This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Saturday is the start of bowl season, but it's so much more than that. There are nine NHL games taking place Saturday night, and here are my recommendations for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Thomas Greiss, NYI vs. DET ($7,800): Greiss has had a borderline miraculous rebound from a disastrous campaign last season. Thanks in part to the presence of Barry Trotz behind the bench, the netminder has a 2.58 GAA and .918 save percentage. The Wings have only managed 28.9 shots on goal per game, at least prior to Friday's game, and yes, Detroit is on the road for the second game of a back-to-back for this one, which bodes well for Greiss.
CENTER
Anze Kopitar, LOS at PIT ($5,000): Kopitar got off to a bad start to the season, but he has 14 points in his last 15 games. Plus, he's averaged 3:01 per game on the power play, which usually leads to offensive success. The Penguins will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday. Casey DeSmith started Friday, so Matt Murray may get his first start since returning from IR. That could be good for the Slovenian center, as Murray has a 4.08 GAA and .877 save percentage.
Kyle Turris, NAS vs. NJD ($3,800): Turris is back from injured reserve, and he got an assist in his first game. He's also started 70.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Nashville's regulars. The Devils are another team playing the second half of a back-to-back, and while they tried to save Keith Kinkaid for this game, he was forced into action Friday anyway. Kinkaid, for his part, has a 4.12 GAA and .874 save percentage over his last seven starts.
WING
Tomas Tatar, MON vs. OTT ($5,600): Tatar's first year in Montreal is going great, as he has 12 goals and 12 assists through 32 games. Even if you don't believe he can keep this up, hold off on your skepticism until after this matchup. The Senators have the league's worst GAA, and they've allowed the most shots on net per game in the league. To sweeten the pot, Ottawa is also on the road for the second night of a back-to-back.
Josh Bailey, NYI vs. DET ($4,700): Bailey has tallied 24 points in 30 games, even without John Tavares around. He remains a real power-play maven, as he has nine points with the extra man after having 31 last year. Since Jimmy Howard started yesterday for the Wings, Jonathan Bernier may be in net. He has struggled to the tune of a 3.66 GAA and .884 save percentage.
Nikolay Goldobin, VAN vs. PHI ($4,000): Goldobin was a healthy scratch a few games ago, but it seems to have lit a fire under him. In his last four games he has three points, and he's skating with Vancouver's top line. He also plays a lot of minutes with the extra man (2:47 per game), and the Flyers have the league's worst penalty kill. As luck would have it, Philly is another team on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF at WAS ($5,500): For now, Ristolainen is still the best Rasmus on Buffalo. He's also been hot recently, as he has 11 points and 34 shots on net in his last 12 contests. Washington is yet another team finishing off a back-to-back Saturday. Pheonix Copley may be in net, and he has a 2.95 GAA and .902 save percentage.
Jake Gardiner, TOR at FLA ($4,500): Gardiner is finally providing secondary scoring from the blue line for the Maple Leafs, as he has eight points in his last six contests. As for the Panthers, they have a 3.57 GAA, which is bottom five in the NHL. On top of that, Roberto Luongo has given up four goals in each of his last three starts.
