Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, Dec. 15 (all advanced stats are at 5v5 and courtesy of Corsica.Hockey):

Triple Threat

• LW Artemi Panarin (57K), C Artem Anisimov (45K), RW Patrick Kane (76K), Blackhawks (at Islanders): The Blackhawks' second trio has a Corsi For rating of 53.66 percent. With C Jonathan Toews back in the lineup they will spend less time on the ice with their opponent's top defensive pair. The Islanders allow the second-most scoring chances per 60 minutes.

• LW Jamie McGinn (25K), C Peter Holland (32K), D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (55K), Coyotes (at Maple Leafs): Holland's first game with the Coyotes went spectacularly, with McGinn scoring twice and Holland picking up an assist on each goal. Ekman-Larsson picked up his ninth assist of the season, snapping a four-game point-less streak. The Maple Leafs allow more scoring chances per 60 minutes than all but three teams.

• LW Jaden Schwartz (58K), C Robby Fabbri (44K), RW Vladimir Tarasenko (79K), Blues (vs. Devils): Recently assembled at practice, the Blues top trio will play their first game together Thursday. They've combined for 59 points on the season, with only Tarasenko playing the full 30 games. The Devils limit scoring chances, but they have a negative Corsi rating of 47.52.

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET - Jake Allen (80K), Blues (vs. Devils): Allen allowed five goals on 33 shots in his most recent outing, but he'll make his first home start since Dec. 6. He is 10-0-2 at home this season with a 1.79 GAA and a .932 SV%. The Devils average just 6.58 scoring chances per 60 minutes, ranking 29th in the league.

• BARGAIN - Peter Budaj (75K), Kings (at Red Wings): With news of G Jonathan Quick being out until mid-March, Budaj is cemented as the Kings' starting goalie. He allowed four goals in each of two of his past three games, but he'll face an easier matchup against a Red Wings team averaging just 7.64 scoring chances per 60. They have a paltry expected goals for of 2.16 per 60.

• FADE - Anton Khudobin (94K), Bruins (vs. Ducks): Khudobin will replace G Tuukka Rask who started Wednesday's game, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Khudobin is grossly inferior to Rask in talent and the team in front of him will still be tired in the second half of a back-to-back. He's not worth anything more than the minimum salary.

• CONTRARIAN - Scott Darling (84K), Blackhawks (at Islanders): The Islanders play an open style in which they average 9.79 scoring chances per 60 but allow 10.20. New York's 29.61 shots on goal per 60 minutes at 5v5 will provide Darling the opportunity for a high save total, while his offense will provide the scoring necessary for the win bonus.

Bargain Plays

• LW Kevin Fiala (28K), Predators (vs. Wild): Fiala has three goals and two assists since rejoining the Predators at the end of November. He is averaging 14:08 of ice time in his recent NHL stint, after beginning the year with just 11:56 per game.

• RW Ryan Hartman (25K), Blackhawks (at Islanders): Hartman played 16:27 in Toews' return Tuesday, registering just one shot on goal. He had tallied four in each of his previous two games, and he should return to a high level with a superior playmaker beside him. The Islanders' team defense is extremely exploitable, and he is in an excellent spot.

• D Johnny Boychuk (31K), Islanders (vs. Blackhawks): The Blackhawks have the worst penalty-kill percentage in the league at 72.7 percent. They've been shorthanded only 88 times through 31 games and the Islanders have drawn only 79 power-play opportunities, but Boychuk is a good tournament option with time on the second unit.

Top Fades

• D P.K. Subban (46K), Predators (vs. Wild): Subban enters a game against the NHL's best goaltender (statistically) having gone without a point in three consecutive games. He has totaled 26 shots on goal in his past six, and he played over 25 minutes in five of the six, but this isn't the spot for him to find his offensive touch.

• LW Jamie Benn (74K), Stars (vs. Rangers): Benn has had three multi-point games in his past nine outings, but he has just one other assist during the span. A boom-or-bust player right now, he is unlikely to reach his ceiling with G Henrik Lundqvist back in net for the Rangers.

• RW Blake Wheeler (62K), Jets (vs. Panthers): Priced with a higher salary than teammate Patrik Laine, Wheeler comes with the lower ceiling. He does have a higher floor with more hits and blocked shots, but Laine is a vastly superior tournament play.

