This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The men's March Madness tournament ends Monday, but if hoops isn't your thing, there are four hockey games to enjoy. Here are some recommendations for your hockey DFS action…
SLATE PREVIEW
Only one team is on a back-to-back Monday, and it's the Coyotes, who are also on the road. Oh, and Arizona is also the worst team in the NHL. The Blues are hosting the Coyotes, and honestly if you literally just wanted a lineup that was all Blues players I would get it. It's the clear matchup to target.
GOALIES
Ville Husso, STL vs. ARI ($8,500): Husso has slipped recently, but it's been almost entirely on the road. At home. Over his last 13 games he has a 3.14 GAA, but in the five home outings in that time he has a 2.58 GAA and .925 save percentage. The Coyotes have averaged 2.54 goals and 25.8 shots on net per contest, both of which are lowest in the NHL.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at LOS ($7,900): If you want to go elsewhere in net, Markstrom is your next-best option. He has a 2.19 GAA and .924 save percentage. The Kings have scored 2.83 goals per game, lowest of any team in action Monday other than the Coyotes. If Husso's recent numbers worry you, Markstrom is next in line.
VALUE PLAYS
Brayden Schenn, STL vs. ARI ($4,400): I will be stacking a St. Louis line later, but there's room for more options. Schenn has a four-game point streak that includes two power-play points. All in all he has 47 points in 52 contests, with 13 of those coming with the extra man. The Coyotes are in the bottom five in GAA, shots on net allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage. Also, the two goalies behind Karel Vejmelka have played a total of two games in the NHL this season.
Jake DeBrusk, BOS at CLM ($3,600): I'm so enthused about the Blues that I have so far overlooked the fact the Bruins are facing the Blue Jackets. Columbus has a 3.74 GAA and have given up 35.4 shots on net per game, so this matchup is great as well. DeBrusk has a four-game goal streak and a two-goal assists streak. One of those streak should continue Monday, if not both.
LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Blues vs. Coyotes: Robert Thomas (C - $4,300), Vladimir Tarasenko (W - $6,400), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $5,600)
I've said a lot about the Coyotes already, but I can dig into it some more. Arizona has a 3.55 GAA and have allowed a league-high 35.5 shots on net per game. It added Harri Sateri on waivers in March, a 32-year-old goalie who had been playing in the KHL. He hasn't played in the NHL since 2017, and he's now the ostensible backup to Karel Vejmelka. Thomas and Tarasenko are the top-two forwards on the Blues in terms of possessions started in the offensive zone. While Tarasenko is the only of this trio on the first power-play unit, the other two see time on the second unit.
Thomas has been a stellar playmaker, with 42 assists in 58 games. However, he's also on a three-game goal streak. Tarasenko has put 191 shots on net in 61 contests, and he's also notched 18 points with the extra man. In his first year with the Blues, Buchnevich has 54 points in 59 outings. Over his last nine games he has eight points and 30 shots on net.
DEFENSE
Mikhail Sergachev, TAM vs. TOR ($4,600): Sergachev's scoring has slowed down, but not his activity. Over his last six games he only has two points, but he also has 15 shots on goal and 13 blocked shots. He has 33 points on the season, which is a typical output for the Russian. Jack Campbell is back from his rib injury, but over his last 21 games he has a 3.51 GAA and .887 save percentage.
Justin Faulk, STL vs. ARI ($4,500): Faulk is coming off a big game where he had a goal, two assists, and three shots on net against the Flames. That gives him a three-game point streak. The former Hurricane has also started 59.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, more than any forward on the Blues. At this point, I've sold you on the favorability of this matchup with the Coyotes, right?
