Friday fantasy hockey tips - NHL picks, matchups, more
Friday's four-game NHL slate features a tilt between two playoff-bound contenders, both jostling for position, when the Maple Leafs welcome the Hurricanes to Toronto. Elsewhere, the not-out-of-it Capitals hope to gain ground in the Eastern Wild Card race with a win against the Blues — themselves coming off Wednesday's violent, high-scoring affair with the Wild — while the Sabres aspire for a similar standings-climbing victory versus the porous Flyers. No Jordan Binnington in this battle, after the Blues netminder was suspended two games for assaulting Ryan Hartman with his blocker.
Matters wrap up late between two non-contenders when the Ducks host the Blue Jackets; a match-up that remains fantasy-relevant if not otherwise.
Resources: Goalie depth chart | Injuries | Schedule | How to watch on ESPN+ | Download the ESPN Fantasy App | Daily lines
All times Eastern.
7 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, Watch live on ESPN+
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Cycling through a trio of starting netminders — Carter Hart, Samuel Ersson, and Felix Sandstrom — the Flyers have surrendered a league-worst average of 4.23 goals/game since Feb. 12 (63.2 PK%). The Sabres rank sixth in goals-scored through that same period with 3.63/contest, even with top-line winger Alex Tuch often out of the lineup. In addition to the usual heavy-hitting fantasy Sabres, I also like Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka to make a tangible impact in Philadelphia on Friday, as they did two nights earlier in Washington.
Jakub Vrana, St. Louis Blues (32.4%): Skating on a scoring line with Pavel Buchnevich, and top power play, the former Red Wing/Capital is fitting in well
