This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Even with two postponed games, it's a busy Thursday night with 22 teams in action. It's been a full week since the NHL returned to play after a wild re-start that saw an uptick in scoring and rusty play, but things should normalize once again. Stronger defensive play and more healthy rosters with the time off should lead to tighter and lower scoring games. It's a pretty safe bet, for example, that the Coyotes won't be scoring seven goals again.
GOALIES
Tristan Jarry, PIT at PHI ($8,400): The Pens keep looking better and better with their ninth straight win against a difficult opponent. They'll venture into enemy territory now, but Jarry's been very good all season and the Flyers may be without top scorer Claude Giroux and top defenseman Ivan Provorov, both of whom are in COVID protocol.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. MIN ($8,100): The Wild are trying to avoid their fifth straight loss, and the Bruins' goaltending woes have been way overblown. Swayman allowed just one goal against the Wings in his last start, and Patrice Bergeron is going to eat up all of the Wild's centers with Joel Eriksson Ek out of the lineup. Cam Talbot is also not expected to play, either.
Juuse Saros, NSH at LA ($8,000): Saros is arguably the league's best goalie right now, and made 41 stops in a win against Vegas in his last start. He's gotten better as the season has progressed with a .917 Sv% in October and .963 Sv% in two games in January. Even with the recent outburst, the Kings average just 2.70 goals per game, 24th in the league.
Braden Holtby, DAL vs. FLA ($7,900): Admittedly, this is a big risk. Sam Reinhart (COVID protocol) and Sam Bennett (suspension) won't be available but the Panthers' top six remains formidable. The Stars have not played since Dec. 20 and may be rusty, but they will also a healthy lineup and have a reputation for being an elite team at home. The Panthers are 4-4-4 away from home and definitely a chance the Stars stage an upset.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF vs. SJ ($6,800): Sharks No. 1 center Logan Couture is unlikely to be available, and Luukkonen has shown enough this season to think he can steal a win. He's already fared better against tougher teams such as Washington and Minnesota. Goal support shouldn't be a problem since the Sharks have allowed 20 goals in their past three road games.
Mackenzie Blackwood, NJ vs. CBJ ($6,800): Blackwood's past few outings have not been very good, but the Jackets' goaltending has arguably been worse and they've played at a bottom-three points percentage pace since December. Even without Nico Hischier, the Devils should be able to generate enough offense to support Blackwood. The Jackets may not have Zach Werenski (COVID protocol) available and Jake Bean missed Tuesday's game.
Marc-Andre Fleury, CHI at ARI ($6,500): The Blackhawks have lost five straight but have a chance to go 2-0 against the Coyotes this season. They shouldn't pose much of a threat; the Blackhawks have the more talented lineup and the Coyotes have scored the fewest goals in the league. Fleury is 15-7-1 with a .929 Sv% in his career against them.
VALUE PLAYS
Tage Thompson, BUF vs. SJ ($5,500): Thompson will center the top line with Victor Olofsson and Jeff Skinner on his wings. He will likely line up against Tomas Hertl in a heavyweight matchup, and the game should feature plenty of goals. Neither team defends very well, and in a crowded 11-game slate, playing on the top line against a team struggling with goaltending could provide more value than other top centers playing against stiffer competition.
Isac Lundestrom, ANH vs. DET ($4,700): Lundestrom has taken over as the No. 1 center with Ryan Getzlaf and Trevor Zegras in COVID protocol and skated with Troy Terry on his wing. He's more of a two-way center than a playmaker and does not play on the power play. However, he did help Terry score his first hat trick, and will still likely be the favored option over Sam Steel, who has struggled, and minor-league journeyman Danny O'Regan.
Craig Smith, BOS vs. MIN ($4,400): The Bruins have split up their Perfection Line once again, and it's Smith who's replaced David Pastrnak. Smith's a normally dependable winger who scored 20 goals a season like clockwork, but he's stuck at three in 22 games. However, it does seem like he's catching fire; five of his nine points this season have come in the past eight games.
Henrik Borgstrom, CHI at ARI ($3,800): Borgstrom's scored three points in his past four games, the most recent one being an assist on Alex DeBrincat's goal. Playing with top-end players can boost any center's value, and it's no different with Borgstrom, who will have Patrick Kane on his wing.
LINE STACKS
Devils vs. Blue Jackets
Jack Hughes (C - $7,800), Jesper Bratt (W - $6,100), Tomas Tatar (W - $4,400)
Hughes is an exciting player and scoring at a point-per-game pace, while Bratt is quietly having a breakout season. Tatar's the wild card because he can be streaky, but he scored in his last game and has now recorded at least one shot in six straight games. The Jackets will likely be without Werenski and their goaltending has been a mess.
Predators at Kings
Mikael Granlund (C - $5,300), Filip Forsberg(W - $8,100), Matt Duchene (W - $7,300)
Forsberg has torn up the league with four goals in his past four games, while Granlund and Duchene continue to have strong bounce-back seasons. On a busy night, the Preds line stack might sneak under the radar, having combined for 12 points in four games since the holiday break.
DEFENSEMEN
Adam Fox, NYR at VGK ($6,900): There's plenty of options but Fox's offensive upside is as good as anybody's, and he's got an easier matchup than expected since the Knights are missing so many key players, including potentially both their starting and backup goalies.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI vs. CHI ($5,400): It could come down to special teams since both teams are so terrible on the penalty kill. That's a boon for quarterbacks such as Gostisbehere, who is on a three-game point streak.
Bowen Byram, COL vs. WPG ($5,000): It's easy to overlook Byram because Cale Makar keeps doing superhuman things, but he definitely possesses a lot of upside on offense, too. Byram registered a shot for the third straight game, and it should be matter of time before he finds the score sheet. The Jets are not an easy opponent but there is little any team can do against the Avs offense on home ice, who average a league-best 4.64 goals per game.
