Ahead of the stretch to playoffs, goalies will be in higher demand. You never really know what you are going to get each week with any goalie, but based on recent games and schedules ahead, we have some idea. That being said, you are here to find the best option in net to stream this week, so these are the top three goalies to grab for Week 18.
Fantasy Hockey Week 18 Goalie Streams
Jake Allen, New Jersey Devils
If you or anybody else hasn’t jumped on adding Jake Allen yet, this is your cue. Jacob Markstrom is out for over a month and Allen is the starter for a good hockey team in New Jersey. Not only is he starting every game but he has been very good in the majority of them while the Devils provide great goal support.
New Jersey has a favorable schedule this week against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Montreal Canadiens. Pittsburgh is 15th in the East, Vegas has won three of their past 10 games, and Montreal has just one more point than the Penguins and has lost two in a row as of Sunday. Prior to the Devils’ game against the Buffalo Sabres, Allen has won three of his last four games with a shutout. You will be able to ride his production and starts for a while.
Alex Nedeljkovic, Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins might have just started to sell, but that doesn’t mean the players have given up. Alex Nedeljkovic took over as the clear starter in Pittsburgh when Tristan Jarry was sent to the AHL again. Since then, Nedeljkovic has played well and is proving that he can be an NHL starter.
Nedeljkovic has won four of his last six starts but has a .929 SV% or better in five of those games which included a shutout in his latest. He is only going to get two starts this week because the Penguins play a back-to-back later in the week, but he should get the start against the Devils and one of the New York Rangers or Philadelphia Flyers, two teams out of a playoff spot and near the bottom of the East.
Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets
Most times Elvis Merzlikins has appeared on the list of top goalies to stream in a week, it has been mainly focused on the team’s ability and his ability to win games, even if they are high scoring games. That has changed recently as Merzlikins is playing great hockey and is keeping his opponents’ goals down, win or lose.
Merzlikins has won seven of his last eight games, but he has a .935 SV% or better in five of his last six games. The Columbus Blue Jackets have won 19 of the 33 games Merzlikins has played in and he has pulled himself to a 2.86 GAA and .896 SV% on the season. Columbus has a weaker schedule this week when they take on the Sabres, Utah Hockey Club, and Rangers. Expect him to start all three games with how well he’s playing given the Blue Jackets are in the thick of a playoff race.
Related: Best Hitters To Acquire In Fantasy Hockey Who Also Get Points
All three of these goalies will work for you in fantasy hockey this week whether you are looking for a pure streamer or a goalie you can stream right now and potentially hold onto for longer. Be sure to come back again next week for the best streaming options in net as well as for forwards and defensemen the following days.
