This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate consists of 13 games 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
The last Tuesday of the regular season is packed with action, but a few teams stand out as options to build around. The red-hot Wild are prohibitive home favorites against Arizona, while the Maple Leafs and locked-in Lightning should also benefit from favorable home matchups versus the Red Wings and Blue Jackets, respectively. Toronto's game has a slate-high over/under of 7.0 goals, checking in ahead of seven games at 6.5 in what could be one of the highest-scoring nights of the season.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury, MIN vs. ARI ($8,500): Fleury has allowed 11 goals in his last three starts, but that hasn't stopped the Wild from winning all of those games and boosting his record with the team to 8-1-0. Whether it's Fleury or Cam Talbot ($8,500) in net, Minnesota's goalie should produce a strong performance against the league-worst Coyotes offense (2.43 goals per game).
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. SEA ($8,200): The Canucks are all but eliminated, but they still have a mathematical chance to make the playoffs, so Vancouver will keep its foot on the gas for at least one more night. Demko's 17-11-4 with a 2.51 GAA and .922 save percentage on home ice, while the visiting Kraken have averaged just 2.59 goals during a disappointing first season.
Kaapo Kahkonen, SJ vs. ANH ($8,000): Kahkonen's wrapping up the season on a high note, with a 2-1-1 record and just six goals allowed over his last four outings. He should keep rolling at home against a Ducks team that's won just three of its last 22 games, and James Reimer ($8,000) would be a strong play if he gets the nod over Kahkonen given Anaheim's putrid recent play.
Anton Forsberg, OTT vs. NJ ($7,900): New Jersey wasn't good to begin with and is missing a number of key players due to illness and injury. Forsberg has posted an impressive .917 save percentage this season and has a nice opportunity to raise that mark against a Devils team that's mustered four goals and no wins over its past three games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Timo Meier, SJ vs. ANH ($6,700): Meier's game-tying goal with less than a second left in the third period of Sunday's shootout win over Vegas was his 35th of the season, and he's added 41 assists and 315 shots in 74 games, eclipsing a point per game while ranking third league-wide in shots. The power forward's a bargain at $6,700 against a Ducks team that's been among the worst in the league down the stretch.
Roope Hintz, DAL vs. VGK ($6,400): This is basically a home playoff game for the Stars, as they can clinch a postseason berth with a win over the Golden Knights, who occupy the ninth spot in the Western Conference standings. Hintz has been leading the way lately in Dallas' playoff push and should continue to do so here. The top-line center has five goals in his last four games and a 7-5-12 line over the past eight.
Robert Thomas, STL at COL ($4,800): Thomas' 17-game point streak is tied with Connor McDavid's season-opening streak for the longest of the season, as the 22-year-old Blues center is turning into one of the league's most productive players at the position. He's catching the Avalanche at the right time to extend the streak, as Colorado has dropped four in a row while icing a depleted roster due to the injury bug.
Conor Garland, VAN vs. SEA ($3,900): It's almost certainly going to be too little too late, but Garland has surged down the stretch for Vancouver, mustering a 4-6-10 line over the past eight games. He's a strong value option at his sub-$4,000 valuation against a bottom-10 Kraken defense that's letting in 3.46 goals per game.
Alex Formenton, OTT vs. NJ ($2,700): Formenton's a low-risk, high-reward play at $2,700 against a Devils team that's allowing 3.62 goals per game. He's been productive in a top-six role recently with three goals on 10 shots over his last three games, while New Jersey plans to start Mackenzie Blackwood (heel) in net for his first action in over three months.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Blue Jackets
Steven Stamkos (C - $6,900), Nikita Kucherov (W - $7,300), Ondrej Palat (W - $2,900)
Kucherov and Stamkos might be the two hottest forwards in the NHL, and a Blue Jackets team that's allowing 3.62 goals per game is unlikely to slow them down. The Lightning haven't been nearly as dominant now that they're using a cap-compliant roster, but Tampa Bay's top two stars up front are hitting their stride heading into the postseason, as Kucherov has an 8-8-16 line over his last six games and Stamkos is at 5-12-17 over that same span. Palat provides a cheap addition to your Lightning stack if you want to use him, and you'll need some value options of his ilk if you opt to pay up for both Kucherov and Stamkos.
Wild vs. Coyotes
Frederick Gaudreau (C - $3,700), Kevin Fiala (W - $5,900), Matthew Boldy (W - $5,000)
Fiala's arguably the best value play available Tuesday, as he can be had for under $6,000 despite a 9-12-21 line over his past eight games. His linemates have been effective lately, too, as Boldy's on an 11-game point streak and Gaudreau boasts a 3-7-10 line in his last eight games. This trio should continue to produce against an Arizona team that's giving up 3.78 goals per game.
Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings
John Tavares (C - $6,600), William Nylander (W - $5,900), Pierre Engvall (W - $2,600)
There should be more than enough offense to go around for the Maple Leafs against Detroit's porous defense (3.80 goals allowed per game), so you don't have to pay through the roof for Toronto's top line, especially with Auston Matthews having failed to score a goal in over two weeks. Tavares got a maintenance day for Toronto's last game, but he should be back and ready to add to his season line of 26-49-75 through 78 appearances. Nylander's been held scoreless in his last three games but produced an 8-8-16 line over the previous 10. If Engvall sticks in this second-line spot, he'll be a low-risk, high-reward play as he looks to add to his respectable six points in the past eight games.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. CLS ($6,800): Hedman has set up many of the Kucherov and Stamkos goals in the past few games, mustering a 1-12-13 line during his current five-game point steak. Gaudy shot and block totals have helped Hedman top 24 fantasy points in four of those games, and he should keep rolling at both ends of the ice against a Blue Jackets team that's allowing the second-most fantasy points to defensemen.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. SEA ($4,800): Hughes has pulled into a tie for the most points in a season by a Canucks defenseman with 63, 10 of which have come in the past six games. He'll be motivated to continue his recent hot streak and take sole possession of the franchise record at home against lowly Seattle.
Mark Giordano, TOR vs. DET ($4,100): Giordano's well-rounded game gives him a high floor, while this favorable matchup against the defensively challenged Red Wings pushes his ceiling up. In the past six games, Giordano has a 1-5-6 line, as well as a pair of three-shot outings and a seven-block performance.
Brandon Montour, FLA at BOS ($3,300): Montour has been the Panthers' best offensive defenseman in recent games, with a two-game goal streak going and nine points in his last nine games. The road matchup in Boston isn't an easy one, but Montour's recent production makes him an appealing option nonetheless at just $3,300.
