This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Watch college hoops or watch hockey - it's up to you. Either way, there are seven NHL games starting at 7 p.m. EDT or later. I have my recommendations for your Saturday DFS lineups. Maybe you won't be cutting down any nets, but you could be raking in some cash!
SLATE PREVIEW
Two teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday. The Devils are at home against the Senators, but they are top-six in GAA and shots allowed. On the flip side, the Blue Jackets are visiting the Canadiens, and both sides are near the bottom in terms of defensive metrics.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. VAN ($8,500): The Canucks have actually been on a good run, even if they have nothing to play for. However, they're on the road facing a Stars team looking to finish atop their division and have more at stake. This time of year, that can matter. Oettinger has posted a 2.51 GAA and .916 save percentage. The Canucks rank 11th in average goals, but Bo Horvat was dealt and the team has lost some players to injury.
Joel Hofer, STL at ANA ($6,900): Hofer was called up from the AHL and has made the last four starts for the Blues. The rookie has impressed with a 1.32 GAA and .959 save percentage. It hasn't been the toughest slate, but this is an easier matchup than anything Hofer has faced so far since the Ducks have averaged 2.54 goals per game, 31st in the NHL.
VALUE PLAYS
Brayden Schenn, STL at ANA ($5,400): Schenn has recorded at least one point in six of his last seven games. And on the year, he's averaged 2:40 with the extra man to go with 15 power-play points. The Ducks maintain the 30th-ranked penalty kill and also sit last in GAA and shots allowed.
Kirby Dach, MON vs. CLM (4,900): In two games since returning from injury, Dach has notched three points and five shots. As I noted, the Blue Jackets are away for the second leg of a back-to-back. They're also bottom-three in GAA and shots allowed.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Capitals at Penguins
Nicklas Backstrom (C - $4,900), T.J. Oshie (W - $5,600), Sonny Milano (W - $4,300)
The Penguins have allowed 33.1 shots on net per game, putting them bottom-eight in the NHL. Pittsburgh's goaltending situation is also troublesome. Tristan Jarry has played poorly since returning from injury, but he's also banged up. Casey DeSmith seems primed to start Saturday, and he enters with a 3.11 GAA and .907 save percentage. Maybe a matchup between the Caps and Pens isn't as exciting as it used to be, but this is a good opportunity to stack Washington's second line.
Backstrom missed a lot of time with injury, but has still managed 11 points in his last 17 games. That includes eight power-play points, and the Penguins list the 15th-ranked penalty kill. Speaking of the man-advantage, Oshie has nine PPGs over 54 outings. He's also tallied 15 points in his last 14. Milano doesn't participate on the power play, but that hasn't stopped him from producing with nine points in his last 11.
Stars vs. Canucks
Wyatt Johnston (C - $4,800), Jamie Benn (W - $7,700), Evgenii Dadonov (W - $4,100)
The Canucks come in with a 3.69 GAA, which actually represents improvement from their early performance. It's also still in the bottom-six, and that goes along with the league's worst penalty kill. Only one of this trio earns regular power-play minutes, but that's enough in this matchup.
Johnston really had a five-game goal streak. And over his last 14 games, he's racked up 12 points and 37 shots. Benn has been on fire with 24 points in 15. He's the one of these three who lines up on the top power play, and has registered 26 PPPs on the year. Since being dealt to the Stars, Dadonov has looked solid with nine points across 12 appearances. He also had a 5.6 shooting percentage while in Montreal, so a turnaround in his puck luck was to be expected.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. VAN ($7,000): Heiskanen's breakthrough campaign has not slowed down. He's riding a 12-game point streak to give him 61 in 68 games. The power play has been a key part of that with 26 PPPs. And as just noted, the Canucks sit last in the league on the penalty kill.
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. VGK ($6,800): Nurse's power-play minutes didn't increase when Tyson Barrie was dealt, but he's picked up his production with 11 points over his last 16 games, including a current three-game scoring streak. Jonathan Quick is likely to start for the Golden Knights, and the 37-year-old has managed a 3.41 GAA and .882 save percentage this season.
