November comes to a close on Sunday, but we still have more NHL games in the mix with four on the DFS schedule and the first starting at 1 p.m. EST. Let's end the month on a high note! Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, this has been an atypical weekend schedule. On Saturday, there were 11 games where only two teams weren't involved Friday. So it's probably not shocking there are no clubs on the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday. One will be on the first of consecutive days, though that shouldn't really matter.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. CGY ($7,900): Rod Brind'Amour is probably feeling a bit irked. Even with Jaccob Slavin missing almost the entire season, the Hurricanes continue to be elite at preventing shots at 24.8 per game. Carolina's excellent defense usually yields a top-five GAA, but this year goaltending injuries and poor play have hurt their ranking. This matchup isn't one to pass up on as the Flames have only managed an average of 2.42 goals. Andersen looks like he'll be starting on Sunday, but whoever gets the call is worth a shot.
Logan Thompson, WAS at NYI ($7,600): After a couple rough outings, Thompson has only allowed three goals on 45 shots during his last two appearances. His .912 save percentage is in line with the .910 from last year while carrying a 2.15 GAA thanks to a solid defense. A few of the best offenses are in action on Sunday, though the Islanders are on the fringes of the bottom-10 in goals per game.
VALUE PLAY
Wyatt Johnston, DAL vs. OTT ($7,100): Johnston is carving out a role as one of the NHL's top power-play producers. He registered 25 PPPs last season and is already up to 16. A lot of forwards would love to reach 10 goals through 25 games and Johnston has 10 power-play goals through 25 games. This is a matchup that highlights his skill set as the Sens maintain a bottom-3 penalty kill.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Blackhawks vs. Ducks
Frank Nazar (C - $6,300), Tyler Bertuzzi (W - $6,600), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $4,900)
Lukas Dostal was getting a lot of love early on, even if his numbers weren't stunning. That's because he was behind a defense that regularly left him facing over 30 shots a night with a bottom-10 penalty kill. So Dostal was literally saving the day for the Ducks. He's out two-to-three weeks with an injury. What remains in net for Anaheim is the duo of Petr Mrazek and Ville Husso. Call me a bitter Red Wings' fan if you must, but those two haven't been viable goalies for years. I've opted for Chicago's second line here as all three are on the top man-advantage. When healthy, at least, which I'll get to.
Nazar couldn't sustain his hot start, but he's back on track after missing a couple outings by notching five assists and 17 shots during the last seven. Bertuzzi has shown he's someone who can sustain a high shooting percentage, though even he won't sustain a 26.1 over a full season. He's still tallied 20 points overall with 10 goals and four assists across 11 appearances. Teravainen has recorded seven points in his last nine, including four on the power play. Last time out, he logged 20:47 and potted a goal. He then missed Saturday's practice and is now considered questionable. I'm willing to consider him for this stack as he performed well on Friday, though keep an eye on his availability.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. OTT ($6,200): Heiskanen had been strong on the power play for years, other than last year when he averaged 3:35 with the extra man and only supplied seven PPPs. Fortunately, that's proven to be a blip as he's already at 10 and set on Sunday to face Ottawa's bottom-3 penalty kill.
Olen Zellweger, ANA at CHI ($4,600): Just because Lukas Dostal is out doesn't mean the Ducks' high-flying offense is going anywhere. Zellweger has posted a point in each of his last three games, and four from his last six where he's also directed 17 shots on net. That last number matters here as Spencer Knight has been strong in goal while Chicago has still given up 30.5 shots a night.
