This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Sunday is, as you likely know, the day of the Super Bowl. That means the other sports leagues are steering clear. The four NHL games Sunday are all in the afternoon. You have to have your DFS lineups in by 12:30 p.m. EST. Before you settle in for the Super Bowl, here are some recommendations based on this afternoon slate.
SLATE PREVIEW
You might think the NHL would be Canada-heavy on Super Bowl Sunday, but there are only two teams from the Great White North in action. The Canadian teams are the two on the second leg of a back-to-back, though. Montreal is at home, while Ottawa is on the road. Both played in the afternoon Saturday as well, so it's not some super-fast turnaround for either team.
GOALIES
Tristan Jarry, PIT at NJD ($8,200): Jarry was a deserving All-Star, as he has a 2.21 GAA and .925 save percentage. He's actually been even better on the road, with a 2.02 GAA and .929 save percentage in away games. The Devils are smack dab in the middle of the league in goals per game at 2.92. That doesn't daunt me when it comes to Jarry.
Craig Anderson, BUF at MON ($7,800): Anderson has made two starts since returning from a long injury. He made 27 saves on 28 shots in his first start…but that was against Arizona. Then, he allowed five goals to Vegas. However, the Canadiens are down at the bottom of the league fighting the Coyotes for last in goals per contest. Plus, they are on the second day of a back-to-back.
VALUE PLAYS
Tom Wilson, WAS vs. OTT ($4,600): Wilson may have been booed at All-Star Weekend, but he was still a worthy All-star. He's notched nine points in his last 12 games, giving him 33 points in 45 contests. The Senators have seen their team GAA drop considerably recently, but a lot of that has been Matt Murray. Murray started Saturday, so Anton Forsberg (3.02 GAA, .911 save percentage) will likely be in net.
Jeff Carter, PIT at NJD ($4,200): Carter just ended a five-game pointless streak in his last outing, but all in all he has 13 goals and 14 assists in 42 games. He's also put 129 shots on net. The Devils have been watching their GAA rise as quickly as the Senators' has fallen, as they now have a 3.50 GAA, bottom five in the NHL.
LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Sabres at Canadiens: Tage Thompson (C - $5,500), Jeff Skinner (W - $5,000), Alex Tuch (W - $5,600)
The Canadiens have the league's highest GAA and recently fired their head coach. They are also on the second leg of a back-to-back. Cayden Primeau will likely be in net, and he has a 4.88 GAA and .866 save percentage. Or maybe the Habs will rely on Andrew Hammond, who they just traded for Saturday. He has not played in the NHL since the 2017-18 season. Regardless, I'm happy to have the Sabres' top line as my stack.
Thompson has been in and out of the lineup, but when he's played he's excelled. Over his last 12 games he's tallied 14 points and 39 shots on net. Skinner has tallied 16 goals on 137 shots on net in 44 contests, and he's also averaged 2:49 with the extra man. It's probably not surprising to hear the Canadiens also have a bottom-five penalty kill. Tuch missed the beginning of the season, but he's hit the ground running since getting healthy. In only 14 games he's notched 14 points, and that's with a 13.6 shooting percentage that's totally sustainable.
DEFENSE
Dmitry Orlov, WAS vs. OTT ($3,800): Orlov has tallied seven goals and 15 assists in 45 games. He has one 10-goal season to his name, so he has shown a little acumen for scoring before. The Senators are in the bottom eight in shots on net allowed per game, and their defense likely won't be at peak performance on the road for the second day of a back-to-back.
Henri Jokiharju, BUF at MON ($2,600): Jokiharju has a point in each of his last games, and six points over his last nine contests. The 22-year-old also gets to skate with Rasmus Dahlin as the top pairing for the Sabres. He'll be facing the worst team in the NHL on Sunday, a team with the highest GAA in the league on a back-to-back.
