This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Friday is sandwiched between two busy days in the NHL with only four games. But don't overlook it on the DFS front. Here are some recommendations for your lineup. The first pucks drop at 7 p.m. ET.
SLATE PREVIEW
There were 13 games Thursday. Needless to say, we have a few teams on back-to-backs Friday. Vegas, Minnesota, and Winnipeg are all on the road for their second straight night. The Islanders are home for the second day in a row while the Blue Jackets have flipped from the road to being at home. The Pens are the only rested club in action Friday and they'll be welcoming the Golden Knights.
GOALIE
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. VGK ($8,300): Vegas is in the top-half of the league in goals per game, but will also be on the road for the second consecutive day. Jarry has enjoyed a strong campaign by posting a 2.34 GAA and .920 save percentage.
Vitek Vanecek, WAS at VAN ($8,000): Vanecek has managed a .919 save percentage and 2.32 GAA with the help of a defense that has only allowed 29.2 shots on net per game. The Canucks were having some bad puck luck in terms of shots on goal versus goals scored, but that's leveled out a bit. Even so, they still rank 22nd in scoring.
VALUE PLAYS
Bryan Rust, PIT vs. VGK ($9,100): Even if you think of Jake Guentzel and Rust as products of being Sidney Crosby's wings, you can't argue with the numbers and that's what matters most for DFS. Rust has racked up 45 points in only 36 games. His 15.8 shooting percentage isn't even a career high either. If that wasn't enough, Rust has notched multiple points in seven of his last 14 outings. On top of all that, he gets to be at home against a team that played Thursday.
T.J. Oshie, WAS at VAN ($5,400): The Canucks just can't get it figured out on the penalty kill. It seems they simply lack the roster makeup to manage when down a man. Oshie, meanwhile, has long been a power-play maven. He's averaged 3:32 per game with the extra man this year, and seven of his 18 points have come on the power play.
LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Wild at Blue Jackets: Frederick Gaudreau (C – $4,600), Kevin Fiala (W - $6,500), Matthew Boldy (W - $6,000)
The Wild go deep on offense these days. It's become a narrative this season that Minnesota is finally playing exciting hockey, but it's true! They rank in the top-four in goals per game and boast a second line that some teams would love to have as their first. Both clubs are on a back-to-back, but Columbus is the one that sits 30th in GAA and last in shots on net allowed. Elvis Merzlikins will likely be in net and he's produced a 4.10 GAA and .881 save percentage over his last 11 outings.
Since getting the chance to center Minnesota's second line - and since Boldy got called up - Gaudreau has really picked up his performance with 13 points across 16 games. Fiala has been a sterling example for those of us who talk about bad puck luck and regression toward the mean. He's put a slow start behind him and has registered 20 goals to go with 32 assists, with eight of those goals coming in his last 16 contests. Boldy got into the action too late to vie for the Calder, but he's gone off for 23 points in 25 games. He's already a power-play weapon with eight of his points have come with the extra man.
DEFENSE
Kris Letang, PIT vs. VGK ($6,800): The Penguins don't have much depth at D, so options beyond Letang are a bit of a stretch. I'd rather just pay his salary and not mess around considering he's totaled six goals on 143 shots on net with 43 assists. Letang has also recorded 18 points with the extra man. Robin Lehner is banged up, so it's possible he won't be able to play Friday. That could mean third-string goalie Logan Thompson in net for Vegas.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN at CLM ($5,000): Spurgeon has notched nine points over his last 13 games, including four on the power play. For a defenseman, that's significant. Columbus has allowed 35.7 shots on net per game and is on the second leg of a back-to-back. Merzlikins will likely be peppered with shots Friday and that could bode well for Spurgeon, who averages over 21 minutes in ice time.
