This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's featured NHL slate begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT and features three games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The road team captured Game 1 in all three of these series, which should lead to some serious desperation from the home sides. Lightning-Panthers had the most wide open Game 1, won 5-4 by Tampa Bay, so it's no surprise Game 2 has Tuesday's highest over/under at 6.0 goals. The Islanders escaped with a 4-3 overtime win in Pittsburgh to open that series, while Wild netminder Cam Talbot stole Game 1 in Vegas as Minnesota won 1-0 in overtime, yet the Golden Knights are still Tuesday's largest favorites.
GOALIES
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. NYI ($8,000): Jarry looked by far the worst out of these goaltenders in Game 1, as all four of the Islanders' goals were on the soft side. On the bright side, that means the Penguins played well enough for Jarry to have nearly four shutout periods had he been on his game. The Islanders' 2.71 goals per game in the regular season were the fewest among the teams in action Tuesday and just .01 more than Nashville, which was the lowest-scoring team to make the postseason. Meanwhile, Jarry certainly seemed to be bothered by the butterflies in his second career playoff game Saturday but was stellar at home in the regular season, going 16-3-2 with a 2.35 GAA and .926 save percentage.
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. MIN ($8,400): Fleury and Robin Lehner ($8,400) rotated during the regular season, but it's possible the Golden Knights will opt to ride Fleury after his strong Game 1 showing. He had a shutout through regulation and ultimately set aside 29 shots before Joel Eriksson Ek beat him in overtime. Vegas controlled play for much of the series opener and is likely to bounce back regardless of who's in net.
Cam Talbot, MIN at VGK ($7,500): Talbot was the star of Saturday's action, setting aside all 42 shots he faced. Vegas generated chances but lacked finishing ability without Max Pacioretty (undisclosed), and Talbot will be especially appealing if Pacioretty continues to sit out.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA vs. TB ($6,500): Huberdeau was the Panthers' best player in their Game 1 loss, racking up a goal, two assists and five shots. Even with second-line center Sam Bennett suspended for Game 2, Huberdeau should still drive play at even strength while playing a key role on the Panthers' dangerous power play. If this game's anything like the series opener, Huberdeau should find plenty of open ice to work with.
Sidney Crosby, PIT vs. NYI ($7,600): Crosby continued his steady march up the all-time postseason leaderboards with a goal on five shots in Game 1, and he'll be extra motivated with his team facing the prospect of falling into a 2-0 series hole. With a 69-121-190 line over 169 career postseason appearances, Crosby's robust playoff production speaks for itself.
Ryan Hartman, MIN at VGK ($3,300): Joel Eriksson Ek stole the show with the overtime winner, but a different two-way center was arguably Minnesota's best player in regulation. Hartman tied Mats Zuccarello's team lead with five shots, consistently winning battles for position in front to create quality scoring chances. Skating on a line with Zuccarello and team scoring leader Kirill Kaprizov, Hartman should provide strong bang for the buck at just $3,300.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning at Panthers
Brayden Point (C - $6,500), Nikita Kucherov (W - $7,800), Ondrej Palat (W - $4,400)
The line that led Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup last season was back together Saturday for the first time since doing so, and its members didn't take long to get back to dominating. Kucherov was unable to return during the regular season because the Lightning needed him on LTIR to circumvent the salary cap, but his hip injury is a thing of the past, and he looked as good as ever with two goals and an assist in Game 1. Point scored the final two goals of Saturday's back-and-forth 5-4 win, including the winner with 1:14 remaining. Palat failed to mark the scoresheet in Game 1 but has good chemistry with his two star linemates and should benefit from more open ice as Florida's defense starts to shift more attention to slowing down Point and Kucherov.
Islanders at Penguins
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (C - $3,600), Kyle Palmieri (W - $3,100), Oliver Wahlstrom (W - $2,900)
If Jarry struggles again in Game 2, look for New York's affordable third line to keep taking advantage. Pageau picked up a goal and two assists in Game 1, and he has a history of stepping up his game in the playoffs. He averages just .21 goals per game in the regular season but bumps that rate up to .36 in postseason play with 21 goals in 58 career playoff games. Palmieri scored the first and last goals of Game 1, capitalizing on Jarry's seeming aversion to trying to stop any puck elevated more than a foot off the ice. Wahlstrom added a helper in the series opener and now has four points in his last three games dating back to the regular season, as the 2018 first-round pick's heating up at the right time.
Golden Knights vs. Wild
William Karlsson (C - $5,000), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $6,100), Reilly Smith (W - $4,300)
This line was Vegas' best when it came to generating chances in Game 1, as Marchessault and Smith tied for the team lead in shots among forwards with four apiece, while Karlsson was just behind them with three. All three of these players have accumulated plenty of playoff experience, having been with the Golden Knights since the team was formed. They also finished the regular season hot, as Marchessault had a 7-6-13 line in his last 10 games, Smith had a 5-4-9 line in his last seven and Karlsson added a 3-5-8 line in the last 10.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB at FLA ($6,100): Tampa Bay's top players carried the Lightning to a Game 1 win, and Hedman was among those top guys. He racked up three assists in the series opener after tying for third in points among defensemen with a 9-36-45 line in the regular season.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. MIN ($5,800): Theodore has the highest upside of Vegas' three high-priced defensemen thanks to his offensive capabilities. He led the team with five shots on goal in Game 1 after racking up an 8-34-42 line in the regular season. If you're looking for a higher floor, Alec Martinez's ($5,400) shot-blocking ability makes him your man.
Brandon Montour, FLA vs. TB ($3,600): Montour wasn't involved in the Game 1 scoring, but he was nonetheless noticeable on both ends of the ice, racking up six shots and three blocks. He'll be a tremendous value at just $3,600 if Montour can come close to replicating that performance.
Cody Ceci, PIT vs. NYI ($2,900): Ceci was arguably Pittsburgh's best defenseman in Game 1, knowing when to join the rush and rarely misplaying the puck. He finished with an assist, three shots and two blocks, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Ceci get rewarded with a larger role after that strong effort. Regardless, he's a nice bargain bin option to round out your lineup at just $2,900.
