Pay up for Nathan MacKinnon on Thursday
It’s another busy Thursday in the NHL with 12 games on tap as the NHL passes the halfway mark of the season. Nashville dropped a 2-1 decision in Toronto on Wednesday and they are the only two tired teams, as the Predators are in Montreal, while Toronto takes on the Red Wings in Detroit. Seattle is in Boston, Winnipeg travels to Buffalo, Vancouver plays Tampa Bay, Dallas visits the Rangers in New York, Columbus hosts Carolina, the Islanders are home to the Wild, Calgary is in St. Louis, Chicago hosts Colorado, Ottawa visits Arizona and Florida is in Vegas. Below, you’ll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIE
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. CGY ($23): Binnington has won three of his last four games, including a 4-3 victory over Calgary on Tuesday in which he made 28 saves. The Flames remained in St. Louis for Thursday’s tilt and Binnington is expected to get the start once again. He is 16-13-3 with a 3.26 GAA and an .892 save percentage, but his salary will allow you to get pricier players up front.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at BUF ($35): Hellebuyck is having a great year, going 20-10-1 with a 2.42 GAA and a .924 save percentage, but he gave up six goals on only 22 shots Tuesday in a loss in Detroit. He now takes on the high-scoring Sabres on the road Thursday. Hellebuyck was 1-1-0 against Buffalo last season, giving up six goals on 66 shots.
CENTER
Nathan MacKinnon, COL at CHI ($35): MacKinnon missed 11 games with an upper-body injury but still has 39 points in 28 games this season. The 27-year-old center has three goals and five points in five games since returning to action, averaging 25:01 of ice time per game, and now he’ll face the worst team in the NHL. He had a pair of helpers in the season opener against Chicago. The Avalanche are currently sitting 11th in the Western Conference standings, and while they do have multiple games in hand over seventh-place Calgary and eighth-place Edmonton, the defending Stanley Cup champions have…
