This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The day after the East and Central Divisions took a break, they're back in action with nine games on the slate.
The Islanders host the Bruins (7 p.m. EST), putting their five-game winning streak on the line as they ascend to the top of their group against everyone's expectations (again). The Hurricanes also have a five-game winning streak of their own, and a win could vault them to the top of the Central if they defeat the Predators (7 p.m.).
The Maple Leafs will be a good litmus test for the Jets (7 p.m.), who are challenging to be the second-best team in the division. The Leafs have won six of their past eight meetings going back to 2017 but their goal scoring has dipped in the past two games as Auston Matthews continues to deal with his wrist.
Interesting to note the Blackhawks (-260) are heavy favorites against the Stars (8:30 p.m.) as the defending Western Conference champs deal with inconsistency and injuries. With a win, the Blackhawks can put themselves firmly in fourth place in the Central with an eight-point cushion if the Blue Jackets lose to the Panthers (7 p.m.), their first meeting since Jan. 28.
GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov, NYI vs. BOS ($8,400): Okay, so the five-game winning streak isn't that impressive because they played Buffalo three times, but don't forget the Isles are also 3-0 against the Bruins this season with just four goals allowed. Varlamov is putting in a Vezina-worthy season and even if he lets in a few goals, the Isles should also be able to provide enough goal support against a depleted Bruins defense.
James Reimer, CAR vs. NSH ($8,100): Reimer has won two straight games and the Canes are 2-0 against the Preds this season. The Preds offense has picked it up lately but their defense and goaltending remain big headaches, so they'll need a ton of shots and luck to outscore the Canes' third-ranked offense.
Ilya Samsonov, WSH vs. NJ ($8,000): Since returning from COVID protocol, Samsonov has won two games and posted a .938 Sv%. The Devils just snapped a five-game losing streak but mustered just one goal against the Bruins and rank 27th in GF/GP. They're already 3-0 against the Caps this season.
Carter Hart, PHI vs. BUF ($7,800): The Flyers are one of the few teams the Sabres have managed to defeat this season, but that was wayyy back in January. They've since beaten the Sabres three consecutive times by the same 3-0 score each game; this is a game the Flyers should win even if their goaltending isn't top notch.
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. CBJ ($7,600): The Jackets have lost six of their past eight games, two of them via shutouts. Meanwhile, the Panthers have shown that they have enough scoring talent to win even when their goaltending isn't very good. I can understand the lack of confidence in Bob, but he's looked pretty good since Feb. 20 with a .921 Sv%.
VALUE PLAYS
Eeli Tolvanen, NSH at CAR ($3,800): Tolvanen's offensive potential is finally coming to fruition after years of hype, and now has scored three goals in his past five games. Most of his fantasy value will be derived from his role on the top power play.
Jeff Skinner, BUF at PHI ($3,500): A sign of things to come? Skinner's first goal of the season was a neat backhand in close quarters, and perhaps it will also prompt head coach Ralph Krueger to play him more, especially in offensive roles. The Flyers goaltending is sometimes good but fairly average for most of this season, including a 28th-ranked PK that will surely have trouble defending Buffalo's third-ranked PP.
Jason Robertson, DAL vs. CHI ($3,400): The Stars aren't scoring very much these days thanks to a power play that's fallen back down to earth, but Robertson has been playing very well lately, scoring two goals in four games. Not to take anything away from a talented young player, but he's playing second-line minutes mostly out of necessity at the moment. However, we're willing to take advantage of that against the Blackhawks, who don't mind swapping scoring chances and rank 27th with 3.80 GA/GP in their past five games.
Evan Rodrigues, PIT vs. NYR ($3,000): Pick one of Rodrigues or Zach Aston-Reese ($3,300), one of whom will move into the top six should Jared McCann be unavailable. It's likely to be Rodrigues because he's played that role earlier this season when Kasperi Kapanen was unavailable, and Aston-Reese is playing well on the third line with Brandon Tanev.
LINE STACKS
Islanders vs. Bruins
Mathew Barzal (C - $6,900), Anders Lee (W - $7,000), Jordan Eberle (W - $5,700)
Do we need to bring up that clip where Barzal banished Rasmus Ristolainen's soul into the Nether? The Isles' top line continues to crush their opponents, posting a 65.22 5v5 GF% and generating more than one scoring chance per minute, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Lightning vs. Red Wings
Yanni Gourde (C - $4,300), Alex Killorn (W - $5,000), Steven Stamkos (W - $7,900)
It would just feel wrong to not make Detroit's opponent a priority. This is a relatively inexpensive line stack, and Gourde was brilliant with four points in his last game. Stamkos and Killorn are both on PP1 while Gourde's on PP2.
Sabres at Flyers
Jack Eichel (C - $7,000), Taylor Hall (W - $6,400), Dylan Cozens (W - $3,600)
The Sabres' luck hasn't changed since 1970, but the underlying numbers favor Eichel's line. Though he didn't score a goal, Eichel has a four-game assist streak going and through 31:37 of 5v5 TOI, this line has a 62.0 5v5 CF%. The Flyers have been a bad possession team at even strength all season and have allowed 15 goals in their past four games.
Stars vs. Blackhawks
Joe Pavelski (C - $7,200), Jamie Benn (W - $6,400), Denis Gurianov (W - $4,600)
This line was virtually all of the Stars' offense last game, generating 20 (!) shots, including 10 from Pavelski. Gurianov has been putting a lot of shots on goal, some of which should go in against a Blackhawks team that allows a lot of chances, and Pavelski's elite on the power play.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB at DET ($6,900): He's a head above the rest and the matchup is just too good. He'll be a popular pick for entries that can accommodate his salary. He's failed to register a point in only six games this season.
Dougie Hamilton, CAR vs. NSH ($5,500): He should be a popular pick with his five-game point streak, and nobody expects this game to be a defensive battle. Only Adam Fox has a better fantasy points to salary ratio than Hamilton among the top 10 in fantasy points per game.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. CHI ($4,700): Heiskanen had two helpers and two shots in 32 (!) minutes of play Sunday against the Preds, taking most of the minutes left by John Klingberg, who did not play for personal reasons. If Klingberg is out tonight, expect more of the same from Heiskanen.
