This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's NHL slate is a light one, with just two games on tap after 7:00 PM Eastern time. The Flames will be in Washington, while the Blackhawks travel to Anaheim. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The first game is likely to feature most of the scoring, as the Capitals both score and allow the most goals in this slate, while the Ducks and Blackhawks both sport bottom-10 offenses and allow fewer goals than average. The two home teams come in fresh, while both the Flames and Blackhawks will be capping off back-to-back sets.
GOALIES
John Gibson ($7,900) has lacked goal support at times, but the 26-year-old netminder has still managed to split his first 12 starts thanks to a 2.50 GAA and outstanding .926 save percentage. A tired Blackhawks team that lacks scoring depth will have a hard time keeping Gibson from notching a third consecutive win.
Braden Holtby's ($7,900) stats continue to be weighed down by a slow start, but he's 5-0-1 in his last six starts, and the Capitals netminder is coming off his best performance of the season. Last time out, Holtby limited Buffalo to one goal on 30 shots.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jakub Vrana ($4,900) is Washington's leading scorer among forwards outside of the top line in terms of both goals (six) and points (11). The winger's affordability compared to the team's top options makes Vrana an enticing value play.
Elias Lindholm ($6,600) leads the Flames with nine goals, and he's also thrown in five assists for 14 points. The cheapest member of the team's top line should be a popular pick in what figures to be a fast-paced affair in Washington.
Dominik Kubalik ($3,600) is a nice value play considering he's skating on a line with Patrick Kane while also logging time on the second power-play unit. He potted his third goal of the season Saturday in Los Angeles, and Kubalik has been proficient at putting pucks on net with 32 shots through 12 games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Capitals vs. Flames
Nicklas Backstrom (C -$6,400), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,900), T.J. Oshie (W - $6,600)
This has been by far the most productive line among those available in this slate, and it should keep rolling against the visiting Flames, who will deploy backup goalie Cam Talbot for this second leg of their back-to-back. Backstrom and Oshie have 12 points apiece through 15 games, and Oshie ranks second on the team with eight goals. Not surprisingly, the man ahead of him is Ovechkin, who has lit the lamp on 11 of his league-leading 72 shots while throwing in eight helpers.
Ducks vs. Blackhawks
Adam Henrique (C - $5,400), Rickard Rakell (W - $5,500), Jakob Silfverberg (W - $6,300)
This line features three of the five Ducks with at least nine points — Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm are the others. Henrique has potted a team-high eight goals, while Silfverberg is one goal behind him and has five assists for a team-high 12 points. Rakell should improve on his 3-6-9 line through 15 games, as he leads the team with 41 shots and scored at least 33 goals in two of the previous three seasons.
Flames at Capitals
Mikael Backlund (C - $4,700), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $6,700), Michael Frolik (W - $3,400)
Tkachuk is the driving force of this line, as he's produced three goals and an assist over the past two games to bring his season totals to seven goals and 14 points through 16 games. Backlund and Frolik have only combined for seven points thus far, but greener pastures should be ahead for them considering the former has scored 45-plus points in each of the past four seasons and the latter has topped 40 four times in his career. For all his recent success, Holtby has still been quite vulnerable overall with a 3.30 GAA and .895 save percentage for Washington, so it wouldn't be surprising to see a strong game from the Flames offensively.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson ($7,300) has more points than any other skater — forward or defenseman — in this slate, with a 7-16-23 line through 15 games. Especially given the limited selection, Carlson stands head and shoulders above the alternative options in this slate.
Hampus Lindholm leads all Ducks defensemen with nine points, but they're all assists. The team's best driver of offense from the blue line has been Cam Fowler ($4,800). Fowler has a 3-4-7 line, leads Ducks defensemen with 27 shots, and is the only blueliner on Anaheim's top power-play unit.
Adam Boqvist ($3,500) could be worth a flier at his affordable valuation. Chicago's eighth overall selection in the 2018 draft made his NHL debut Saturday in Los Angeles, immediately settling into a role that included power-play time. Boqvist flashed excellent offensive ability with the OHL's London Knights in 2018-19, compiling 20 goals and 60 points in 54 games.
