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Stack Finder: best line and PP1 stacks for Saturday, Apr 18

Every forward line and first power-play unit on the Saturday, Apr 18 slate, ranked by expected goals tonight against the opponent's defense, penalty kill and likely goalie. Top stack: DAL L1 (Duchene–Robertson–Bourque) vs MIN.

Data updated:

Stacks with a player who is

Top 10 stacks

  1. #1DALL1vs MIN0.59 xG

    Matt Duchene58%, Jason Robertson100%, Mavrik Bourque33%

    Matchup factors →
  2. #2DALPP1vs MIN0.56 xG

    Matt Duchene58%, Mikko Rantanen99%, Jason Robertson100%, Thomas Harley86%, Wyatt Johnston100%

    Matchup factors →
  3. #3MINL1vs DAL0.49 xG

    Robby Fabbri, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Ben Jones0.0%

    Matchup factors →
  4. #4MINL2vs DAL0.46 xG

    Vladimir Tarasenko8.5%, Bobby Brink14%, Danila Yurov33%

    Matchup factors →
  5. #5OTTL2vs CAR0.38 xG

    Claude Giroux32%, Drake Batherson97%, Stephen Halliday5.6%

    Matchup factors →
  6. #6PITL3vs PHI0.36 xG

    Anthony Mantha45%, Elmer Soderblom4.8%, Ben Kindel50%

    Matchup factors →
  7. #7MINL4vs DAL0.30 xG

    Nick Foligno3.3%, Marcus Johansson0.5%, Hunter Haight4.0%

    Matchup factors →
  8. #8PITL1vs PHI0.29 xG

    Kevin Hayes0.0%, Avery Hayes, Rutger McGroarty

    Matchup factors →
  9. #9OTTL1vs CAR0.28 xG

    Lars Eller4.1%, Warren Foegele4.0%, Fabian Zetterlund13%

    Matchup factors →
  10. #10PITL4vs PHI0.24 xG

    Noel Acciari4.1%, Joona Koppanen0.0%, Rafael Harvey-Pinard

    Matchup factors →

By game

OTT @ CAR

PHI @ PIT

MIN @ DAL

How it works

  1. Lines and PP1 come from each team's last three games of shift data: the forward trio with the most 5-on-5 time together, and the power-play five with the most time together.
  2. Unit strength is expected goals for per 60 minutes, recent games plus the season, shrunk toward league average so a hot two-game sample does not dominate.
  3. Matchup: the opponent's 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 (for lines) or its penalty-kill rate and shorthanded minutes (for PP1), relative to the league.
  4. Goalie: the likely opposing starter from our goalie start model, weighted by probability, with his save % shrunk toward league average; shot-class save % when available.
  5. Stack score = rate × minutes × P(unit intact) × matchup × goalie, in expected goals for tonight, so lines and power plays rank on one scale.

Methodology: How we detect lines · Expected goals · Goalie shot classes · Goalie start model

Frequently asked questions

What is a stack in fantasy hockey?

A stack is a group of teammates who play together, usually a forward line or the first power-play unit, so one goal pays several of your players at once. It is the main strategy in daily fantasy hockey.

How are stacks ranked?

Each unit gets an expected-goals number for tonight: how many chances it creates per 60 minutes (recent games plus season, shrunk toward league average), how many minutes it plays, how likely it is to stay together, how leaky the opponent is at 5-on-5 or shorthanded, and how good the likely opposing goalie is.

Where do the lines come from?

From the NHL shift charts of each team's last three games: the three forwards who share the most 5-on-5 ice time form a line, and the five skaters with the most power-play time together form PP1.

Why does it say "shot-based"?

While a season is being reprocessed with our expected-goals model, unit rates fall back to shots on goal times a league-average 0.075 xG per shot. The ranking logic is the same.