This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The featured contests at DraftKings Sunday are comprised of Sunday's two evening games. The Canadiens visit Boston for their second game in consecutive days, and the Canucks host the Oilers in the second game of their home-and-home series.
Montreal has lost seven consecutive games and allowed 35 goals during the slump. An .837 team save percentage during the stretch is concerning, especially considering the Habs have also driven possession with a 57.9 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five. The Canadiens' 30th-ranked 73.4 penalty-kill percentage for the campaign is also worth noting.
Boston, on the other hand, continues to cruise along and owns a 10-point lead in the Atlantic Division with a league-best plus-32 goal differential. The Bruins have won six consecutive games and scored 26 times during the stretch. And with a league-low 2.27 goals against per game and a 10-0-4 record on home ice, there's a reason Boston comes in as a sizeable favorite at TD Garden.
The Canucks topped the Oilers 5-2 on the road Saturday, so look for a rebound showing Sunday for Edmonton. The win ended a disappointing November on a positive note for Vancouver, as the club went 5-7-3 and allowed the fifth most goals per hour in the league at 3.36.
Keeping an eye on the Oiler line combinations will be important because Connor McDavid ($8,000) and Leon Draisaitl ($7,500) could be split up Sunday.
Edmonton is an interesting club with middle-of-the-road team statistics in most categories except ranking sixth-worst in expected goals against per 60 minutes. The Oilers' second-ranked, penalty-kill percentage at 86.8 has had a huge impact on their success. Edmonton enters as a slight road favorite Sunday.
GOALIES
In a shallow goaltender pool, it's easier to justify spending up for Tuukka Rask ($8,400) - especially considering the alternatives. The Finn has won five straight to improve to 12-2-2 with a .931 save percentage and 2.10 GAA for the campaign.
The alternative route is going cheap in goal with Carey Price ($6,900) and loading up on skaters. However, that logically rules out Boston skaters, and Price owns a .822 save percentage and 5.34 GAA during his five-game losing streak.
Mikko Koskinen ($7,700) and Thatcher Demko ($7,500) project to face off in the late game and are both reasonably priced. However, neither enters in strong form, so the appeal is more contrarian. Koskinen is 2-1-1 with a .905 save percentage and 3.36 GAA through his past five appearances, and Demko has won just one of his past five starts with .880 and 4.08 marks.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
With two goals, six assists, two power-play points, 14 shots, nine blocks and an average of 22:56 of ice time - including 3:55 with the man advantage - through his past six outings, Bo Horvat's price tag ($4,900) doesn't align with his recent production and role.
Checking in on how Edmonton plans to deploy Connor McDavid ($8,000) and Leon Draisaitl ($7,500) will be important Sunday. McDavid collected 16.5 DraftKings points in Saturday's loss and is always an option with a league-high 49 points. Similarly, Draisaitl sits second in league scoring with 48, but he's currently riding a six-game goal drought and could be a potential breakout candidate.
Sticking with the Oilers, Zack Kassian ($4,500) and James Neal ($4,300) are reasonably priced and producing respectable secondary numbers. Neal's 14 goals - with 10 on the man advantage - are fueled by an unsustainably high 20.6 shooting percentage, but he's also skating on the No. 1 power-play unit with two of the best players in the world. Kassian, meanwhile, has recorded an impressive five tallies, four helpers and 22 shots through his past 10 outings.
It's been a solid 20-game stretch for Nick Suzuki ($4,100). The rookie has recorded six goals, six assists and 36 shots, and he appears to have solidified himself in a scoring role for the foreseeable future. Obviously, he's more of a flyer against the defensively stout Bruins.
Loui Eriksson ($2,500) skated in a top-six role and scored his first goal of the season in Saturday's win. At minimum price, the veteran checks out more as a source of cap relief than as a low-priced target, but the savings could be more meaningful with limited options in the player pool.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Either of Boston's top two lines are in play with Montreal's noted struggles. David Krejci ($5,900) has climbed the depth chart and clicked with Brad Marchand ($7,600) and David Pastrnak ($8,000) for 7.9 goals per 60 minutes this season. Just note these three will likely be popular plays with their manageable cap hit.
Check to ensure Jack Studnicka ($3,300) is dressing before locking this trio into your lineups. But if active, the rookie is being positioned to succeed skating between Charlie Coyle ($4,000) and Jake DeBrusk ($4,200). Boston's potential second line is cheap and combined for a rock-solid 12.98 high-danger scoring chances per hour in their short time together.
DEFENSEMEN
Rarely is a player as egregiously priced as Quinn Hughes ($3,900) is Sunday. The rookie has recorded 10 helpers through his past seven contests to improve to an elite 2.49 points per hour this season. He's not the most reliable game-to-game producer because he's not a high-volume shooter and doesn't pile up blocks, but that's more than built into his low salary.
Sporting a two-game point drought, look for Torey Krug ($5,800) to return to the scoresheet Sunday. His 2.33 points per 60 minutes pace regular NHL defensemen over the past three seasons, and the matchup is soft as noted.
Oscar Klefbom's ($6,000) cross-category production and role on the No. 1 power-play make him a high-floor, high-ceiling target. The 26-year-old defenseman has generated nine helpers and 35 blocks through his past 10 outings without ever dipping below 7.1 DraftKings points during this stretch. He's also been rewarded with the block bonus in eight of those outings.
Charlie McAvoy ($3,700) and Matt Grzelcyk ($3,600) represent Boston defensemen to consider as price-point fits with a dash of upside. McAvoy has only produced 0.71 points per hour this season after posting a 1.39 mark through his first two years in the league, so there's positive regression ahead. Grzelcyk's average of 7.19 DraftKings points through his past five outings highlight his respectable production.
After a slow start, veteran Shea Weber ($6,200) has been excellent with eight tallies, 11 helpers, five power-play points, 59 shots and 41 blocks through his past 20 outings. Teammate Jeff Petry ($4,500) enters Sunday with an assist in consecutive games and a more affordable salary. The knock on both is the matchup.
