Welcome to TheLeafsNation Game Day where we check out today’s Leafs game and some other things that are happening in the league.
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their four-game western road trip with the first of two games against the Edmonton Oilers. The Leafs head north three hours after a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames that left Matthew Tkachuk very insane at the end of the game.
| Toronto | Edmonton | |
| recording | 6-2-0, 0.750 points% | 3-5-0, .375 points% |
| GF / GA | 26-22 | 23-29 |
| Power play% | 41.7 |
17.9 |
| Killing penalties% | 80.0 | 76.0 |
| CF% | 52.77 | 46.49 |
| xGF% | 48.51 | 51.51 |
| PDO | 99.7 | 97.9 |
Analytics at 5 × 5 c / o naturalstattrick.com.
Last week we had our first look at the Leafs and Oilers, with Edmonton winning the first game 3-1 and the Leafs winning the second game 4-2. The total goals were only scored in the second game, while in the first game both teams played more of a defensive game, much to the chagrin of those who bet on the game.
Mitch Marner ($ 7,300) is one player I’d like to keep an eye on Thursday night. He was a stallion that season, scoring 12 points in eight games, including two points in two games against the Oilers. I’m looking for him to continue his hot streak with another strong performance against Edmonton.
Justin Holl ($ 2,900) achieved excellent value for money at DFS earlier this season. He has made five assists in eight games and blocked 14 shots at team level. It’s a solid cheap option.
Look for Jesse Puljujarvi ($ 4,300) in Edmonton for some value. He was brought to the top alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and has fired 25 shots on the net without scoring any goals. He’s going to have one soon, and it could be tonight.
Defensively, Adam Larsson ($ 4,000) is another cheaper game. He has found the back of the net twice so far, blocking 3.5 shots per game this season while scoring 21 hits. There is some value there.
If you’re looking for a stud to build your lineup, Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen ($ 8,200) is as good an option as he is now. Averaging 16.1 FPPG this season, he has scored six goals in which he also added two assists. Expect this to continue tonight against a bad San Jose Sharks club.
New York Islanders goalkeeper Semyon Varlamov ($ 7,500) has been very hot this season and was due to face a still-exhausted Washington Capitals team on Thursday night. He averaged 23.1 FPPG at the start of the year and is a cheaper option.
Patric Hornqvist ($ 4,700) got off to a hot start this year with an average of 17.9 FPPG. He has scored four goals and five points in just three games this year and scored against Columbus on Tuesday night. Teammate Carter Verhaeghe ($ 3,700) has scored three goals and five points in his first three games with the Panthers and offers a massive DFS averaging 16.3 FPG.
The Leafs Nation is a partner of DraftKings. I am also an avid fan and user (my username is zachlaing) and sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I give advice on. While I have provided my personal opinion on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view (s) of DraftKings, and I may use different players and strategies than recommended above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to non-public information.
Zach Laing is the news director and senior columnist for the Nation Network. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaingor reached by email at [email protected]
