The Capitals, Islanders, Penguins and Devils are all in action as the wild card race in the Eastern Conference heats up. Can Ilya Sorokin snap his six-game losing streak?
Tuesday, April 2. Eight-game slate.
* = confirmed
Charlie Lindgren, WSH* at Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF* (7 p.m. ET)
Anthony Stolarz, FLA* at Samuel Montembeault, MTL* (7 p.m. ET)
Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT* at Jake Allen, NJ* (7 p.m. ET)
Petr Mrázek, CHI* at Ilya Sorokin, NYI* (7:30 p.m. ET)
Joonas Korpisalo, OTT* at Marc-André Fleury, MIN* (8 p.m. ET)
Linus Ullmark, BOS* at Juuse Saros, NSH* (8 p.m. ET)
Lukáš Dostál, ANA* at Jacob Markström, CGY* (9 p.m. ET)
Casey DeSmith, VAN* at Logan Thompson, VEG* (10 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
(ranked by matchup)
Anthony Stolarz, FLA at MTL (26% rostered)
This is the second game of a back-to-back for the Panthers, but I wouldn't be too worried here. Stolarz's six-game winning streak was snapped in his previous start against the Isles, and the Panthers are stumbling a bit, but they have definitive edge over the Habs.
Christian Dvorak is supposedly returning to the lineup soon, but I don't think he really moves the needle either way.
Joonas Korpisalo, OTT at MIN (51% rostered)
Korpisalo will be going for his fifth straight win, and I like the matchup because the Sens are rolling and the Wild offense has been a little thin. They'll be without Ryan Hartman, who's suspended, and their depth is a little young and inexperienced.
There's always the risk that Korpisalo implodes, and that's the danger with riding a hot goalie. But I think the upside is worth it and the downside is rather minimal; the Wild have scored more than three goals just once (against the Ducks) in six straight games.
Jake Allen, NJ vs. PIT (36% rostered)
Who Allen faces at the other end of the ice will play a big factor in deciding whether or not to stream him. Tristan Jarry was expected to start Monday but ended up being a late scratch, forcing Alex Nedeljkovic to start and use Alex Fernandes, who played Div. III NCAA, as their EBUG. The Pens would start Nedeljkovic for both games only if they're desperate, otherwise they'd have to call someone up from the AHL -- most likely Joel Blomqvist, a second-round pick from 2020 who has never played a minute in the NHL.
I like the way Allen has been playing and feel a little less confident if Kaapo Kähkönen gets the start. The Devils need to take advantage of a potentially tired Pens squad, whose offense has been very mediocre all season. I don't mind streaming Allen in this spot, and I like him more so if neither Nedeljkovic or Jarry are at the other end.
Charlie Lindgren, WSH at BUF (58% rostered)
Not sure why Lindgren has been slow to catch on in fantasy, but if the playoffs started today, there's no question Lindgren's the starter. He's miles ahead of Darcy Kuemper and coming off a strong 27-save performance (.931 SP) against the Bruins.
The Sabres are an erratic bunch but there's certainly potential for a strong start from Lindgren. He's won six of his past nine appearances and allowed three goals or more just three times, but only one of them was truly a bad start with seven goals allowed in a 7-3 loss. The other was a 4-3 win against the Wings and then a 5-1 loss to the Leafs (again), but he made 43 saves in that game. It wouldn't be shocking if the Sabres somehow turned this into a rout -- they have the talent to do it -- but I won't fault anybody for starting Lindgren in this spot.
Casey DeSmith, VAN at VEG (50% rostered)
This start worries me a little because the Canucks look a little out of sync, beating the Ducks by just one goal on Easter Sunday. Their normally elite offense has had trouble scoring, along with their power play, and they've scored at least four goals just once in all of March.
The Knights are a tough team. Though Tomáš Hertl is not expected to return to the lineup just yet, their defense is deep, talented and, most importantly, healthy. Even if DeSmith puts up good numbers, which he definitely can, I'm not sure the Canucks can provide enough goal support.
Petr Mrázek, CHI at NYI (28% rostered)
Do I think there's sneaky potential for an upset here? Yes. Am I brave enough to do it? Probably not. Mrázek has been pretty good lately, winning four of his past seven appearances with a save percentage of at least .926 in five of them. The Isles are expected to start Ilya Sorokin, who has really struggled lately and ceding starts to Semyon Varlamov, and also playing the second half of a back-to-back where they were heavily outplayed in the third period in Philadelphia.
I think Mrázek can rack up the saves and post a good save percentage in this spot, and note he allowed three goals on 30 shots in his previous start against them, earning the win in overtime.
Cayden Primeau, MTL vs. FLA (4% rostered)
Just a hunch, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Primeau in this spot. He's won two straight games with two goals allowed in total, and it'll save Samuel Montembeault for the Leafs and Lightning later this week.
It's a gauntlet for the Habs, and what you're hoping for here is a good save percentage, a lot of saves and an outside chance of an upset. Primeau's performances have been far less erratic in the second half of the season and he's generally been quite good. Still, given the disparity in talent between the two teams, I'd still be very wary of this start, and it's too early in the week to get this desperate for a start.
Editor's note: Montembeault gets the start. I'm more confident in him than Primeau, but this is a tough matchup even if it's the second half of a back-to-back for the Panthers.