This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's an eight-game slate for Tuesday with the Jackets and Blues pulling double duty playing the second half of their back-to-backs. There are three key games: Lightning at Leafs and Rangers at Penguins for a rematch of last year's playoff matchups, and also Devils at Hurricanes as they jostle for top spots in the East. All three games should be tightly contested, though the Devils seem to be in the roughest shape with a season-long five-game losing streak.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. OTT ($8,700): The Sens will have some bite taken out of their offense with the absence of Tim Stutzle, which puts Hellebuyck in a good position to win his third straight game. He's allowed just two goals in his past two starts and his career record of 9-4-0/.913/2.56 against the Sens is very good.
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR vs. NJ ($8,300): Kochetkov's in line for his fifth straight win. A few weeks ago, this matchup might seem a little scary, but the Devils are reeling and no longer dominating puck possession like they were earlier in the season. The Canes are similarly excellent in possession analytics and they're also very good at supressing shots, so I'm not shy about this matchup.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at SJ ($7,500): The Flames were victorious in their previous matchup, 5-2, and may even have an easier time as they wrap up their mini two-game series. The Sharks will be without top center Tomas Hertl, who has been suspended two games. Markstrom snapped a four-game losing streak with the victory and his play is trending up with a .906 Sv% and 2.48 GAA in December, his best monthly numbers so far this season.
Pheonix Copley, LA vs. ANH ($6,500): Copley's won two starts in a row and looks like he might take over the starting job in L.A. If Jonathan Quick is the starter, it'd be wise to stay away from this matchup. Other than an ugly loss to the Sabres, Copley has not allowed more than two goals in any of his starts this season. That bodes well against a Ducks team that has one of the worst offenses in the league and will be starting their third-string in Lukas Dostal.
VALUE PLAYS
Ivan Barbashev, STL at SEA ($4,500): Barbashev's line with Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas dominated the Canucks, and with an assist, Barbashev extended his point streak to three games. It'll be back-to-back games for the Blues, but the Kraken defense and goaltending shouldn't pose much of a challenge.
Kent Johnson, CBJ at PHI ($4,500): Johnson skated on the top line last night against the Stars and showed well, breaking Jake Oettinger's shutout bid in the final seconds. The skilled playmaker probably isn't good enough to be a full-time No. 1 pivot yet, but he's making the most of his opportunities. Against a leaky Flyers defense and goaltending, Johnson might have a chance to score points in consecutive games for just the third time this season.
Paul Stastny, CAR vs. NJ ($3,700): Sebastian Aho remains injured, which leaves Stastny in the top spot. The veteran forward has not scored in four games but he's averaging more ice time during Aho's absence, and he'll be flanked by top wingers Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas.
LINE STACKS
Jets vs. Senators
Pierre-Luc Dubois (C - $8,600), Kyle Connor (W - $9,100), Sam Gagner (W - $4,500)
Connor's on a nine-game point streak and failed to register a point just once since Nov. 21. He's been the Jets' most productive player next to Dubois, who is also in the midst of a career season with 35 points in 31 games. Gagner's the third wheel but note he also gets time on PP2 for some added value.
Kraken vs. Blues
Matty Beniers (C - $6,500), Jared McCann (W - $6,200), Jordan Eberle (W - $6,100)
The Blues will be playing the second half of their back-to-back with travel in between, so the Kraken might be facing a tired squad near the end of their road trip. The Kraken's scoring has dried up in recent weeks, but if there's any line to bet on, it's Beniers, their top center, and McCann and Eberle, two of the better finishers on their team. They represent three of the four players on the Kraken roster who have scored at least 20 points this season.
Kings at Ducks
Anze Kopitar (C - $6,900), Kevin Fiala (W - $7,300), Adrian Kempe (W - $6,000)
The Ducks are expected to start Dostal, their third-string goalie, and he's been surprisingly effective with two straight wins. Nevertheless, Dostal has also allowed five goals in two games, and it could provide a boon to a Kings offense that ranks 16th in GF/GP and 14th on the PP. The Kings have won their three previous matchups and seven of their previous 10; it's the first meeting between the I-5 rivals this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB at TOR ($6,200): It's not going to be an easy matchup but Hedman's got the hot hand with a three-game point streak. He's expected to quarterback Tampa's power play that ranks fifth in the league against a very average Leafs PK. Their battles have been closely fought in the past, which means the difference maker might be special teams.
Kris Letang, PIT vs. NYR ($5,800): This is the first meeting between the two teams since last year's playoffs, and it's a potential revenge game for the Pens. Since returning to the lineup after suffering a stroke, Letang hasn't missed a beat and over the past two games is averaging over 26 minutes per game scoring three points on five shots. He's going to play a ton of minutes with Jeff Petry on the shelf.
Justin Schultz, SEA vs. STL ($5,500): It's not often a power-play specialist is worthwhile in DFS, and Schultz has just one helper in six games, but there might be some value here with the Kraken facing backup Thomas Greiss and one of the league's worst penalty kills. Schultz is having a nice bounce-back season so far with 17 points after scoring 23 last season, with seven helpers coming with the man advantage.
