Let's bring the first weekend of the New Year - AKA "You can't stretch the holiday season beyond this even if you try" - in for a landing! There are five NHL games on Sunday with the first puck dropping at 2 p.m. EST. Here are my DFS lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Saturday was packed with hockey, leaving us with seven teams on the second day of a back-to-back. As math dictates, some of them must be squaring off where the Hurricanes are visiting the Devils and the Penguins travel to face the Blue Jackets. Pittsburgh also started at noon EST on Saturday, so the turnaround isn't as bad as it could be for a Sunday 3 p.m. EST puck drop. Meanwhile, Chicago is at home against Vegas and Montreal has to go to Dallas for a 2 p.m. EST start.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. MON ($7,800): Even though Oettinger's last outing was mediocre, he's posted a 2.22 GAA and .919 save percentage in his last nine games. Montreal is on the road for the second straight day. And even though they're top-six in goals, I wouldn't be terribly worried as they're also bottom-eight in shots.
Brandon Bussi, CAR at NJD ($7,400): With Bussi the Sunday starter, I'm willing to give him a shot. New Jersey rank bottom 10 in goals, and that isn't solely due to Jack Hughes' injury. As per usual, the Hurricanes lead the NHL in shots allowed. Bussi is coming off his worst start of the year, yet managed a 1.83 GAA and .919 save percentage during the previous 10 outings.
VALUE PLAY
Cole Sillinger, CLM vs. PIT ($4,300): Shakeups in the Columbus lineup have been to the benefit of Sillinger. He's riding a four-game scoring streak, and just may break 40 points with a positive plus/minus for the first time. He's still only 22 after joining the NHL in his age-18 campaign. The Penguins have to close out a back-to-back on the road, and it's Arturs Silovs' turn. He enters with an .886 save percentage and a career .883.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Golden Knights vs. Blackhawks
Jack Eichel (C - $7,800), Ivan Barbashev (W - $5,700), Braeden Bowman (W - $4,800)
Eichel is back, but Vegas is still asking him to bolster the wing with his talent to allow for more depth. Barbashev and Bowman don't appear that much on the power play, but that's actually not a problem here as Chicago list a top-five penalty kill even though they still struggle defensively and will be on their second game in as many days. It's also a chance for this Vegas trio to catch Arvid Soderblom in the opposing net with his 4.02 GAA and .873 save percentage.
The only thing you worry about with Eichel is him staying healthy. But when available, he's supplied 41 points and 120 shots from 32 games. And in his first outing back, he put three shots on target and blocked two. Barbashev has been a regular beside Eichel (at even-strength) for a while. He potted 23 goals last year and is currently at 12 to go with 18 assists. The rookie Bowman came out the gate hot, but that proved unsustainable. And he's still produced seven points from the last 16 matchups and had an assist in Eichel's return.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Hanifin, VGK at CHI ($5,700): For now, it's the Noah Hanifin Show in Vegas. Both Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb are out and Hanifin has averaged 25:22 through eight games where he's recorded eight assists and 21 shots. If he's seeing that much of a tired Blackhawks team with Soderblom and his .873 save percentage, that bodes well.
Esa Lindell, DAL vs. MON ($5,000): I didn't want to recommend Miro Heiskanen alongside Hanifin given the salary outlay, though Heiskanen's partner Lindell is solid as he's tallied 17 points on the season that's well ahead of his usual annual 24-to-26 haul the last four campaigns. Montreal is closing out their back-to-back, and Lindell will likely face Jakub Dobes in net. And if it isn't him with an .889 save percentage, it'll be Sam Montembeault and his .863.
