Montreal Canadiens Vs. Carolina Hurricanes
This is a huge game for both teams. The Hurricanes occupy the first wild card spot, with Montreal holding onto the second one. For Carolina, a win tonight would put them four points up on the Habs, while a win for Montreal would put them into a tie for the first wild card spot. Las Vegas has the O/U set a 5.5 for this game, but there’s no way this game stays low scoring.
For Montreal, their top line of Tomas Tatar, Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher is the line to target if you want to get some exposure to this game. Max Domi and Andrew Shaw are coming off a big game, but we won’t look too deep into that. Danault is $3800 on DK, which is exceptional value considering he’s on the top line with two above-average wingers. Danault isn’t seeing any power play time, but considering how terrible Montreal’s power play is, it’s doesn’t really matter.
If you are looking to stack a line in a GPP, Montreal’s third line of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia is the way to go. The trio will lost you less than $12,500 on DK and all three players are seeing time on the top power play unit. Something to think about if you want to go extra contrarian.
In goal, there is a 99% chance that we See Carey Price. The veteran goalie doesn’t see a ton of back-to-back games, but it’s crunch time for Montreal, and they need to win games. He was pretty average last night against Buffalo, but we all know Carolina loves to take a bunch of shots on goal and not score. He’s $9100 on FD, so you can forget about using him there, but $7600 on DK is a fair price.
On the Carolina side, their second line of Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov would be the line to target. Max Domi and Andrew Shaw aren’t great defenders, and that line can really cause some trouble for the Habs. Svechnikov and Jordan Staal are very reasonably priced on DK, so they would be the best cash options.
Colorado Avalanche Vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Another game with huge playoff implications. The Avalanche came out on top yesterday afternoon against the Blackhawks 4-2, and they look to complete the back-to-back sweep tonight. The Blackhawks still have an outside chance at making the playoffs, but if they lose tonight, they can kiss that dream goodbye.
Most people will want to target Colorado in this game, but Chicago offers the best value, specifically their second line. Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat are a cheaper alternative to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. All four players play on the top power play unit, so you can go with the slightly cheaper duo of Strome/DeBrincat and still have enough salary leftover to build a competitive lineup.
On the blueline, Erik Gustafsson is the only defenceman worth looking at. He’s been amazing all season, and yet, his price tag is still under $6000 on both sites. If you are looking for a reasonably priced power play stack, Strome/deBrincat/Gustafsson would be the way to go.
On the Colorado side, their isn’t really much to like. Mikko Rantanen is confirmed to miss today’s game and the rest of Colorado’s lineup just doesn’t look great. The obvious choice would be to go with the top line on Nathan MacKinnon, Alex Kerfoot and J.T Compher, but that line is going to see a ton of Chicago’s top line, and they did a good job at keeping them contained in last night’s game.
You could try to target the second line, but Tyson Jost is centering Derick Brassard and Matt Calvert, and that could get steamrolled in this game. Here’s the catch thought-- that line is dirt cheap to roster. If all three of those players pick up a point, they hit value. Rostering all three players in a GPP would allow you to pay up for some elite talent elsewhere. If you just need one bargain bin option, Brassard is $2900 on DK and is seeing top power play minutes. He’s the best of the worst.
Columbus Blue Jackets Vs. Vancouver Canucks
Another huge matchup with playoff implications. The Blue Jackets are currently on the outside looking in, but depending on what happens between the Canadiens and Hurricanes, they could keep pace with both teams if they find a way to beat the Canucks. For Vancouver, the lost 3-1 last night to the Flames and their playoff hopes look to be over. That being said, there is a ton of value to target in this game from both teams.
For Columbus, their top line is always an option to consider, but their second line is where the value is at. Ryan Dzingel and Matt Duchene play together on the second line and on the top power play unit. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to pay up for Panarin or Atkinson, but in terms of value, the second line is a better play.
With that being said, Columbus really hasn’t been great since the trade deadline. They are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, and if they don’t win tonight, they can kiss the playoffs goodbye. Vancouver may have nothing to play for, but I expect them to be able to score some goals in this game.
The obvious choice here is Vancouver’s second line of Josh Leivo, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. If anyone is going to score a goal for Vancouver, it’s one of those three players. Both Boeser and Pettersson are better priced on DK, so that would be the place to use them. They don’t have an elite matchup on paper, but that should help keep their ownership levels down on this short slate.
The playbook would not be complete if we didn’t talk about Alex Edler. He is the most expensive defenceman on DK, so you can avoid him there, but he continues to be disrespected on FD. He’s $5400, which is better, but still underpriced. He’s does a lot of everything really well, so in cash games, he’s an easy play.
In goal, there’s a good chance that we see rookie goalie Thatcher Demko in goal for the Canucks. He’s more of a GPP play, but you can consider him in cash games if you’re playing on FD, where his price tag is only $7300.