This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's the season finale for the West Division, with the Wild visiting the Blues (8 p.m.) and the Kings visiting the Avalanche (9 p.m.) Both games are the second half of back-to-backs, and while the Wild and Blues have locked up the third and fourth seeds, respectively, and a regulation win for the Avs will give them the division title. The Canucks will visit the Flames (9 p.m.) as they play the first of their remaining four games.
GOALIES
Thatcher Demko, VAN at CGY ($6,800): Demko's a very good goalie who loses more games than he really should because the Canucks defense is porous and their offense is inconsistent. He's faced at least 40 shots in two of his past three starts but in both games pulled away with wins. The Canucks look a little sluggish but the Flames haven't been much better and have lost two of their past three meetings against the Canucks, and they will also be without center Sean Monahan. It should be a close game, and even if Demko doesn't get the win, he should see a lot of rubber and rack up the saves.
Jonas Johansson, COL vs. LA ($6,500): Johansson is 4-1-1 playing behind a very good Avs offense and represents a strong value play against the Kings. In his last start against the Kings, he faced just 18 shots and registered the win despite allowing two goals.
VALUE PLAYS
Ivan Barbashev, STL vs. MIN ($3,000): He scored a goal on two shots playing on the top line, and with a convincing win there's probably not a lot of reason for the Blues to change their lineup. Barbashev is a low-ceiling offensive player so much of his production will also depend on how well David Perron and Ryan O'Reilly play.
Tyson Jost, COL vs. LA ($3,300): He finished with zero points and managed to get just one shot on net filling in for Nathan MacKinnon on Wednesday, but playing with Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen has to pay off at some point, right?
Ryan Hartman, MIN at STL ($3,500): The Wild may juggle their lines in light of a 4-0 loss, but Hartman got the plum assignment between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. This is more a testament to how awful the Wild's depth is down the middle, but in the meantime, Hartman gets to reap the benefits of playing with the team's best wingers.
LINE STACKS
Flames vs. Canucks
Elias Lindholm (C - $6,600), Johnny Gaudreau (W - $7,000), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $5,600)
Lindholm and Gaudreau have scored a total of 11 points in six games against the Canucks while Tkachuk leads all Flames players with 21 shots against them. Demko is tough to beat but the Canucks will probably get outshot again, as they have been for most of the season. The Flames may juggle the lines without Monahan but this is clearly their top scoring line.
DEFENSEMEN
Quinn Hughes, VAN at CGY ($5,200): Scoring goals has been a challenge without Elias Pettersson, especially on the power play, but Hughes' upside is undeniable and he represents a pretty good value play on a night thin on offensive defensemen.
Devon Toews, COL vs. LA ($5,000): Toews represents a value play if you don't want to splurge for Cale Makar ($6,100). Toews is a steady defender who can contribute in multiple categories and has added two goals and five points in his past four games. The Kings should be an easy matchup once again with Jonathan Quick expected to start.
Colton Parayko, STL vs. MIN ($3,700): Neither team has much to play for but look for Parayko to play a lot of minutes. He's scored two points in his past three games and is often a reliable source for both shots and blocked shots.
Jack Rathbone, VAN at CGY ($3,600): He played with Hughes on the top power play and definitely brings some offense to the table. He's scored two points in five games and has registered at least one shot in every game.
