This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate begins at 6:30 p.m. EDT and features four games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Even on the road, the Avalanche remain by far the largest favorites, as they look to build on their 2-0 series lead. The Hurricanes are also up 2-0 in their series against Nashville, but Carolina's only a mild road favorite in what's expected to be the night's lowest-scoring game (over/under 5.0 goals). The Bruins are favored at home and lead the Capitals 2-1 in their series, while the Oilers will be looking to bounce back after dropping Game 1 at home to the Jets.
GOALIES
Philipp Grubauer, COL at STL ($8,500): A change in venue is unlikely to change Colorado's stranglehold on the series, as the Avalanche have cruised to three-goal victories in each of the first two games. Grubauer should remain the safe play in net as the heavily favored Avalanche head to St. Louis.
Alex Nedeljkovic, CAR at NSH ($7,900): Nedeljkovic hasn't been intimidated by the bright lights of the postseason, stopping 22 of 24 shots in Game 1 before setting aside all 32 shots he faced in a Game 2 shutout to grab a commanding 2-0 series lead. The Predators will likely bring some desperation on home ice in Game 3, but Nedeljkovic should be up to the challenge while backstopping a Carolina team that's looked far superior so far in this series.
Ilya Samsonov, WAS at BOS ($7,600): Samsonov's miscommunication with Justin Schultz behind Washington's net to set up Boston's double-overtime game-winner is what everyone will end up remembering from his series debut in Game 3, but the Russian netminder performed admirably prior to that point, finishing with 40 saves on 43 shots. Every game in this series has gone to overtime, so Samsonov has a good shot of outperforming his $7,600 valuation in what figures to be yet another close contest.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at EDM ($7,400): Hellebuyck was fantastic in Game 1, setting aside 32 of 33 shots in what was a nail-biter throughout until the Jets pulled away with two empty-netters to win it 4-1. The 2020 Vezina Trophy on Hellebuyck's mantel suggests he's capable of continuing to hold the top-heavy Oilers offense at bay.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nathan MacKinnon, COL at STL ($8,900): Whether it's as part of a larger stack or as a stand-alone option, MacKinnon has a strong case for being in most lineups. He has put together a ridiculous 5-2-7 line through this series' first two games, adding 10 shots and scoring the game-winning goal in both contests.
Sebastian Aho, CAR at NSH ($6,800): Aho failed to score on seven shots in Game 1, then lit the lamp twice on five shots in Game 2, as he's been a dominant force thus far in this series. Reasonably priced for a top-line center who's rolling, Aho's a solid lineup building block.
Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM vs. WPG ($4,900): Puljujarvi potted Edmonton's lone goal in the series opener, and he's in position to continue scoring while skating on Connor McDavid's wing. The 2016 fourth-overall pick has produced offense in bunches this season, so his Game 1 tally could mark the start of a timely hot streak. If that's the case, you'll want to be along for the ride.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS at BOS ($3,600): Making his return from the COVID-19 list, Kuznetsov failed to make much of an impact over 26:41 of ice time in Game 3. That game provided him with a nice opportunity to shake off the rust, so Kuznetsov's an appealing bargain option here at just $3,600. The top-six center has a 27-35-62 line over 79 career postseason contests.
Matt Duchene, NSH vs. CAR ($3,000): Duchene's coming off a subpar regular season, but the former 70-point scorer has stepped it up in the playoffs, with an assist in Game 1 followed by four shots and two blocks in Game 2. Despite Nashville's struggles scoring, Duchene's a solid bargain play as the Predators try to avoid falling into a 3-0 series hole.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins vs. Capitals
David Krejci (C - $4,700), Taylor Hall (W - $5,300), Craig Smith (W - $3,900)
Boston's second line was hot to finish the regular season and has matched the Perfection line's performance so far in the playoffs, as each line has gotten a combined 3-3-6 output from its members. Hall was quiet in Game 1 but has two goals on nine shots in the two games since. Smith's double-overtime winner in Game 3 gave him a 1-2-3 line over the last two games. Krejci has been the quietest member of this group, but he's likely to heat up before long, as the veteran center closed the regular season with a 6-15-21 line in his last 16 games. He's also a proven playoff performer, with a 40-76-116 line over 148 career postseason contests.
Jets at Oilers
Mark Scheifele (C - $6,900), Kyle Connor (W - $6,500), Blake Wheeler (W - $5,800)
Each member of Winnipeg's top line produced two points in Game 1, extending hot streaks for all three of these players. Scheifele now has a 2-8-10 line in his last six games, Connor's at 5-3-8 in his last four, and Wheeler sports a 6-9-15 line over his last 10. After scuffling down the stretch, the Jets are suddenly flying high again, as they won their final two regular-season games before triumphing in the series opener.
Avalanche at Blues
Tyson Jost (C - $3,100), Joonas Donskoi (W - $4,400), Andre Burakovsky (W - $5,100)
If you don't want to commit a hefty chunk of your cap space to stacking Colorado's top line, consider using some or all of this line's members instead. Donskoi ended the season on a two-game goal streak and exploded for two goals and an assist in Game 2. Burakovsky has quietly been elite in his time with the Avalanche, posting a 39-50-89 line in 111 regular-season appearances with Colorado and a 7-10-17 line in 17 playoff games. With Nazem Kadri suspended for his ejection-worthy hit on Justin Faulk in Game 2, the affordable Jost is the leading candidate to slide up into the second-line center role.
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. WPG ($6,000): Barrie led all defensemen with 48 points in the regular season, and he added one in the series opener. The Oilers' offense should collectively pick things up moving forward, and Barrie will be a key part of that equation. He has a 2-4-6 line in his last four matchups with the Jets.
Torey Krug, STL vs. COL ($4,700): Krug is one of the few Blues who's having a strong series, as he's dished out two helpers to go with eight shots and four blocks. With his valuation compressed by this difficult matchup, Krug should continue to provide excellent value at $4,700.
Brett Pesce, CAR at NSH ($3,900): Pesce has gotten off to a tremendous this postseason, with three assists and a plus-4 rating through two games. At just $3,900, it's worth locking him in and hoping that success continues.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS at BOS ($3,800): Orlov's been noticeable in every game this series, averaging 13.2 fantasy points while totaling two assists, eight shots and nine blocks. His well-rounded game should allow the veteran blueliner to keep outperforming his modest $3,800 valuation.
