A Guy Fawkes mask would be of little use to an NHL netminder, but there are five NHL games on the 5th of November. The first of these Wednesday games start at 7 p.m. ET. Here are some NHL DFS lineup recommendations to try and give your squads a boost. Good luck!
SLATE PREVIEW
While there were quite a few games on Tuesday and a solid number on the slate for Wednesday, only one team is on the second day of a back-to-back. That would be the Mammoth, who have taken the trip from Buffalo to Toronto for Wednesday's contest. Two teams are on the first leg of a back-to-back, but the only one that is pertinent is Washington. The gap between Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren is pretty substantial.
GOALIES
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. CHI ($8,200): I'll go with Demko over Spencer Knight in this matchup. Chicago has scored 3.00 goals per game compared to 2.71 for Vancouver, but Chicago has also averaged 25.2 shots on net per contest to 25.8 for Vancouver. Obviously, both of these teams have struggled to get pucks on net, but the Blackhawks' offense has been a bit lucky, and Demko gets to be at home. Demko also has a 2.57 GAA and .911 save percentage on the campaign.
Jet Greaves, CLM at CGY ($7,500): The Blue Jackets have been doing a proper goalie rotation, and Greaves is up for Wednesday. He's largely lived up to the promise he brought as a prospect, as he has a 2.67 GAA and .916 save percentage in six starts. Greaves also got a lucky draw in said rotation in getting the Flames. Calgary is last in the NHL at 2.14 goals per contest.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Aliaksei Protas, WAS vs. STL ($5,400): Protas has come out of the gate asserting last season was no fluke. He had 30 goals and 36 assists last year, and through 12 games this season he has five goals and five assists. The Blues have really struggled to start this campaign, and goaltending has been a major issue. They have a 4.00 GAA, tied for the highest in the NHL.
Nicholas Robertson, TOR vs. UTA ($3,700): Robertson has gotten the chance to step into the spot next to Auston Matthews that once belonged to Mitch Marner. He's no Marner, obviously, but he has six points in his last five games. The Mammoth are, as noted, playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. Vitek Vanecek should be grabbing the start. While he has a .913 save percentage in three appearances this year, Vanecek has a career .902 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Kraken vs. Sharks
Matty Beniers (C - $5,000), Jordan Eberle (W - $4,700), Eeli Tolvanen (W - $3,900)
I mentioned the Blues are tied for the highest GAA in the NHL. They are tied with the Sharks. While the Blues will likely improve, I do not think the Sharks will. Part of that is San Jose has also given up 31.6 shots on net per contest. It's a fun team with a porous defense that lacks the difference makers the offensive group now has. The Kraken's top line has the ability to take advantage of that.
Beniers bounced back a bit last season from a sophomore slump, but there is still another step he needs to take. He has eight points through 12 games, and that's with a 9.5 shooting percentage that should improve. Seattle's first proper captain, Eberle, has seen a huge jump in ice time, and has five goals and five assists to start this campaign. He's also put at least three shots on net in five of 12 outings. Tolvanen scored 23 goals last year, so I think he will eventually light the lamp. He may have zero goals to start this season, but he has four assists and he's on a three-game point streak.
DEFENSEMEN
Vince Dunn, SEA vs. SAN ($5,200): Dunn has tallied seven points through 12 games, and it's a good time to remember the last time he played a full season he notched 64 points. He also has tallied three of those points with the extra man. In addition to me feeling confident the Sharks will finish in the bottom five in GAA and shots on net allowed per game, I believe they will finish in the bottom five in penalty-kill percentage as well. Naturally, that is where they are right now.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. CLM ($4,200): While I'd roster Greaves in goal, I think Andersson is viable for your lineup as well. He's averaged 2:16 per game on the power play, and he's tallied 35 shots on net through 14 games. The Blue Jackets have allowed a league-high 34.0 shots on goal per contest, and they have a bottom-five penalty kill. It's not that I think Greaves is going to notch a shutout. Even if he only allows two goals, Andersson could get himself on the score sheet.
