This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Can the Sabres make it two in a row? After defeating the Flyers on Wednesday, the Sabres managed to win a game in March on the last day of the month. They'll host the Rangers at 7 p.m. EDT as one of the nine games on the slate for Thursday.
Key games to keep an eye on include Capitals at Islanders (7 p.m.) as they battle for top position in the East, and Stars at Predators (8 p.m.), as both teams claw their way back into the playoff race.
GOALIES
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. MIN ($8,400): Make no mistake, the Wild are very good. The Knights are playing the second half of a back-to-back so that works against them, but they're also 2-0 facing the Wild at home as opposed to 0-2 in Minnesota. Lehner hasn't had to do very much since he's return, but nevertheless he's 3-0 with four goals allowed. The Wild are playing well but note the six wins following their two wins against Vegas were against the struggling Ducks, Blues and Coyotes.
Casey DeSmith, PIT at BOS ($8,300): DeSmith was excellent in March, going 4-1 with a 0.89 GAA and .969 Sv%, and he's facing a team that has had a lot of trouble scoring. In his previous start against the Bruins, he allowed just two goals. The Bruins are 30th in GV 5v5 with 51.
James Reimer, CAR at CHI ($8,200): I like the matchup because the Canes are finally healthy with Vincent Trocheck back in the lineup. Reimer's play has been on and off lately, so it's a good thing the Hawks offense has also dried up, scoring just five goals in their past three games. The Canes are 2-1-1 against them this season.
Chris Driedger, FLA vs. DET ($8,100): Sergei Bobrovsky may get the start again but both options are good. The Panthers are ailing with multiple injuries to key players but their depth has been a source of strength, especially Carter Verhaeghe. Jonathan Huberdeau will be the best forward on the ice and the Panthers have the clear edge in goaltending as well.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at BUF ($7,500): This should be one of the better value plays among goalies for the night, even if only because the thought of the Sabres winning two straight wins seems particularly outlandish. Shesterkin has won two of his three games since returning, allowing seven goals on 113 shots for a solid .938 Sv%. He'll put on a tougher show than the Flyers' goaltenders, that's for sure.
VALUE PLAYS
Eeli Tolvanen, NSH vs. DAL ($4,800): I'm skeptical how long Tolvanen can keep this up, but the fact remains he's been excellent on his six-game point streak while playing on the top line in Filip Forsberg's absence. The Preds like to spread out their offense but Tolvanen has looked the most dangerous so far.
Kirby Dach, CHI vs. CAR ($3,400): Perhaps less is more. With a healthy lineup, the Hawks now have a glut of centers, pushing Dach down to the third line with Pius Suter on the top line. Despite the demotion, Dach notched his first assist of the season in 13 minutes against the Canes. There's some added value with Dach playing on PP1 at the moment.
LINE STACKS
Rangers at Sabres
Ryan Strome (C - $5,900), Artemi Panarin (W - $7,700), Kaapo Kakko (W - $4,200)
Now that Mika Zibanejad has fallen back down to earth, the Rangers' second line is really no worse than the first. Strome and Panarin have combined for eight points and two of Kakko's five goals this season have come against the Sabres.
Panthers vs. Red Wings
Noel Acciari (C - $3,700), Carter Verhaeghe (W - $5,700), Mason Marchment (W - $3,100)
This is a very inexpensive line stack with two players who are playing very well at the moment: Acciari and Verhaeghe. Acciari doesn't have the elite scoring touch but he's definitely not afraid to shoot the puck, and Verhaeghe continues to defy expectations even without Aleksander Barkov by his side. With Anthony Duclair injured, Marchment is the most likely candidate to move up. The big power forward has a scoring touch with 13 goals in 29 games in the AHL last season and seven points in 19 games in the NHL this season.
Stars at Predators
Roope Hintz (C - $5,700), Joe Pavelski (W - $7,100), Jason Robertson (W - $4,500)
Robertson is one of the best value plays out there right now with three goals in four games and quickly developing into an excellent scoring winger. Hintz has been a point-per-game player despite being riddled with injuries this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. CBJ ($7,000): There's plenty of good defensemen to choose from, but Hedman should be highlighted because it's very likely that the Jackets get heavily outshot by the Lightning. It's simply a by-product of the Jackets' propensity to collapse hard in their own zone, which leaves a lot of room up top on the blue line. Hedman had a season-high 10 shots last game, and while it will be particularly difficult to match that total again, there's little doubt most of Tampa's offense generated from the blue line will come from Hedman.
John Klingberg, DAL at NSH ($5,600): After Klingberg – with apologies to Alex Pietrangelo ($5,500) – the quality dips significantly. Klingberg is on a four-game point streak but he's actually underperforming relative to expectations; his 3.61 differential between xGF and GF at 5v5 ranks first among defensemen over the past two weeks with a minimum of 100 TOI.
Matt Grzelcyk, BOS vs. PIT ($4,300): Both Grzelcyk and D partner Charlie McAvoy ($4,600) are good options, but Grzelcyk has the edge due to his role on the power play. The Bruins may have trouble scoring at even strength but their power play has kept them afloat. The Pens PK ranks 18th in the league, presenting a good opportunity for Grzelcyk.
Keith Yandle, FLA vs. DET ($4,300): Without Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers leaned heavily on Yandle on the power play. He played 7:14 on the power play on Tuesday when no other Panthers defenseman played more than 1:42 (Markus Nutivaara). The Panthers were an uncharacteristic 0-for-4 with the man advantage against the Wings' 28th-ranked PK last game, and it's unlikely they'll get shut out again. Gustav Forsling ($3,600), who has played more minutes than anyone else, is also a strong value play given his new role.
