This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
With the NHL taking off three days for Christmas, the schedule is busy for the week leading up to the holiday. Monday there were eight games, and Tuesday there are eight more contests. Interestingly, we only have two teams on the second night of a back-to-back. Here are some guys to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Carter Hart, PHI vs. CLM ($26): Hart is capable of having great games. He has a .913 save percentage, but that has come through a mix of impressive outings and rough starts. Playing behind the Flyers defense has not been easy for him. That being said, the Blue Jackets are in the bottom 10 in goals per game and are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Columbus is also ranked 31st in GAA, so if Hart was ever going to get goal support, it's Tuesday.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Matt Murray, TOR vs. TAM ($33): A few goalies having strong seasons are in action Tuesday, but in terms of track record, Murray's is the most dubious, even more so than Pyotr Kochetkov (who is simply an unproven commodity). We've seen Murray on the ice plenty, and he has a career .912 save percentage. That isn't bad, but it isn't the .924 mark he has this year. Tampa Bay has rounded into form offensively and has averaged 3.67 goals per game.
CENTER
Anze Kopitar, LOS vs. ANA ($19): Kopitar is still the centerpiece of the Kings offense, as he has 10 goals and 18 assists in 34 games. He's also averaged 3:10 per contest on the power play and has six points on that front. Los Angeles' SoCal rivals the Ducks have been brutal, as they have a 4.16 GAA and have allowed 37.6 shots on net per contest, both last in the league.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nico Hischier, NJ at CAR ($23): Hischier doesn't have a point in his last three games, which for a guy like him is notable. I can see it becoming a four-game drought, given the opponent. Even if I didn't know how legit the rookie Kochetkov is, the Hurricanes have a 2.61 GAA and have allowed a league-low 26.0 shots on net per contest.
WING
Jordan Eberle, SEA vs. STL ($17): Eberle has spent his career as a solid 20-goal guy, and that was true last season when he had 21 in the Kraken's expansion campaign. This year he has eight goals, including two in his last four games, but also has 17 assists. The Blues are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and they are in the bottom eight in GAA and penalty-kill percentage.
James van Riemsdyk, PHI vs. CLM ($17): Van Riemsdyk has been hot since returning from injury, which is good for him, even if it is just about building trade value. Over his last four games he has three goals on 14 shots on net, and he's added three assists as well. Not only will the Blue Jackets be on the second leg of a back-to-back, Elvis Merzlikins will likely be in net. He has a 4.68 GAA and .894 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jake Guentzel, PIT vs. NYR ($27): Igor Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy last season for the Rangers. If you forgot that fact, he's trying to remind you. Over his last 14 starts the Russian has a 2.26 GAA and .926 save percentage. Additionally, five of Guentzel's 15 goals have come on the power play, and the Rangers have the sixth-ranked penalty kill.
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR vs. NJD ($23): Svechnikov has picked up 17 goals this year, though his 17.9 percent shooting will likely regress. He's also been without Sebastian Aho for a bit, and Aho is still day-to-day at the moment. The Devils have a 2.48 GAA and have only allowed 26.6 shots on net per contest, so this is a tricky matchup as well.
DEFENSE
Sean Durzi, LOS vs. ANA ($17): Last season as a rookie, 15 of Durzi's 27 points came on the power play. This year, nine of his 19 points have come with the extra man. I mentioned the Ducks are last in GAA and shots on net allowed per game. They are also last on the penalty kill as well.
Adam Larsson, SEA vs. STL ($16): Larsson has averaged 23:53 in ice time this season, but recently he's been more active offensively. He has seven points in his last 11 outings. The Blues are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Thomas Greiss will likely be in net. The 36-year-old has a .905 save percentage over the last four seasons.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Adam Fox, NYR at PIT ($24): Fox is having another fine season, but his salary is too steep for me given how many other options there are out there. Over his last 10 starts, Tristan Jarry has an 1.68 GAA and .949 save percentage. The Penguins also have a top-four penalty kill, and 12 of Fox's 34 points have come on the power play.
Dougie Hamilton, NJD at CAR ($24): Hamilton will return to Carolina to face his former team, but I don't expect a warm welcome. The defenseman generates a lot of fantasy value by putting the puck on net, but as I mentioned the Hurricanes have allowed a league-low 26.0 shots on net per game. Also, while a larger sample size on Kochetkov would be valuable, through 14 appearances this season the rookie netminder has a 2.01 GAA and .923 save percentage. That's a stretch I would trust for any goalie.
