This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's a busy night in the NHL as we head down the stretch toward the playoffs. There are nine games starting at 7 p.m. EDT or later, with three other games earlier in the day not getting included in this here DFS roundup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Well; four of the bottom five teams in GAA are in action, so there's that. Three teams are on a back-to-back. The Blues and Islanders are facing each other — St. Louis is at home — and the Avalanche are visiting the Oilers.
GOALIE
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. ARI ($8,400): Frankly, Lehner's numbers aren't the ones I'm looking at. Instead, I'm seeing a Coyotes team on the road that sports averages of 2.49 goals and 25.8 shots on net per contest. Both are last in the league. If there's a matchup you can count on, it's this one.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at SEA ($8,200): The Kraken have some real "playing out the stretch" vibes, which is understandable for an expansion team that dealt at the deadline and clearly have a roster in flux. They've only managed 2.58 goals and 28.9 shots on net per game this season. Markstrom, meanwhile, has a 2.18 GAA and .924 save percentage. Even on the road, what's not to like?
Anthony Stolarz, ANA at PHI ($7,700): I don't want any part of the reeling John Gibson, but if Stolarz is in net then I would take a shot on him. He has a 2.55 GAA and .920 save percentage. The Flyers are bottom five in goals per game, and they don't have Claude Giroux around any longer either.
VALUE PLAYS
Ilya Mikheyev, TOR vs. MON ($4,300): Mikheyev gets bounced between the second and third line, but right now he's on the second line with John Tavares as his center. The Russian contributes here and there with eight points in his last 12 games. Montreal has a 3.80 GAA, which is tied for highest in the NHL.
Jack Roslovic, CLM at DET ($3,000): Roslovic has started 67.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Blue Jackets. Granted, that hasn't yielded a ton of points, but he has 32 in 71 games. This is about opportunity, though, as Roslovic is currently centering Columbus' top line, and the Red Wings have a 3.80 GAA.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Golden Knights vs. Coyotes: Jack Eichel (C - $7,800), Chandler Stephenson (W - $3,900), Evgenii Dadonov (W - $4,500)
Due to some injuries on the wing, this is currently the makeup of the top line for the Golden Knights. To think, Dadonov would have been a Duck if not for a rescinded trade. The Coyotes have a 3.59 GAA and have allowed 35.4 shots on net per contest. They also have the worst penalty kill in the NHL. As expected before the year, Arizona is the NHL's worst team, and it also has zero to play for while Vegas is gunning for a playoff spot.
Eichel has looked quite good since joining Vegas, tallying 18 points in 24 games. He's also put 97 shots on net. Stephenson has been on fire, with nine points in his last six outings. Apparently the move to the wing has suited him. Since the trade that wasn't, Dadonov has averaged 17:35 in ice time and 2:47 on the power play. That's helped him notch seven points in those six games.
Red Wings vs. Blue Jackets: Dylan Larkin (C - $7,300), Lucas Raymond (W - $4,500), Tyler Bertuzzi (W- $6,200)
The Blue Jackets have allowed 35.6 shots on net per contest. That's highest in the NHL, and they don't exactly have the goaltending that can stand up to that level of action. Columbus has a 3.71 GAA, fourth highest in the NHL. Detroit's top line will be reunited Saturday, because the Wings are back on American soil which means Bertuzzi, the only player in the NHL who refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19, can play again.
Larkin has a four-game point streak, and has points in five of his last six games. He has the second 30-goal season of his career, and he's added 37 assists for good measure. Raymond is probably the Calder favorite thanks to his 53 points in 71 games. That includes 17 points with the extra man. When Bertuzzi has actually been to able to take the ice to help his teammates, he's produced. He's tallied 26 goals to go with 28 assists in 58 games, and he's averaged 3:05 on the power play.
DEFENSE
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. ARI ($6,900): Pietrangelo is tearing it up with six goals and four assists in his last 13 games. He's also put 39 shots on net in that time, giving him 201 on the season. The Coyotes have allowed a whopping 35.4 shots on goal per contest, so expect Pietrangelo to be quite busy.
Brent Burns, SAN at VAN ($6,000): It was surprising when the Canucks were the worst team on the penalty kill in the NHL for a while. Now, they aren't, having risen all the way up to…30th. OK, so they are still awful down a man, and Burns has 15 power-play points this year.
Cam Fowler, ANA at PHI ($4,100): Fowler has played a ton of minutes all season, as he's averaged 24:17 in ice time. Over his last 11 games he's up to 25:10, including 2:11 per game with the extra man. He's notched 37 points, 113 shots on goal, and 102 blocked shots. The Flyers have a 3.48 GAA and have allowed 34.0 shots on goal per contest.