Contrarian Options

• C John Tavares (80K), Islanders (vs. Blackhawks): Daily fantasy owners will be keyed in on the Blackhawks top two centers of Toews and Anisimov, with Chicago being the favorite in the game. While the Islanders' defense has been extremely poor all season, they're offense has still be quite good, and they are facing backup G Scott Darling.

• LW Taylor Hall (66K), Devils (at Blues): While Hall has a tough matchup, he enters with eight points in his past six games and 20 points in 20 games on the season. Allen has been shaky in net for the Blues of late, and Hall is the most likely to keep the Devils from being shut out.

• D Jake Gardiner (36K), Maple Leafs (vs. Coyotes): Gardiner has points in three consecutive games, while playing at least 22 minutes in six consecutive outings. His career is back on track and his 12 points through 28 games have him on pace for a career high. The Coyotes are among the league's worst defensive teams, and Gardiner needs to be included in stacks of the Maple Leafs.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

A lot of fantasy hockey player analysis looks primarily at those going from a relative unknown to being a viable fantasy asset. Alternatively, players losing their fantasy relevancy and becoming non-assets also receive plenty of attention.

Here we'll look at some players who began the season as mid-tier options but so far have produced among the league's best in at least one offensive category. Is their status among the elite cemented or should their owners be thankful for what they've received in terms of production and now move on?

RW Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov is on pace to shatter the career high of 66 points he set in 77 games last season. He has 13 goals and 30 points through the opening 28 games, with five goals and nine points in the 12 games since C Steven Stamkos fell to injury (leg). He is averaging three shots on goal per game for the season, with the number rising to 3.4 since Stamkos last played.

He has most frequently played with C Tyler Johnson and LW Ondrej Palat as the Lightning's top line at 5v5. He has a Corsi For rating of 52.03 at 5v5, per Corsica.Hockey. His team averages 9.73 scoring chances per 60 minutes of 5v5 play while he's on the ice, contributing to an expected goals for per 60 of 2.66.

Kucherov should easily top his career-best 30 goals this season and even approach 80 points. He'll rank among the league leaders in SOG and roughly a third of his production will continue to come on the power play.

C Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

Scheifele is in a four-way tie for 10th in league scoring, two points behind Kucherov with one additional game played. His 14 goals through 29 games have him on pace to top last year's career-high of 29 and his 28 total points thus far are already nearly halfway to last year's total.

He is taking less shots this season, partially due to the emergence of Ws Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers. His 19.2 shooting percentage is a career best and is unsustainable, but even a regression toward the career rate of 13.1 will allow him to top 30 goals. Just five of his points have come via the power play, so he could see an uptick in special teams production.

He surprisingly owns a negative Corsi rating at 5v5 and the Jets allow more scoring chances per 60 minutes than they generate with Scheifele on the ice. Still, Scheifle has enough talent on his wings and the return of C Bryan Little will afford him some increased opportunities against easier competition. He's another quality candidate for 80-plus points with 30 goals.

C Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks

Kesler is having a resurgent season with 25 points through the opening 30 games, after totaling 205 points in 331 games over his past five seasons. He's on pace for 33 goals in a full 82 games, though his 16.7 shooting percentage is considerably above his career rate.

Increased power-play opportunity has been a major boon, as 12 of his 25 points have come with the man advantage. He has already played 93.19 minutes at 5v4 this season, after totaling just 157.22 minutes and 12 PPP last year.

Kesler is well on his way toward a fourth consecutive 20-goal season, likely to finish closer to 25. Expect up to 60 points, with his value boosted by blocked shots, hits and penalty minutes in banger leagues.

RW Alexander Radulov, Montreal Canadiens

Radulov is tied with now-injured teammate C Alex Galchenyuk for 34th in league scoring. He has just six goals, but 17 assists on the season. He is averaging two SOG per game, with his 11.1 shooting percentage being lower than in any of his previous three NHL seasons.

The Canadiens have loaded up their top line with C Tomas Plekanec, Radulov and LW Max Pacioretty, while Galchenyuk and C David Desharnais are sidelined by injury. It's a measure which should help any potential slump Radulov would have been facing without his primary centerman.

Seven of Radulov's 11 assists at 5v5 have been primary, showing likely continued production in the category without luck having been much of a factor. His seven power-play points account for roughly a third of his point total, meeting expectation with 73.4 minutes played at 5v4.

Radulov should still be expected to reach 20 goals, with 60-70 points being well within reach.

G Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild

Dubnyk leads the NHL in both save percentage (.947) and goals against average (1.60) with both numbers easily representing career bests. He has won 14 of his 23 starts, picking up four shutouts which are just one shy of his career best totals from each of the past two seasons.

While the Wild do a good job of limiting opponent shots, Dubnyk is facing the seventh-closest average shot distance of all goalies with at least 800 minutes played at 5v5, at 33.19 feet. His 19 rebound shots against are the fewest of all goalies and only six goalies have faced fewer than Dubnyk's 35 rush shots faced.

The Wild rank ninth with 2.82 goals for per game, while its 1.96 goals against per game is easily the best mark in the league. Minnesota is a likely playoff team, so Dubnyk should have a quality wins total with an extremely heavy workload. His SV% and GAA are destined for at least mild regression, but he at least needs to be considered within the middle of the top tier of goaltenders.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.

▲ Devan Dubnyk

Devan Dubnyk delivers. Since arriving in Minnesota in January 2015, he's taken on an impressive workload and made the most of it.

The lanky veteran ranks among the best goaltenders since that time, with the most games played and the most shutouts, plus second-best finishes in wins, goals-against average, and save percentage.

Dubnyk's success in the Wild's crease has continued this season, as he boasts the NHL's best GAA at 1.60, in addition to a mind-boggling .947 save percentage. After allowing just 37 goals in 23 games and coming away with 14 wins, there's no doubt he continues to be the MVP in St. Paul.

Dubnyk manned the crease through the Wild's December bounce back, winning five games in a row of the six they've played in the month. He hasn't lost in regulation since a 3-2 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 19.

▼ Cory Schneider

After an incredible season last year, Cory Schneider has been incredibly pedestrian in 2016-17. Through 21 games, Schneider's captured just nine wins while owning an inflated 2.83 GAA and a very average .907 save percentage.

From another angle: 13 goaltenders who have played as many games as Schneider own a better save percentage.

Last season, Schneider posted an impressive .924 mark with 27 wins through 58 games. The New Jersey Devils need more of that kind of performance if the team is to snap its postseason drought and grab a playoff berth for the first time since 2012. That's already a tall task in the ever-competitive Atlantic. The Devils sit nine points back of a wild-card seed, so there's no doubt Schneider feels the pressure.

▲ Alexander Wennberg

Now we know why the Columbus Blue Jackets could afford to move a top center in Ryan Johansen to bring in stud defenseman Seth Jones: Their next top center was waiting in the wings.

Alexander Wennberg is a key reason why the Blue Jackets own one of the NHL's top records through mid-December. In just his third NHL season, the 22-year-old has already put 24 points on the board, on pace for a 73-point campaign. As a bonus, two of his six goals on the year have come as game-winners.

▼ Anze Kopitar

In the absence of starting goaltender Jonathan Quick, the Los Angeles Kings have looked to their offense to the carry the load, and that means expecting more production from new captain Anze Kopitar.

But fresh off signing a long-term extension with the club that pays him $10 million a year, Kopitar's scoring prowess has been beyond disappointing.

Through 23 games, Kopitar has registered just three goals and is on pace for just 50 points. Previously, his worst full season was his 61-point rookie campaign. The Slovenian center averaged 69 points a year over the past three seasons, and that's the sort of play that's helped him win two Stanley Cups already. Los Angeles currently sits outside the postseason picture, though, and the playoffs are no certainty for the Kings without a turnaround by Kopitar.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Auston Matthews, basically a Toronto Maple Leafs legend three months into his career.

The 19-year-old has 13 goals after another tally Tuesday, making it seven in nine games after a 13-game drought. He's on pace to score 38, which would put him in some exclusive company:

Worth mentioning: Patrik Laine's on pace for 44, and that clearly means he's better than Matthews and is the forward Toronto should have drafted. It's good to have that debate settled and out of the way.

Almost unprecedented

Putting Matthews' play through the first quarter of his career into context with respect to the Maple Leafs, the folks at Hockey Reference let the world know Wednesday that since 1987 - as far back as the website's data goes - only one other Toronto rookie has been as prolific at putting the puck into the net through his first 28 games: Nikolai Borschevsky, in 1992.

