Below are game breakdowns for each of the four games on tonight’s NHL DFS main slate followed by example lineups.
Buffalo @ New Jersey
Buffalo is a slight favorite on the road in New Jersey, and we think they arguably have the best matchup of the day. The Sabres are a slightly-below-average possession team, but they have the possession advantage over the Devils who have the fourth worst 5-on-5 Corsi For Percentage in the league.
The Devils don’t present any individual matchups to avoid, so Buffalo’s top line is the play. Jack Eichel and left winger Jeff Skinner stay together on the top PP unit where they’re joined by Sam Reinhart. Reinhart has played on the top line a lot this season, but he’s playing on the second line right now. He could still be included in a Buffalo stack due to his spot on PP1. The other option is Jason Pominville who has Reinhart’s old spot on the top line. Pominville works on the second PP unit, but he might be a better option than Reinhart since he can help offset the cost of Eichel and Skinner. Rookie D-man Rasmus Dahlin plays a lot with Eichel’s line at even strength, and he has a spot on the top PP unit.
Philadelphia @ Detroit
These teams played yesterday in Philadelphia, so they’re doing the odd home-and-home. Philly is a small favorite, and we agree with Vegas that they’re in the better spot here. Detroit will likely go with backup goalie Jonathan Bernier and his .897 SV%. We’re guessing Philly might go with Carter Hart for the second day in a row as the newly acquired Cam Talbot reportedly isn’t able to go yet.
Flyers are not a must-play by any means, but if you want some Philly exposure, the top line is the play. Detroit’s top line is a solid possession unit, and they tend to see opposing second lines in home games. As a result, Claude Giroux’s line should avoid the tough individual matchup with Sean Couturier’s line drawing that matchup instead. Giroux is flanked by James van Riemsdyk and Travis Konecny, with JVR also joining him on the top PP unit. Ivan Provorov might be the D-man to include in a Philly stack. He plays on the second PP unit as opposed to the first, but he skates a lot more with Giroux’s line at even than PP1 D-man Shayne Gostisbehere does.
With the Flyers being a slight favorite, Hart could be an option if he gets the start again today. He’s a better option on DK than FD as he’s the fifth most expensive goalie on DK as opposed to the second most expensive on FD.
Montreal @ Florida
Florida is the biggest home favorite of the day and has the highest implied total of the slate per Vegas. As a result, you’ll likely want some exposure to them in cash games. We don’t love the matchup against a Montreal team that has the possession advantage over Florida, but that advantage is muted by the fact that Montreal played yesterday and will likely go with backup goalie Antti Niemi today.
Montreal’s top line and third line are solid possession units, so we’d prefer to pick on their second line. Florida matches lines up evenly at home, so Vincent Trocheck’s second line should see the Max Domi line we want to pick on. Trocheck has Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov on his wings. Trocheck and Hoffman are skating on the top PP unit while Dadonov is playing on the second unit. Keith Yandle’s D pair plays the most with that line at even strength, and Yandle is the D-man on PP1. Trocheck and Dadonov are both priced well on both sites, but especially on FD, which is also the site where Hoffman is priced better.
Montreal’s third line could be a sneaky play. We mentioned that they’re a strong possession trio, and they’ll have a good matchup against Florida’s bottom six as the Panthers lack depth. Jesperi Kotkaniemi centers that line, and winger Joel Armia joins him at even and on the second PP unit, making them an interesting mini-stack that doesn’t cost much. Jeff Petry is another Hab to consider. He’s the D-man on their top PP unit and is a nice value on FD at only $4200.
Neither goalie in this matchup is all that trustworthy, but James Reimer could be an option on FD where he’s only the fifth most expensive goalie. Reimer has a .933 SV% in his last five games, and he has seen at least 34 shots in four of those five games.
Washington @ Anaheim
Washington is the biggest favorite of the slate at -175 on the road in Anaheim. The Capitals will undoubtedly be chalk in this matchup against a bad Ducks team with a guy you’ve never heard of named Kevin Boyle likely to start in net. Boyle has played well in three NHL appearances this season, but it’s way too soon to start worrying about him as a matchup problem.
Alex Ovechkin figures to be a very popular play, so he’s a good idea to fit into cash game lineups if you can. He’s skating with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson right now, with Ovi and Kuz staying together on the top PP unit. Kuz is too expensive to pair with Ovi on FD, but Wilson is priced reasonably there. Defenseman John Carlson plays on the top PP unit, and his pair has been skating most with the Kuznetsov line at even strength lately, which makes him a good option to pair with the top liners. Carlson is a better option on DK than FD.
We’re not big on the Ducks tonight, but it is worth mentioning that Rickard Rakell is priced under 5K on DK. That’s primarily because he has only two points in his last 10 games, but with his track record along with a spot on the top line and top PP unit he’s underpriced on DK. Ryan Getzlaf is also priced well there, so they could be a mini-stack option.
Braden Holtby is an obvious option in net with the Caps easily being the biggest favorite of the night. He’s the most expensive goalie on either site, but he’s worth paying up for in cash, if possible.