This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
We have eight games on the docket Monday night with the first two contests starting at 7 p.m ET. The Golden Knights are the only team playing on the second half of back-to-back games, but the Hurricanes, Lightning, Panthers, Blue Jackets, Stars and Red Wings will all be playing Tuesday as well. In turn, it's important to keep a close eye on the starting goalies Monday.
All advanced statistics are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
GOALIES
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. SJ ($8,500): Lehner has been fantastic since returning from injury a month ago, providing a 7-0-1 record and a .937 save percentage. He hasn't faced the Sharks yet this season, but this is still an appealing matchup, as the Sharks have lost five straight games while scoring just seven goals.
Mike Smith, EDM vs. MON ($7,800): Smith has recorded a 15-4-2 record with a .922 save percentage this season, helping fuel the Oilers' playoff hopes. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are simply holding onto their playoff dreams, as their offense has taken a severe dip with just 11 total goals over the last seven games.
Darcy Kuemper, ARI vs. MIN ($7,600): The Wild have built up a strong reputation as legitimate contenders this season, but their peripheral numbers have been uninspiring of late. In April, they rank last in the league with 1.57 xGF/60 at even strength. Kuemper was solid in his return to the lineup, and he's registered a .914 save percentage this season, making him a superb value play Monday.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Roope Hintz, DAL vs. DET ($6,700): Hintz has been a random scratch at times this year due to a lower-body injury, but he's been excellent when healthy this season, posting a point in 15 of his last 18 games -- 25 points in total. Nine of those points were with the man advantage. The Red Wings will provide him a high ceiling once again, as they rank 23rd in the league with a 77.1 penalty-kill percentage. Just make sure to double-check that he's in the lineup when warmups start at 7 p.m. ET.
Sean Monahan, CGY vs. OTT ($4,900): Monahan has just three points -- all at even strength -- in April, but he's still handling time on the power play. He has scored on just 10.1 percent of his shots this season, too. Having never finished below 13.3 percent in a given season, Monahan is on track for some upward regression. Ottawa's 24th-ranked PK (76.8 percent) offers a strong opportunity for Monahan to capitalize.
Tim Stutzle, OTT at CGY ($4,100): We've seen some highlight-reel plays from Stutzle so far this season, and he's now up to seven goals and 23 points through 42 games. There will be some inconsistencies from the rookie, but he should maintain his spot in the top six for now. Drawing the Flames only works in his favor, as Jacob Markstrom has struggled at home this year with an .889 save percentage and a 3.05 GAA.
LINE STACKS
Golden Knights vs. Sharks
Chandler Stephenson (C - $4,500), Mark Stone (W - $6,600), Max Pacioretty (W - $8,200)
The Sharks traded away Devan Dubnyk last week, leaving Martin Jones as the lone wolf in the crease. Over his last four starts, Jones has registered an .805 save percentage and a 4.85 GAA. We'll be targeting the Sharks a lot down the stretch, and the Golden Knights' first line carries the upside that we're looking for. Stephenson -- the value play -- has tallied three goals and three assists over the last five games, and Stone and Pacioretty -- the stars -- combined for five goals and nine assists in that stretch.
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets
Sam Bennett (C - $2,600), Anthony Duclair (W - $4,000), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $6,500)
Bennett made his Panthers debut in style, dishing out two assists -- one to Huberdeau and one to Duclair. This line has some intriguing chemistry, and they likely won't be split up after Saturday's display. There are few matchups more favorable than the Blue Jackets right now, either, as they've given up 4.11 G/60 at even strength over the last two weeks -- the highest rate in the league.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. CAR ($6,900): The two defensive heavyweights will be on the same frozen sheet Monday, as Dougie Hamilton ($7,200) and the Hurricanes will host Hedman and the Lightning. I'm leaning Hedman in this situation, as the Canes' defense -- which ranks 23rd over the last two weeks with 2.47 xGA/60 at even strength -- is simply more vulnerable than the Lightning's.
Gustav Forsling, FLA vs. CLS ($3,800): Forsling has taken on a larger role with Aaron Ekblad out of the lineup, topping out at 25:23 during Saturday's win over the Lightning. He posted five points over the last 10 games, and he's a solid addition to the aforementioned Panthers stack.
Jake Bean, CAR at TB ($2,500): Another reason to shy away from Dougie Hamilton is that Bean has been generating a ton of scoring chances lately. Over the past five games, he's recorded 3.82 xGF/60 to Hamilton's 4.15 mark. Andrei Vasilevskiy often stands tall, but it's worth a flier on Bean at this price range.
