This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Even though this is a short work week coming up for a lot of people, that doesn't mean we don't want to end the weekend on a high note. There are five NHL games starting at 7 p.m. EST or later. Here are my recommendations for your DFS lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Of the 10 teams playing Sunday night, it's easier for me to tell you the teams that aren't on the second night of a back-to-back: Vancouver and Seattle. However, not all back-to-backs are the same. Take the Kings, for example. They played at home at 4 p.m. EST on Saturday and are playing at home at 10 p.m. EST on Sunday. That's almost as good as having a day off…sort of.
GOALIE
Jonathan Quick, LOS vs. ARI ($8,200): Both the Kings and Coyotes are on back-to-backs, but as I illustrated earlier the circumstances are quite different. More importantly, Arizona ranks last in goals and shots on net per game. When the league's worst offense is in town it's time to take advantage of that. Quick won't keep his .940 save percentage going all season, but he can at least handle his business against the 'Yotes.
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. CHI ($8,000): Demko had a couple brutal games recently, but they were on the road against the Avalanche and Golden Knight. At home this season he has a 2.62 GAA and .915 save percentage over seven outings. Demko will be at home Sunday, and he will be facing a Blackhawks team that is in the bottom five in goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS
J.T. Miller, VAN vs. CHI ($5,600): A few key Canucks are struggling right now, but Miller is not among them. He has 19 points in 18 games, including at least one point in nine of his last 10 contests. Even though Marc-Andre Fleury's last couple of starts have gone well, he still has a .901 save percentage and will be behind a team on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Marcus Johansson, SEA vs. WAS ($2,800): Since returning to action, Johansson has four points in five games. He's also started 64.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Kraken. Washington's defense has been strong, but since it is on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back I still like the former Capital in this matchup with his old team.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Capitals at Kraken: Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $7,500), Alex Ovechkin (W - $9,300), Conor Sheary (W - $3,500)
The Kraken may not be on a back-to-back but they still have a 3.88 GAA. The problem is that they are getting the absolutely worst goaltending in the NHL. They've allowed the fewest shots on net per game in the entire league but still are battling the Coyotes for the worst GAA. Due to injuries at center, the only Caps line worth stacking right now is the top line.
Kuznetsov and Ovechkin are easy sells. Kuznetsov has 21 points in 18 games and Ovi has 14 goals to go with 15 assists. Sheary was only recently moved up to the top line, but that should benefit him. Case in point, he had two goals Saturday. Plus, recently he's been playing on the top power-play unit as well.
Kings vs. Coyotes: Anze Kopitar (C - $7,300), Dustin Brown (W - $4,800), Viktor Arvidsson (W - $5,800)
The Coyotes are at the bottom of the league in GAA and penalty-kill percentage, and with a goaltending tandem of Scott Wedgewood and Karel Vejmelka that isn't likely to change. Wedgewood started Saturday, leaving the rookie Vejmelka to start Sunday. He has an .897 save percentage.
Last season Kopitar had 50 points in 56 games, including 23 power-play points. This year he has 17 points in 17 games, six of which have come with the extra man. Remember, the Coyotes have a bottom-five penalty kill. Brown only has seven points, but his puck luck has been horrendous. He's put 53 shots on goal in 17 games but only has lit the lamp twice. Regression is coming, as Brown's career shooting percentage is 9.8. Arvidsson just returned after a lengthy absence, but has five points in 10 games.
DEFENSE
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. CHI ($5,300): Hughes has been an elite playmaker from the blue line since he was a rookie, and that hasn't changed. He has 12 assists in 17 games to go with two goals. Hughes has also always been a power-play maven. This year he's played a whopping 4:04 per game with the extra man. When you are seeing that much time on the power play it tends to pay off, and he does have six power-play points already.
Kale Clague, LOS vs. ARI ($2,600): Clague had six assists in 18 games last season, and this year he has five helpers in 10 games. That includes three assists with the extra man. Perhaps owing to Drew Doughty's injury, Clague has been primarily used as a point man on the first power-play unit for the Kings. He's played over three minutes per night on average with the man advantage. The Coyotes have a bottom-five penalty kill, and they are also on the road for the second day of a back-to-back.
