This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a 10-game slate for Thursday as the Bruins and Penguins return to action following Tuesday's Winter Classic. The Devils are the only team playing the second half of a back-to-back but note the Caps, Ducks, Isles and Preds are playing the first half of their back-to-backs.
Among the significant streaks, the Flyers are going for their season-high fourth straight win while the Habs are trying to avoid their sixth straight loss.
GOALIES
Logan Thompson, VGK vs. PIT ($8,600): The Pens are reeling a little bit with five straight losses and they've been kept to two goals or less during that span. Asides from their anemic offense, the Pens will also likely be without their starter, Tristan Jarry, who was injured at the Winter Classic and backup Casey DeSmith has a mediocre 3.00 GAA and .911 Sv% this season. Jeff Petry has already been on the shelf for a while with an upper-body injury and Kris Letang may also be absent again due to the death of his father. The Pens just seem to be out of sync and will be missing several key players in this matchup.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at MON ($8,300): Shesterkin should be a popular choice against a team that can't score or defend. The reigning Vezina winner hasn't been sharp this season and he's allowed three goals in four of his past five starts, but the Habs should not pose much of a challenge. They've lost six straight by considerable margins, and in two previous starts against the Habs, Shesterkin allowed only three goals.
Darcy Kuemper, WSH at CBJ ($7,800): Kuemper had a rough go in his previous start, allowing five goals against the Sabres, though the Jackets don't nearly have the same kind of offense as the Sabres. In fact, the Jackets have failed to score more than two goals in seven of their past nine games. Both Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren should be good plays in this matchup.
Samuel Ersson, PHI vs. ARI ($7,200): The Coyotes are one of the worst teams on the road at 6-15-3; meanwhile, Ersson is looking for his fourth straight win after allowing six goals in his past three starts. The Coyotes offense has some sneaky talent but still only average just 2.67 goals per game on the road, 27th in the league. The Flyers will be gunning for their fourth straight win and seem to have captured a little lightning in a bottle with their third-string goalie. Note the Flyers are the slight favourites at -150, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
VALUE PLAYS
Quinton Byfield, LA vs. BOS ($3,000): One of the league's top prospects, Byfield has played 14 minutes in his past two games and registered an assist against the Stars on Jan. 3. The production has been modest and the Bruins are a tough opponent, but the Kings have the 12th-best offense at home in GF/GP and Byfield is playing on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
Paul Stastny, CAR vs. NSH ($3,800): Sebastian Aho has since returned to the lineup but yet Stastny remains in his top-six role, centering Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. Stastny doesn't provide a lot of shots, but he's got two very good finishers on his line and has registered four helpers in his past five games.
Sonny Milano, WSH at CBJ ($4,000): Milano's a streaky offensive player but he's been very effectively lately, scoring three goals and four points with 13 shots in his past six games. The Jackets have allowed four goals in three of their past nine games.
Casey Cizikas, NYI at EDM ($4,000): Keep an eye on Cizikas and see if the Isles stick with him on a line with Mathew Barzal. After the Isles came out flat against the Canucks on Tuesday, Lane Lambert switched up the lines and got immediate results playing Cizikas and Barzal together. Cizikas finished the game with two points despite not being known for his offense.
LINE STACKS
Capitals at Blue Jackets
Dylan Strome (C - $5,200), Alex Ovechkin (W - $9,900), Conor Sheary (W - $5,700)
Ovechkin has been on a tear with six goals in his past three games but it's Sheary who has the longest point streak right now at five games. The Jackets have the eighth-worst save percentage in the league, according to hockey-reference.com, and last season Ovechkin scored six points in four games against them.
Avalanche at Canucks
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,200), Mikko Rantanen (W - $10,000), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $7,000)
MacKinnon looks like he's getting back on track after scoring two points on eight shots against the Knights in his second game since returning from injury. The Canucks defense and goaltending are among the league's worst, and they've always had trouble containing quicker forwards such as MacKinnon, who has 23 points in 21 career games against them. It's an expensive stack, but well worth it with the Canucks struggling to keep the puck out of their net, allowing 13 goals in their past three games.
DEFENSEMEN
Jakob Chychrun, ARI at PHI ($7,700): Chychrun's excellent season continues with a power-play goal on five shots in his most recent game. That now gives him 18 points in just 20 games, and the Flyers offer up another matchup where plenty of goals should be scored by both sides. Even if Chychrun doesn't score, he's got a very high floor due to his high-volume shooting. Teammate J.J. Moser ($4,700) is a potential value play among defensemen, too, with three points in his past four games and averaging close to 20 minutes per game.
Adam Fox, NYR at MON ($7,200): There's plenty of upside in this matchup for Fox, who has three assists and eight shots in his past two games. The Habs defense is just far too green, while the Rangers have scored five goals in three of their past five games, all of which were wins.
