Monday is a holiday, which means there is some hockey being played earlier than usual. Why, there's even a game at 1:30 p.m. EST on TNT! However, also because it is a holiday more games are on the schedule than usual. That leaves us with six NHL games starting at 7:30 p.m. or later. Six games are about as much as you usually get from a DFS perspective on a Monday anyway. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
No team is on the second leg of a back-to-back, and the only team on the first leg with a goaltending choice to make that would matter to me, the Jets, named Connor Hellebuyck the starter for Monday quite early. As such, it's all pretty straightforward.
GOALIES
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at VAN ($8,000): Sorokin is a very good goalie, as his 2.47 GAA and .915 save percentage this season indicate. That's also in line with his career .916 save percentage. Meanwhile, the Canucks are the worst team in the NHL. That includes an offense which is in the bottom 10 in goals and shots on net per game, an offense that no longer has the help of Quinn Hughes as well.
Lukas Dostal, ANA vs. NYR ($7,900): Dostal's last two starts have been strong, which is encouraging given that he's largely struggled since returning from injury. Also, credit where it is due, the Ducks have climbed out of the bottom 10 in shots on net allowed per game, making Dostal's life easier. The Rangers aren't in a good place. Specifically, they are in the kind of place where the front office is releasing a letter to fans saying, "Sorry we're bad, we're going to make some trades and stuff." New York is far from home, and it is in the bottom six in both goals and shots on net per contest.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Pavel Dorofeyev, VGK vs. PHI ($6,100): Dorofeyev has 14 points in his last 14 games, including eight with the extra man. He, in fact, has a whopping 21 power-play points already. The Flyers are impressive when it comes to preventing shots on goal, but it has the 22nd-ranked penalty kill. Additionally, Dan Vladar is day-to-day right now, and if he can't go, things look even better for Dorofeyev.
Beckett Sennecke, ANA vs. NYR ($5,000): The Ducks' offense has been beset by injuries, but Sennecke remains a bright spot who is crushing it as a teenaged rookie. He has 10 points and 32 shots on net over his last 11 games. The Rangers, of course, are currently without Igor Shesterkin, which changes the landscape in net considerably. Jonathan Quick is literally more than twice Sennecke's age, and he has an .887 save percentage. There's also Spencer Martin, and to be brief, he's terrible.
FORWARD LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Islanders at Canucks
Mathew Barzal (C - $6,300), Anders Lee (W - $4,700), Anthony Duclair (W – $3,400)
I mentioned the Canucks are the worst team in the NHL, and that their offense is quite poor. Well, they are even worse defensively. Vancouver has the highest GAA in the league, and it is in the bottom five in shots on net allowed per game as well. Also, and I hesitate to say something so shocking it may unmoor your sense of reality, but Thatcher Demko is banged up. The Islanders are sans former Canuck Bo Horvat at present, but I still like the top line for a stack.
Barzal has nine points in his last nine games. Only one of those is a goal, but he has 11 goals on the season and he has his shooting up to 10.4 percent, which is good for him and an improvement upon the past couple campaigns. Lee was dealing with a point drought, but he has two points in his last three games. He's also put 14 shots on net over his last three outings, so he seems determined to get on the score sheet. Duclair is an erratic player, which is why he has played for approximately 33 NHL teams and sometimes is a healthy scratch. However, he has his moments, which is how he has a 30-goal season to his name. Right now, he's getting to skate on the top line, he has two goals in his last three games, and earlier this month he had a five-point outing.
Wild at Maple Leafs
Ryan Hartman (C - $4,900), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $9,000), Mats Zuccarello (W - $5,400)
The Maple Leafs don't have poor goaltending options, but they still have a 3.27 GAA, which is bottom 10 in the NHL. What is the main culprit, then? Well, Toronto's defense has allowed 31.4 shots on net per game, and in the modern NHL landscape that is enough to be last in the league. Owing to injuries, the Wild are unfortunately a one-line team. What a line it is, though.
Without Joel Eriksson Ek around to push him down the lineup, Hartman is enjoying the fruits of his current circumstance. He has five points and 14 shots on net over his last six games. Last year, Kaprizov came out of the gate on a tear and was the Hart favorite until his injury. He finished that campaign with 25 goals and 31 assists in 41 games. This year he has 25 goals and 30 assists in 49 games, so he's not far off that MVP-level pace. Additionally, the Russian has put 168 shots on net, and do recall the Leafs allow more shots on net than any team. Since returning from injury, Zuccarello has 11 points in 14 games. While he's not known for shooting as often as his linemate Kaprizov, he's tallied 28 shots on target over his last 11 outings.
DEFENSEMEN
Brock Faber, MIN at TOR ($5,200): If you were worried the arrival of Quinn Hughes would hinder Faber offensively, the reality is the opposite has happened. Faber is thriving skating next to Hughes. Turns out if you're talented, and your defensive partner is a future Hall of Famer, it tends to turn out well. In the 17 games that Hughes has been with the Wild, Faber has four goals and nine assists. He's also put 37 shots on net in that time. As noted, the Maple Leafs have a 3.27 GAA and are last in the NHL in shots on net allowed per contest, so Faber and Hughes could thrive once again.
Ryan Pulock, NYI at VAN ($3,700): Matthew Schaefer is the star for the Islanders. Not just on the blue line, but in general. With consideration to your DFS salary allotment, though, I have opted for Schaefer's partner on New York's top defensive pairing. Pulock is not all defense, as he has 20 points in 48 games. The Canucks have a 3.65 GAA, so I feel it is reasonable to take a shot on a marginally-productive defenseman who is at least going to get a lot of minutes against a terrible team.
