This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Sunday's slate starts early with the Bruins at Rangers (12:00 p.m. EST), followed by three mid-afternoon games (3:00 p.m.) and finishing with the Penguins at Islanders (5:00 p.m.) and Red Wings at Blackhawks (7:00 p.m.).
After a 14-game slate yesterday, the Bruins and Rangers are the only teams not playing back-to-back.
GOALIES
Ilya Samsonov, WSH at NJ ($8,300): Will he or won't he? Samsonov's much-anticipated return to the crease keeps getting moved back, but Sunday's game against the Devils represents an ideal matchup. His AHL rehab hasn't gone as well as expected so perhaps there's some hesitation there, but the Caps have won five of their past seven and Devils' captain Nico Hischier could miss time with a face injury.
Carter Hart, PHI at BUF ($7,900): The shorthanded Sabres only generated 23 shots Saturday, giving the struggling Hart a chance to get back on track. The Sabres' offense was already hurting before Jack Eichel was forced to sit with an injury, while Hart has historically been solid against Buffalo over his career with a .923 Sv% despite allowing four goals on 18 shots last time.
Kevin Lankinen, CHI vs. DET ($7,400): Lankinen received an extra day's rest after Malcolm Subban started last night and the Wings may again be without captain Dylan Larkin again, which should make Lankinen's job a little easier against the league's worst offense and one of the worst power plays in history.
Pekka Rinne, NSH vs. CBJ ($6,900): Color me impressed: the Preds looked very good yesterday against the Jackets in a 2-1 win and it really looks like their goaltending has turned it around. Rinne has compiled a .952 Sv% after two days' rest, fifth-best in the league among goalies with at least 10 games played. The Jackets' offense can be dangerous, but it's been poor of late with just one goal in two games.
VALUE PLAYS
Charlie Coyle, BOS at NYR ($4,400): David Krejci's continued absence means Coyle remains the No. 2 center, and it's a role he's filled in diligently with two points and six shots over his past three games. He doesn't offer the same offensive talent, but the opportunities should be there.
Boone Jenner, CBJ at NSH ($4,400): Head coach John Tortorella may mix up his lines, but it seems he prefers Jenner in Patrik Laine's spot with Jack Roslovic and Cam Atkinson. They created a team-leading seven chances at even strength after last night, so Jenner's a sneaky play if you're bearish on Laine.
LINE STACKS
Predators vs. Blue Jackets
Mikael Granlund (C - $4,800), Filip Forsberg (W - $7,500), Eeli Tolvanen (W - $3,400)
The Preds spread out their ice time, but Forsberg's been their best forward and leads the team with 18 points even though no one else up front has more than nine. The Jackets have always been a team that tends to get outshot, which means there will be plenty of opportunities for this line.
Flyers at Sabres
Sean Couturier (C - $7,100), Joel Farabee (W - $5,300), James van Riemsdyk (W - $6,500)
The Flyers' top line has been dominant and neither Couturier nor van Riemsdyk seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. Even the streaky Farabee is finding some consistency and they face a favorable matchup against a Sabres' squad carrying a lot of injured players and losing a lot of games.
Blackhawks vs. Red Wings
Pius Suter (C - $4,100), Patrick Kane (W - $8,700), Alex DeBrincat (W - $7,000)
Kane and DeBrincat are often worth the stack alone and Suter's not a bad option because he generates enough shots. They give up a lot of chances - as they did last night - but they also create as many chances as any top line.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WSH at NJ ($7,100): It's a good matchup and Carlson's been putting up a lot of points lately, with seven of his nine this month coming in the last two weeks. The slate is light on elite defensemen, so Carlson will likely be very popular.
Adam Fox, NYR vs. BOS ($4,700): Fox's play has taken a leap this year and the points look like they're going to pile up after snapping a six-game drought on Feb. 24. A better shooting percentage is a big reason for that, but also note Fox leads all PP QB's (min. 50 TOI) with an average of 133.70 chances per 60 minutes according to Natural Stat Trick. The B's have been horrendous of late with broken breakouts and turnovers while allowing a normally mediocre Rangers' offense to score six goals against them.
Ty Smith, NJ vs. WSH ($3,800): Losing Hischier takes some bite out of the Devils' power play, but Smith is once again on fire with three helpers in his past two games. The two blocked shots are nice, but offense remains his calling card. The Caps are not a particularly disciplined team, so they may give up more than the three power plays they did yesterday. Although P.K. Subban is getting more minutes, Smith has been far more effective.
