This Saturday's NHL slate features exciting matchups and formidable players to consider for your fantasy lineups. The Colorado Avalanche's first line shines with Nathan MacKinnon, who has been hot, scoring four goals and assisting on seven in the last four games. Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas complement him well, demonstrating strong xGoals metrics despite facing a tough Toronto Maple Leafs defense.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames provide a great matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, where Nazem Kadri leads a productive line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Matthew Coronato. This trio has generated a solid xGoals rate and should capitalize on Montreal's defensive vulnerabilities.

Additionally, the Nashville Predators face the struggling Chicago Blackhawks, making Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly enticing options. Both players have shown offensive prowess recently, indicating they could exploit the Blackhawks' defensive weaknesses.

Make sure to also keep an eye on key defensemen like Drew Doughty, whose role on the power play increases his appeal against the St. Louis Blues. Goalies such as Juuse Saros are positioned favorably against the Blackhawks, making them viable picks for your DFS lineups. Remember to stay updated on injury news to maximize your lineup effectiveness!

The Calgary Flames dominated the Philadelphia Flyers with a solid 6-3 victory, highlighted by a powerful first period where they scored four goals. Connor Zary led the charge with a pair of goals, opening the scoring and then doubling the lead shortly afterwards. Despite the Flyers' Noah Cates and Andrei Kuzmenko narrowing the gap, the Flames responded with strikes from Yegor Sharangovich and MacKenzie Weegar, solidifying their lead by the end of the second period. Sean Couturier made it interesting with a goal in the third, but Matt Coronato sealed the game with an empty-net score.

Connor Zary's standout performance, with two goals, propelled the Calgary Flames to a decisive 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. In a spectacular display, Nazem Kadri contributed a goal within a 1:52 span during the first period, showcasing a potent Flames offense that surged early. Alongside Zary and Kadri, Yegor Sharangovich, MacKenzie Weegar, and Matt Coronato added to the scoreboard, with Dustin Wolf making 26 saves to secure the win. The Flyers struggled defensively, replacing Samuel Ersson after a rocky start, while Noah Cates, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Matvei Michkov netted goals for Philadelphia.

The Flames reversed their previous fortunes, having lost three consecutive games and only managed a single goal during that stretch. Their explosive first-period performance, featuring four goals in just over two minutes, underlines a significant turnaround. The Flyers, on the other hand, continued to struggle, securing only three wins since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break. With this victory, the Flames look to maintain momentum heading into their next matchup against the Dallas Stars.

In a thrilling overtime victory, Sebastian Aho netted his fifth overtime goal of the season, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Jaccob Slavin contributed with a goal, while goalie Pyotr Kochetkov made 15 saves in regulation, showcasing a solid defensive effort from Carolina.

The Flames finally broke their scoreless streak, with Nazem Kadri scoring a power-play goal that ended a frustrating 171-minute dry spell. Despite their struggles, Calgary's Dustin Wolf put forth a commendable performance, making 31 saves. Carolina struggled on the power play, going 0-for-6, which included a missed chance during a four-minute double-minor.

The Washington Capitals, led by the relentless Alex Ovechkin, are riding high after scoring 15 goals in their last two games, including a 7-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Ovechkin's hat trick in that game marked his 32nd career hat trick, bringing him to 882 career goals, just 13 shy of Wayne Gretzky's NHL record. With 29 goals in 41 games this season, he is well on pace to break the record this year. Meanwhile, the Capitals are embracing a home-ice advantage with an impressive 11-game point streak at home, a streak they hope to extend against the Calgary Flames.

The Flames are entering a challenging six-game road trip, starting with the Capitals, and will need to ramp up their game after a shaky 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Players like Nazem Kadri, who extended his point streak to six games, and Joel Hanley, who scored his first career game-winning goal, are crucial to Calgary's playoff aspirations as they try to catch up in the Western Conference playoff race.