This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Happy Halloween! it's a day of afternoon games for the NHL. There are five contests on the slate, and only one starts after 5 p.m. EDT. That game is in Seattle. The 1 p.m. EST start between the Hurricanes and Coyotes isn't included in the primary slate for DraftKings, which is unfortunate for anybody who wants to use a Carolina goalie against the woeful Yotes. My recommendations come from the other games.
SLATE PREVIEW
Perhaps owing to the fact Sunday is full of afternoon games, it's not heavy on road back-to-backs. The Kings are playing their second game in as many days, but they are at home for both of them, and both were afternoon games. The Devils were in Pittsburgh on Saturday, but they are at home Sunday. Only the Canadiens are on the road for the second day of a back-to-back, but they are going from playing the Kings to playing the Ducks.
GOALIE
John Gibson, ANA vs. MON ($7,600): Gibson has allowed four goals in four-straight games, but I don't expect that to continue on Halloween. The Habs have had one of the worst offenses in the NHL thus far, ranking in the bottom five in goals per contest. They are also, as I noted, on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. This is a rare chance for Gibson to be a strong value.
Elvis Merzlikins, CLM at NJD ($7,500): Merzlikins has been a reliable goalie through his entire career. The worst save percentage he's had in a season is .916. This year, he has an 1.97 GAA and .939 save percentage. Though Elvis and his Blue Jackets are on the road, they are still catching a team on the second leg of a back-to-back. A team that is missing Jack Hughes as well.
VALUE PLAYS
Patrik Laine, CLM at NJD ($6,700): Laine's first year in Columbus was basically a disaster, but he started this year with a five-game point streak. He doesn't have a point in either of his last two games, but he's put seven shots on net in that time, so he's still been active. The Devils had a 3.38 GAA last year, and this season they have health issues with their goalies, namely MacKenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier.
Trevor Zegras, ANA vs. MON ($5,400): Zegras has started 62.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Ducks. That's helped him tally five points and 26 shots on net. Since Jake Allen started Saturday, Samuel Montembeault will likely start this game. His career save percentage is .890.
LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Rangers at Kraken
Ryan Strome (C - $5,600), Artemi Panarin (W - $7,200), Kaapo Kakko (W - $2,700)
We've seen the Kraken play eight games in their existence, and thus far they have a 3.13 GAA. That's while only allowing 28.3 shots on net per contest. I don't know if the Kraken will remain that stingy, given the level of talent on their blue line. I'm going with the Rangers' second line, because that's where Panarin is right now. He's the focal point of my target here.
Strome has only played in four games this year, so his numbers aren't remarkable. However, he had 49 points in 56 games last season. That includes 18 points with the extra man. He's averaged 4:05 per game on the power play this year. Panarin only has one goal this year, but his 7.1 shooting percentage will regress toward the mean. Plus, he has six assists anyway. Kaapo just returned from an upper-body injury, and he hasn't quite lived up to his status as a second-overall pick. However, he's only 20 and has a lot more time for improvement.
DEFENSE
Adam Fox, NYR at SEA ($7,000): Fox surprisingly won the Norris last season, but this year there is no surprise about his performance. He's tallied eight points in eight games. Last year he notched a whopping 23 power-play points in 55 games, and this year he's averaged 4:24 per contest in power-play ice time.
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at LA ($5,300): Things seem to be going a bit better this year for Dahlin, if only because he has a minus-1 rating after having a minus-36 rating last season. Also, he has four points in seven games, including two on the power play. The Kings are on the second day of a back-to-back, and Jonathan Quick will likely be in net. He has a .907 save percentage after he had an .898 save percentage last year.
Jamie Drysdale, ANA vs. MON ($3,900): Drysdale was the sixth-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and last year he tallied eight points in a 24-game cup of coffee as an 18-year-old. This year he's got a larger role, as he's averaged 22:02 in ice time, including 2:26 on the power play. It's helped him to three points and 18 shots on net in nine games, and he's started a higher percentage of his shifts in the offensive zone than any other Ducks defenseman. Now he gets to face the Habs when they are on the second day of a back-to-back.
