This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's the last weekend of March. Let's make the most of it. Saturday is busy for the NHL with nine evening games on the slate. Get those DFS lineups in before 7 p.m. ET! These are my recommendations to try and make this a fine final Saturday of the month.
SLATE PREVIEW
Three teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Calgary will be at home for the second straight day, Washington has flipped from being on the road to hosting, and Columbus is away again. The Blue Jackets also rank in the bottom-six in GAA, one of three such teams in action Saturday.
GOALIES
Erik Kallgren, TOR at MON ($8,600): Kallgren is getting the start Saturday. The rookie has posted a 2.32 GAA and .930 save percentage through four starts. That's not much of a sample size, but remember the Canadiens sit last in goals per game at 2.52 over the season.
Cam Talbot, MIN vs. CLM ($8,200): The Blue Jackets have been decent offensively, but will be on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. That's not an easy situation to be in. Talbot has been up and down, but has managed a 1.97 GAA and .926 save percentage his last six games to go with a 6-0 record. With the goal support he tends to get and with Columbus playing consecutive days, I could easily see Talbot's win streak moving to seven.
James Reimer, SAN vs. ANA ($7,200): In his last 10 appearances, Reimer has produced a 2.54 GAA and .924 save percentage. The Ducks rank 23rd in goals per game and have averaged 29.6 shots on net. If that wasn't enough, Anaheim traded away a couple key players at the deadline and guys like Ryan Getzlaf and Troy Terry are banged up.
VALUE PLAYS
Tyler Seguin, DAL vs. VAN ($5,700): Seguin has tallied seven points in his last nine games. On the season, he's averaged 2:39 per game with the extra man leading to 11 power-play points. The Canucks maintain the league's worst penalty kill, so that bodes well for Seguin.
Phillip Danault, LOS vs. SEA ($5,200): Danault has potted four goals in his last four outings, giving him 21 on the season. And over his last 16, he's fired 48 shots on net. The Kraken's goaltending duo of Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger both list sub-.900 save percentages, which has helped the Kraken to a 3.55 GAA.
Kailer Yamamoto, EDM at CGY ($5,000): Playing alongside Connor McDavid, Yamamoto is as hot as any player in the NHL seven goals and five assists across eight games. The Flames are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Jacob Markstrom started Friday. That likely means Dan Vladar will be in net and he enters with a 2.84 GAA and .904 save percentage.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Wild vs. Blue Jackets: Ryan Hartman (C - $6,500), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $9,500), Mats Zuccarello (W - $7,100)
This is a hefty line in terms of salary, but it should be worth it in this matchup considering the Blue Jackets have a 3.70 GAA and have allowed a whopping 35.4 shots on net. If that wasn't enough, they're playing a second straight night. Sometimes it makes sense to shell out for a line stack.
Centering this line has helped Hartman post career numbers across the board. He's notched a point in seven of eight games to give him 48 overall. Hartman has actually picked up his production with 37 shots on net in his last 11. Kaprizov was stellar as a rookie, but has proven himself to be one of the top players in the NHL as a sophomore with 33 goals, 45 assists, and 219 shots on net. Zuccarello has tallied 21 points with the extra man, and the Blue Jackets have the 20th-ranked penalty kill. Being on the road and exhausted won't help them here.
Maple Leafs at Canadiens: John Tavares (C - $7,200), William Nylander (W - $7,600), Alex Kerfoot (W - $5,000)
The Canadiens rank worst with a 3.77 GAA and in the bottom-five in both shots on net allowed per game and penalty-kill percentage. Toronto boasts two potent lines, but the second one will save you some salary while still providing promise.
Tavares has registered 58 points, including 17 with the extra man and 12 in his last 14 outings. He's basically a point-per-game player over his entire career, and that's still true. Nylander's six-game point streak was just ended, but he still put four shots on net in that game and 204 on the year. The Habs, meanwhile, have allowed an average of 34.0 shots on net. Playing on this line has turned Kerfoot into an under-the-radar playmaker with 35 assists.
DEFENSE
Brent Burns, SAN vs. ANA ($5,700): Burns' offensive output has dropped a tick, but there's still a lot to like about a defenseman with 41 points and 163 shots on goal. He's directed three pucks on net in three of his last four games. The Ducks are currently being backstopped by an ice-cold John Gibson who sports a 4.73 GAA and .857 save percentage from his last 14 appearances.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. CLM ($5,200): Spurgeon is one point behind Alex Goligoski among Minnesota defensemen, but he's played in 10 fewer games. On top of that, he has the benefit of having started 59.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone - fourth most on the Wild. I already noted the Blue Jackets are in the bottom-three in GAA and shots on goal allowed, but I'll mention it again.
Jordan Spence, LOS vs. SEA ($4,000): The Kings called up the 21-year-old Spence with Drew Doughty and Matt Roy both injured. Through eight games, he's averaged 21:32 in ice time – including 2:09 on the power play – and has recorded three points. The Kraken sit in the bottom-six in both GAA and penalty-kill percentage, so this matchup looks good for the young defenseman.
