This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Alright, it was nice getting a bit of NHL hockey Monday, but the league was just easing us back into games that count. Tuesday is when things kick up a notch. Now, we have eight games on the schedule, and even one team on the second leg of a back-to-back. Tough luck, Colorado! Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Charlie Lindgren, WAS vs. MON ($32): Lindgren scuffled directly before the break, but on the year he still has a 2.58 GAA and .916 save percentage. He'll likely get the home start against his former team. Both of these teams are in the bottom five in goals per game, and while Montreal is slightly better, I think in the end Washington may eke past them on that front. Alex Ovechkin's shots have to start going in more often, right? Plus, while the Caps are middling in terms of shots on allowed per game, the Habs are 30th.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Thatcher Demko, VAN at CAR ($39): Let's see if Demko can keep up his high-level play for the soaring Canucks. The first game back from the break is not an easy one. Carolina has averaged 3.38 goals per game, which ranks 10th, but is tied for fifth in shots on net per contest at 33.3.
CENTER
Nico Hischier, NJD vs. COL ($22): The Devils would really benefit from having their two first overall picks that play center healthy at the same time. At present, it's Hischier shouldering the load, but in his 36 games played he has 28 points. The Avalanche, as I noted, are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and unproven netminder Justus Annunen is in line for his sixth NHL appearance across three seasons.
CENTER TO AVOID
J.T. Miller, VAN at CAR ($34): Miller has absolutely piled up points this season, but his 21.0 percent shooting maybe hard to sustain the rest of the way, and a whopping 29 of his 67 points have come with the extra man. The Hurricanes have had some questions in net, but otherwise remain staunch defensively. Not only have they allowed a paltry 25.0 shots on net per game, they have the fourth-ranked penalty kill.
WING
T.J. Oshie, WAS vs. MON ($19): Right before the break, in Oshie's latest return from one of his frequent absences from the lineup, the Washingtonian had eight points in nine games. The Canadiens will be starting their best goalie in Sam Montembeault, but for this team 'best goalie' means only a 3.10 GAA and .905 save percentage. Plus, as I mentioned, the Canadiens are 30th in shots on net allowed per game.
Jonathan Drouin, COL at NJD ($19): It's a smidge inconvenient that one of the two teams with a really good matchup Tuesday is the sole team on the second night of a back-to-back, but here we are. The Devils have a 3.55 GAA, a lot of missing players, and no answers in net. Drouin has been getting a chance to skate on Colorado's top line and first power-play unit. As a result, the oft-frustrating wing has 15 points in his last 18 games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Travis Konecny, PHI at FLA ($23): Even with bad luck on the power play, Konecny has 42 points in 50 games, though I will note he has only one goal in his last 11 outings. However, the Panthers rank third in GAA thanks to decent goaltending (Sergei Bobrovsky has a 2.51 GAA and .910 save percentage) and excellent defense (second in shots on net allowed per game, top 10 on the penalty kill). Even without the relative dearth of goals recently, I'd avoid Konecny in this matchup.
Mark Stone, VGK vs. EDM ($20): The Oilers turning it around offensively likely surprised nobody, but the fact they are now one of the top defensive teams in the NHL might produce a double take. Edmonton has allowed a mere 28.0 shots on goal per contest and has the fifth-ranked penalty kill. Stuart Skinner has been key, and he has not allowed more than two goals in a game since before Christmas. Even if Jack Eichel were healthy, I'd still be wary of Stone, especially given how much of his production comes on the power play.
DEFENSE
John Carlson, WAS vs. MON ($22): Going to Colorado's matchup multiple times, given the back-to-back, might be dicey, but I have no such reservations about hitting up Washington's matchup once more. I wish the Capitals had somebody providing viable offense from the blue line behind Carlson, but that just isn't the case. Hey, at least the veteran has nine points and 29 shots on net over his last 12 games, and the Canadiens have given up 34.0 shots on goal per contest.
Gustav Forsling, FLA vs. PHI ($22): Aaron Ekblad has struggled offensively since returning from his injury, so the Panthers are glad to see Forsling show up with seven goals and 14 assists in 48 games. All that, and he's averaged a mere 39 second per contest on the power play. For a while, Philly's defense has boosted Samuel Ersson, who has a 2.60 GAA but an .898 save percentage. That changed before the break. Ersson has allowed at least three goals in each of his last four starts, including allowing four in a single period of action in his last game.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Kris Letang, PIT vs. WPG ($20): Letang has 29 points in 46 games, even though he's ceded a spot on the top power-play unit and has thus averaged 1:36 per contest with the extra man. Unfortunately for the veteran defenseman, the one issue the Jets have is their penalty kill. Even with that, Connor Hellebuyck has a 2.20 GAA and .924 save percentage, so a lot of minutes on the power play is the only real hope when he's in net.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY at BOS ($20): Linus Ullmark got the last start before the break, so given the splitting of starts for the Bruins, Jeremy Swayman would be up. He's got a 2.30 GAA and .924 save percentage. Andersson was playing well before the break, but he'll be far from home facing a tricky opponent, so keeping that going may be tough.
