This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Saturday night presents us with a slate of 11 NHL matchups. To try and help you make your lineup decisions, I've sifted through the games and found some players to recommend. First puck drops at 7 p.m. EDT. Good luck!
SLATE PREVIEW
We have ourselves a situation where five teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Golden Knights are at home against the NHL's worst team (Sharks), so there may not be much to go on there. The Islanders are also at home, but they face the defending champs in the Panthers. The Predators will be welcoming the Blue Jackets, which could yield plenty of goals. And there are two clubs on the road for the second straight night (Chicago and Pittsburgh).
GOALIES
Ilya Samsonov, VGK vs. SAN ($8,300): Through three starts with his new club, Samsonov has an 1.95 GAA and .943 save percentage. While Vegas, not San Jose, is playing the second leg of a back-to-back, I still like this matchup. The Sharks are just that bad as they've only averaged 1.88 goals and 26.3 shots and still haven't managed a win.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. ANA ($8,200): Shesterkin had a rough start against Utah, and yet he's still posted a 2.16 GAA and .926 save percentage. Somebody wants to be a Vezina finalist again. The Ducks have averaged 2.50 goals and 26.7 shots, so Shesterkin shouldn't be too threatened on Saturday.
Kevin Lankinen, VAN vs. PIT ($7,800): Instead of having to sweat yet-another Thatcher Demko injury, Lankinen has shown up in Vancouver and saved the day with a 1.70 GAA and .941 save percentage across four appearances. Pittsburgh's offense has been average, but it's also an older team and on the road for the second straight day. The Penguins have struggled defensively, increasing Lankinen's chances of earning a win.
VALUE PLAYS
Vincent Trocheck, NYR vs. ANA ($8,300): As per usual, Trocheck is directing shots on net with 21 from seven games after over 200 in each of the last two seasons. The Ducks have allowed 34.2 shots and have relied on Lukas Dostal playing incredible. Call me skeptical, but I don't think he's going to jump from a .902 save percentage last season to sustaining the .936 he's registered so far.
Conor Garland, VAN vs. PIT ($6,300): Even with Elias Pettersson underperforming, Garland has notched six points over six outings. He's also seen his ice time increase with a 18:24 average, including 2:36 on the power play. The Penguins will likely be turning to Alex Nedeljkovic Saturday, and he's produced a .900 save percentage the last four seasons.
Luke Evangelista, NAS vs. CLM ($5,400): Evangelista tallied 16 goals and 23 assists last season in his first full taste of NHL action. He's recorded three shots in three of his last five games while posting a goal and assist versus Boston on Tuesday and another helper Friday at Chicago. The Blue Jackets list a 3.33 GAA, and that's while only conceding 27.3 shots per game. They finished 31st last year in that category, so I expect that number to increase.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Blues at Canadiens
Brayden Schenn (C - $5,400), Jake Neighbours (W - $5,000), Brandon Saad (W - $4,800)
The Sharks and Flyers have both given the Canadiens a run for their money in terms of futility, but it's been bad times in Montreal to be sure. After all, they've slumped to a 3.86 GAA while allowing 35.0 shots a night. Sam Montembeault will be in goal with his career .898 save percentage. The Blues haven't exactly been stuffing the scoresheet, yet things are starting to turn around - particularly for the top line.
Schenn has registered two points in his last three games, and his puck luck is going to improve based on 24 shots and an unreasonably low 4.2 shooting percentage. Neighbours is a finisher as his 27 goals compared to 11 assists last year would indicate. And he's at three and one to start, with all four points coming over four outings. Saad has found his groove with points in each of his last two games and multiple shots during each of his last four.
Stars vs. Blackhawks
Matt Duchene (C - $6,300), Mason Marchment (W - $6,400), Tyler Seguin (W - $6,200)
Chicago did improve its roster, so comparing the numbers between season isn't the most valuable indicator. That being said, the team didn't change in net. Petr Mrazek started Friday, so one of two things is likely to happen Saturday: either Arvid Soderblom and his career .884 save percentage returns from an illness or 22-year-old Drew Commesso makes his first NHL start. Either way, I like the prospects for Dallas' scoring second unit.
Duchene accumulated 65 points in his first season with the Stars, and he's at nine through eight games with two multi-point outings from his last three. Marchment's two goals this season came in the opener with six assists overall, and he did score 22 times last year. Seguin is at seven points, but that's in only five games. And he's produced at least 20 goals in each of the last three campaigns.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at TAM ($6,500): Carlson has notched six points through six appearances. Only one of those have come on the power play, yet he's averaged 4:04 with the extra man. The veteran exceeded 20 PPPs last season, so there should be plenty of production. The Lightning are bottom-five on the penalty kill, and Andrei Vasilevskiy has struggled to an .871 save percentage.
Colton Parayko, STL at MON ($5,800): Parayko has registered four points this season, all assists. He's also managed 15 shots on net, so a goal will eventually come. The veteran defenseman has already blocked 24 pucks. The Canadiens have given up 35.0 shots per game, and Sam Montembeault has literally never finished a season of NHL action with a GAA under 3.00.
Filip Hronek, VAN vs. PIT ($5,800): Hronek has so far notched two points after 48 last season. However, he's still paired with Quinn Hughes as Vancouver's top defensive duo and has averaged 1:41 on the power play. Things should pick up, and this matchup should help as the Penguins are bottom-six in GAA and shots allowed while on the road for the second straight day.
