We're halfway through December and Sunday features some early(ish) NHL action. Four games start at 5:00 p.m. ET or later. None start after 6:00 p.m. ET, though, so the hockey action will be over in time for you to enjoy your Sunday evening. Here are my lineup recommendations to end the weekend on a high note.
SLATE PREVIEW
Every team but two played Saturday – the Hurricanes and Islanders. Both play Sunday, but the Islanders are playing before the DFS slate kicks off. That means the Hurricanes, hosting the Blue Jackets, are the only rested team on this slate.
GOALIE
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR vs. CBJ ($8,400): I considered going elsewhere to save salary, as Kochetkov has the highest salary of any netminder, but ultimately it didn't prove worth it. Thanks in part to Carolina's traditionally stingy defense (25 shots on net allowed per game), the Russian netminder has a 2.61 GAA. Columbus has been surprisingly good offensively, but it's still bad defensively. Columbus is also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. That's enough for me because the odds feel high that Kochetkov won't be too busy and will get a win.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Dylan Cozens, BUF at TOR ($5,000): Cozens has three goals and three assists over his last 10 games. However, he still only has six goals on 77 shots on net, so there's still room for his shooting percentage to increase (though Cozens does admittedly tend to be on the lower end for a forward). Typically, Toronto is not a matchup you want to mess with, but Anthony Stolarz is out this weekend with an injury. Dennis Hildeby will probably make his third NHL start. He's allowed eight goals across his first two outings.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Hurricanes vs. Blue Jackets
Sebastian Aho (C - $7,700), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $7,200), Jack Roslovic (W - $4,500)
The only team that didn't play Saturday is home against a team in the bottom five in GAA. That makes for a fine stack opportunity to be sure. Even though Jet Greaves started Saturday, Elvis Merzlikins has a .888 save percentage, so it's not like things look any better for Sunday. Carolina's top line looked the best to me, as the second line, outside of Martin Necas, hasn't done much recently.
Aho has 30 points in 29 games, and that's with a 9.2 percent shooting rate. He came into this season with a career 15.2 percent shooting rate, so I expect the Finn to get even better. Svechnikov has 24 points and 93 shots on net. He's averaged a whopping 3:45 per game on the power play and has 13 points with the extra man. Columbus is, unsurprisingly, in the bottom 10 in penalty-kill percentage. Roslovic is finishing plays, as he has 13 goals on the year. He only has four assists, but three of them have come in his last eight games.
DEFENSEMAN
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. BUF ($4,900): He's taken a step back from his 58 points last season, but Rielly has 16 points in 30 games. A familiar face is in line to start for the Sabres in Toronto. James Reimer has a .879 save percentage over five outings this year and a .903 save percentage over his last seven campaigns.
