This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There are nine NHL games on the slate Tuesday. To help you make your decisions for DFS purposes, I've assessed the matchups and come up with these recommendations. Save some time and get a little advice before the first picks drop at 7 p.m. ET. Onto the suggestions!
SLATE PREVIEW
Opportunities abound Tuesday. Two teams, the Blues and Canadiens, are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. Both are below average defensively, but the Blues, in particular, are bottom five in the NHL. If that wasn't enough, the Ducks and Blue Jackets, the two teams at the bottom of the league in GAA and shots on net allowed per game, are also in action.
GOALIES
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. STL ($8,500): Yeah, it starts with catching a team in the bottom-10 in goals per game on the second leg of a back-to-back. However, Sorokin barely needs the help. The Russian has a 2.17 GAA and .932 save percentage. He's a big-time goalie with an easy matchup.
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. CLM ($8,400): Jarry has turned things around recently with a stellar stretch of netminding. Over his last six starts he's 5-0-1 with a 1.64 GAA and .950 save percentage. Columbus has averaged 2.87 goals per game, which is poor if not terrible, but its awful defense makes Jarry's chances of winning high.
Antti Raanta, CAR at ANA ($7,900): Raanta's play has been poor, but he still has a 2.62 GAA because the Hurricanes have only allowed 26.4 shots on net per game. The Ducks are 31st in goals per game and last in GAA. If Raanta is in net, it would be a true surprise for him not to pick up a win.
VALUE PLAYS
Martin Necas, CAR at ANA ($8,700): Necas is on a four-game point streak that has lifted him to 28 points in 25 games. He's also averaged 3:38 per game with the extra man and tallied eight power-play points. On top of everything else, the Ducks have the league's worst penalty kill as well.
Drake Batherson, OTT vs. LOS ($6,700): Batherson has been making plays, as he has 14 assists this year. While he only has five goals, his 7.1 shooting percentage is primed to improve. Pucks on net often bear fruit against the Kings. Jonathan Quick has a 3.33 GAA and .888 save percentage.
Jared McCann, SEA vs. MON ($6,400): With 27 goals, McCann was the first player in Kraken history to lead the team in that category. It seems like he wants to do that again, as he has 11 goals through 21 games. That includes six in his last eight contests. The Canadiens are on a back-to-back, and Jake Allen has been saved for this one. Allen has a 3.51 GAA and .893 save percentage.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Islanders vs. Blues
Brock Nelson (C - $8,000), Anders Lee (W - $6,600), Anthony Beauvillier (W - $4,400)
The Blues are in the bottom five in GAA and penalty-kill percentage and are on the road to finish off a back-to-back. Expected starter Thomas Greiss has a 3.57 GAA and .907 save percentage. The Islanders' second line features two guys on the top power-play unit, another reason to stack this trio.
Nelson has a five-game point streak, including two with the extra man. All in all he's tallied eight power-play points in 26 games, which bodes well for this matchup. Lee has eight goals, even though he hasn't scored a goal in his last 12 games. However, he put 28 shots on net in those games, and he allied tallied six assists as well. Beauvillier has picked things up a bit recently, as he has four points and 21 shots on goal in his last seven contests.
Devils vs. Blackhawks
Jack Hughes (C - $9,600), Dawson Mercer (W - $5,800), Erik Haula (W - $4,700)
Petr Mrazek hasn't played well, but his absence still complicates things for the Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom is now the top goalie for Chicago, and the unproven rookie has a career .897 save percentage. Throw in the fact the Blackhawks have allowed 34.9 shots on net per contest, and the Devil's second line has an opportunity.
Hughes is a second-line center with All-Star skills, having tallied 13 goals on 103 shots on net and added 16 assists. He's also on a five-game point streak where he's notched eight points. Mercer has gotten in gear with seven points in his last seven outings. He's also suddenly getting a ton of power-play time, having averaged 3:39 per game with the extra man over his last four contests. Haula has five assists in his last five games, and soon enough he will be scoring goals. His 1.8 shooting percentage is definitely not going to sustain long term.
DEFENSEMEN
Dougie Hamilton, NJD vs. CHI ($7,000): Hamilton is a defenseman known for his shooting. Indeed, this year he's put 87 shots on net in 25 games, and he's tallied six goals to go with 10 assists as well. Given the fact the Blackhawks have allowed 34.9 shots on goal per game, Hamilton should be plenty active Tuesday.
Vince Dunn, SEA vs. MON ($6,100): Dunn has started 62.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest of any Kraken player, let alone defensemen. He's also averaged 2:49 per game with the extra man and has seven power-play points. All of that is conducive to success against a Canadiens team closing out a back-to-back with Allen and his .893 save percentage in net.
Brett Pesce, CAR at ANA ($4,400): Brent Burns is the notable name, even if he is new to the Hurricanes, but Pesce has been impressing recently. He has five points in his last five games, including two with the extra man. The Ducks, meanwhile, have a 4.19 GAA, have allowed 37.9 shots on net per contest, and have the league's worst penalty kill.
