This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Happy Monday, NHL fans! What does our favorite hockey league have in store for us? Four games on the slate, and a slew of daily fantasy contests. Here are my recommendations for your lineup.
GOALIE
Jimmy Howard, DET vs. LOS ($8,500): Howard's 2.77 GAA isn't great, but relative to the scoring surge in the league this year it isn't too bad. Plus, the former Maine Black Bear has a .920 save percentage. This may not be that tough of a matchup, as the Kings have the worst offense in the NHL. Los Angeles has averaged only 2.20 goals and 27.9 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Mika Zibanejad, NYR at TAM ($7,100): Zibanejad has 26 points in 29 games, and 11 points in his last 11 contests. That's despite the fact he's shooting at 9.8 percent, well below his career average, so he could get even better. Louis Domingue's last three starts have gone well, but overall he has a 2.95 GAA and .906 save percentage.
Jeff Carter, LOS at DET ($6,000): Carter has been snake bit with a 7.3 percent shooting rate. However, he's staying active, as he's put 82 shots on net in 30 games. Howard has played well, but no matter who is in net for Detroit they've faced a lot of pucks. The Red Wings have allowed 34.1 shots on goal per contest.
WING
Anders Lee, NYI at PIT ($6,500): Lee is still scoring without John Tavares, he has 11 goals and 11 assists, mostly because he's stayed active. The 28-year-old has put 82 shots on net in 28 games. The Penguins' 3.18 GAA as a team doesn't have much to do with Casey DeSmith, who has played well, but Pittsburgh has allowed 32.1 shots on goal per contest.
Evander Kane, SAN vs. NJD ($6,000): After a bit of a lull, Kane has a goal in each of his last two games. However, he never stopped being active offensively, as he's put a whopping 115 shots on net in 31 games, and Kane has been a prolific shooter for years. Meanwhile, the Devils are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, and Keith Kinkaid has a 3.56 GAA and .885 save percentage in his last eight starts.
Gustav Nyquist, DET vs. LOS ($5,700): Nyquist's career appeared to have plateaued the last couple of seasons, but he's hot right now. The Swede has five goals and six assists over his last seven contests. He also has six points on the power play through 30 games. The power play could be where Nyquist finds success in this one, as the Kings have the 28th-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE
Ryan McDonagh, TAM vs. NYR ($4,900): McDonagh has 18 points on the season, and now he will look to have a big game against his former team. I like his odds, given how the Rangers have played on the road. Away from the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden, New York has a 4.14 GAA and has allowed 35.2 shots on net per contest.
Brenden Dillon, SAN vs. NJD ($3,600): Dillon isn't a big name, but he's been paired with Erik Karlsson recently on San Jose's top defensive duo. He hadn't exact been on fire offensively, but he does have four points in his last nine games. This is a great matchup, though. The Devils had a 4.21 GAA in away games prior to letting up five to Anaheim on Sunday, and they are also on the second leg of a back-to-back.
