This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
This is a great weekend for the NHL. Friday was packed with hockey, and Saturday is also busy with 10 games starting at 7 p.m. EST or later. It's also the last day of November, so here are some lineup recommendations to help you find some DFS success.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's actually easier to note which teams aren't on the second day of a back-to-back. The Senators are visiting the Kings, the Leafs are on the road against the Lightning, and the Blues host the Flyers.
GOALIES
Joey Daccord, SEA vs. SEA ($8,000): Daccord's last start was a struggle, yet he's posted a 2.47 GAA and .916 save percentage through 16 games after an almost identical 2.46/.916 line last season. The Sharks have been better offensively, but they're still hovering around the fringes of the bottom-10 in goals and shots per game.
Filip Gustavsson, MIN vs. NAS ($7,800): Facing a back-to-back of Chicago and Nashville, the Wild don't really have a matchup to sweat. Marc-Andre Fleury got to face his former squad, leaving Gustavsson for Saturday. And he's so far recorded a 2.05 GAA and .929 save percentage. Meanwhile, the Predators are in a battle just to avoid being last in offense.
Anthony Stolarz, TOR at TAM ($7,700): With Stolarz's strong play this season, it increasingly seems like his subpar numbers with the Ducks in 2022-23 were the outlier based on a career .915 save percentage. Though Tampa has been decent offensively, the club is on the second leg of a back-to-back while Toronto isn't. That's enough for me to go with a high-level netminder like Stolarz.
VALUE PLAYS
Tim Stutzle, OTT at LOS ($7,400): Stutzle has been on fire having only failed to register a point from four outings and never in consecutive ones. Though David Rittich's .885 save percentage comes from a few bad appearances amidst several strong starts, the Kings just played Friday while the Senators are rested.
Ivan Barbashev, VGK vs. UTA ($6,500): Skating next to Jack Eichel and good puck luck have paced Barbashev to 27 points across 24 games. He's not slowing down with 10 of those over his last five matchups. The Utah Hockey Club is in an interesting position. The last time they had a back-to-back, Karel Vejmelka got both starts instead of Jaxson Stauber getting the nod. Whether it's Vejmelka or Stauber, things look favorable for Barbashev.
Rickard Rakell, PIT vs. CGY ($5,600): Lining up with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust on the Pens' top line benefits Rakell along with a spot on the first power play. Though his production has been spotty, he has produced nine goals and five assists - including finding the net three times in his last five games. Pittsburgh's at home in this battle of teams closing out the second leg of consecutive outings, and Dan Vladar with his career .895 save percentage is projected to start for the Flames.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Blues vs. Flyers
Robert Thomas (C - $6,200), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $5,500), Jake Neighbours (W - $4,900)
The Blues, as noted earlier, are the only rested team that is home facing a team on the second leg of a back-to-back. Aleksei Kolosov has gotten off to a slow start to his NHL career with a 3.10 GAA and .885 save percentage through six games. I'll note Buchnevich left the Blues' last game banged up, but that was Wednesday and he's had time to heal while being listed as day-to-day.
Thomas has been red-hot since returning from injury with a point in four of five games. He lists a 7.7 shooting percentage overall, so there's room for improvement. Hopefully Buchnevich is healthy, given he's notched nine points across his last 13 appearances. And since joining the Blues, he's been good for 25-goal and 60-point campaigns, so I fully expect that to happen again this year. Neighbours has recorded five points over his last eight outings. While his 27 goals were only paired with 11 assists last season, he's currently at seven and four of each.
Flames at Penguins
Mikael Backlund (C - $5,000), Yegor Sharangovich (W - $6,100), Matthew Coronato (W - $5,300)
In addition to being in the bottom-five in shots allowed, the Pens have the highest GAA. That makes them a matchup to target, especially when they're on a back-to-back (even if that's true of both teams here). This is the Flames' trio I liked best for a stack.
Backlund has 10 points in 24 games. He's put over 200 shots on net in each of the last two seasons, and is already at 61. Sharangovich potted 31 goals last year - his first in Calgary - and is at five on 54 shots with three markers from his last five. Coronato has also gotten into a groove with four goals and four assists during his last 12 outings to go with 31 shots.
DEFENSEMEN
Jake Sanderson, OTT at LOS ($6,000): Sanderson has tallied 14 points in 22 games, and that's with a 2.2 shooting percentage. He's also averaged 3:27 on the power play. Facing an LA squad on the second leg of a back-to-back would mean man-advantage minutes against tired legs on the penalty kill.
MacKenzie Weegar, CGY at PIT ($5,600): Last year's 20-goal, 50-point campaign with the Flames has earned Weegar more ice time and more power-play minutes. He's responded with 13 points, 63 shots, and 64 blocks. Weegar is a busy blueliner, and now gets to face the team with the worst defense in the NHL.
Jacob Middleton, MIN vs. NAS ($5,500): Middleton is skating with Brock Faber as Minnesota's top defensive duo. While the veteran isn't as productive as his teammate, he's notched four goals and eight assists overall. The 32-year-old Scott Wedgewood is in line to start Saturday, and the journeyman has posted a career .905 save percentage.
