This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's a fairly light night for the NHL on Monday, though with the college football title game happening, I can't say I blame them. There are four games on the docket, with three Canadian teams in action with fan bases probably not too concerned about catching what the Horned Frogs do against that Bulldogs defense. Here are my Monday lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
We have one team on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Flyers. They are on the road against the Sabres and their top-notch offense. Obviously, look to that matchup. The Sabres and Kraken are on the first leg of a back-to-back, and while Seattle's goaltending situation is by-and-large poor, the difference between Craig Anderson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Buffalo does matter.
GOALIES
Craig Anderson, BUF vs. PHI ($8,300): Like I said, the Sabres are playing their first game of a back-to-back Monday, so both Anderson and Luukkonen will be getting a start. The veteran Anderson and his .923 save percentage has been decidedly better, and thus he gives me a stronger sense of confidence. That being said, I would go with either goalie in this matchup. The Flyers are down in the bottom seven in goals per game, and they are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. This has the makings of an easy win for Anderson, provided he is in net.
Martin Jones, SEA at MON ($8,200): The other team on the first leg of a back-to-back has two goalies that have been lackluster. However, this matchup is worth targeting. The Canadiens have the worst offense in action Monday, having averaged 2.63 goals and 28.0 shots on net per game. Seattle has only allowed 27.9 shots on goal per contest, so at the very least it should be a light day of work for Jones (or Philip Grubauer).
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Matt Duchene, NAS at OTT ($5,000): It hasn't always been the campaign that Duchene hoped for after a season wherein he tallied 43 goals and 43 assists. However, he does have a point in nine of his last 10 games. Meanwhile, Cam Talbot has fallen into a slump for the Senators. He has a 3.76 GAA and .879 save percentage over his last six starts.
Matty Beniers, SEA at MON ($4,800): A three-game point streak has Beniers up to 30 points in 38 games. The rookie already centers Seattle's top line, so clearly it has faith in the teenager. I don't have faith in Jake Allen, who has a 3.52 GAA and .892 save percentage. That's especially true behind a defense that has allowed 33.3 shots on net per contest.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Sabres vs. Flyers
Tyson Jost (C - $2,500), Victor Olofsson (W - $3,200), Casey Mittelstadt (W - $2,700)
Buffalo's top line is stellar, led by Hart candidate Tage Thompson, but you can save some salary and still get plenty of upside with Buffalo's third line. I was originally going to go with the second line, but Jack Quinn and John-Jason Peterka have gone cold around Dylan Cozens. This matchup features a Flyers team on the second leg of a back-to-back. Samuel Ersson will likely be in net, and he is a rookie with all of four games to his name. Over this four games, he has a .905 save percentage, and it's worth noting two his opponents were the Sharks and Ducks, both in the bottom 10 in goals per game.
Since joining the Sabres, Jost has eight points in 19 games. However, seven of those points have come in his last 11 outings. Olofsson isn't doing much playmaking, but he has 15 goals in 37 games, including two in his last outing. He already has two 20-goal seasons to his name, so we know he can light the lamp. Mittelstadt has started to pick things up. He has 10 points in his last 11 outings. On top of that, he has 11 points with the extra man, and the Flyers have a below-average penalty kill.
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie, EDM at LOS ($4,900): Barrie has long been a great asset on the power play. This year, though, he's taking things to a new level. Getting to play with Connor McDavid can do that for you. Barrie has averaged 3:27 per game on the power play and has 20 points with the extra man in 41 games. The Kings have a bottom-six penalty kill, so this matchup is right up Barrie's alley.
Owen Power, BUF vs. PHI ($3,600): Power doesn't have a goal yet in his rookie campaign, but he's put 48 shots on net, and eventually he should light the lamp. He does have 14 assists in 34 games, and he's averaged a whopping 23:51 in ice time. Maybe catching the Flyers, and Ersson, on the second leg of a back-to-back is what Power needs to get his first goal of the season. Not that an assist wouldn't be nice, of course.
