This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Penguins are coming off another crushing loss to the Islanders and have now lost four of their past five, three of them in overtime. The Devils, meanwhile, have already won five games in November after winning just two in October. The two teams faced off last Friday with the Devils winning 2-1 despite being heavily outshot 39-21.
The Senators continue their strong play and if not for the loser point would be within a point of a wild card spot. They've won six of their past eight while the Rangers remain inconsistent, losing to Tampa and Florida by a combined 13-6 score but then beating the Caps by three goals.
GOALIES
Tristan Jarry ($7,700) will be a popular choice with the Pens at home and a solid 32-save performance against the Leafs. But don't underestimate MacKenzie Blackwood ($7,100) and his ability to steal games. This will be a tough test for the Devils, who most recently lost 5-1 to Boston and now have to prove that their previous defeat of the Pens was no fluke. The Pens outshot the Devils by 18 and Blackwood made 38 saves to pull out the win last time.
There's no contest: Henrik Lundqvist ($7,800) is a far superior goalie to either of the Sens' goalies. The problem with the Rangers is that they can't string together two good games, and after a win against the Caps no one would be surprised if they somehow lost in a high-scoring contest. Anders Nilsson ($8,500) should get the start based on the rotation but if he wins, it might be ugly, so his price tag is tough to swallow.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Senators winger Max Veronneau ($3,000) is an offensive forward who showed well late last season but was cut from camp and now gets a chance to stick with the big club. His ice time is very limited – just eight minutes per game – but his talent is evident and he's playing on the second PP unit.
Blake Coleman ($3,700) has a point in four straight games and he's pretty good against the Pens in his career with five goals in 10 games, more than any other team he's faced. Don't read too much in Coleman playing on the "fourth line"; John Hynes spreads out his ice time and Coleman is one of his most dependable wingers.
Jared McCann ($4,500) is really looking like a legit top-six forward who could maybe one day flirt with 30 goals. He's playing at a point-per-game pace this month and his underlying possession numbers have been good all season. He has three goals and four assists in his past seven games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
New York Rangers (TOTAL: $17,800)
C – Ryan Strome ($5,500)
W – Artemi Panarin ($8,600)
W – Jesper Fast ($3,700)
Pick any of the top three Rangers lines that fit your budget; they've all been playing well recently. Strome and Panarin offer additional upside playing on the top power-play unit, while Fast is the team's most trusted penalty killer. Filip Chytil between Pavel Buchnevich and Chris Kreider ($15,600) have been good, and Kaapo Kakko's play has elevated both Brett Howden and Brendan Lemieux's play ($12,100) as well.
Ottawa Senators (TOTAL: $14,500)
C – Logan Brown ($3,600)
W – Brady Tkachuk ($6,100)
W – Anthony Duclair ($4,800)
A cheap price to pay for a line that's been playing very well. Since D.J. Smith put them together they've been on the ice for five goals and just one goal against. The Rangers, meanwhile, are one of the league's worst possession teams and allow the second-most shots per game.
DEFENSEMEN
Anthony DeAngelo ($4,700) remains a top option as long as he quarterbacks the top power play unit. Adam Fox ($3,800) runs the second unit and he's done a very good job with four helpers in seven games. The Senators PK ranks 17th and the Rangers PP is 10th.
P.K. Subban ($4,600) might be a popular pick but until he starts scoring there's little value in picking him. If blocked shots and shots are all you're going to get, you're better off going with Jacob Trouba ($4,400).
Brian Dumoulin ($4,200) and Marcus Pettersson ($3,600) took over power-play duties with Justin Schultz and Kris Letang out and it went about as well as you'd expect for two guys who've never scored more than 25 points in a season. The Pens PP went 0-for-3, but there's some upside potential as long as they play with Evgeni Malkin. There may be more upside in John Marino ($3,600), who has six points in eight games and quickly becoming a trusted top-four defenseman.
