This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Just five games for Friday with puck drop at 7 p.m. EDT featuring the Bruins at Sabres and Flyers at Rangers, both second halves of back-to-backs. The Predators and Blackhawks (8 p.m.) will duke it out for huge playoff implications, as will the Canadiens and Flames (9 p.m.). The nightcap will be the Wild at Kings (10 p.m.), with Minnesota looking for their sixth straight win.
GOALIES
Cam Talbot, MIN at LA ($8,500): Be wary of the Kings as they boast some scoring talent, while three of their past seven meetings against the Wild have gone to overtime and Cal Petersen is totally capable of stealing a game. On the other hand, the Wild have been rolling with five straight victories and Talbot has only allowed seven goals in his last four games. Is he the best value goalie of the night? Probably not, but the Wild are favored and should come away with the W.
Tuukka Rask, BOS at BUF ($8,200): Rask stopped all 32 shots he faced against the Sabres in a shutout win Tuesday. Boston have outscored them 7-1 over the past two encounters, and the Sabres just don't have enough depth or experience on the blueline to stop the B's balanced attack with an improved second line. As such, Rask will be a popular pick.
Alexandar Georgiev, NYR vs. PHI ($7,900): Other than two anomalous blowout wins thanks to Mika Zibanejad's six-point efforts, the Rangers-Flyers series has been pretty close this season. The four contests where Zibanejad didn't take over were all decided by just one goal, and Georgiev has shown very well against the Flyers sporting a 2-0 record with a .958 Sv% and 0.96 GAA.
Juuse Saros, NSH at CHI ($7,600): The Preds have dominated the series for most of the year, suffering their first loss to the Hawks on Wednesday in overtime. Saros has been brilliant in the second half and represents a strong value play due to his relatively inexpensive salary.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. MON ($7,200): The Flames have won four of their six meetings with Montreal, but the best part about this matchup is it's likely to be low-scoring. They've averaged a combined 3.83 goals per game and only twice has either team scored four times. That's good news for both Markstrom and Allen, although it's a tossup as to who wins here.
VALUE PLAYS
Nick Ritchie, BOS at BUF ($3,700): Ritchie was back on PP1 after Krejci and Hall were moved to the second unit and he scored a goal on two shots in his last appearance against the Sabres. He's a tough player to move in front of the net and not many on the Sabres can do it. Hopefully, Ritchie's first goal since Apr. 1 leads to one or two more, especially in a matchup that heavily favors the Bruins.
Kirby Dach, CHI vs. NSH ($3,800): The Hawks' lines have been put in a blender recently, but Dach continues to get top-six minutes and centers the top power play where he shares the ice with two of their best shooters in Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Brandon Hagel ($3,400) also represents a solid value play as the third wheel on the even-strength line with Dach and DeBrincat.
Pius Suter, CHI vs. NSH ($4,200): If you go by past production, Suter's also a good pick who leads all Chicago skaters with six points against the Preds this season - including three across his last two contests.
LINE STACKS
Bruins at Sabres
David Krejci (C - $5,300), Taylor Hall (W - $6,400), Craig Smith (W - $4,900)
Just like the previous two, this matchup significantly favors the Bruins. The Perfection Line is obviously the better line stack, but the B's second trio has also been excellent combining for two points 11 shots on Thursday and come in at a much lower salary.
Flyers at Rangers
Sean Couturier (C - $6,900), Claude Giroux (W - $6,300), Jakub Voracek (W - $5,700)
This group's performance Thursday inspires more confidence in this line stack, while both Giroux and Couturier are averaging a point-per-game against the Rangers this season. It's a relatively expensive stack, but there really aren't any other top lines that have succeeded as much against their respective opponents on Friday's slate.
DEFENSEMEN
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. MON ($5,900): There aren't many options, so we're playing the matchup here. Giordano generally plays more minutes and averages 0.20 more points per game at home. The Habs' PK is atrocious, which sets up nicely for Giordano.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at NYR ($4,800): Usually on nights where the premier options are scarce, Provorov represents a safe pick because he plays such a big role for the Flyers. The season series against the Rangers has been quite close and – worst-case scenario – Provorov provides a few shots and blocked shots.
Matt Grzelcyk, BOS at BUF ($3,900): The Bruins' PP went 0-for-2 but Grzelcyk pitched in with a goal and an assist. He's a solid value play since returning to the lineup and has pushed Mike Reilly ($4,200) off the power play units. Even if it's just for the time being, Grzelcyk presents an excellent option due to his role and offensive ability.
