This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate consists of the one-game showdown contest between the Blues and Avalanche at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Colorado will look to close out the series at home after winning twice in St. Louis by a combined 11-5 margin to grab a 3-1 series lead. Your lineup will consist of six players, including a Captain spot that costs 1.5 times as much and scores 1.5 times as many fantasy points.
GOALIES
Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. STL ($10,600): Kuemper's only loss this postseason came in Game 2 of this series, so he's a high-floor option backstopping the powerhouse Avalanche. Keep in mind that his ceiling is limited by a lack of volume, though, as Kuemper hasn't faced more than 31 shots in any game this postseason, so he may not be Captain material unless you believe a shutout's on its way.
Ville Husso, STL at COL ($9,600): Husso has some against-the-grain appeal, as he'll likely be a leading contributor in the event of a Blues win, but his floor is very low. After shutting out Minnesota in his first game of the playoffs, Husso has allowed 18 goals in four subsequent appearances, all losses. There's a reason he lost his job to Jordan Binnington before a collision with Nazem Kadri knocked Binnington out. The real value possibility in the Blues' net is Charlie Lindgren at $5,000. Between Husso's struggles and Lindgren's 5-0-0 record, 1.22 GAA and .958 save percentage at the NHL level this year, could the Blues turn to the third-string goalie with their season on the line?
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nazem Kadri, COL vs. STL ($8,800): Kadri added insult to injury in Game 4, notching a hat trick and an assist to bury the Blues after racking up a goal, an assist and a goalie knockout in Game 3. Only Kadri knows whether there was any malintent on his part as he fell into Binnington in the first period of Game 3, causing a knee injury, but St. Louis certainly isn't giving him the benefit of the doubt given Kadri's history of suspendable playoff offenses. While the Blues have been distracted trying to seek retribution, Kadri has successfully focused on scoring.
Jordan Kyrou, STL at COL ($5,800): Kyrou has quietly had a pretty good series. He scored late in Game 1 to force overtime and opened the scoring in Game 2 before adding a helper in Game 4. The fleet-footed winger will look to push his road goal streak to three and road point streak to five here; while opposing defenses have been focused on shutting down St. Louis' top line, Kyrou has successfully exploited more comfortable matchups on the road.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Blues
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,800), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $8,600), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $4,400)
It was very considerate of the Avalanche to rearrange their lines so fantasy managers could more easily afford to lock in the entirety of MacKinnon's line for this contest. Most lineups will be built around Colorado, and with good reason based on what we've seen so far in this series. MacKinnon is a strong contender for your Captain spot given his 5-4-9 line and 46 shots through eight games this postseason. Landeskog hasn't matched MacKinnon's gaudy shot totals but boasts a 5-5-10 line in the playoffs, and the affordable Lehkonen had a two-goal outburst in Game 3.
Blues at Avalanche
Ryan O'Reilly (C - $8,200), David Perron (W - $7,800), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $6,600)
The Blues' top line should see massive usage here, as there's no reason to leave anything in the tank in an elimination game. O'Reilly has been magnificent this postseason with a 7-5-12 line in 10 games. Perron hasn't been as consistent as O'Reilly but even more productive, scoring nine goals thanks to four multi-goal games, and adding four assists. St. Louis has tried a few different options alongside these two, and the high-scoring Buchnevich is the current top-line winger of choice. Buchnevich has a 1-4-5 line in the last three games and 85 points in 83 appearances overall between the regular season and playoffs.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. STL ($9,600): Don't sleep on Makar as a Captain spot candidate. He has cooled down in this series compared to the first round but still boasts a 3-9-12 line in eight games overall this postseason. Makar can also bolster his value on both ends of the ice with shots and blocks, posting a single-game shot total as high as 12 and reaching a single-game block total of six this postseason.
Nick Leddy, STL at COL ($3,200): Leddy's a decent choice if you're low on cap room and looking for some low-cost production. The veteran defenseman has plenty of playoff experience, and he has been a consistent contributor recently. Over the past five games, Leddy has a goal and an assist, as well as either multiple hits or multiple blocks in all but one game, and he has topped 20 minutes of ice time in every appearance over that span.
