This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Sure, there was only one NHL game Friday, but Saturday makes up for that. A whopping 15 games are on the schedule from start to finish. Only the Devils and Canucks are missing out on the fun! For DFS purposes, though, there are 10 games starting at 7 p.m. ET or later. These are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Not only was there a sole game Friday, there is a single game Sunday as well. That means back-to-back scenarios are limited. Only the Sabres played Friday, and only the Ducks play Sunday. Anaheim is playing in the afternoon, so it doesn't come into play for these purposes. Also, both of the Ducks' goalies are bad anyway.
GOALIES
Samuel Ersson, PHI vs. CHI ($8,400): The Blackhawks have managed a paltry 27.0 shots on net per game. Meanwhile, the Flyers have only allowed 27.4 shots on goal per contest. Ersson may not even face 20 shots Saturday, and those shots will be coming from the team that is last in goals per game as well.
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR at MON ($8,300): Since Frederik Andersen returned, the Hurricanes have been swapping starts, and Kochetkov is up. While he has a .908 save percentage, he also has a 2.45 GAA. The Hurricanes are comfortably first in shots on net allowed per game, and they have climbed to first in penalty-kill percentage as well. Montreal, who is 27th in both goals an shots on target per contest, isn't likely to challenge Kochetkov too much.
Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT at CLM ($7,700): I think Nedeljkovic, not Tristan Jarry, will be in net. He's made the last three starts for the Penguins, including in their last game against these same Blue Jackets. Not all that long ago, I was noting that the Jackets were surprisingly just outside the bottom 10 in goals per game. Well, Columbus has dipped down to 2.84 goals a night, which is 26th. When Nedeljkovic faced them last time out, the Jackets only managed two goals in a Penguins win.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Tyler Bertuzzi, TOR at BUF ($4,500): Hey, some actual secondary scoring for the Maple Leafs! Over his last 16 games, Bertuzzi has potted 15 points. The Sabres, as I noted, are the sole team on the second leg of a back-to-back. As such, it's worth targeting this matchup in at least once instance.
Nick Paul, TAM vs. NYI ($3,900): The Lightning's top power-play unit is comprised of franchise legends, at least three of them future Hall of Famers, and then rounding out the five is Paul. He's tallied eight goals and five assists with the extra man. While the Islanders have picked it up a bit, if just a bit, defensively under Patrick Roy, they still have the league's worst penalty kill.
Drew O'Connor, PIT at CLM ($3,500): With Jake Guentzel no longer around, O'Connor has taken up a spot next to Sidney Crosby on the first line. Over his last eight games he's tallied six points, but also 25 shots on net. The Blue Jackets, with a 3.66 GAA and 33.8 shots on net allowed per game, are all but locked into finishing 31st on both fronts.
FORWARD LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Blues vs. Sharks
Brayden Schenn (C - $3,700), Jordan Kyrou (W - $6,500), Brandon Saad (W - $3,400)
We've grown accustomed by this point in the season to the futility that is the San Jose Sharks. However, it's good to stop down and remember that, oh yeah, this is one of the worst rosters put together in recent memory. The Sharks have allowed 35.0 shots on net per game, highest in the NHL, but also have a 4.01 GAA. Finishing with a GAA over 4.00 is a level of woefulness most teams never hit. Don't miss out on the last few opportunities to stack that remain in this season!
Schenn has definitely had a tough season, his shooting percentage falling to 10.5 has played a role, but he's performing better recently. He has a point in six of his last seven games, and facing the Sharks should help him stay hot. Having Kyrou drop down to the second line next to Schenn has probably helped the center out. Kyrou has been a 70-point scorer the last two seasons and has 25 goals and 33 assists in 73 games this year. He's also gone over 200 shots on net for the second year in a row. Saad has never been an assist guy, but if you want 20-30 goals, the vast majority of them at even strength, he's your guy. He's also on fire, taking a four-game goal streak into the NHL's best matchup.
Flyers vs. Blackhawks
Morgan Frost (C - $4,300), Travis Konecny (W - $6,700), Owen Tippett (W- $6,600)
The Flyers' lineup layout has not been the paragon of consistency this season, but at present, this is the layout of the top line. All three of these guys seem like part of Philly's future (as opposed to, say, Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson), so I can see this trio sticking together. Chicago has a 3.53 GAA, which has it effectively locked into finishing bottom five in that category. The thing is, Petr Mrazek's play has kept things from being worse than that, and Arvid Soderblom has been pegged for this one. He has a 4.02 GAA and .875 save percentage.
Frost has nine points in his last nine games. He's also been given a heavy role on the power play, and has 11 power-play points in 63 outings. The Blackhawks are out of the bottom 10 in penalty-kill percentage, but just barely. Konecny has back-to-back 30-goal seasons, and there's time for him to add to that. He's put 223 shots on target in 68 games, and Chicago has given up 32.4 shots on net per contest. If you like players who get pucks on goal, Tippett is your guy. He's tallied 262 shots on goal in 70 games. Those shots have been going in recently, with Tippett racking up five goals in nine contests.
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. OTT ($5,900): Goals have been harder to come by for Morrissey following his 16-goal season last year. That was always expected, but a defenseman with 58 points in 73 games is still producing. Morrissey has averaged 3:14 per game in power-play time, notching 14 points with the extra man. The Senators' weak point is killing penalties, as they rank 30th on that front.
Brent Burns, CAR at MON ($5,300): DFS contests don't grade on a curve, but Burns is 39 and going to have a 40-point season, and that's impressive. Six assists in his last eight games has helped on that front. While Burns doesn't shoot as much as he used to, the Canadiens have allowed 32.9 shots on goal per game, 30th in the NHL. The Habs also have the 23rd-ranked penalty kill, and Burns has notched 17 power-play points.
Torey Krug, STL vs. SAN ($4,400): Krug picked up two assists in his last outing, encouraging for a defenseman having something of a down year. He does have 36 points in 72 games, though, including 12 on the power play. I noted the Sharks have the league's highest GAA. Unsurprisingly, they are also in the bottom 10 on the penalty kill.
