This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It'll be a busy week but Monday's the quietest day with four games on tap, highlighted by Maple Leafs at Lightning and Flames at Kings.
The Leafs and Lightning are tied at tied at 93 points apiece with the Leafs having a one-game edge in wins thanks to a four-game winning streak, while the Lightning just had their four-game winning streak snapped in a shootout loss to the Habs. The Lightning are 1-0-1 against the Leafs this season and will host the last two games of their series.
The Flames and Kings are separated by three points in the Pacific Division but the Flames have three games in hand. The Flames lead the season series 1-0-1 but both games have been decided by just one goal. Both of their previous games featured Cal Petersen starting against Jacob Markstrom.
GOALIES
Ville Husso, STL vs. ARI ($7,800): Husso should get the nod after stopping 39 shots in his last start against the Flames and faces a Coyotes team that is playing the second half of a back-to-back and have also lost seven of their past nine games. The Blues' depth on offense, which features six (!) players who have scored at least 20 goals and one more with 19 goals (Brayden Schenn), will likely be too much too handle for a Coyotes defense that will likely dress just two veterans.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at LA ($7,400): The Kings' goalies are favored int this matchup (ie. higher salary), which seems a little odd. Markstrom is 0-2-1 in his past three starts but the Flames are still the best team in the Pacific while the Kings have won just six of their past 13 games. It should be a close matchup – both of their previous games ended in 3-2 scores – but note the Flames have lost four games in a row just twice this season and they're very good on the road with 19 wins.
VALUE PLAYS
Barrett Hayton, ARI at STL ($4,100): It's an uphill challenge for the Blues but Hayton will once again play an expanded role as the No. 1 center with Clayton Keller out of the linep. He played 17 minutes last game and finished with three shots, tied for most among Coyotes forwards and finished second in PP TOI with 2:07.
Ivan Barbashev, STL vs. ARI ($3,900): Barbashev was the latest Blues forward to join the 20-goal club and once again has the hot hand with four points in four games. The Coyotes defense should be a feast for all Blues forwards even though Barbashev plays on the third line, and the Blues spread out their minutes pretty evenly among their top nine.
LINE STACKS
Bruins at Blue Jackets
Patrice Bergeron (C - $7,400), Brad Marchand (W - $9,100), Jake DeBrusk (W - $5,400)
All three players are working on multi-game point streaks with Marchand and Debrusk at four games and Bergeron at five. The Jackets are looking to avoid losing their seventh straight game and they've allowed at least four goals in five of their six losses.
Blues vs. Coyotes
Ryan O'Reilly (C - $5,600), Brandon Saad (W - $4,600), David Perron (W - $6,400)
O'Reilly has a chance to extend his point streak to four games while Saad has a chance to extend his to five. Perron is slightly expensive at this salary but the Blues should have a huge advantage over the Coyotes and O'Reilly's line is a cheaper line stack than Robert Thomas with Vladimir Tarasenko and Pavel Buchnevich. It'll be hard to tell which line will be more productive so going with the cheaper stack is the smarter play.
DEFENSEMEN
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at CBJ ($6,400): McAvoy's hot run continues with seven helpers in four games, and a porous Jackets goaltending and defense, which will be without Zach Werenski, should make it easy to extend his point streak to five games.
Noah Hanifin, CGY at LA ($5,200): Hanifin has scored a goal and five assists in his past five games, and in the process set a new career high with 34 points. He plays alongside Rasmus Andersson and they're Calgary's best duo at moving the puck up to their forwards to create scoring chances. The added bonus is Hanifin's role in quarterbacking their second PP unit.
