NHL first look: Game-by-game DFS breakdown for Jan. 31

There are eight NHL games on the docket Sunday, with most DFS sites including the five evening matchups in their featured contests. The Ottawa-Edmonton bout is the only game of the five that isn’t a rematch, but the Oilers did play Saturday. Ottawa has been off since Thursday. The Oilers are also the largest favorite on the docket with Colorado and St. Louis also large road favorites.

Here’s a quick-hit look at the five evening games with notes, recommendations and fades.

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New York Islanders at Philadelphia Flyers (-130)

Philadelphia won Game 1 of the miniseries 3-2 Saturday. The Islanders won the possession battle with a 56.3 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five, but the big difference was Carter Hart was the better goaltender. Hart stopped 26 of 28 shots, whereas Semyon Varlarmov saved just 14 of 17 shots. Expect Brian Elliott and Ilya Sorokin to start for their respective teams in the second leg of the back-to-back set. Sorokin fared better in his most recent start allowing just two goals on 22 shots during a 2-0 loss to New Jersey. Brian Elliott has been hit or miss to start, but he could be positioned to do well against the low-scoring Islanders. New York has scored only 16 goals through eight games, after all.

The big news for the Flyers is Travis Konecny will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch Saturday. Konecny started hot with five tallies and two helpers through five games, but he collected just a single assist and shot through the next three contests before his press-box visit. He’ll probably respond with a solid showing Sunday. It’s worth noting Noah Dobson attempted five shots Saturday and continues to provide solid numbers with five points — one goal — 15 shots and 14 blocks while averaging 4:02 of power-play time per game.

Columbus Blue Jackets (-117) at Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks were competitive in their 2-1 loss to Columbus Friday, and Chicago has also now allowed just 10 goals through its past five games to propel them to a respectable 2-1-2 record. Still, Columbus also looks to be rounding into form a 3-0-1 record and only eight goals against over its past four. The Blue Jackets are also the better team on paper and are allowing just 2.13 five-on-five goals per hour this season, so with Chicago scoring only 1.54, the Columbus starting goalie should be in a nice spot. Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins are both off to solid starts, too.

Patrick Kane is currently in a mini-funk, with just a single assist through his past three games and has dropped to just 2.6 points per hour for the campaign. The supporting cast around him is extremely weak, so it’s not a guarantee he’ll fully regress back to his high-end 3.37 mark from last year. On the contrary, a few Blue Jackets who started slow are beginning to heat up. Cam Atkinson has a goal and three assists over the past five games, and Zach Werenski has collected three helpers over his past four outings.

Colorado Avalanche (-155) at Minnesota Wild

The Avalanche dominated the Wild Saturday with a 5-1 win while driving possession with a 65.6 Corsi For percentage. Colorado also ranks second in the league with a 56.4 mark for the campaign. The Avs are expected to start Hunter Miska on Sunday, and the 25-year-old netminder allowed three goals on 26 shots in a loss to Los Angeles earlier this season. Regardless, he’s likely to be a popular DFS target, but there’s definitely risk given his lack of an NHL track record. It’s also worth noting that Nathan MacKinnon’s current 5.0% shooting percentage is screaming for statistical correction. He posted an 11.9 mark over the previous three seasons, after all.

For the Wild, there isn’t a lot to be excited about. Cam Talbot is expected to make his first start since sustaining a lower-body injury against San Jose on Jan. 22, so he’s probably best viewed as a risky option. Go-to defenseman Mathew Dumba (leg) and winger Marcus Johansson (undisclosed) are also both questionable after exiting Saturday’s contest, and winger Kevin Fiala still has two games left on his suspension. It all adds up to a tough matchup against the rolling Avalanche.

St. Louis Blues (-167) at Anaheim Ducks

Another potential mismatch, St. Louis filled the net and won 6-1 over the Anaheim Saturday. Even more discouraging for the Ducks, though, is that they’ve only scored 15 goals through nine games and have now lost two straight. It should be a favorable spot for expected St. Louis starter Ville Husso to record his first NHL victory. However, there’s a warning needed before locking him into lineups. The 25-year-old Finn has stopped just nine of 48 shots he’s faced through two appearances and posted an underwhelming .871 save percentage and 3.67 GAA over 27 games in the AHL last year. Still, the matchup is as favorable as you’ll find.

Up front for the Blues, the Brayden Schenn–Jaden Schwartz–Jordan Kyrou is cruising with seven tallies and 10 helpers combined over the past 10 contests. Expect them to be a popular line stack. Additionally, Torey Krug is beginning to turn his season around with a goal and two helpers through his past four outings. It’s probably safe to fade the Ducks skaters, or at the very best view them as desperation fliers. A bounceback showing from John Gibson wouldn’t be shocking, though. He got the hook after just 2:06 Saturday and could return for redemption Sunday.

Ottawa Senators at Edmonton Oilers (-225)

The Senators have been off since Thursday, so there should be some jump from their youngsters. However, with a seven-game losing streak that includes a minus-21 goal differential, it’s hard to be confident in Ottawa's upside. Plus, Edmonton is the largest favorite on the docket. The Oilers are also coming off a statement 4-3 win over Toronto to end their own two-game losing streak. This will be the first meeting between the two clubs, but it should prove to be a favorable spot for the Oilers’ top scorers. Ottawa is allowing the most goals per game in the league.

The Oilers will probably start Troy Grosenick Sunday. He hasn’t seen NHL action since the 2014-15 campaign, but the 31-year-old netminder posted a .920 save percentage through 33 contests in the AHL last year and could be an option for DFS players. Up front, look for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to stay hot. They’re both sporting six-game point streaks, which include multi-point showings in each of the past four contests to sit one-two in league scoring.