Tuesday's 12-game slate is highlighted by Red Wings at Capitals in a tight wild card race in the Eastern Conference and key matchups between the Bruins and Panthers, and the Oilers and Jets.
Tuesday, March 26. 12-game slate.
* = confirmed
Jeremy Swayman, BOS* at Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA* (7 p.m. ET)
Samuel Ersson, PHI* at Igor Shesterkin, NYR* (7 p.m. ET)
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR at Alex Nedeljkovic, PIT* (7 p.m. ET)
Alex Lyon, DET* at Charlie Lindgren, WSH* (7 p.m. ET)
Jake Allen, NJ* at Joseph Woll, TOR* (7:30 p.m. ET)
Jiří Patera, VEG at Juuse Saros, NSH* (8 p.m. ET)
Stuart Skinner, EDM* at Connor Hellebuyck, WPG* (8 p.m. ET)
Jacob Markström, CGY* at Petr Mrázek, CHI* (8:30 p.m. ET)
Samuel Montembeault, MTL* at Justus Annunen, COL* (9 p.m. ET)
Elvis Merzlikins, CLB* at Karel Vejmelka, ARI* (10 p.m. ET)
John Gibson, ANA at Joey Daccord, SEA* (10 p.m. ET)
Scott Wedgewood, DAL* at Mackenzie Blackwood, SJ* (10:30 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
(ranked by matchup)
Justus Annunen, COL vs. MTL (9% rostered)
Just a hunch, but based on the Avs' rotation, I think Annunen might get this start, leaving Alexandar Georgiev to face the Rangers and Preds. (Note I have Georgiev listed as the expected starter above because he's the usual starter).
Annunen has been much better lately with four straight wins, including two shutouts against the Hawks, and his confidence seems pretty high. If Annunen does start, he would be the top streaming option for Tuesday.
Editor's note: A-ha! As I suspected, Annunen will get the start.
Scott Wedgewood, DAL at SJ (11% rostered)
Jake Oettinger will get rested so Wedgewood gets the start. Wedgewood has generally been reliable all season, but there's little fear of a blowout because the Sharks offense has been anemic all season.
Regardless, with the Stars on a roll, this should be an easy win for Wedgewood. Stream Wedgewood as you would any starter in a good matchup.
Joey Daccord, SEA vs. ANA (49% rostered)
Based on the Kraken's current rotation and the fact that Daccord had to relieve Philipp Grubauer in a 5-1 loss against the Habs in their previous game, Daccord likely gets the start here. Both teams are really struggling, but the Kraken should still have the edge here and will surely be the favorite with the far better record and playing on home ice.
The all-time series is tighter than expected with the Kraken averaging 3.8 goals per game to the Ducks' 3.5, though the Kraken have won four straight meetings. I am a little concerned about the Kraken's goal support, but this should be a win.
Karel Vejmelka, ARI vs. CLB (22% rostered)
Vejmelka has been excellent in his past three starts and the Coyotes have snapped out of their malaise following their brutal 14-game losing streak. They're still not quite as good as they were in the first half of the season, but they've beaten some decent teams (Devils, Red Wings) and kept things pretty close against the Stars.
This feels like a risky start because it's the Coyotes, but I like both the way Vejmelka and the team is trending. The Jackets are 1-5-2 in their past eight and managed to score more than three goals just once.
Joseph Woll, TOR at NJ (54% rostered)
Perhaps not so surprising, but the Leafs will go with Woll for the second straight game following a strong performance in Carolina (2 GA, .953 SP). This breaks away from their rotation and it's an early signal that either a) Woll's their guy, or b) Sheldon Keefe will simply go with the hot hand. Keep in mind, however, that Ilya Samsonov is out, which means he wasn't an option even if the Leafs wanted to start him. Martin Jones will be the backup.
Though the Devils have turned a corner lately, I still like the Leafs in this matchup even without Morgan Rielly, who's expected to sit due to an injury. I trust Woll to be able to make the stops and keep the goals against to a minimum. If Woll is available in your league, he's a potential streamer and also a hold for the longer term.
Charlie Lindgren, WSH vs. DET (53% rostered)
I like the way the Caps are playing right now and Lindgren was very good with a 27-save shutout performance against the Jets. He's won five of his past six appearances, including Friday's 7-6 shootout win against the Canes when he came in relief for Darcy Kuemper, who started because the Caps wanted to give Lindgren a break, only to be forced to use Lindgren because Kuemper was so awful.
The Wings do come into this matchup with some momentum following a big 6-3 home win against the Isles and suffering a narrow loss to the red-hot Preds. This game has huge implications, and it should be tight. I think Lindgren has a good chance to earn the win on home ice, though I'm not sure his save percentage will be very good since both teams have some elite offensive players. This is a potential revenge game for the Caps, who were embarrassed 8-3 in their previous matchup.
Alex Lyon, DET at WSH (37% rostered)
On one hand, I think Lyon seems a little overworked and James Reimer has looked better lately. On the other hand, Lyon was very good against the Preds and he's carried the Wings for much of the season. I'm wary of this matchup because the Caps have been playing so well, but note they will be without one of their key players in Tom Wilson due to a suspension. I'm not enamored with this matchup for Lyon and I don't think they'll provide eight goals of support as they did in their last meeting. Flip a coin for the result, because I can see it going either way.
Samuel Ersson, PHI at NYR (40% rostered)
No doubt Ersson and the Flyers will put forth a strong effort, but beating the Rangers and scoring on Igor Shesterkin will be very difficult. In his only other appearance against the Rangers this season, Ersson allowed just two goals on 24 shots, but he was tagged with the loss, anyway. If you're not necessarily looking for a win but just a chance to get a quality start, Ersson's not a bad choice though it's admittedly an intimidating matchup.
Jake Allen, NJ at TOR (32% rostered)
The problem with this matchup, even though Allen has played very well for the Devils, is you never quite know which Devils team you're going to get. They're capable of losing 5-2 to the Sens and winning 4-0 against the Isles, so anything can happen. If the Devils want to win this matchup, their star players will have to provide enough goal support. In two previous appearances against the Leafs, Allen faced 40-plus shots and allowed five goals both times.
Jiří Patera, VEG at NSH (1% rostered)
Patera is very unproven, the Knights are playing back-to-back and the Preds are the hottest team in the league. Those reasons alone are enough for me to shy away from this matchup. In four starts this season, Patera has a .901 SP and 3.75 GAA, though it's worth noting that he's faced the Avs, Panthers and Lightning in three of those games. That's tough competition, but it also shows that he hasn't been able to exceed expectations. Asking Patera to potentially steal this game is a tall ask.
Elvis Merzlikins, CLB at ARI (17% rostered)
This feels like a coin flip but I think the Coyotes should have the clear advantage. Merzlikins has not been sharp, allowing six goals in each of his past two starts and has not won a game since March 2 against the Hawks. The Jackets offense also just doesn't provide a lot of goal support, and that spells trouble against a Coyotes squad that has some elite talent.