This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a busy Thursday with 12 games on the docket and note the Habs are the only team playing the second half of a back-to-back, though they're playing the Ducks, so it's not exactly a big challenge.
The marquee matchups will be Leafs at Rangers and Penguins at Panthers, a showdown between four very good Eastern teams. The Rangers and Leafs both head into their matchup on four-game winning streaks, ensuring that one of them will get snapped. The Pens will try to extend their winning streak to seven games, while the Panthers will try to string together consecutive wins for just the fourth time this season.
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark, BOS vs. LA ($8,800): Both Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman will be good choices against the Kings, who have won just four times in their past 13 games and cannot keep the puck out of their net with 12 goals allowed in their past two games. It's the last game of a brutal six-game road trip with only 11 goals scored so far.
Logan Thompson, VGK at CHI ($8,400): The Hawks are the only team without a player who has scored double-digit goals. The Knights are shorthanded but they have a distinct advantage in all areas of the ice. The Knights are 10-3-0 all-time against the Hawks.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. CBJ ($8,200): Vasilevskiy has won four of his past five starts and ever since the historic upset in the opening round in 2019, Vasilevskiy has gone 7-2-0 with a 2.57 GAA against the Jackets. The Lightning have strung together three wins in a row while expected starter Elvis Merzlikins has struggled mightily with a .864 Sv%, ensuring Vasilevskiy gets plenty of goal support.
Vitek Vanecek, NJ vs. PHI ($7,600): Even with the Devils faltering a little bit, this should still be an easy win for the Devils. There's value in Vanecek at this salary, who is facing the Flyers for the first time this season even though the series is tied 1-1. The Flyers have lost four straight and they've had trouble scoring ranking 31st in GF/GP.
Jake Allen, MON vs. ANH ($7,500): This should be an excellent value play, and the Habs should be fired up after losing to the Sens last night and head coach Martin St. Louis looked as angry as ever in the post-game presser. The Ducks have been shutout in two straight games, the third time in seven games and have won just one game in regulation this season.
VALUE PLAYS
Pavel Zacha, BOS vs. LA ($5,000): Zacha's filling in as the No. 2 center in David Krejci's absence and he's scored three assists in two games. Offense isn't his calling, but he's flanked by Taylor Hall and Jake DeBrusk, who have scored 11 goals each and rank second on the team. The Kings' goaltending is bottom-three in the league.
Paul Cotter, VGK at CHI ($3,700): Cotter's going without a point in four games but he remains on the top line in Jack Eichel's absence as the left winger with Chandler Stephenson at center and Mark Stone on the right side. Cotter's generating his fair share of shots so the puck should start going in before long, and the Hawks are an easy target with the sixth-worst GA/GP in the league.
Paul Stastny, CAR vs. SEA ($3,600): Sebastian Aho remains out, which means Stastny remains their No. 1 center. The veteran has seen an uptick in offense playing with Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis, and in his past three games has two points and six shots.
LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Blue Jackets
Brayden Point (C - $8,600), Nikita Kucherov (W - $10,000), Brandon Hagel (W - $6,100)
All three players are carrying multi-game point streaks into this game and gets a good chance to extend it with a banged-up Jackets blue line and awful goaltending. Hagel can keep the cost of this line stack down without sacrificing a lot of value since he also plays PP1.
Avalanche vs. Sabres
Mikko Rantanen (W - $9,800), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $8,300), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $6,800)
Note this might be a high-scoring game with elite offensive players on both sides. Rantanen will center this line again even though he's listed as a winger, and it's really the only Avs line that is a consistent scoring threat. Either of the Sabres goalies should present a good matchup; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has allowed at least three goals in five straight games and Craig Anderson is coming off a 40-save shutout but has had trouble maintaining big workloads as the league's oldest goalie.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. BUF ($7,600): It's been a muted season for Makar with only two points in his past six games but this might be a good matchup considering the Sabres still don't defend particularly well and allow quite a few shots. On home ice, the Avs should be able to dictate the matchup game and Makar's offensive ceiling makes this a potential value play.
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. NSH ($7,200): Morrissey belongs in the Norris conversation and carries a six-game point streak into this matchup. Rick Bowness is a defensive coach so he'll use the advantage of having last change on home ice to its fullest. Juuse Saros used to be a reason to shy away from matchups against the Preds, but he's lost three straight games and sports a pedestrian .908 Sv% this season.
