This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's the busiest night of the week with 10 games for Thursday, giving DFS managers plenty of options. Most of the matchups are pretty even… except maybe Blues at Canadiens, with Martin St. Louis still looking for his first win.
The marquee game will be Penguins at Maple Leafs; it'll be a good chance to see which team is better when have been playing so well, though the Leafs have struggled a little in net and that could be the difference maker at the end. Both teams boast a lot of firepower, though it's worth noting that in their past five meetings, the Pens are 4-1-0 with a plus-12 (!) goal differential.
GOALIES
Ville Husso, STL at MON ($8,300): Husso should get the start coming off his second straight win, but Craig Berube might also give Jordan Binnington a chance to get back on track against the league's worst team. Either goalie should be a good choice, and the Habs are really running out of options on offense after trading Tyler Toffoli.
Ilya Samsonov, WSH at PHI ($8,200): Samsonov has struggled at various points throughout the season but seems to be back on track after allowing just one goal on 34 shots against the Predators. The Flyers are shorthanded due to multiple injuries and have allowed the eighth-most goals in the league, which means Samsonov should also get good goal support just in case he's not sharp.
Mike Smith, EDM vs. ANH ($7,800): The Oilers have allowed only three goals in three games under Jay Woodcroft, and the logic seems pretty simple: if we have the puck, then our opponents can't shoot on our still-terrible goalies. Jokes aside, Smith has looked pretty good stopping 67 of 70 shots, and the Ducks may be rusty having last played Feb. 11.
Eric Comrie, WPG vs. SEA ($7,300): The Jets are playing back-to-back after facing the Wild on Wednesday, but Comrie has been very good all season even though his playing time has been sparse. It'll just be his third game since Nov. 26, but the good news is the Kraken aren't very good at scoring goals.
Thatcher Demko, VAN at SJ ($7,200): At the very least, you'll get a ton of saves, right? The Canucks defense remains porous but it doesn't matter with a Vezina-caliber goalie in net. He's coming off a spectacular 51-save performance against the Leafs, and after a hot start the Sharks have lost eight of their past 10.
VALUE PLAYS
Joe Snively, WSH at PHI ($4,400): Snively scored again in his last game against the Preds, giving him three goals and four points in his past three games. Playing on a line with Nicklas Backstrom and Conor Sheary will bring out the best in Snively, who was a point-per-game player in the minors.
Nick Paul, OTT vs. BUF ($4,700): Note Paul will center the first line even though he's listed as a winger. Though the Sabres are an underrated group, their play in their own zone and their goaltending still leaves a lot to be desired. Paul will have the Sens' two best wingers on his wings with Brady Tkachuk and Connor Brown. His ice time can fluctuate but he should at least finish in the top six among Sens forwards.
Oskar Lindblom, PHI vs. WSH ($4,800): With a slew of injuries, Lindblom is expected to skate on the top line with Claude Giroux and Cam Atkinson. Giroux and Atkinson have been two of their most dependable forwards, and though Lindblom doesn't profile to be a top-line winger, he's getting a golden opportunity now. Lindblom has three points in his past four games and will also play PP2.
MacKenzie Entwistle, CHI vs. CBJ ($3,600): Entwistle draws the lucky straw and will play on a high-upside scoring line with Kirby Dach at center and Alex DeBrincat on the opposite wing even though Entwistle is listed as a center. The Jackets have not gotten good performances from their goaltending recently and despite having limited offensive skill, Entwistle's exposure to two top-six talents might prove fruitful.
LINE STACKS
Blues at Canadiens
Ivan Barbashev (W - $4,900), David Perron (W - $5,400), Brandon Saad (W - $5,100)
Note Barbashev is listed as winger even though he's playing center on this line, but the logic here is the Blues might dominate the Habs from the start, and Craig Berube will opt to spread the ice time around given the Blues' excellent depth. They had a quiet game against the Sens but should bounce back against an even weaker team.
Sabres vs. Senators
Tage Thompson (C - $6,400), Alex Tuch (W - $7,500), Jeff Skinner (W - $6,500)
This trio has been dynamite and it's a great mixture of size, speed and skill. Thompson is working on a five-game point streak and Tuch scored multiple points for the second consecutive game. The slacker is Skinner, who was held off the score sheet last game but gets a reprieve having scored four goals in his previous game. His 20 goals this season is one shy of matching his past two seasons combined.
DEFENSEMEN
Adam Fox, NYR vs. DET ($7,100): Fox looked good in his first game back from injury, even though he didn't score a point. It snapped a seven-game point streak for him, but Fox will likely get right back on track against the Wings, who have the sixth-highest goals against per game this season.
Erik Brannstrom, OTT at BUF ($4,000): Brannstrom didn't see a huge increase in ice time with Thomas Chabot out of the lineup, but he did get his third and fourth assists of the season. If Brannstrom can do this with the usually stingy Blues, he should have an even easier time against the Sabres. Chabot was placed on injured reserve and will be unavailable until the weekend's games.
