This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Friday's five-game slate is very Eastern-heavy, with the late Blackhawks-Flames showdown serving as the only Western Conference representation for the night. The Metropolitan Division in particular will provide the bulk of the action, with six of its eight teams taking the ice. Quality of play should be exceptionally high with each of the league's top five teams in action, and there should be no shortage of fantasy value with six of the 10 squads playing ranking among the top 10 in scoring. Below you'll find the likeliest sources of that value, both for Friday itself and in the long term.
Featured Matchups
Penguins (PP:[5], PK:[20]) at Islanders (PP:[27], PK:[23]), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Marc-Andre Fleury (6-3-2, 3.32, .903), Jaroslav Halak (3-5-3, 3.09, .904)
Key Injuries:Mikhail Grabovski (concussion), Dennis Seidenberg (jaw), Patric Hornqvist (concussion), Matt Murray (head)
Fleury struggled in relief after Murray took an errant stick to the head in Wednesday's loss to Washington, but gets an excellent opportunity to rebound against an Islanders team that has given up over three goals per game while scoring only 2.5. New York has struggled defensively all season, so top Penguins forwards should have a field day. Expect Sidney Crosby to get back to the form that saw him score 10 goals in his first nine appearances after coming up empty with a minus-3 rating Wednesday. Conor Sheary shouldn't lack for chances as Crosby's left winger on the first line, while Bryan Rust could benefit from Evgeni Malkin's playmaking abilities on the second line. The Islanders have been underperforming, with nobody within six points of the injured Seidenberg's plus-10 rating.
Red Wings (PP:[15], PK:[27]) at Capitals (PP:[21], PK:[13]), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jimmy Howard (4-3-0, 1.80, .943), Braden Holtby (8-3-1, 2.06, .925)
Key Injuries:Johan Franzen (concussion), Darren Helm (upper body), Tomas Jurco (back), Thomas Vanek (hip)
Holtby will be in net for the second straight contest after backup Philipp Grubauer previously started in consecutive games, and draws an excellent matchup against a Red Wings team that ranks in the bottom third with just 2.47 goals scored per game. Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie proved they can do just fine away from Alex Ovechkin by scoring two goals apiece in Wednesday's win over the Capitals while skating on a line with Marcus Johansson. Three of the team's four players with 12 or more points are on that line, leaving Ovechkin to create for himself alongside the less-skilled Jay Beagle and Andre Burakovsky. His power-play prowess should leave the star Russian's stock intact, but countryman Evgeny Kuznetsov continues to trend downward and now finds himself on the third line. Howard struggled in his last outing for Detroit after a hot start, and will need to rebound here if he wants to continue challenging Petr Mrazek for the No. 1 job. Second-year forward Dylan Larkin leads the injury-riddled Red Wings with five goals, but has been wholly unimpressive otherwise with just one assist and a minus-6 rating.
Blackhawks (PP:[14], PK:[30]) at Flames (PP:[28], PK:[29]), 9:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Corey Crawford (8-4-2, 2.18, .928), Brian Elliott (3-8-0, 3.36, .882)
Key Injuries:Johnny Gaudreau (finger), Ladislav Smid (neck), Kris Versteeg (groin), Trevor van Riemsdyk (upper body)
Expect some power-play production in this battle of the league's two worst penalty killing teams to date. Elliott faced the Blackhawks plenty as the longtime netminder in St. Louis. He's 7-8-1 with a 2.50 GAA and .910 save percentage in 18 lifetime appearances against them, including a 1-1-0 record this season. The veteran hasn't won since Oct. 28, and is starting to see his starting job slip away to Chad Johnson, who started and won both games of Calgary's Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back. Dennis Wideman currently leads the Flames with three power-play points, but Michael Frolik is the team's leading scorer overall with 12.The missing Gaudreau is the only other Flames player with over seven points on the season. Chicago has eight guys with at least 10 points, including 37-year-old Marian Hossa, who surprisingly leads the team with six power-play points despite his advanced age.
Other Matchups
Rangers (PP:[3], PK:[8]) at Blue Jackets (PP:[1], PK:[10]), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Henrik Lundqvist (9-4-0, 2.24, .920), Sergei Bobrovsky (8-4-1, 2.22, .933)
Key Injuries:Seth Jones (foot), Pavel Buchnevich (back), Chris Kreider (upper body)
The two starting netminders have posted very similar statistics, and these two teams rank first and second in goals per game. New York should have a slight edge at even strength, while Columbus' usual special teams advantage is much less pronounced in what promises to be a highly competitive divisional rivalry game. If you think New York's offense trumps Bobrovsky's goaltending, there are a bevy of high-scoring Rangers to choose from. Thirteen Broadway Blueshirts have already reached double-digit points, while offseason addition Michael Grabner holds the team lead with 10 goals, and has recently been elevated from the third line to the first.
Canadiens (PP:[7], PK:[17]) at Hurricanes (PP:[12], PK:[1]), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Al Montoya (3-2-1, 3.14, .909), Cam Ward (4-4-3, 2.51, .908)
Key Injuries:Bryan Bickell (illness), Artturi Lehkonen (upper body), Alexander Radulov (illness)
Montoya makes for a decent daily streamer, as the Canadiens will be heavily favored despite starting their backup on the road. Montreal defensemen Shea Weber and Andrei Markov have picked up seven and five points on the man advantage, respectively, but their value could be limited by Carolina's top-ranked penalty kill. The only Hurricanes with double-digit points this season are linemates Jeff Skinner (13) and Victor Rask (12). They're also tied for the team lead at six goals apiece.
Recommended Pickup
Conor Sheary, LW, PIT - Sheary has been on fire since returning from an eye injury, posting five points and a plus-6 rating in five games. The 24-year-old has fired at least three shots on goal in three of his last four games, and should continue to see plenty of open ice while skating on the top line with Sidney Crosby. He scored just 10 points in 44 games as a rookie last season, but it's time to consider that Sheary's eight points in nine games are indicative of major offseason growth. Sheary won't be available much longer if he keeps producing like this, so scoop him up before it's too late.
