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Sunday brings eight NHL games on the schedule, taking advantage of the first Sunday without NFL football this season, and Monkey Knife Fight is all over it with contests to make the games even more exciting.
It looks like quite a few mismatches on the schedule, with likely playoff teams facing likely non-playoff teams, although the Dallas Stars at the Carolina Hurricanes does offer a compelling matchup, at least theoretically.
In Saturday’s game between the Stars and Hurricanes, the ‘Canes locked down the Stars, holding them without an even-strength shot on goal for the last 45:47 of the game; an incredible defensive performance.
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STAR SHOOTOUT - ALL GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Matt Murray LESS THAN 28.5 SAVES
Murray did have 37 saves in his second start of the season and it’s the only time in six games that he has recorded more than 28 saves. It’s not easy for Murray to accumulate saves when he has a .859 save percentage but that’s where he is heading into Edmonton to face an Oilers team that has its flaws but also has the high-end talent that can be a nightmare for goaltenders.
Nathan MacKinnon MORE THAN 4.5 SHOTS + BLOCKS
The Avalanche star center has recorded at least five shots plus blocks in six of nine games this season, including each of the past four games. MacKinnon is averaging 4.4 shots per game and has added blocked shots to his repertoire lately, with four blocked shots in the past four games.
Leon Draisaitl MORE THAN 0.5 GOALS
It is not easy to count on anyone to score a goal in a specific game in the National Hockey League. The best players might score around 0.65 goals per game and once multi-goal games get knocked out of the calculation it gets closer to 50-50, even at the very top. But, Draisaitl is also one of those at the very top. He has six goals in 10 games this season and just had a five-game goal-scoring streak snapped Saturday night. Does he bounce back against an Ottawa team that is allowing 4.48 goals against per 60 minutes, the highest rate in the league? Seems like a good chance for Draisaitl to get back on the board.
Mikko Rantanen LESS THAN 0.5 ASSISTS
The Avalanche winger has been a more reliable scorer than setup man this season with six goals and three assists in nine games. The Avs are in Minnesota for the second straight game after drilling the Wild 5-1 on Saturday and Rantanen could easily get on the board but specifically getting an assist? That’s a little more difficult.
Patrick Kane MORE THAN 5.5 FANTASY POINTS
Kane is averaging 3.6 shots on goal per game so if he managed to generate shots at an average rate, he would need at least an assist to get to six fantasy points against Columbus on Sunday. The Blue Jackets allow 31.6 shots against per 60, which is higher than the league average but they also allow 2.56 goals against per 60, which is lower than league average. If the combination puts them around league average defensively, Kane should be able to count enough to find his way to six fantasy points.
RAPID FIRE
Sebastian Aho -0.5 fantasy points vs. Brady Tkachuk
This is a test of what is more reliable, shots or points? Aho has five points in five games but is averaging a modest 2.2 shots on goal per game early in the season. Tkachuk has five points in eight games but has nearly 4.4 shots on goal per game, almost double Aho’s total. Even if Tkachuk is the safer pick for shot generation, he definitely has a more difficult time putting points on the board, which makes Aho more appealing.
Aleksander Barkov +0.5 fantasy points vs. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Nugent-Hopkins has seven points in 10 games, while averaging 3.3 shots on goal per contest. Playing alongside Connor McDavid does provide him with opportunities. Barkov, on the other hand, is the one driving results in Florida. He has six points in five games but is putting up 4.8 shots on goal per game. Both forwards get the benefit of weak opposition as Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers take on the Ottawa Senators while Barkov and the Panthers face the Detroit Red Wings.
Leon Draisaitl +0.5 points vs. Connor McDavid
The Oilers have two superstars (and maybe not much else) but they have put up great numbers early in the season. For Draisaitl, he has 15 points and 30 shots on goal in 10 games. McDavid has been even better, with 17 points and 38 shots on goal, but his shot rate has been decreasing, as he has just five shots on goal in the past three games. McDavid's edge of 0.2 points per game becomes even more tenuous if he isn't generating a bunch of shots which would make point production more sustainable.
