This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
The Rangers are shaking up fantasy rosters in a surprising way. Antti Raanta has at least temporarily taken over the starting job from Henrik Lundqvist.
Prior to Sunday's contest, Lundqvist had started 25 straight games against the Devils at MSG. Sunday, Raanta got the net. Prior to the game, Lundqvist spoke with the media. "It's hard to argue when Antti's playing that well," he said. "I understand. It's about what's best for the team right now. It's not about me."
Coach Alain Vigneault had an interesting quote as well. "[Lundqvist], like all our players, have a team-first attitude, and right now there's no doubt that Antti is playing real well and deserves to play," he said. "I love Hank, but I love the team more, and right now Antti is on top of his game."
Raanta has started three straight and he's only allowed a single goal in those starts with a .984 save percentage. It was a story Sunday, with most assuming that Lundqvist would take the spot back shortly. But Raanta posted another shutout Sunday. He could be a good pickup right now but don't give up on Lundqvist. He's not going to be at the bottom of the pecking order for long.
Featured Matchups
Coyotes (PP: T-26, PK: 20) at Penguins (PP: 12, PK: 28), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Mike Smith (5-3-4, 2.56, .931), Matt Murray (10-2-0, 2.01, .929)
Key Injuries:Max Domi (upper body), Connor Murphy (upper body), Brad Richardson (leg)
This could easily be a trap game, but on paper, lots of players on the Penguins are roster-able. The Coyotes are a disaster and they're playing without Domi, their second highest scoring skater.
The Pens rank second in goals per game, while the Coyotes rank 27th and are 28th in goals against per game.
Things stack up nicely for Pittsburgh, who are having a ton of success at the top of their roster. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel are all posting more than a point per game, while Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang aren't far off. They also have a lot of quality producers down the lineup that are consistently useful and could be good bets Monday. Connor Sheary (7-8-15), Matt Cullen (7-6-13), Justin Schultz (3-10-13), and Chris Kunitz (2-10-12) are all posting points at a solid clip.
On the other bench, Radim Vrbata has been producing above expectations with eight goals and 18 points in 27 games. The big risk in grabbing players outside of Vrbata or Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the unpredictability of the Arizona lineup. They won Saturday and got five points out of rookies, but there aren't any rookies on the team you can count on to produce consistently. Now, with the acquisition of Peter Holland via trade and claiming Josh Jooris off waivers the depth chart is also a bit unpredictable. It's not clear how their presence will impact the roster.
Bruins (PP: 26, PK: 3) at Canadiens (PP: 8, PK: 14), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Tuukka Rask (14-5-2, 1.85, .930), Carey Price (16-3-1, 1.79, .940)
Key Injuries:Matt Beleskey (lower body), John-Michael Liles (concussion), Frank Vatrano (foot), David Desharnais (knee), Alex Galchenyuk (knee), Greg Pateryn (ankle)
Montreal is coming off a 10-goal outburst and Boston's top line has been productive, but there's a chance this is a low-scoring affair. Rask and Price are two of the hottest goaltenders in the league. Couple that with the rivalry generally producing tight games and that both teams rank in the top-eight best for goals against per game and we're likely to see a tightly contested game.
The players at the top of both rosters are worthwhile as usual, but on a thin night in the NHL, the depth players on both rosters are higher risk propositions.
Meanwhile, the goaltenders here are solid bets. Both have been fantastic. Though neither is exactly a secret, so they are no doubt unavailable in season-long formats or expensive in daily formats.
Recommended Pickup
Conor Sheary, LW, PIT — Skating alongside Crosby is good for just about anyone's value. However, Sheary has been making the most of the opportunity. In the last six games, he's put up three goals and three assists with an average of 3.5 shots per game. His special teams time is pretty close to non-existent and his ice time is limited, but he's managed to produce nonetheless. If you're looking for a depth option Monday, Sheary can provide some low-cost value.
