This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a light Friday with six games on tap. The Wild, Kings and Sabres will be playing the second half of their back-to-back while the Avalanche, Canadiens and Senators will be on their opener. Colorado just had a consecutive block last weekend, and Friday marks their first action since.
The Jets vs. Avs and Panthers vs. Sabres will be the marquee matchups to watch as all four are jostling for playoff position.
GOALIES
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. LA ($8,400): Sorokin has been excellent of late, even though the team in front of him hasn't looked great. The Isles are shorthanded with numerous injuries, but Sorokin will be aiming for his fourth straight win after only allowing seven goals on 116 shots in his previous three appearances. He'll be facing a Kings squad that might be tired after playing the Devils Thursday. This will also be the first time Sorokin has ever faced the Kings during his career.
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. OTT ($7,800): Andersen is also gunning for his fourth consecutive victory after stopping 93 of 97 pucks across the last three. The Sens are 7-2-1 in their past 10 and could be an even tougher matchup with Cam Talbot expected to start, but the Canes have historically dominated this series having only lost four times since 2017.
VALUE PLAYS
Anthony Duclair, FLA vs. BUF ($3,500): Duclair is expected to be activated from injured reserve on Friday and make his season debut on the third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Nick Cousins. He boasts decent upside after notching 58 points in 74 games last year, but Paul Maurice probably won't break up their current top-six. Duclair's unlikely to log significant minutes following a lengthy recovery from an Achilles injury, though he's expected to see time on the second power play.
Wade Allison, PHI vs. MON ($4,200): Allison has tallied two points on four shots over two outings, which snapped a six-game drought. He lines up with Scott Laughton and Noah Cates, and even recently managed to get an occasional shift on the man-advantage. Allison's offensive upside isn't very high, but Philly's previous matchup with the Habs featured eight goals and Montreal may be fatigued on their fourth straight road game.
LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Wild
Ryan O'Reilly (C - $4,700), John Tavares (C - $8,000), Mitch Marner (W - $7,900)
It'll be a matchup between an unstoppable force after the Leafs' new-look second line combined for 13 points last time out against an immovable object in Filip Gustavsson, who has been one of the league's best goalies in 2023. The Wild may struggle defensively after placing Jonas Brodin on injured reserve and may not have the depth to handle both of Toronto's scoring lines. Note Tavares is listed as a center, though he's playing left wing on this trio and shares faceoff duties with O'Reilly.
Sabres at Panthers
Tage Thompson (C - $10,000), Jeff Skinner (W - $7,400), Alex Tuch (W - $7,800)
The Sabres have been much better on the road (17-8-2) than at home (11-15-2) this season, and all three members of their first group have produced more offense away from Buffalo. Tuch has registered 11 more points on the road. The Panthers' defensive and goaltending woes have been well-documented this season, including expected starter Sergei Bobrovsky having given up three or more goals in four of his last five appearances.
DEFENSEMEN
Brandon Montour, FLA vs. BUF ($7,200): Montour's three-game point streak was halted last time out, but not without trying as he directed six shots on goal against Anaheim. The Sabres' penalty kill ranks 30th, which should provide a lot of opportunities for Montour as he quarterbacks the top power play with Aaron Ekblad.
Samuel Girard, COL at WPG ($4,800): With Cale Makar out, look for Girard to log significantly more ice time. He's going to get a chance to extend his assist streak to four and should skate on the lead pairing with Devon Toews at even strength and with Bowen Byram on the backup man-advantage. Byram ($5,700) also represents a solid D option as he's notched two goals and five points in his last five games.
