NFL playoffs or not, Saturday is a busy day for the NHL. Even with a handful of afternoon offerings, the evening still brings us nine games starting at 7 p.m. EST. Here are a few lineup recommendations to try and give your rosters a boost. Good luck!
SLATE PREVIEW
Five teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but that includes the Ducks and Kings who faced each other in LA on Friday and head to Anaheim for Saturday. The Hurricanes visit the Devils, the Predators are in Vegas, and the Panthers take the trip up to see the Capitals.
GOALIES
Akira Schmid, VGK vs. NAS ($8,100): Schmid is similar to Logan Thompson in that he's in line to start at home against a team on the second day of a back-to-back. He isn't as solid, though Nashville isn't as good as Florida sitting bottom-10 in goals per game. And for what it's worth, Schmid has posted a 2.43 GAA during his last six outings.
Logan Thompson, WAS vs. FLA ($7,800): The Vezina race is tight and more open than usual, but Thompson is certainly in the mix having recorded a 2.36 GAA and .915 save percentage. The Panthers have managed to be average offensively with some key injuries that will be on the road for the second straight night.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at CHI ($7,500): Swayman has notched a .905 save percentage overall, yet has looked better of late with a .919 from his last seven appearances. The Blackhawks rank bottom-10 in goals that's arguably the benefit of some puck luck having only averaged 25.2 shots.
VALUE PLAYS
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM at VAN ($6,500): Nugent-Hopkins is someone who cleans up on the scoresheet thanks to his place on the Oilers' top power play at 20 points there in only 39 games. That makes this matchup enticing for him as the Canucks list the league's 31st-ranked penalty kill.
Dylan Strome, WAS vs. FLA ($6,200): Tom Wilson is out, but Strome hasn't slowed down riding a three-game scoring streak while still skating next to Alex Ovechkin and on the lead man-advantage. The Panthers are decent while shorthanded, though will be on the road for the second day of a back-to-back while Daniil Tarasov and his career .899 save percentage is set to start.
Yegor Chinakhov, PIT vs. CLM ($3,800): Chinakhov has been with the Penguins for eight games and has produced four points and 13 shots in his last seven. The Blue Jackets come in with a 3.32 GAA while allowing 30.9 shots per night. Chinakhov may be in the mood to get a little revenge on his former club.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Jets vs. Maple Leafs
Mark Scheifele (C - $7,200), Kyle Connor (W - $7,400), Alex Iafallo (W - $4,200)
Toronto has posted a 3.28 GAA, which puts them bottom-eight overall. The path to getting to that point is clear having allowed a league-high average of 31.4 shots while conceding six goals from each of the last two matchups. I don't think the Jets will match that, but their top trio has an opportunity to do some damage.
Scheifele has managed multiple points during four of his last five outings to give him 58 on the year. In terms of putting pucks on target, Connor has 150 shots through 46 games and is already at 22 goals. Iafallo and fellow former LA player Gabriel Vilardi have swapped lines where his minutes have increased, which has led to two goals and three assists through eight appearances.
Senators vs. Canadiens
Dylan Cozens (C- $5,900), Brady Tkachuk (W - $6,800), Ridly Greig (W - $4,700)
The Canadiens have posted a 3.23 GAA, which puts them in the bottom-10. Jacob Fowler is back in the AHL for now based on the tricky logistics of carrying three goalies for too long. Montreal is now left with the two netminders who struggled enough where they eventually called up Fowler. Sam Montembeault lists a career .897 save percentage and Jakub Dobes has an .888 this season. Ottawa boasts a couple strong lines that separate elites Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle, so I've opted for the second one.
Cozens registered three points last time out with 25 shots from his last nine games and a combined 19 power-play points set to face an average Montreal penalty kill. Tkachuk has been on fire since returning from injury with 22 points across 23 appearances alongside 98 shots. Greig has recorded 19 points with 10 of those coming during his last 14 outings while only producing an 8.0 shooting percentage on the year.
DEFENSEMEN
Lane Hutson, MON at OTT ($6,600): Hutson has notched 47 points and a plus-15. He's also quite good on the power play with 13 points there while the Sens maintain the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. NAS ($6,100): Theodore has been back for four games where he's registered a total of three points and two shots in each. Nashville is also bottom-eight in GAA and will be on the road for a second consecutive night.
Luke Hughes, NJD vs. CAR ($5,200): Hughes has three multi-point efforts from his last eight outings with at least one while up a man in each. And with Dougie Hamilton seemingly on his way out, Hughes seems locked on Jersey's top power play. The Hurricanes are usually elite at preventing shots and killing penalties, but only the former is true this year and they also played Friday.