Notes:

• Going back 29 years, all three of Toronto's current star rookies - Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander - are in the top 10 in goals scored through 28 games. These kids are tasked with leading the Maple Leafs out of the darkness and while it's as early as early gets, so far so good.
• Borschevsky came out of nowhere in 1992-1993, scoring 34 goals in 78 games as a 28-year-old rookie on a formidable Toronto team powered by Doug Gilmour, Glenn Anderson, and Wendel Clark. Remember: Matthews is only 19.
• About Clark: He scored 34 as a 19-year-old rookie in 1985-86, a Maple Leafs freshman record. Unfortunately, game logs for his maiden season aren't available online, so figuring out how many goals he scored in his first 28 games involves far too much research than is socially acceptable.
• Interestingly enough, Borschevsky finished with 34 in '92-93, as well. Matthews, as mentioned, is projected to score 38.
• In '92-93, teams averaged 3.63 goals per game - hockey was very different back then. In 2016-17, that number is down to 2.72, making Matthews' exploits more impressive.
• For the uneducated: In '92-93, Gilmour had 127 points in 82 games and finished tied for seventh in NHL scoring. Forget different, hockey was practically a different sport 25 years ago.

Borschevsky had 14 goals through his first 30 contests, if you're looking for a nice round number with respect to games played. And Matthews is hoping to equal that mark Thursday, in game No. 29, when Toronto hosts the team No. 34 grew up loving - the Arizona Coyotes.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Matthews said, writes the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby. "It's fun to play your hometown team. It will be pretty cool after watching guys such as Shane Doan growing up. He's still playing. That will be pretty special."

Matthews, the kid born in San Ramon, Calif., whose mother is Mexican, who grew up in the Sonoran Desert rooting for the Coyotes, is already making history in Toronto. And for once, it seems, the Maple Leafs got it right.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have sure treated their fans, haven't they?

With their 4-3 triumph over the Boston Bruins in overtime on Wednesday night, the Penguins fashioned a winning streak of at least seven games for the 10th consecutive season, according to NHL Public Relations.

They are the first franchise in history to accomplish the feat, according to Jason Kay via the Elias Sports Bureau.

Sidney Crosby was a second-year professional, and Evgeni Malkin a rookie, back in 2006-07 - the last time the Penguins failed to go on a seven-game run.

They would, however, have two six-game win streaks in the month of January alone that season, collecting points in 16 straight games.

Pittsburgh will aim for eight in a row, and match its longest win streak from last year, with a victory Friday over the Los Angeles Kings.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

DENVER - Roman Lyubimov and Brayden Schenn scored 1:46 apart in the third period to help the Philadelphia Flyers to their 10th straight victory, 4-3 over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

The Flyers have their longest winning streak since a franchise-best 13-game run in 1985.

Off a Colorado turnover in its own zone, Lyubimov slapped the go-ahead goal past Calvin Pickard 3:30 into the third. Schenn added to the lead with his fifth goal in his last three games.

Wayne Simmonds and Michael Del Zotto also scored, and Steve Mason stopped 26 shots.

Pickard, starting in place of injured Semyon Varlamov, made 21 saves. Matt Duchene had two goals and Rene Bourque also scored for the Avalanche. They have lost five straight at home and eight of their last 10 overall.

Duchene scored his second goal of the night to make 4-3 with 4:45 remaining. Mason denied the equalizer despite an aggressive Colorado attack after Pickard was pulled with 1:31 left.

Earlier, Duchene put back a rebound off Mason to give Colorado a 2-1 lead 16:34 into second, but Simmonds tied it 23 seconds later with his 16th goal of the season, fourth-most in the league.

The Flyers appeared to score again 78 seconds after that, but Pierre-Edouard Bellemare's goal was overturned after video replay deemed that he tipped in the goal with a high stick.

Things got chippy after that. Gabriel Landeskog laid out Michael Raffl with a big, causing Landeskog and Jakub Voracek to the drop gloves. Both got in a few shots before Voracek fell to the ice.

The Flyers got on the board first with Del Zotto's goal 4:01 into the second. Del Zotto took a crossing pass from Giroux but Pickard slid across the crease to deny his initial chance. The puck fluttered into the air and dropped back into the crease before Del Zotto swiped in his own rebound into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season. Bourque tied it 12:14 into the second with his ninth goal of the year.

Note: The Avalanche recalled goalie Spencer Martin from San Antonio to serve as backup while Varlamov is day-to-day with a groin injury. ... Philadelphia D Shayne Gostisbehere returned after missing one game with a swollen right hand, while fellow defenseman Mark Streit is expected to be out two weeks with a shoulder injury.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.