This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday marks the end of the regular season for nearly every team in the NHL, with a whopping 15 games on the docket after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Building around players from the league's top teams is usually a winning strategy, but doing so could be tricky here, as many playoff-bound squads could opt to rest some of their key contributors. There are eight games involving teams whose playoff seeding has yet to be decided, and of those, the Predators (in Arizona) and Stars (vs. Anaheim) have the most favorable matchups as they battle for the top wild card spot in the Western Conference and the right to avoid facing the Avalanche in the first round. The Penguins are another team with something still to play for, and they are the night's heaviest favorite on home ice against Columbus. Florida will rest some regulars but is still expected to run up the score on the Canadiens in a battle between the teams with the league's best and worst records. Panthers-Canadiens has the night's highest over/under at 7.0 goals.
GOALIES
Connor Ingram, NSH at ARI ($8,000): Ingram will get a chance to strut his stuff in a favorable matchup that still means something to Nashville, as the Predators would almost certainly prefer to face the Flames in the first round and cross over to the Pacific Division rather than taking on the Avalanche in the gauntlet that is the Central. At least one point against the worst team in the Western Conference will accomplish that goal, and the Coyotes' awful 24-50-7 record is due in large part to Arizona's league-worst offense (2.48 goals per game).
Kaapo Kahkonen, SJ at SEA ($7,400): Kahkonen has been solid down the stretch for the Sharks, allowing just 10 goals in his last five starts but coming away with a pedestrian 2-2-1 record due to a lack of goal support over that stretch. He'll have a nice opportunity to add to his case to be the team's starter next season by finishing the season on a high note against a Kraken team that's dropped four consecutive games in regulation and is averaging just 2.59 goals per game this season.
Anton Forsberg, OTT at PHI ($7,300): Forsberg has a great opportunity to finish the season on a high note and won't cost much here at just $7,300. The Senators have won four of their last five games while the Flyers are 2-8-0 in their last 10, and Philadelphia has mustered just one goal over its last two games combined. Only the Coyotes average fewer goals than the Flyers' 2.57.
Alex Nedeljkovic, DET at NJ ($7,200): Nedeljkovic shut out the depleted Devils in New Jersey on Sunday and should post a similarly strong stat line in this rematch. New Jersey has been putrid – even by its already low standards – down the stretch, getting outscored 22-11 during its current five-game skid. Meanwhile, Nedeljkovic has sprinkled in some strong performances to go with his underwhelming overall numbers, having logged four shutouts in his first season as a full-time NHL starter.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Steven Stamkos, TB at NYI ($7,500): Stamkos is arguably the hottest scorer in the league, as he brings an eight-game multi-point streak into the regular season finale. He has a ridiculous seven goals and 23 points during this eight-game stretch, and since the Lightning still have something to play for, Stamkos should be in the lineup along with the rest of Tampa Bay's stars.
Jason Robertson, DAL vs. ANH ($6,900): Assuming the Stars dress their top players in their chase for the top wild card spot, Robertson should be an effective option against the lowly Ducks. His 40-38-78 line in 73 games includes a 4-4-8 output during his current five-game point streak.
Patrice Bergeron, BOS at TOR ($6,700): Toronto's resting some key players, while Boston will likely go with a full lineup since the Bruins are one point back of the Lightning for the third seed in the Atlantic Division and a chance to face the Maple Leafs in the first round rather than the Hurricanes. As long as the red-hot Bergeron suits up, he'll be well positioned to add to his 5-4-9 line from the past three games.
Timo Meier, SJ at SEA ($6,300): Meier's wrapping up a career year in which he's racked up 35 goals and 76 points in 76 games, as well as the third-most shots in the league (324). He'll be motivated not to slip below a point-per-game pace and should finish on a high note against a Kraken team that's allowing 3.50 goals per game.
Victor Olofsson, BUF vs. CHI ($3,700): Olofsson has been hot down the stretch while capitalizing on a top-line role. The Swedish winger has enjoyed a month-long stretch of production that's consisted of eight goals and 11 assists over his last 15 games. Olofsson's a bargain at $3,700 against a Blackhawks team that's surrendering 3.53 goals per game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Penguins vs. Blue Jackets
Sidney Crosby (C - $7,800), Jake Guentzel (W - $7,200), Bryan Rust (W - $5,500)
Pittsburgh's top line should dress and go all out, at least until the Penguins build a comfortable lead against a Blue Jackets team that's allowing 3.60 goals per game. Notching at least one point in this one would allow the Penguins to avoid a first-round series against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Panthers. Crosby (31-53-84) and Guentzel (40-43-83) are in a battle to finish with the team points lead, while the latter has wrapped up the team goal lead. Rust is flirting with a point per game, having notched a 24-34-58 line in just 59 appearances.
Panthers at Canadiens
Sam Bennett (C - $4,700), Sam Reinhart (W - $4,800), Anthony Duclair (W - $3,900)
Speaking of the Panthers, they're resting some top players, which will create an opportunity for this affordable trio to skate on the top line against the league-worst Montreal defense (3.89 goals allowed per game). All three of these players have been integral to Florida's success this season and sit around the 30-goal mark. Reinhart has 33 goals to go with 49 assists for 82 points in 78 games. Duclair has added 31 goals and Bennett has 28.
Predators at Coyotes
Mikael Granlund (C - $3,900), Filip Forsberg (W - $6,800), Matt Duchene (W - $5,700)
Nashville's top line should dominate the bottom-three Arizona defense (3.77 goals allowed per game) in a game that means something to the Predators. Both Duchene and Forsberg have crossed the 40-goal threshold, with 43-42-85 and 42-41-83 lines, respectively. Duchene has a 5-4-9 line over a seven-game point streak while Forsberg has an even more impressive 4-7-11 line over that same stretch. Granlund has set them up effectively with eight assists in his last three games.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK at STL ($5,800): The Golden Knights will miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, but Theodore did all he could to drag them to the postseason down the stretch. He has a 3-6-9 line in his last eight games and 6-8-14 output in the last 14, as well as 25 shots over the past six.
Damon Severson, NJ vs. DET ($4,900): Severson's wrapping up the most productive season of his career, and his 11-35-46 line includes a 1-4-5 line in his past seven games, as he hasn't been hampered by New Jersey's recent struggles as a team. The Red Wings allow the second-most goals per (3.79), so Severson's poised to finish strong.
Jeff Petry, MON vs. FLA ($4,700): Petry's a sneaky-good play against the Panthers, who will likely sit their top two goalies in addition to many prominent skaters. The veteran blueliner is finishing strong with a 2-4-6 line and 15 shots over his last four games. Likely Panthers starter Jonas Johansson (3.94 GAA, .877 save percentage) is unlikely to snap Petry's point streak.
Ben Chiarot, FLA at MON ($3,900): Chiarot could work as Florida's top blueliner with the team resting some other defensemen. Taking on his former team, Chiarot should make the most of his enhanced role. Even a depleted Panthers lineup should produce plenty of offense against Montreal's league-worst defense.
