Rookie Jesper Wallstedt gets another start following his shutout performance while the Eastern Conference playoff race continues with the Flyers, Islanders, Capitals and Red Wings all in action.
Saturday, April 13. 13-game slate.
* = confirmed
Ilya Sorokin, NYI* at Igor Shesterkin, NYR* (12:30 p.m. ET)
Philipp Grubauer, SEA* at Jake Oettinger, DAL* (3 p.m. ET)
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG* at Alexandar Georgie, COL* (4 p.m. ET)
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF* at Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA* (5 p.m. ET)
Kaapo Kahkonen, NJ* at Samuel Ersson, PHI* (5 p.m. ET)
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB* at Charlie Lindgren, WSH* (5:30 p.m. ET)
Cayden Primeau, MTL* at Joonas Korpisalo, OTT* (7 p.m. ET)
James Reimer, DET* at Ilya Samsonov, TOR* (7 p.m. ET)
Jet Greaves, CLB* at Juuse Saros, NSH (8 p.m. ET)
Linus Ullmark, BOS* at Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT* (8 p.m. ET)
Casey DeSmith, VAN* at Stuart Skinner, EDM* (10 p.m. ET)
Lukas Dostal, ANA at David Rittich, LA* (10:30 p.m. ET)
Jesper Wallstedt, MIN* at Mackenzie Blackwood, SJ* (10:30 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
(ranked by matchup)
Jesper Wallstedt, MIN at SJ (13% rostered)
Wallstedt's coming off a 24-save shutout and he will be a popular stream against the Sharks. Note the Sharks have the potential to surprise, and the Wild are playing a lineup heavy on rookies and young players and thin on experience. No matter; the Wild should be able to win this decision even though Wallstedt can be a risk due to his inexperience. Based on his potential and his previous performance, however, I don't mind rolling the dice here.
David Rittich, LA vs. ANA (17% rostered)
I suspect we will see Rittich at least once before the end of the season, and I'm not sure the Kings are too concerned who they'll face in the first round. They'll likely face the Oilers as the third seed in the Pacific or a division winner as one of the wild cards.
If Rittich starts in this matchup, I definitely don't mind streaming him. He's obviously not the most reliable goalie, but he's had three quality starts in his past five appearances, including two shutouts. The Kings have won two of their past three meetings and only lost due to an excellent performance from Lukas Dostal.
Scott Wedgewood, DAL vs. SEA (13% rostered)
I suspect Wedgewood gets this start and Jake Oettinger gets the season finale at home before the playoffs begin. On the other hand, Oettinger could get this start because a win would lock up the division title, and if they can accomplish that, then maybe Wedgewood gets the season finale in a meaningless game.
Wedgewood has not been particularly sharp and the Kraken have won five of their past eight, but note three of the Sharks' wins were against the lowly Ducks. Regardless of who starts, I do like this matchup for the Stars.
Joonas Korpisalo, OTT vs. MTL (51% rostered)
Korpisalo has been excellent lately with only five goals allowed in his past three games, betrayed only by a subpar Sens offense. The Sens have dominated this matchup in recent years with eight straight wins. Korpisalo is 2-0-0 with a .938 SP and 1.50 GAA this season against the Habs.
Samuel Ersson, PHI vs. NJ (31% rostered)
I'm inspired by Ersson's excellent performance in a 4-1 win against the Rangers in what was basically a must-win game for the Flyers. This is another key game and you hope the previous game was a sign the Flyers are turning it around. They had dominated puck possession during their losing streak only to face red-hot backup goalies, but that's unlikely to be the case against the Devils. With a depleted offense that's without Jack Hughes, I don't mind Ersson in this matchup.
Cayden Primeau, MTL at OTT (5% rostered)
By the same token, all streaks must end at some point, right? Primeau's been a bit of a wild card this season because he's capable of putting in really strong performances and potentially stealing games. However, given the Habs' poor record against the Sens in recent years and Primeau's inconsistency, I'm not sure there's a whole lot of upside other than a good save percentage.
Jake Allen, NJ at PHI (31% rostered)
I wouldn't be surprised if Kaapo Kahkonen gets this start, but I feel the result would be pretty similar. The shine on Allen has worn off after a blistering start with the Devils, and he's won just three times in his past seven appearances, including four games where he had a save percentage lower than .900.
Without a good offense to help him, and knowing that the Flyers will likely outplay them, I would rather avoid Allen and take a chance on someone else.
Philipp Grubauer, SEA at DAL (33% rostered)
Grubauer was brilliant in a 39-save shutout against the Utah-bound Coyotes, but this is a much tougher matchup. He'll likely get this game since Joey Daccord started the previous game, thus leaving Sunday's matchup in St. Louis for Daccord as the Kraken complete their back-to-back. Grubauer has been playing well and that's the only reason I would risk it with Grubauer, who's generally been unreliable. The Stars are trying to lock up the division title, and preferably before their season finale, and they'll be looking to complete the season sweep here.
Justus Annunen, COL vs. WPG (15% rostered)
With a back-to-back, I'm curious if Annunen gets this start or Sunday against the Knights. This could be a pivotal game as a preview of a potential first-round matchup, and perhaps the Avs throw in Annunen just to see how he would respond. If he plays well, maybe it's something to think about even though it's far more likely they start Alexandar Georgiev in Game 1, anyway.
I don't particularly like this matchup for Annunen (or the Avs, for that matter) from a fantasy perspective, but I think it's worth noting that Annunen is a potential option -- just not a high-quality one.
Alex Lyon, DET at TOR (46% rostered)
This matchup scares me because I feel like the Leafs will do everything in their power to make sure Auston Matthews hits 70 goals. Lyon goes through stretches where he's good but then inevitably lays an egg, and he just allowed six goals on 27 shots in his previous start. The good news is he tends to bounce back quite strong after a poor game, but against a daunting offense on the road, I'd much rather just stay away.
Charlie Lindgren, WSH vs. TB (57% rostered)
Lindgren likely gets the start because he's the Caps' best option, and he saw little action against the Sabres, facing just 16 shots but getting tagged with the loss. I'm not a fan of this matchup for the Caps, who are in a must-win game.
It can be argued that there's a chance for an upset here since the Lightning are virtually locked in as the top wild card and may choose to rest certain players. Lightning backup Matt Tomkins started their last game, so there's the extra added challenge of trying to beat Andrei Vasilevskiy, who's the likely starter.