Before facing Paul Kukla on Saturday it would be wise to get a little practice in. Play in a free league tonight at Fantasy Feud to get used to the scoring system and salary structure for the players.

Here are a few tips and value plays for tonight’s matchups. A new blog post will be out later this week with suggestions for Saturday’s matchups.

Thursday Night Fantasy Hockey Value Plays (Example)

There are two ways to build a roster in daily fantasy sports. You can either pick players on multiple teams, like you would in a season long league, or you can ‘stack’ players from the same team because you like the matchup; a tactic often seen in daily fantasy leagues. Here are 2 matchups I like on Thursday and players I would ‘stack’ on my roster.

New York Islanders vs Montreal Canadiens

These two teams have faced each other twice this season and there have been 16 goals scored in those games. There’s no guarantee we are in line for another 8 goal game between these two clubs but here’s some value in a game that is likely to feature its fair share of goals.

John Tavares – C- New York Islanders - $109,721 – Draft him now

In two games against the Habs this season Tavares has 4 points, he has a +2 rating with 10 shots on goal. If he has another 2-point game with 5 shots you will be getting tremendous value at his price point.

Matt Moulson – LW – New York Islanders - $95,396 – Draft him now
Consistency is crucial in daily fantasy hockey. You are trying to minimize risk and maximize your return. How about a guy who has a point in 8 of his last 9 games? Sounds consistent to me.

Brad Boyes – RW – New York Islanders – $82,595 – Draft him now

His salary has been on a steady rise and for good reason. Boyes has 7 points during his 5 game point streak with 15 shots on goal. Another solid option for your roster and if you are stuck deciding between Boyes and Moulson I would pick Boyes.

Kyle Okposo – RW – New York Islanders - $61,566 – Draft him now

If you can’t afford a player on the Islanders first line its worth taking a shot on Okposo. He’s had a rough year to date having gone from the first line to the 4th line, however, he appears to be gaining momentum with 3 points in his last 2 games and he’s back to averaging close to 20 minutes per game.

Andrei Markov – D – Montreal Canadiens – $79,024 – Draft him now

While everyone is talking about P.K. Subban, and for good reason, Markov is quietly having a very consistent campaign for Montreal. H has 7 assists in his last 9 games with a +3 rating and 18 shots on goal. He’s well worth his price tag.

Thomas Plekanec – C- Montreal Canadiens - $110,635 – Draft them now
Michael Ryder – RW – Montreal Canadiens - $107,587
Brian Gionta – RW – Montreal Canadiens - $95,091

I’ve listed these 3 players together because they’re one of the lines playing the best hockey in the NHL. While many would still call this the Habs second line I beg to differ. While this line has been held off the score sheet over the last 2 games I don’t see it lasting. Ryder has 9 points in his last 7 games while Plekanec has 7 in his last 8 and Gionta has 5 in his last 7.

Calgary Flames at Nashville Predators

The Flames might be near the basement of the standings but they’ve managed to score 14 goals in their last 3 games. Add to that the fact that Nashville has allowed an average of 5 goals in their last 4 games and it’s time to take a look at the value on the Flames roster for Thursday night’s matchup.

The line of Glencross (LW - $103,320) – Stajan (C - $64,004) – Stempniak (RW -$86,558)

The Flames recent outburst of scoring can be attributed to this line. Glencross has 4 goals and 2 assists in the last 3 games. Stajan has chipped in with 5 helpers, and Stempniak has 1 goal and 4 assists.

Alex Tanguay – LW – Calgary Flames - $69,795 – Draft him now

With points in each of his last 5 games Tanguay continues to produce on a line with Iginla and Cammalleri. What makes him so attractive is the fact he’s $20,000 less expensive than his line mates.

I’m not recommending having all of these players on your team but they are playing on hot teams with strong matchups. Give it a try in a free league on Thursday Night and see how you do. Join for free here.

Don’t forget to play in the Beat Paul Kukla Challenge on Saturday. Here’s how to join:

1- Join for free and register in the league here.

2- Build a roster of 10 players in a salary cap league. You have 1 million fantasy dollars to build your team.

3- Follow the live scoreboard on Saturday to see if you win.

If you already have an account click here to access the Kukla’s Korner challenge.

Check in later this week for Saturday’s value plays for this weekend’s challenge