This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's the final Sunday of the NFL regular season, but don't forget about the NHL! There are five hockey games taking place during the evening slate. Pucks drop at 7 p.m. ET. Get your lineups in by then, perhaps with some of these players in the mix.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a heavy day for teams on a back-to-back. The Bruins are on a back-to-back, but they are playing the Ducks, the NHL's worst defense, so I am not worried about them. The Maple Leafs are also on the road against a rested team in the Flyers. Then, we have the Blues visiting the Wild in a battle of two teams on a back-to-back.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at CHI ($8,500): The Flames have only allowed 27.8 shots on net per game, while the Blackhawks have averaged 26.6 shots on goal per contest. Yeah, Markstrom likely won't be all that busy. It also helps the Swede that Chicago also happens to be last in goals per game for good measure.
Casey DeSmith, PIT at ARI ($8,100): With Tristan Jarry banged up, DeSmith is expected to get the start Sunday. While DeSmith is having the worst season of his career, he has a career .914 save percentage. The Coyotes are last in the NHL at 25.0 shots on goal per game, so hopefully DeSmith won't be too busy. Plus, I like the Penguins' chances of getting a win in the desert.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mikael Backlund, CGY at CHI ($4,900): Backlund only has eight goals on 122 shots on net through 40 games, but his 6.6 shooting percentage is actually in line with his usual numbers. He's just not a pinpoint shooter, but he also has 13 assists to go with those eight goals, and there is value in putting pucks on net. The Blackhawks are a good matchup for that, as they have allowed 33.2 shots on goal per game.
Pavel Zacha, BOS at ANA ($3,100): Zacha has 23 points in 39 games, but he is also up on Boston's second line now, which increases his upside. What also helps is the fact the Ducks are, as I mentioned, the NHL's worst team defensively. They have a 4.00 GAA and have given up 38.4 shots on net per game.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Penguins at Coyotes
Evgeni Malkin (C - $6,300), Rickard Rakell (W - $5,900), Jason Zucker (W - $4,400)
The Coyotes have allowed 34.6 shots on net per contest, third most in the NHL. Their 3.66 GAA is bad, and bottom-eight in the NHL, but not as bad as many of us imagined. Karel Vejmelka has a .903 save percentage, which is also bad but better than the .898 save percentage he managed last year. However, he has an .883 save percentage over his last 10 starts. This is a nice time for the Penguins, and their above-average second line, to catch the Coyotes.
Malkin only has one point in his last six games, but prior to that he had a nine-game point streak. He also has 16 power-play points this year, and the Coyotes have the 27th-ranked penalty kill. Rakell has been prolific, racking up 116 shots on net to lead the Penguins in that category. With how many shots the Coyotes allow, Rakell will have plenty of opportunities to light the lamp. Zucker has 23 points in 34 games, even with a 10.0 shooting percentage below his career 12.2 number. He also has seven points with the extra man in limited power-play time.
DEFENSEMEN
Hampus Lindholm, BOS at ANA ($5,400): Lindholm will be facing his former team, and the return of Charlie McAvoy hasn't slowed him down. The defenseman has seven points in his last 10 games, plus 27 shots on net in that time. As I noted, the Ducks have a 4.00 GAA and have allowed 38.4 shots on net per contest, both worst in the NHL.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. STL ($4,900): Spurgeon plays a ton of minutes as Minnesota's captain and top defenseman, and he has 12 points in his last 16 games. The Blues will presumably be starting Thomas Greiss, who has a 3.55 GAA and .903 save percentage. On top of that, St. Louis has a bottom-five penalty kill as well.
