Do the Nashville Predators stick with the struggling Juuse Saros or go with Kevin Lankinen?
Friday, Jan. 12. Two-game slate.
* = confirmed or probable
Juuse Saros, NSH at Jake Oettinger, DAL (8 p.m. ET)
Carter Hart, PHI* at Marc-André Fleury, MIN* (8 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
( < 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues, ranked by matchup)
Samuel Ersson, PHI at MIN (34% rostered)
Ersson started the previous game won a hard-fought 3-2 matchup against the Habs in a shootout. Hart looks like he's back in the No. 1 role, but I wouldn't rule out the Flyers going with Ersson again. He had very little work — 19 shots and three shootout attempts — but either Ersson or Carter Hart should be relatively safe plays.
The Wild are looking to bounce back after being swept by the Stars and losing by a combined 11-2 score, but note they're not that great at home (10-8-2) while the Flyers are a difficult visiting opponent (11-6-4 on the road) and the new coach bump from John Hynes has dissipated. I think the Flyers can win this game, but it's going to be tough.
Editor's note: The Flyers will indeed go with Hart against the Wild.
Kevin LankinenKevin Lankinen, NSH at DAL (2% rostered)
Just a hunch, but with Juuse Saros struggling, could Lankinen get his second start in three games? Saros is the No. 1 and expected to start, but he's struggled mightily; other than a 21-save shutout against the Hawks, he's allowed five goals in four straight games.
This is not an ideal matchup for either Saros or Lankinen, but there are very few options with a two-game slate. If Lankinen has a good start, we might see the Preds go with him for a little while while Saros sorts things out. It's a situation to watch if you need a goalie in the short term.
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