This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There's eight games on Thursday's NHL slate with a plethora of players to choose from and an interesting matchup between the Rangers and Senators. Here are some recommendations…
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, EDM vs. LAK ($7,700): Talbot has had a rough season, and if it turns out Mikko Koskinen is getting the start, I would be more confident in him. That said, this is still a great matchup for Talbot. The Kings have only averaged 2.17 goals per game, lowest in the NHL. They've also only managed 28.0 shots on net per contest, while the Oilers have only given up an average of 29.8 shots.
CENTER
Mika Zibanejad, NYR at OTT ($7,100): Zibanejad is off to a great start to the season, even though his 9.2 shooting percentage is below his career average. He's notched 21 points in 25 games, including seven on the power play. Meanwhile, the Senators have a 4.28 GAA and the league's worst penalty kill. That certainly bodes well for Zibanejad.
Cody Eakin, VGK at VAN ($4,600): Over his last 12 games, Eakin has tallied 12 points. Sure, his 30.3 shooting percentage is destined to go down, but for now he's hot and centering Vegas' second line with Erik Haula out. As for Vancouver, it has a 3.48 team GAA, bottom five in the NHL.
WING
Mark Stone, OTT vs. NYR ($6,600): Stone has had a fantastic November with 20 points in 14 games. He's a proven goal scorer, as he has at least 20 goals in each of his last four seasons. The Rangers have a 3.04 team GAA, which is smack dab in the middle of the league, but they've also allowed 33.3 shots on average.
Kyle Connor, WPG vs. CHI ($5,800): Connor broke out last season with 31 goals and 26 assists as a rookie. That's earned him bigger minutes, including on the power play, where he's averaged 3:20 per game. He's made the most of the extra ice time, tallying 24 points in 23 games. The Blackhawks have a 3.56 GAA and have given up 33.5 shots on net per contest, and even Corey Crawford is struggling with a 2.98 GAA and a .907 save percentage.
Sam Reinhart, BUF at TB ($5,100): Reinhart is skating with Buffalo's top line alongside Jeff Skinner and Jack Eichel, which is a good place to be. He only has three goals, but he has 14 assists, including six on the power play. Andrei Vasilevskiy is out, which means Louis Domingue will likely be in goal. He has a 3.19 GAA and .903 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Neal Pionk, NYR at OTT ($4,800): It appears that Pionk is now the leading offensive force on the blue line for the Rangers. He has 15 points through 23 games, including 11 with the extra man. That power-play success certainly could come into play in this matchup. After all, the Senators have the league's worst penalty kill.
Colin Miller, VGK at VAN ($4,400): Miller has tallied 10 points in his last 11 games. He's obviously hot, but last year he had a somewhat-quiet 41 points, including 17 on the power play. As previously noted, the Canucks have team goaltending ratios of 3.48 and .890.
