This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
If you're a hockey fan, Thursday is the day for you. There are a whopping 12 NHL games on the slate. Trying to sift through all those players to find the right guys for your lineup could be intimidating. To make things easier, here are some player to target, and to avoid, for DFS purposes Thursday.
GOALIE
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. NYI ($27): Don't look now, but Bobrovsky has a 1.35 GAA and .965 save percentage over his last three starts. Small sample size, I know, but on the year the Russian goalie has a .913 save percentage at home, so road games have been the real issue for him. He's at home here, and the Islanders have averaged a league-low 28.2 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Tuukka Rask, BOS at TAM ($31): Rask has a 2.19 GAA and .927 save percentage, but he will also be playing behind a team on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. If that wasn't enough to give you pause, the Lightning have scored 3.59 goals per game. That's top five in the NHL.
CENTER
Ryan Getzlaf, ANA vs. LOS ($18): Getzlaf shows up game in and game out for the Ducks, even if he's sometimes the only one. The veteran center has at least one point in 10 of his last 11 games. Los Angeles has only allowed 27.8 shots on goal per contest, so if it was getting any goaltending it would be a strong defensive team. Instead, the Kings have an .884 save percentage, which gives them a 3.22 GAA.
CENTER TO AVOID
Bo Horvat, VAN vs. CAR ($19): Horvat has had a good year, but he doesn't have a goal in his last eight games. Also, while he has 10 power-play points, he's been held off the scoresheet with the extra man in 14 of his last 15 contests. The Hurricanes have only given up 28.9 shots on net per game, and on top of that they have a top-five penalty kill.
WING
Evander Kane, SAN vs. NYR ($23): Kane's job is to put the puck on net, and he does that with gusto. He's racked up 101 shots on goal in 30 games, and he's lit the lamp 13 times with all those shots. The Rangers have allowed 35.7 shots on net per contest, so Kane should have plenty of chances to add to that goal total.
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at DET ($19): I recommended Ehlers on Tuesday, because the Jets were playing the Wings. He picked up an assist on one of Winnipeg's five goals that night. That gave him 24 points in 31 games. I wouldn't be surprised to see him add to his point total again versus Detroit. The Wings have a 4.00 GAA and the league's worst penalty kill. This is a dream matchup.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA vs. NYI ($26): Huberdeau has been impressive, though his 16.2 percent shooting seems like a regression candidate. Putting 68 shots on goal in 30 games isn't that impressive for a top-line wing in the NHL. The Islanders have a 2.38 GAA, and don't get cute just because Florida is at home. Semyon Varlamov actually has a 1.70 GAA and .943 save percentage on the road.
Alex DeBrincat, CHI at ARI ($21): Yes, DeBrincat has three goals in his last four games, so maybe he's starting to regress toward the mean on his scoring. I still don't like him in this matchup, though. The Coyotes have a 2.33 GAA at home, and Darcy Kuemper has a 1.96 GAA this season wherever he's playing.
DEFENSE
Neal Pionk, WPG at DET ($18): Somebody had to step up on the Jets' blue line to support Josh Morrissey, and it seems like Pionk is going to be that guy. He's been particularly good on the power play, as he has eight points with the extra man in 31 games. The Red Wings have the league's worst penalty kill, so the math adds up here.
Jakob Chychrun, ARI vs. CHI ($17): There has been a bit of a changing of the guard in Arizona, as the 21-year-old Chychrun has outperformed Oliver Ekman-Larsson this season. Chychrun has 12 points, including seven goals, and he's put 78 shots on net. Chicago has a 3.21 road GAA, in part because it has allowed a staggering 37.9 shots on goal per game away from home.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Seth Jones, CLM at PIT ($19): Jones is doing his best with Zach Werenski injured, and he's getting a ton of power-play time. All that being said, the Penguins have a 2.28 GAA at home. Also, if Tristan Jarry is in net, he has a 1.92 GAA and a .938 save percentage, both of which currently lead the league.
Ryan Suter, MIN vs. EDM ($16): Suter doesn't do much on the goal front, as he's got three goals on a mere 43 shots through 31 games, but he does have 14 assists. However, the Oilers have been surprisingly good defensively on the road. Edmonton has a 2.53 GAA in away games, third lowest in the NHL. The Oilers also have a top-10 penalty kill, and eight of Suter's points have come with the extra man.
