Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: DraftKings NHL Optimal Lineup for Nov. 5

When playing DraftKings fantasy hockey, there's one thing that's a given: If you want to win on a consistent basis, you need to find a goaltender who is capable of regularly shutting down opponents.

It's not just about getting the win—it's about making big saves and holding opponents to one or two goals or possibly even getting a shutout.

Because if you don't find a goaltender who can do that, somebody else will.

When the Washington Capitals host the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, something has to give. The Bruins have been firing fairly well after a terrible 0-3-0 start, going 6-1-1 in their last eight games. They have been scoring more goals (3.82 goals per game) than any other team in the league, and they have a pristine 5-0-0 record on the road.

But before anyone wants to back the high-powered Boston offense, take a strong look at Washington goalie Braden Holtby. He registered three shutouts against the Bruins in 2014-15, and they simply have a difficult time scoring against him.

As a result, we are giving the edge to Holtby and putting him in our lineup. Holtby is the third-highest-priced goalie available on Thursday night behind injured Montreal goalie Carey Price and Nashville's Pekka Rinne. However, we are more than willing to spend $7,900 of our $50,000 DraftKings budget on Holtby.

Look for him to shut down the Bruins. It may not be another bagel, but Holtby won't give up more than two goals as the Caps get the home victory.

Position	Player, Team	Opponent	FPPG	Salary
C	Jeff Carter, Los Angeles	Columbus	3.9	$5,800
C	Mika Zibanejad, Ottawa	Winnipeg	3.0	$4,500
W	Max Pacioretty, Montreal	N.Y. Islanders	4.1	$7,700
W	Filip Forsberg, Nashville	Minnesota	3.1	$5,700
W	Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles	Columbus	4.0	$5,700
D	Ryan Suter, Minnesota	Nashville	4.2	$5,400
D	Seth Jones, Nashville	Minnesota	2.5	$4,100
G	Braden Holtby, Washington	Boston	4.2	$7,900
U	Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ottawa	Winnipeg	2.5	$3,200

Centers: Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings ($5,800) and Mika Zibanejad, Ottawa Senators ($4,500)

The highest-priced centers are John Tavares, Steven Stamkos and Joe Pavelski, but we are looking to conserve some of our budget so we can load up elsewhere.

Jeff Carter may not be among the top-ranked centers on Thursday night, but he is capable of going on a hot streak and scoring multiple points. The Kings are hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Carter should be able to impose his will on the struggling visitors. He has scored five goals and seven assists in 12 games this season, and Carter loves to show off his scoring prowess. He has averaged 27 goals the past three seasons, and we expect him to hit that mark again this year. He should get a goal and an assist in this game.

Mika Zibanejad of the Ottawa Senators is not an explosive scorer like Carter, but he is one of the best all-round players in the game. He is especially good on the defensive end, and he is able to turn defense into offense with his quick stick and instinctive play in the neutral zone. Zibanejad is a bargain at $4,500, and he has scored two goals and six assists this season. Look for him to open up his offensive game at home against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night with at least one goal.

Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images

Wings: Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens ($7,700), Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators ($5,700) and Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings ($5,700)

The Canadiens host the New York Islanders on Thursday. The league's best team lost its first home game of the year on Tuesday night, dropping an overtime decision to the Ottawa Senators. That is not going to sit well with Max Pacioretty, who is one of the league's most devastating scorers.

Pacioretty is coming off two monstrous seasons in which he scored 39 and 37 goals. Pacioretty has a vicious wrist shot and excellent moves around the net. He already has seven goals and four assists for the Habs, and he will torment the Islanders with a goal and an assist.

Filip Forsberg is one of the most clever passers in the league, and he helps get the Nashville offenese going with his ability to make tape-to-tape passes and his ability to set up scoring chances. Forsberg has two goals and six assists this season, and while he has had some recent difficulties, he should be at his best on Thursday night when the Preds go on the road to take on the Minnesota Wild.

In addition to the scoring exploits of Carter, Tyler Toffoli has shown he can put the puck in the net with regularity when he gets hot. Toffoli will go to the net, and he has been something of a scoring machine this year with nine goals and two assists. No, he's not going to pile up the helpers, but he is an artful and tough player who is hungry to score every night. He will punish the Blue Jackets with at least one goal.

Harry How/Getty Images

Defensemen: Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild ($5,400) and Seth Jones, Nashville Predators ($4,100)

Ryan Suter is the anchor of the Minnesota Wild defense. When it comes to time on the ice, blocking shots and carrying the puck into the offensive zone, he is the man for head coach Mike Yeo's team. Suter is a wall of concrete when he delivers a check, but he can also blast a hard shot from the point or set up a teammate with an accurate pass. Suter has 10 points in his first 11 games, and we expect him to dominate with his hitting and shot-blocking ability and score at least one point against the Nashville Predators.

Third-year defenseman Seth Jones has all the tools needed to become a star for the Preds. At 6'4" and 205 pounds, the 21-year-old Jones has the size and skating ability to dominate in the defensive zone. He also has a nasty shot from the point and is coming off an eight-goal, 19-assist season. Jones has not yet scored a goal this year, but he has five assists. We expect at least one point from him against the Wild.

Goalie: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals ($7,900)

We already talked about Holtby's success against the Bruins and the confidence he takes to the ice every time he plays against Boston. Holtby has gotten off to a sharp start with the Caps this term, as he has a 6-3-0 record, 2.25 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage this season.

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