This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
A busy evening of hockey begins at 7 p.m. EST, with some interesting matchups on the docket. More importantly, some matchups that feel quite conducive to the DFS hockey player.
SLATE PREVIEW
It was not exactly a light slate Friday, so we've got a handful of teams on a back-to-back. However, four of the five teams in that situation are facing one another. Washington is in Buffalo, so the Sabres are getting two home games in a row. Meanwhile, the Flyers are visiting the Coyotes but, you know, they're the Coyotes. The one team facing a back-to-back situation against a rested team is the Penguins, but they are at home against the Ducks.
GOALIES
Jack Campbell, TOR vs. CHI ($8,500): On the one hand, Campbell has allowed at least three goals in his last four starts. On the other hand, he still has a 1.99 GAA and .935 save percentage this season. I don't think the wheels are coming off. Plus, now he's at home facing a Blackhawks team that has averaged a mere 2.12 goals and 27.7 shots on net per contest.
Martin Jones, PHI at ARI ($8,100): This is entirely about the opponent. The Coyotes are last in goals and shots on net per game. They may be at home, but they are on the second leg of a back-to-back like the Flyers are. With these two offenses, I would be surprised if more than four total goals were scored, but the edge goes to the Flyers' netminder for me.
Mackenzie Blackwood, NJD at NYI ($7,400): Blackwood's 2.81 GAA is not remarkable, but his .913 save percentage is solid. This is more about the matchup, though. The Islanders can't get anything going offensively, as they've managed only 2.09 goals per game. Their new home arena hasn't exactly proven an imposing fortress either.
VALUE PLAYS
Trevor Zegras, ANA at PIT ($6,700): Zegras saw his profile get raised recently with maybe the most highlight-reel assist any of us have ever seen. However, he's more than one flashy play. That lacrosse assist was one of eight helpers he's racked up in his last five games. Since the Penguins are on a back-to-back, we will likely see a rare Casey DeSmith appearance. In his limited ice time he has an 885 save percentage.
Boone Jenner, CLM at SEA ($5,200): Jenner's minutes have upticked significantly this year. He's averaged 20:12 in ice time, including 2:56 on the power play. The center has potted 11 goals in 25 games, including five with the extra man. While the Kraken have been surprisingly good at suppressing shots, they also have a 3.54 GAA. Twenty-six games into the season, that feels less fluky.
Claude Giroux, PHI at ARI ($4,800): Well, the Coyotes are in the bottom five in GAA, shots on net allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage, so let's start there. They are also, of course, on a back-to-back, and backup Karel Vejmelka (3.13 GAA, .906 save percentage) is in line to start. Giroux has done his part for the Flyers, as he has 22 points in 25 games, including seven on the power play.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Capitals at Sabres: Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $7,300), Alex Ovechkin (W - $9,600), Tom Wilson (W - $5,700)
Yes, the Capitals are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Sure, this is not a line that screams "bargain." I still feel like it's worth stacking the Capitals' top line and working the margins around it. The Sabres have strikingly similar numbers to the Coyotes defensively, and they too are in the bottom five in GAA. They also don't have Craig Anderson, whose 2.49 GAA is still impacting Buffalo's season numbers. The Sabres were so desperate they traded for Malcolm Subban, who has a career .898 save percentage, and then saw him get banged up immediately. It's bleak times in Buffalo.
Kuznetsov is getting the most minutes of his career and has tallied 29 points in 27 games. He has 20 assists, seven of which have come on the power play. It's nice to play alongside Ovechkin. Speaking of Ovi, he has 20 goals on 115 shots on net. Need I say more? Wilson only seems to get talked about when he does something sketchy, but he has nine goals and 15 assists, including 10 points in his last eight games. However, Wilson also had to leave Friday's game. If he can't go, Conor Sheary ($3,100) or T.J. Oshie ($4,100) will move up to the top line.
Blues vs. Canadiens: Ryan O'Reilly (C - $5,400), Jordan Kyrou (W - $5,000), Brandon Saad (W - $4,200)
The Blues are missing a lot of players right now. However, getting to face the Habs should help. Montreal has a 3.50 GAA and have given up 33.1 shots on net per contest. O'Reilly had 54 points in 56 games last season, and he has 14 in 22 this year. That's a step down, but he does have five points in his last six outings. Plus, his 8.0 shooting percentage is bound to improve. Kyrou had something of a breakout campaign last season with 14 goals and 21 assists, but he's going to beat that this year. He already has 25 points in 26 games. Unsurprisingly, he's averaged more than two minutes more per game in ice time compared to last year as well. Saad doesn't pick up many assists, but he can score goals and sustain a higher shooting percentage than most. He has 11 goals this year, four of them coming on the power play.
DEFENSE
Zach Werenski, CLM at SEA ($7,000): Werenski is putting a ton of shots on net, with 77 in 25 games. That's helped him tally five goals, and he has 12 assists as well. Sure, the Kraken don't allow many shots on net, but I think Werenski's output can overcome that. He leads the Blue Jackets in shots on goal, so he's almost like their offensive focal point. On top of that, when you do get shot on net against Seattle there's a good chance it goes in. Let's not forget it has a 3.54 GAA.
Jakob Chychrun, ARI vs. PHI ($6,900): The Flyers have allowed the most shots on net per game. They are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, a situation that doesn't tend to lend itself to a defense being at the top of its game. Chychrun, meanwhile, has tallied 84 shots on net in 26 games. Sure, he only has two goals, but he has a career 6.8 shooting percentage, so that should improve.
Niko Mikkola, STL vs. MON ($2,500): If you want a player on a low salary with some upside so you can splash your cash elsewhere (like, say, on Washington's top line), Mikkola intrigues me. With Justin Faulk out he's seen an uptick in minutes. Over the last two games he's averaged 18:12 in ice time. He also just picked up two assists against the Red Wings. Now he's facing the Canadiens, which is an even better matchup.
