This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
It's Wednesday and it's another short stack of games in the National Hockey League. However, you can expect plenty of action and high scores with some shaky defense and goaltenders taking to the ice.
While conference basketball tournaments are heating up in college basketball, don't forget to check in on the pucks. There is a lot of good action and jockeying for playoff positioning. Plus, hockey is way better. As I always tell my anti-hockey friends - everyone can run, but not everyone can skate.
Featured Matchups
Senators (PP: 22, PK: 12) at Stars (PP: 17, PK: 30), 8:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Craig Anderson (19-8-1, 2.24, .930), Kari Lehtonen (16-19-6, 2.87, .905)
Key Injuries:Mattias Janmark (knee), Antoine Roussel (hand), Clarke MacArthur (concussion), Chris Neil (finger), Bobby Ryan (finger)
The Senators hit the road looking for their fifth victory in six tries while the Stars look for their sixth win in eight outings. In other words, both of these teams have been hot. Ottawa has had difficulty over the years against Dallas, however, going just 2-8 in the past 10 meetings, including 1-4 in their past five trips to the Metroplex. That makes Kari Lehtonen an intriguing play. He has won four of his past five starts, allowing two or fewer goals in three of his past four outings. It's no thanks to the Dallas penalty-kill unit, which ranks dead last in the NHL. Jamie Benn enters play on a seven-game point streak, posting five goals with 10 points and a plus-5 rating. Newcomer Alex Burrows has fit in nicely with the Sens, posting two multi-point performances over his past three outings. Erik Karlsson is on another hot streak, too, potting three goals with 12 points over his past 10 games. He also leads the NHL with 174 blocked shots, 16 more than any other player in the league.
Penguins (PP: 3, PK: 19) at Jets (PP: 21, PK: 25), 8:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Matt Murray (24-8-3, 2.35, .925), Connor Hellebuyck (22-16-3, 2.74, .911)
Key Injuries:Trevor Daley (knee), Marc-Andre Fleury (illness), Kris Letang (upper body), Olli Maatta (hand), Derrick Pouliot (illness),Bryan Rust (arm), Tyler Myers (lower body), Ondrej Pavelec (knee)
The Penguins enter well rested, off since Sunday. They're 8-3 in their past 11 outings when playing on two days' rest. On the other hand, the Jets are just 2-15 in their past 17 against the Metropolitan Division, so Matt Murray is going to be a popular DFS selection with a short slate. However, keep in mind that the Penguins have dropped four of their past five games on the road, so nothing is sure thing. Facing the Jets poor penalty kill might be just what the Pens need to get on track on the road, though. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get all the attention, but Justin Schultz is a top-flight fantasy option in the Steel City. He has two goals and five points over his past five games and is a stud on the power play. The Kelowna, B.C. native has two power-play goals and 16 total points on the man advantage.
Red Wings (PP: 30, PK: 14) at Bruins (PP: 13, PK: 1), 8:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jared Coreau (5-3-3, 3.27, .893), Tuukka Rask (30-16-4, 2.28, .913)
Key Injuries:Ryan Spooner (concussion), Jonathan Ericsson (wrist), Johan Franzen (concussion), Jimmy Howard (knee), Ryan Sproul (knee), Joe Vitale (concussion)
The Red Wings have the worst power-play unit in the league and they're facing the league's No. 1 penalty-kill unit. It's not likely to be a very successful evening for the winged wheel in Beantown. On the flip side, Torey Krug picked up a pair of assists last time out for Boston, and he has netted four goals with 15 assists on the power play this season. While his minus-9 rating hasn't been great for some fantasy owners, he is a fantastic value in formats not using the category. Gustav Nyquist netted both goals in Tuesday's loss in Toronto and he could be a nice mid-tier DFS option as he enters with renewed confidence.
Recommended Pickup
Mathieu Perreault, C, WPG - Perreault has had a difficult season, but he is starting to make up for lost time lately. He has three goals and 11 points with a plus-9 rating over his past eight games, jelling rather nicely with Mark Scheifele and stud rookie Patrik Laine. Perreault has been under owned in most seasonal fantasy formats, but strike while the iron is hot.
