It's an unusually busy Sunday for the NHL with five games on the DFS docket and the first pucks dropping at 7 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Seven of the 10 teams will be on the second leg of a back-to-back. And that means matchups between two clubs in that scenario with Vegas visiting Dallas and the Isles hosting the Blue Jackets. The other three involve road sides that all played on Saturday as Buffalo will be going to Anaheim, LA is headed to Utah, and Tampa goes to Calgary.
GOALIES
Karel Vejmelka, UTA vs. LOS ($8,200): Vejmelka has shouldered a heavy load this season while the Mammoth have been giving Vitek Vanecek some starts. But with Vanecek starting two of the last three games, I think it will be Vejmelka's turn on Sunday. The Kings rank bottom-six in goals per game and will be on their second straight night.
Jet Greaves, CLM at NYI ($7,500): Both teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, though Columbus saved its better goalie for Sunday. Greaves has posted a 2.61 GAA and .909 save percentage overall. The Islanders are just outside the bottom-10 for average goals and have put two fewer shots on target per outing than the Blue Jackets as well.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Troy Terry, ANA vs. BUF ($4,800): Terry has been in and out of the lineup, but has still notched 49 points across 49 appearances to go with 117 shots. Buffalo boasts a formidable offense with some decent goaltending, but it's decidedly below-average in terms of allowing shots and will also be on the road for a second matchup in as many days.
Blake Coleman, CGY vs. TAM ($4,400): The Flames are likely to finish last in goals, though I'm not going to get cute and roster Jonas Johansson as he's managed a 3.26 GAA and .890 save percentage since stepping into his role. Calgary doesn't exactly have a stack-worthy lineup, yet Coleman has registered six points and 25 shots since the Trade Deadline.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Mammoth vs. Kings
Nick Schmaltz (C - $5,500), Clayton Keller (W - $6,100), Lawson Crouse (W - $3,800)
The Kings list a bottom-five penalty kill and will away for the second day of a back-to-back. Two of these players participate on Utah's top power play. Sometimes, things are pretty straightforward.
This is going to end up as Schmaltz's best career season as he finished between 20 and 23 goals and 58 and 63 points during the previous four seasons and he's already at 24 and 61, including 13 of the latter while up a man. Keller is at 67 points to essentially make him a point-per-game producer for for the fourth consecutive year. And even though he's only potted one PPG, he's racked up 18 PPPs overall. Crouse has picked up 17 goals and 17 assists, a nice reminder he established three straight 20-goal campaigns ibefore his shooting percentage dropped to 9.5 last season.
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev, UTA vs. LOS ($5,000): Sergachev has tallied three points in five games since returning to the lineup. None of them have come on the power play, though he's posted 18 points with the extra man. The Kings have a bottom-five penalty kill, so Sergachev could add to his totals on Sunday.
Olli Maatta, CGY vs. TAM ($2,800): Maatta isn't part of Calgary's next wave given that he's already 31. He moved from Utah at the deadline in the MacKenzie Weegar deal. And with the Flames' blueline a little light, Maatta has stepped up in a major way averaging 22:18. He's also supplied five assists and 12 shots from eight outings. Maatta will be seeing a Lightning team that played in Edmonton on Saturday and will presumably facing backup goalie Jonas Johansson.
