This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We fittingly have 11 NHL evening games on Dec. 11. That's a nice bit of symmetry, provided we forget about the afternoon matchup between the Lightning and Senators. I'm not including that in my DFS picks and will be sticking to the matchups starting at 7 p.m. ET or later. Let's get to those aforementioned recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
By not including the Senators, we miss out on the team with the league's highest GAA. Don't fret, as all the other bottom-five clubs are in action. There are also five on a back-to-back, though two contests - Capitals-Sabres and Flyers-Coyotes - will feature four of those sides. Meanwhile, the Penguins are at home and will be facing a rested Ducks lineup.
GOALIE
Jack Campbell, TOR vs. CHI ($8,100): This one is quite simple. Campbell has posted a 1.99 GAA and .935 save percentage and will be at home. The Blackhawks have averaged 2.12 goals and 27.7 shots on net. This Original Six matchup is tipped in Toronto's favor, particularly toward Campbell in net.
Elvis Merzlikins, CLM at SEA ($7,700): Merzlikins has produced a .917 save percentage, though he's at a 2.80 GAA. That's in part because the Blue Jackets have allowed 34.3 shots on net per contest. The Kraken have only managed 28.4 shots, so it doesn't seem like they're be firing a lot of pucks at Merzlikins.
Charlie Lindgren, STL vs. MON ($7,600): It's the Charlie Lindgren revenge game…maybe. Lindgren spent his entire career prior to this season with the Canadiens, though he only played sparingly. He's also made one start this season, and that's because Jordan Binnington is out and Ville Husso is banged up. If Husso can't play, Lindgren will almost definitely be in net, and he might be there regardless. Should he start against his old club, he'll be facing a Habs squad that's averaged 2.18 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS
T.J. Oshie, WAS at BUF ($6,100): My original plan was to go with Tom Wilson, but he left Friday's contest and I'm not going to risk that. So I'm going with Oshie, who recently returned to action himself. He does have the benefit of being on Washington's top power-play unit. The Sabres are in the bottom-five in GAA and are currently hoping Malcolm Subban and his career .898 save percentage is healthy enough so they don't have to start Aaron Dell.
Clayton Keller, ARI vs. PHI ($5,400): Keller has accumulated three points in his last four outings while also directing 60 shots on goal on the season, the latter being the most among Arizona forwards. The Flyers, who are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, have given up the most shots on net per contest. The Coyotes may have a woeful offense, but there's a silver lining here in Keller.
Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN at LOS ($5,300): Eriksson Ek has notched two points in three straight. He's also tallied 11 goals on 74 shots on net, including six on the power play. It's those power-play markers that have me interested as the Kings' penalty kill is a concern.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Ducks at Penguins: Trevor Zegras (C - $6,000), Rickard Rakell (W - $5,600), Sonny Milano (W - $5,300)
Were the Ducks squaring off with a fresh Penguins team starting Tristan Jarry in net, I would steer clear. However, they're on a second consecutive night, and Jarry started Friday. That means Casey DeSmith will likely be in net. He's only appeared in five games with a 3.65 GAA and .885 save percentage.
Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique are both injured and Troy Terry has cooled down a bit, but the current first line have picked up the slack. Zegras made the play of the season while recording eight assists over his last five games. Milano has seven points over that stretch with six PPPs on the year. Rakell is the most-ambitious shooter of the trio with 60 while scoring eight.
Blues vs. Canadiens: Ivan Barbashev (W- $5,400), Vladimir Tarasenko (W - $6,900), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $6,300)
The Canadiens enter with a 3.50 GAA and have given up 33.3 shots on net per contest. They're also in the bottom-five on the penalty kill. St. Louis's second line features two wingers enjoying excellent seasons, and that can only benefit the man now operating as their center.
Barbashev (who's at center, but listed on FanDuel as a wing) is playing more than three minutes per game than his previous career high. That's helped him to 18 points, including eight in his last seven contests. And while his 23.1 shooting percentage is high, he's produced a career 18.1 shooting percentage. Tarasenko could use some of that puck luck with a 8.9 shooting percentage, but he's still lit the lamp eight times thanks to 90 shots on goal. Buchnevich has recorded at least one point in seven of his last eight outings and has seven with the extra man.
DEFENSE
John Carlson, WAS at BUF ($6,400): Carlson is pouring in the points as per usual with 24, including eight on the power play. That's business as usual for a defenseman who hasn't had fewer than 15 PPs over the last five seasons. The Sabres rank bottom-10 in penalty kill and - as mentioned earlier - are experiencing netminding issues.
Zach Werenski, CLM at SEA ($5,700): Goaltending has been a problem for Seattle. While the Kraken have only allowed 28.2 shots on net per contest, they've posted a 3.54 GAA. Werenski pounds the net with pucks, so much so I think he won't be shut down tonight. He leads the Blue Jackets with 77 shots on net while producing 17 points.
Scott Perunovich, STL vs. MON ($4,000): Interestingly, Perunovich has been playing on the top power-play unit for the Blues. He's averaged 2:25 per game with the extra man and three of his five points have come there. While I can't call Perunovich a huge power-play weapon at this point, he's got an opportunity and is facing one of the league's worst penalty kills.
