Daniil Tarasov's excellent play lately might help the Blue Jackets upset the Isles and spoil their playoff hopes.
Thursday, April 4. Nine-game slate.
* = confirmed
Jeremy Swayman, BOS* at Frederik Andersen, CAR* (7 p.m. ET)
Ilya Sorokin, NYI* at Daniil Tarasov, CLB* (7 p.m. ET)
Matt Tomkins, TB* at Cayden Primeau, MTL* (7 p.m. ET)
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA* at Joonas Korpisalo, OTT* (7 p.m. ET)
Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT* at Charlie Lindgren, WSH* (7 p.m. ET)
Justus Annunen, COL* at Filip Gustavsson, MIN* (8 p.m. ET)
Jordan Binnington, STL* at Juuse Saros, NSH* (8 p.m. ET)
Dustin Wolf, CGY* at Connor Hellebuyck, WPG* (8 p.m. ET)
David Rittich, LA at Mackenzie Blackwood, SJ* (10:30 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
(ranked by matchup)
David Rittich, LA at SJ (18% rostered)
If the Kings can play their suffocating style, shutting down the Sharks offense should be no problem. The Kings just snapped a three-game losing streak and their offense came alive against the Kraken on Wednesday, which means Rittich should get enough goal support to pull off the win. He's likely the top streaming option for Thursday.
Justus Annunen, COL at MIN (17% rostered)
Annunen gets his second start in three games with the Avs playing back-to-back, leaving Alexandar Georgiev to face the Oilers tomorrow.
Annunen has been pretty good lately, much better than at the beginning of the season, and I do like this matchup for the Avs. Their games against the Wild have historically been close, but the Avs usually prevail. Annunen will have good goal support behind him and while I'm not confident about a good save percentage, I think he will earn the win.
Annunen is 5-2-0 since March 1 with only 10 goals allowed at even strength and zero on the power play. This will be his first career appearance against the Wild.
Semyon Varlamov, NYI at CLB (23% rostered)
Not sure if Varlamov will get this start since Ilya Sorokin won his most recent start, giving him a chance to take back the starting job. I think either goalie will be worth streaming against the Jackets, who have yet to beat the Isles this season. Both teams come into this matchup with a two-game winning streak, but I certainly like the Isles' chances a lot more.
Editor's note: Sorokin will get the start. It looks like he might be back in the No. 1 role after a brief break.
Daniil Tarasov, CLB vs. NYI (7% rostered)
Tarasov will get a second straight start following his brilliant 45-save performance against the Avs, and with Elvis Merzlikins still day-to-day as of Wednesday night. There is a huge potential for an upset because the Isles have not been consistent at all this season, and Tarasov's in one of those stretches where he keeps stealing games.
At worst, Tarasov will rack up the saves. I have him ranked lower than the Isles' starter, but the difference is quite marginal. I think Tarasov's worth the risk in this spot.
Matt Tomkins, TB at MTL (0% rostered)
I like the matchup but I don't particularly like the goalie. Tomkins started three games earlier in the season when Andrei Vasilevskiy was injured, who's unlikely to start for the second straight night after facing the Leafs on Wednesday, and Jonas Johansson is not available.
This will be Tomkins' first start since Nov. 7, coincidentally against the Habs, who stopped 23 of 26 shots in a 5-3 win. That's likely the outcome again, with Tomkins earning the win but failing to provide much value in saves or save percentage. If you're hunting for a win, Tomkins is a viable option.
Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT at WSH (16% rostered)
Nedeljkovic and the Pens had a slow start but battled back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Devils, which was made even more impressive by the fact that it was Nedeljkovic's second start in as many nights. Perhaps the Pens give him a breather here starting Tristan Jarry, but they're still in the playoff race with very little margin for error, and Nedeljkovic has clearly been the better goalie lately.
I like Nedeljkovic in this spot because the game will surely be competitive and he has not allowed more than three goals in five straight starts. The Caps are losing a bit of steam with three straight losses and only five goals scored.
Charlie Lindgren, WSH vs. PIT (59% rostered)
Lindgren has allowed 13 goals in his past three games so that gives me some pause. He's playing an awful lot, and fatigue would be my biggest worry. However, he heads into this matchup with an extended break after he was pulled in his previous start.
The rivalry games with the Pens tend to be close, and I think the result is a coin toss, but I just have a little more confidence in the Pens right now. They're playing better and the Caps are in a bit of a slump.
Cayden Primeau, MTL vs. TB (4% rostered)
I think Primeau's been playing very well, so there's a chance of an upset, especially with third-string Matt Tomkins at the other end of the ice. I suspect Primeau can put up a very good save percentage, but the Lightning have flipped the switch in recent weeks and look like the juggernaut they once were.
Since their meeting in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the Habs have beaten the Lightning just once in regulation in 10 games, and by a one-goal margin only.
Joonas Korpisalo, OTT vs. FLA (53% rostered)
The Panthers have lost eight of their past 10 and Korpisalo has been playing very well so this feels like a game where it might be okay to start him... However, I just think the Panthers' offense has been waking up lately and this feels like a trap game.
You think you're getting a sneaky matchup with a hot goalie against a slumping team, but I can also totally see this being a high-scoring game. If that's the case, I don't think Korpisalo is worth the risk. He's 0-1-1 with eight goals allowed on 71 shots (.887 SP) and a 3.95 GAA.
Dustin Wolf, CGY at WPG (7% rostered)
Just a hunch, but I think Wolf gets a start here after Jacob Markström lost to the lowly Ducks. It'll give Markström a chance to rest before the Battle of Alberta on Saturday, and Wolf has been getting regular starts as the Flames groom him for a bigger role next season.
I don't like this matchup; the Flames are losing a lot of games to bad teams -- Ducks, Blackhawks among them -- and the Jets at least snapped their six-game losing streak. Wolf is promising, but he's only fantasy relevant in the right matchup at the moment.
Darcy Kuemper, WSH vs. PIT (43% rostered)
I suspect Kuemper will get the start here in the first game of a back-to-back against the Pens after relieving Charlie Lindgren in their previous game. Lindgren has been playing an awful lot, so this is a chance to give him an extended break before their matchup against the Canes on Friday.
Kuemper defeated the Pens earlier this season and he's had plenty of experience against them, but his overall play has been mediocre this season. The Caps might win, but I think it might come at a big cost to Kuemper's goals against and save percentage. I find it hard to trust Kuemper in any spot this season.
Editor's note: Lindgren will start for the Caps, meaning Darcy Kuemper faces the Canes tomorrow. I like Lindgren a lot more and would be willing to stream him against the Pens. My only fear with Lindgren is workload and fatigue, but the Pens offense doesn't really strike fear into opponents.