Friday's six-game slate will feature the Flyers, Capitals and Red Wings, all of whom remain in contention for the wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Friday, April 5. Six-game slate.
* = confirmed
Ivan Fedotov, PHI* at Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF* (7 p.m. ET)
Darcy Kuemper, WSH* at Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR* (7 p.m. ET)
Jonathan Quick, NYR* at Alex Lyon, DET* (7 p.m. ET)
Alexandar Georgiev, COL* at Stuart Skinner, EDM* (9 p.m. ET)
Philipp Grubauer, SEA* at Lukáš Dostál, ANA* (10 p.m. ET)
Logan Thompson, VEG* at Karel Vejmelka, ARI* (10 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
(ranked by matchup)
Joey Daccord, SEA at ANA (52% rostered)
With the Kraken breaking from their usual rotation and starting Philipp Grubauer two straight games, the most recent one a 5-2 loss to the Kings, I think Daccord gets this start. He's won only once in his past seven appearances, but he's posted a save percentage of at least .909 in all of them save for the one game he was pulled.
Daccord shut out the Ducks just a week ago after facing 12 shots, and while I think he'll face stiffer competition this time, the Kraken definitely have the upper hand in this one. Daccord should be one of the top streaming options for Friday's games.
Editor's note: Grubauer led the team on the ice and it looks like he will start against the Ducks. He's a good streaming option as the Kraken look to complete the season sweep against the Ducks.
Jonathan Quick, NYR at DET (37% rostered)
Igor Shesterkin will get a quick breather here before Sunday's match against the Habs. Quick will be going for his fifth straight win even though his performances have been a little uneven lately.
I think the Rangers still come into this game with some momentum even though it'll be difficult to reach the emotional high from a thrilling 4-3 win against the Devils. I'm not convinced Quick can post strong peripheral numbers here, but the Rangers are the definite favorite and should earn the win.
Samuel Ersson, PHI at BUF (35% rostered)
This is the first game of a back-to-back for the Flyers with the Jackets on Saturday, and I do wonder if Ivan Fedotov gets the start here. Regardless, the Sabres offense absolutely terrifies me, especially this late in the season. Tage Thompson has scored 13 goals and 24 points in 26 games and the Flyers have allowed 3.46 goals per game during that span, the seventh-highest in the league.
Editor's note: It looks like Fedotov will get the start today, the first start of his NHL career. The towering netminder impressed in his first NHL appearance (19 of 21 saves, .905 SP) in relief for Ersson, and John Tortorella noted as much in his post-game presser.
Starting a game is a different story, however, and as much as I'm pulling for Fedotov, this remains a really tough matchup. Without much of a track record to rely on, Fedotov obviously is a risky start. If you don't mind venturing into the unknown, Fedotov and the Flyers have a chance to earn the win; how they get there is the big question mark.
Lukáš Dostál, ANA vs. SEA (13% rostered)
Dostál gets his third straight start, which is great for him, but the odds of the Ducks winning this matchup remain low. They've already lost twice previously to the Kraken, including a shutout loss in which they mustered just 12 shots.
The best you're hoping for in this matchup is a good save percentage and plenty of saves from Dostál.
Alex Lyon, DET vs. NYR (36% rostered)
Lyon's been excellent in three of his past four starts and the Wings are coming off a three-day break, but the Rangers are arguably the best team in the league. The good news is Lyon has been much better at home (12-7-2, .917 SP, 2.55 GAA) at home than on the road, so I do concede there's some upset potential here.
However, you're rolling the dice on a team that hasn't been playing particularly well and has some trouble scoring goals. The Rangers, meanwhile, have won six of their past seven. The Wings have a chance if Lyon plays really well, the offense provides some support and the Rangers somehow fail to match the emotional high from their 4-3 win against the Devils following a line brawl to start the game. That's a lot that has to happen for the Wings, and I think the best you're going to get from this matchup is a lot of saves and a good save percentage.
Karel Vejmelka, ARI vs. VEG (21% rostered)
Vejmelka allowed six goals on 30 shots in his previous start, snapping a three-game personal winning streak. While I think the Coyotes' offense can provide good goal support, they're definitely a few tiers below the Knights, who have been one of the league's best teams since the trade deadline. This is a risky start in any fantasy league format.
Darcy Kuemper, WSH at CAR (43% rostered)
The Caps are playing the second half of a back-to-back and have lost four in a row. The Canes will be a tough opponent and Kuemper just doesn't breed a lot of confidence. It would take a Herculean effort from him to steal this game. Pass.