This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Usually by now we'd be in the early days of the NHL playoffs. That's not the case this year, but we are getting close. Most teams have played 40 or more games at this point, so let's make the most of the rest of this regular season.
There are six games Wednesday, but the matchup between the Wild and Coyotes was moved to 2:00 p.m. ET, so it's not included in Yahoo's fantasy contests. Thus, these are my recommendations for the five other games...
GOALIE
Martin Jones, SAN vs. ANA ($32): Do I dare recommend putting Jones in your lineup — a guy with a 3.14 GAA and .900 save percentage? For starters, over his last 12 games he has a 2.54 GAA and .920 save percentage. Second, he's at home against the Ducks, who are tied with the Wings for fewest goals per game at 2.23. If there was ever a day to go with Jones, it's this one.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Cal Petersen, LOS vs. VGK ($28): Petersen still has a .920 save percentage, which is quite good, but his GAA has risen to 2.70. One reason for that is the fact he has allowed four goals in each of his last three starts. Vegas has scored 3.22 goals per game, and has also put 32.0 shots on net per contest, so the goals could be racked up against Petersen again.
CENTER
Nick Suzuki, MON vs. CGY ($16): Suzuki scored a goal in his last game, ending a seven-game drought. However, he had four assists during that goal drought, and overall he has seven points over his last 10 contests. The Canadiens are also at home against a Flames team that is on the second leg of a back-to-back. Now that David Rittich has been traded, that could mean Louis Domingue in net for Calgary, who had an .882 save percentage last year.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS vs. VGK ($22): Kopitar also just ended a bit of a goal drought – a 13-game drought in fact – but he's racked up a lot of assists this season so you won't hear many complaints. That being said, I don't expect him to add to his goal total again Tuesday. The Golden Knights have a 2.24 GAA, which is lowest in the NHL.
WING
Joonas Donskoi, COL at STL ($20): Donskoi scored a career-high 16 goals last season, and he already has 15 this year. Four of those goals have come with the extra man, and though Donskoi has been held without a point in his last seven games he's averaged a whopping 4:15 a night with the extra man. If that continues, the points will come, and the Blues have the 27th-ranked penalty kill.
Andrew Copp, WPG at OTT ($18): With Blake Wheeler dealing with a concussion issue, a spot on Winnipeg's top line has opened up for Copp. Not that he wasn't already playing well, as the 26-year-old is having a career year. Copp has notched 14 goals and 33 points through 42 games. Of course, a big reason for my recommendation is this matchup, as the Senators have a league-high 3.72 GAA.
WINGS TO AVOID
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. COL ($20): Since returning from a lengthy injury, Tarasenko has 10 points in 17 games. However, he's also been struggling with his shot, as he has a 5.9 shooting percentage. Now, that could be bad puck luck, but since he's played all of 27 games over the last two seasons I do wonder if there is some rust. Of course, even getting a shot on net against Colorado is tough as is, as it has allowed a league-low 25.4 shots on goal per game.
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY at MON ($16): This isn't so much about Gaudreau's play, as he's definitely having a bounce-back campaign. No, my concern is that the Flames are the one team on a back-to-back Wednesday, and they are on the road to boot. Carey Price is a bit banged up, but that's not a huge concern. Jake Allen has a 2.49 GAA and .912 save percentage, so he's a perfectly serviceable option for the Habs.
DEFENSE
Josh Morrissey, WPG at OTT ($17): Morrissey has a three-game point streak, and he's also gotten a huge boost in terms of power-play minutes as well. Currently playing on the top unit, the 26-year-old has averaged 3:05 per game with the extra man. And, of course, I always have to mention the Senators' league-high 3.72 GAA.
Erik Karlsson, SAN vs. ANA ($16): Karlsson used to be a staple of DFS lineups, so let's have a bit of a throwback recommendation here. While the Swede is not the player he once was, he does have 16 points in 37 games this season, including six points with the extra man. He may be playing the fewest minutes of his career since his second season in the league, but he's still averaged 23:32 in ice time and is on the top power-play unit. Anaheim has a 3.14 GAA, which is bottom 10 in the NHL.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at LOS ($22): Pietrangelo's first year with Vegas has not gone as hoped. He only has two goals in 26 games, and his shooting percentage has fallen to 2.7. The defenseman has also only managed two points with the extra man all season. While I recommended avoiding Petersen, Pietrangelo's salary is just too high for his production, especially since Petersen does have a .920 save percentage and the Kings do have the third-ranked penalty kill.
Drew Doughty, LOS vs. VGK ($18): Doughty is having an impressive season this deep into his career, though his 10.4 shooting percentage is definitely playing a part in that. There's already been some regression there, as he has a 5.3 shooting percentage over his last 20 games. Additionally, 16 of his 30 points have come on the power play, and the Golden Knights have the second-ranked penalty kill.
