This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's the 11th day of the 11th month and we have…10 NHL games starting at 7 p.m. EST or later. And that means 20 teams will be in action, which covers plenty of options for your DFS matchups. Here are some recommendations to help with your lineup construction.
SLATE PREVIEW
We have six teams on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Maple Leafs get to stay at home, but Calgary, Carolina, Buffalo, Washington, and Philadelphia will all be on the road.
GOALIES
Cam Talbot, LOS vs. PHI ($8,800): If this is who Talbot is going to be this season, the Kings are as good as any team. A gamble on a 36-year-old has paid off as the netminder has posted a 2.02 GAA and .930 save percentage. The Flyers have been better than last year offensively - which wasn't a high bar to clear - but are still below-average in goals per game. And as noted, Philly will be away for the second straight night.
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. STL ($8,700): Georgiev has recorded a few subpar starts after beginning the season hot, which has me curious about a goalie who compiled a .918 save percentage last year but a career .911. Facing the Blues at home should help, if anything will. St. Louis has averaged 2.33 goals and 27.2 shots, both bottom-three marks.
Connor Ingram, ARI at NAS ($6,900): How will Ingram do against his former team (that he made all of three appearances for)? This year, he's started strong as an every-other-game goalie with a 2.47 GAA and .919 save percentage. Questions about the Predators' offense have proven well-founded so far as they've only averaged 2.85 goals and 29.8 shots.
VALUE PLAYS
Kevin Fiala, LOS vs. PHI ($6,300): When a player has been productive and unlucky, I find it a good idea to find a roster spot for them whenever feasible. Fiala has racked up 14 points in 13 games to go with a 6.7 shooting percentage. He doesn't have a history of picking corners like Alex DeBrincat, though his career 11.2 says his puck luck should improve. Once again, I'll note the Flyers are on the second of a back-to-back, and if Carter Hart hasn't recovered from both his injury and illness, third-stringer Cal Petersen will be in net.
Rickard Rakell, PIT vs. BUF ($5,700): If you've been betting on Rakell's fortune turning around, that hasn't happened yet and you may feel discouraged. However, he's bound to recover considering zero goals on 35 shots. Even defensemen don't put up 0.0 shooting percentages over a full season, much less forwards coming off a 28-goal campaign. Facing a Sabres team that just played Friday with goaltending numbers buoyed by the injured Eric Comrie might be exactly what Rakell needs.
Ilya Mikheyev, VAN at TOR ($5,200): A rising tide lifts all boats, and this season Elias Pettersson has been the Bay of Fundy on that front. While Mikheyev doesn't get power-play time next to Pettersson, he does skate next to the Swede on Vancouver's top line. That's helped the former Leaf notch eight points across nine games. Mikheyev faces his one-time squad Saturday and is expected to face Ilya Samsonov in net with his 4.11 GAA and .855 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Kraken vs. Oilers
Yanni Gourde (C - $5,200), Oliver Bjorkstrand (W - $5,100), Eeli Tolvanen (W - $4,500)
Aside from rooting for the Detroit sports teams and the occasional fun underdog, I tend to pull for generational talents to win a title if only to stop the "ringzzz" crowd from denigrating their resumes. Given that, it's a little disconcerting to think Connor McDavid may not even be in the playoffs this year thanks to woeful goaltending. Jack Campbell may have been wished into the cornfield, but Stuart Skinner has an .854 save percentage and Calvin Pickard isn't the answer. This trio may represent Seattle's third line, but they've found significant productivity.
After a slow start, Gourde has recorded six points in his last six games. He still has a 7.1 shooting percentage, so there remains room for improvement. Bjorkstrand has quietly been a consistent 20-goal scorer during his career, including last year when he joined the Kraken. And he's currently at six goals and six assists, including five points with the extra man. Tolvanen was seen as part of the future in Nashville, but then the club gave up on him. He's still only 24 and has posted eight points across 10 outings while directing three shots on net in four of his last six.
Islanders vs. Capitals
Bo Horvat (C - $7,100), Mathew Barzal (W - $6,200), Oliver Wahlstrom (W - $3,500)
The Islanders need to get in gear offensively, but at least the track record of Horvat and Barzal is reliable. Facing a Washington team visiting on the second night of a back-to-back could help. And Darcy Kuemper is, as per coach Spencer Carbery, "a little nicked up", so much so he didn't play Friday. Could that mean Hunter Shepard will start for the Caps? Even if Kuemper can go, his .892 save percentage isn't imposing.
Horvat has been one of a couple Isles getting things done with four two-point performances. He's also fired 38 shots on net. Nine points in 12 games are enough for Barzal to be considered productive, yet he's also been unlucky as his 4.7 shooting percentage will surely increase. Wahlstrom did score that one fancy goal that went viral. Growing up playing hockey, I knew plenty of players who could pull off that parlor trick, and none of them made it to the NHL. Maybe skating on New York's top line will help Wahlstrom turn around his career.
DEFENSEMEN
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at MON ($6,800): McAvoy is back from his four-game suspension. Before that, he was active with eight points, 19 shots, and 20 blocked shots from nine games. The Canadiens have allowed a whopping 34.5 shots and maintain a 3.38 GAA.
Sean Durzi, ARI at NAS ($5,800): Durzi was productive on the power play with the Kings, but the presence of Drew Doughty meant his minutes could only rise so high. In Arizona, he's averaged 4:14 with the extra man. It's still early in terms of penalty-kill percentages solidifying to take too much from it, but Nashville has only prevented 69.8 percent of chances to put the team 31st in the NHL.
Brent Burns, CAR at TAM ($5,700): The Hurricanes are the team in this matchup that saw action Friday, but I still like this matchup for Burns. He remains one of the most-prolific shooters among defensemen with 37 through 14 games and 255 last year. The Lightning enter with a 3.57 GAA, and a part of that is the fact they've allowed 33.3 shots per outing.
