only because they've only allowed 28.6 shots on net per game, which I do not expect to continue.
Torey Krug, STL vs. CHI ($4,900): Krug's first year in St. Louis was maybe a little disappointing, as he only had 32 points on the year. However, he already has five assists to start this season. Perhaps he's getting more comfortable with his new team. And, of course, there's the matchup against a porous defense on the second leg of a back-to-back.
John Marino, PIT vs. NJD ($3,900): Marino started the season with a four-game point streak, and while he doesn't have a point since he's in a better situation now. Kris Letang is out, and Marino is taking many of his minutes. Over the last three games he's averaged 25:38 in ice time and a whopping 4:15 on the power play. That's notable, because last year the Devils had the league's worst penalty kill.
