This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There's an afternoon hockey game Monday between the Sabres and Canadiens, so if you have free time check that out. For DFS purposes, I'm looking at the five-game slate happening in the evening, where the first puck drops at 7 p.m. ET. Now, onto the DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Flyers host a Sharks team on the second leg of a back-to-back, so obviously that stands out. Only Calgary is on the first leg of a back-to-back, and its' goaltending rotation has gotten a bit less clear. Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf were swapping off, but Vladar had two starts followed by two Wolf starts. If the team has moved to a two-and-two rotation, then it will be Vladar on Monday.
GOALIES
Samuel Ersson, PHI vs. SAN ($8,200): Ersson doesn't have a track record of success. His .902 save percentage would be a career-high. However, this matchup is an obvious target. The Sharks are on the road for the second day of a back-to-back. They have averaged 2.31 goals per game and have a 3.44 GAA. If Ersson is in net, he should pick up a win.
Juuse Saros, NAS at COL ($7,600): Essentially, every goalie in line to start Monday has been playing poorly. Saros does not have an easy matchup. He's also playing well. Over his last eight starts, he has a 2.12 GAA and .928 save percentage. If you want to bet on form, Saros is the goalie to go with.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jonathan Marchessault, NAS at COL ($4,600): Marchessault has nine points in 15 games, but that's with a 6.8 percent shooting rate that will improve. Six of his points have come on the power play, but that's not a worry here. The Avalanche have a 3.93 GAA, owing to poor goaltending and a bottom-five penalty kill.
Jamie Benn, DAL at PIT ($3,900): Benn started the season a bit slow, but he has four points over his last six games. In that stretch, he has four games with at least three shots on net as well. The Penguins have given up 32.3 shots on net per contest. When a team is hoping Alex Nedeljkovic will be the answer in net, it doesn't bode well. Since leaving the cozy confines of Carolina's elite defense, he has a 3.21 GAA and a .899 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Flyers vs. Sharks
Sean Couturier (C - $4,500), Travis Konecny (W- $6,800), Owen Tippett (W - $5,800)
Last season, the Sharks were the worst team in the NHL defensively, so by dint of not being last in GAA or shots on net allowed per game they have improved. Of course, they are still in the bottom seven on both fronts. Vitek Vanecek is in line to start for the Sharks to close out this back-to-back, and he has a career .905 save percentage. This year, though, he has an .898 save percentage, making Philly's top line look even better for a stack.
I will grant you five of Couturier's eight points came in one game. However, he wasn't on the first line or top power-play unit to start the season. He's gotten more involved lately, putting up four shots on net in each of his last two games. Konecny has 16 points in 15 contests. He's also on a three-game point streak. Tippett has nine points and has been shooting quite a bit once again. The 25-year-old has 45 shots on net in 15 contests. His 6.7 percent shooting rate should improve.
DEFENSEMEN
Brandt Clarke, LOS at CGY ($5,300): Clarke has averaged 3:24 per game on the power play. Six of his 13 points have come with the extra man. Regardless of who is in net for the Flames, the team has a bottom-eight penalty kill. Clarke's sizable power-play role bodes well Monday.
Travis Sanheim, PHI vs. SAN ($5,000): Sanheim is streaky, but he gets plenty of opportunity. He has averaged 24:35 per game in ice time. In Philly's last game, he played over 30 minutes. Sanheim has put 32 shots on net and blocked 31 shots. All his ice time against the Sharks' defense, which will be on the road for the second day of a back-to-back, will certainly be to his benefit.
