The MLB playoffs are over and the college football evening slate isn't too exciting, making it the perfect Saturday for some NHL action with 10 games on the schedule starting at 7 p.m. EST or later. Here are some lineup recommendations to try and help you find some DFS success.
SLATE PREVIEW
Friday wasn't nearly as busy, so there are only three teams on the second day of a back-to-back Saturday. That includes the Rangers and Islanders, who play each other at MSG and saved their top goalies for this matchup. And then the Sharks will be hosting the Panthers.
GOALIES
Karel Vejmelka, UTA at MON ($7,700): Vejmelka's .894 save percentage may be a bit low, but he's posted a 2.60 GAA as the Mammoth have only allowed an average of 24.0 shots. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have managed 3.64 goals per game on a 25.0-shot average. It wouldn't be surprising on Saturday if Vejmelka didn't face a lot of pucks.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. WAS ($7,300): Vasilevskiy scuffled early on, though that wasn't likely to continue as he's still only 31 and a future Hall of Famer. He's done well during his last seven starts having registered a 2.13 GAA and .917 save percentage. While the majority of the teams have averaged at least three goals per game, the Caps are sitting at 2.86.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at NYR ($7,100): Sorokin is off to a slow start, but he came into this season with a career .916 save percentage and has never finished with a mark below .907. Both teams played on Friday, but the Rangers rank 31st in average goals. And that makes me willing to see if Sorokin can start turning things around starting Saturday.
VALUE PLAYS
Conor Garland, VAN vs. CLM ($6,200): Garland missed three games before returning Wednesday and supplying seven shots to put him up to 35 in that category alongside 11 points. The Blue Jackets have given up the most shots per game, and it's Elvis Merzlikins' turn in the goaltending rotation with his career .902 save percentage through 250 appearances.
Jordan Eberle, SEA at STL ($5,700): The Blues carry a league-high 3.87 GAA, but I wouldn't stack stack the Kraken's offense against them. Eberle has produced five goals, five assists, and 31 shots while worth rostering against a subpar defense.
Nikolaj Ehlers, CAR vs. BUF ($5,300): Ehlers has only managed six points through 13 games during his first year with the Hurricanes, yet his 5.3 shooting percentage should improve based on the 38 pucks he's directed on net. A matchup with the Sabres could help as they've allowed 31.2 shots on goal per game and are relying on 32-year-old Alex Lyon maintaining a .915 save percentage after a .901 the previous two campaigns.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Panthers at Sharks
Anton Lundell (C - $6,000), Brad Marchand (W - $7,100), Eetu Luostarinen (W - $4,100)
The Sharks are bottom-five in GAA and shots allowed and bottom-10 in penalty-kill percentage. None of that is surprising, and I expect all of that to continue. As for Saturday, San Jose are also the only team on the second leg of a back-to-back facing a rested club. The Panthers aren't as impressive offensively with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk injured, though there are still stack options.
Lundell has tallied 10 points through 14 games. His role has unsurprisingly increased with Barkov out as he's now heavily involved on the power play with a 3:02 average. Marchand is in full-on Fountain of Youth mode at nine goals and six assists while riding a six-game scoring streak featuring three multi-point outings. Luostarinen didn't start off well, but he's turned it around with six points from his last seven matchups and at least four shots three times.
Blue Jackets at Canucks
Sean Monahan (C - $4,700), Kirill Marchenko (W - $6,900), Dmitri Voronkov (W - $5,400)
It's not ideal when you hire a new coaching staff and your team falls apart defensively. The Canucks have struggled to a 3.33 GAA, have conceded 29.9 shots on net per game, and rank 31st while shorthanded. Thatcher Demko is now banged up and there's a real chance he can't go either on Saturday or Sunday. Given that, the odds are very high Kevin Lankinen is in net Saturday. The following Columbus trio both comprise the first line and the forward unit on the top power play.
Monahan got banged up Wednesday, yet kept playing for a bit and it seems there's a decent chance he's able to go on Saturday. He's only produced six points alongside a 3.6 shooting percentage that can only get better. Marchenko broke through last season with 31 goals and 43 assists and has taken it to a new level by going off for six goals and seven assists to go with 47 shots. Voronkov recorded 23 goals and 24 assists last year and is currently at five and five with 20 shots during his last eight games.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. ANA ($5,400): I don't know if Theodore will get any juice for facing a team he hasn't played for in a decade, but you never know. What I do know is that he's averaged 24:14 while supplying five points, 23 shots, and 27 blocked shots. All of Theodore's scoring have been assists and probably won't end up with a 0.0 shooting percentage. Even though Lukas Dostal has played decently, the Ducks have a 3.23 GAA in part because they've allowed 29.8 shots a night.
Ivan Provorov, CLM at VAN ($5,300): Provorov may not see much of Vancouver's 31st-ranked penalty kill, yet he'll get plenty of looks at their poor even-strength defense. He's so far produced five points and 31 shots with 19 blocks. Provorov saves salary over Zach Werenski - who's obviously more productive - but I decided it was worth taking a step down for the sake of lineup building in a favorable matchup.
Gustav Forsling, FLA at SAN ($4,500): Forsling hasn't yet potted a goal, but he's been a double-digit goal scorer in each of the last four seasons and still has six assists. San Jose are bottom-five in GAA and shots allowed while playing for a second straight night.
