This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Monday afternoon the Winter Classic is happening, but after that the NHL is clearing out for college football and the NFL. There are only two games on the docket, with the first starting at 9 p.m. ET. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
We have no teams on a back-to-back, and two very different matchups. First up, there's the Avalanche versus the Golden Knights, which could be the Western Conference Finals matchup. Then, there's the Flyers visiting the Ducks, a matchup of two of the worst teams in the NHL.
GOALIE
Carter Hart, PHI at ANA ($7,500): Now, Hart has been dealing with a concussion, but he was expected to starting last time out for the Flyers before he didn't, so there's a good chance he can start this one. He's been hit-or-miss, but has a .911 save percentage all in all. The Ducks have scored a woeful 2.27 goals per game, so this matchup is definitely in Hart's favor.
VALUE PLAY/ONE OFF
Trevor Zegras, ANA vs. PHI ($4,900): Zegras has averaged 19:49 in ice time, and he's also started a whopping 66.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Ducks. The Flyers have allowed 32.1 shots on net per game, and this selection offers even more upside if Hart can't go in net.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Flyers at Ducks
Noah Cates (C - $3,000), Travis Konecny (W - $7,600), Joel Farabee (W - $3,200)
The Ducks are definitely bad offense, but they are even worse defensively. Anaheim has a 4.11 GAA and has allowed 38.5 shots on net per contest, both highest in the NHL. Oh, and the Ducks have the 30th-ranked penalty kill for good measure. Philly doesn't have much going on offensively, but it does have Konecny, so I stacking his line.
The rookie Cates has made a huge leap from his 16-game appearance last year. He's averaged 17:57 in ice time and 2:09 on the power play. Cates is also coming off a two-point game, and with a 9.5 shooting percentage, his offense could improve. I mentioned Konecny earlier, and he has been excellent, especially since returning from injury. He has 11 goals and five assists over his last 14 games, and he's put 45 shots on net in that time as well. Farabee has picked up 18 points in 37 games, even though he only has an 8.7 shooting percentage that should improve. He does have three points in his last five outings.
DEFENSEMAN
Tony DeAngelo, PHI at ANA ($5,900): Yes, all my recommendations ended up coming from this game. The upside just wasn't available in the matchup between the Avalanche and the Golden Knights to me. DeAngelo, while not the most-likeable player in the NHL, has had to put up with some of John Tortorella's nonsense, but he's managed to succeed regardless. He's actually on a four-game point streak. The defenseman has also averaged 3:40 per game on the power play, and has nine points with the extra man in 32 outings. Given the Ducks' 30th-ranked penalty kill, that bodes well.
