This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate includes only three games after 7:30 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
All three of Wednesday's games are expected to be competitive, but Panthers-Maple Leafs figures to feature the most scoring, with an over/under of 7.0 goals. Islanders-Capitals and Wild-Avalanche both come in at 6.0. Despite the modest selection, Wednesday's action will have plenty of playoff implications, as the Panthers sit just outside a playoff spot in the East with the Islanders clinging to a wild card and the Capitals still in the hunt, while one point separates Minnesota and Colorado atop the Central Division standings.
GOALIES
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. MIN ($8,200): Georgiev has benefited from Colorado's strong play in front of him, as the team's recent surge has bumped him into a tie for second in the league with 34 wins. He's 7-1-0 in his last eight decisions and has allowed no more than one goal four times over that span. Minnesota's offense ranks in the bottom 10 at 2.93 goals per game.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at WAS ($7,800): With the Islanders playing lockdown defense in front of him, Sorokin's in the midst of a well-timed surge, as his 7-1-1 run in his past nine starts has created a small cushion for New York in the Eastern Conference playoff race. It's too early to celebrate just yet, but the Islanders can get one step closer to clinching with a win over the middlign Capitals. Sorokin's up to 27-19-7 with a 2.39 GAA and .923 save percentage after languishing around .500 for most of the season despite those great ratios.
Darcy Kuemper, WAS vs. NYI ($7,600): This is essentially a must-win game for the Capitals, and the Islanders don't exactly have a threatening offense as one of 12 teams that's averaging fewer than 3.00 goals per game. Kuemper has been up and down recently, allowing four goals three times in his last five starts and one goal in each of the other two outings, but he's tied for the league lead with five shutouts, along with Georgiev and Sorokin.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Matthew Boldy, MIN at COL ($5,500): Boldy's coming off his second hat trick in the past five games, and he's managed to light the lamp nine times on 23 shots over that span. Even in a tough matchup with the Avs, it's hard not to like the red hot winger at his reasonable $5,500 valuation.
Dylan Strome, WAS vs. NYI ($4,500): Strome has been leading the way for Washington's offense recently, racking up a 2-5-7 line during his four-game point streak. He's quietly second on the team with 57 points, trailing only the 72 of Alex Ovechkin ($8,200).
Kyle Palmieri, NYI at WAS ($4,200): Palmieri's enjoying his strongest stretch of the season, with a 5-5-10 line over his last six games. It's tough to predict where the balanced Islanders offense will get its scoring from on any given night, but Palmieri's as likely to contribute as anyone else on the team given his recent production.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers
Auston Matthews (C - $9,200), Mitch Marner (W - $6,600), Calle Jarnkrok (W - $3,600)
This game means more to the Panthers than the Maple Leafs, but Florida has been unable to avoid defensive breakdowns lately, giving up 21 goals during their ill-timed four-game losing streak. That losing streak includes a 6-2 loss to Toronto on March 23, in which Matthews scored twice and Marner picked up a goal and an assist. That duo has been hot, with Matthews producing a 5-5-10 line to go with a whopping 36 shots during his current six-game point streak, while Marner has contributed a 6-11-17 line during his 10-game point streak. The affordable Jarnkrok is making the most of his opportunity alongside Toronto's two best players, with a 4-3-7 line over his past eight games.
Avalanche vs. Wild
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,800), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,800), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $5,900)
Even the stout Wild defense will have a hard time slowing down Colorado's top line. MacKinnon and Rantanen continue to perform like superstars. The former has a 32-63-95 line in just 62 appearances, trailing only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in points per game. The latter has a 48-40-88 line in 73 games, trailing only McDavid and David Pastrnak in goals. Nichushkin has a seven-game point streak rolling, so he's more than just an afterthought on this line.
Panthers at Maple Leafs
Aleksander Barkov (C - $7,100), Eetu Luostarinen (W - $3,900), Anthony Duclair (W - $3,800)
Barkov had a 10-game point streak snapped in his last game, but Florida's captain continues to try to will his team to the playoffs with a 4-12-16 line over his last 11 games. Both of the wingers flanking him make for nice value plays in a game that should feature plenty of chances back and forth. Duclair's shooting just 3.1 percent since returning from a lengthy injury absence after converting at an 18.6 percent clip en route to 31 goals last year, so maybe his luck will turn just in time to help the Panthers' playoff push. Luostarinen's having a career year with a 16-24-40 line.
DEFENSEMEN
Jared Spurgeon, MIN at COL ($4,900): Spurgeon has led by example recently, as Minnesota's captain has racked up three assists in his last two games. He was recently bumped up to the top power-play unit, which could enhance Spurgeon's value for the stretch run.
Gustav Forsling, FLA at TOR ($4,700): Forsling has been doing it all on Florida's blue line, with two goals, one assist, 10 shots and seven blocks in his last four games. He scored both of the team's goals in Monday's 5-2 loss to Ottawa, and it's worth seeing whether he can keep rolling in Toronto.
Bowen Byram, COL vs. MIN ($4,400): He's no Cale Makar ($7,300), but Byram's coming off a Makar-like effort in his previous game, as he scored a goal on seven shots and added an assist. In the game before that one, Byram also lit the lamp, and he's quietly averaging 0.6 points per game overall, which is a top-30 mark among defensemen with at least 30 appearances. The fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is a nice value play at just $4,400.
Rasmus Sandin, WAS vs. NYI ($4,200): Even after a two-game mini-drought, Sandin still has 12 points through 11 games with the Capitals. John Carlson ($7,200) has been manning the top power-play unit since returning from an injury to his face, but eight of Sandin's 12 points have come at even strength, so he should continue to generate offense even with Carlson in the mix.
