This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are 12 games on the slate with the Stars and Canadiens pulling double duty playing the second half of their back-to-back against the Canucks and Penguins, respectively.
It's the first of three showdowns between the Lightning and Devils this week, with the next two games to follow on Thursday and Sunday. Among other notable matchups include Jets at Hurricanes and Islanders at Kings in a rare inter-conference matchup between four teams jostling for playoff position.
Note the Express slate will feature three games starting after 8 p.m. ET: Detroit at Nashville, Ottawa at Edmonton and Boston at Chicago.
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark, BOS at CHI ($9,000): Pricey, but like a guaranteed win. Ullmark is expected to start and he'll be going for his ninth straight win. The Blackhawks have lost seven of their past eight and aside from their surprising 5-0 win against the Sens, have not been able to score more than three goals in any of those games.
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. MON ($8,200): Jarry looked strong in his most recent start against the Rangers, allowing just two goals on 29 shots. The Habs will be a tired group, travelling to Pittsburgh after using both of their goalies in Monday's 8-4 loss to the Avs at home.
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. OTT ($7,500): No matter how Skinner performs, the Oilers' offense will likely still be able to bail them out. After an impressive run to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Sens have lost three of their past four, allowing 19 goals and scoring seven during that span. The Oilers won 6-3 in their previous meeting in February.
Jonathan Quick, VGK at PHI ($7,300): Quick is coming off an impressive 33-save shutout against the Canes and with the Knights has been perfect: 3-0-0 with a 1.97 GAA and .939 Sv%. Behind the Knights' goalie-friendly system, Quick has turned the corner quickly in an otherwise disappointing season. The Flyers offense has struggled, winning just twice since Feb. 11 and averaging 1.85 goals per game, worst in the league.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at ARI ($6,700): This should be an excellent value play considering how well Markstrom's played lately. He's won three of his past four games, including a shutout against the Wild and allowed just one goal against the Sens on 31 shots in his most recent start. While playing against the Yotes in their home rink could prove to be a challenge, Markstrom's a streaky goalie and he's on fire right now.
VALUE PLAYS
Pius Suter, DET at NSH ($3,600): Suter has not scored a goal since Feb. 21 and recorded just two assists since then, but he's getting a whirl on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Expected Preds starter Juuse Saros has allowed 10 goals in his past three games.
Philip Tomasino, NSH vs. DET ($4,300): Tomasino scored two points in his most recent game and will play on the top line with Thomas Novak and Matt Duchene. Novak and Duchene have been the Preds' top scorers since the All-Star Game, making Tomasino the third wheel, but against the struggling Red Wings, getting a point might be easier than usual.
William Eklund, SJ vs. CBJ ($3,000): Eklund has only one helper in five games since getting called up but he's faced some tough opponents in the Jets, Avs and Wild. The Jackets are the easiest matchup he will face, and they will likely start minor league Michael Hutchinson, who has allowed 10 goals in his two starts. Eklund has remained on the top line with Tomas Hertl and Fabian Zetterlund.
LINE STACKS
Bruins at Blackhawks
David Krejci (C - $5,900), David Pastrnak (W - $10,300), Tyler Bertuzzi (W - $4,200)
Pastrnak's the key to this line stack but Krejci and Bertuzzi should get ample opportunities to get on the score sheet against the lowly Hawks. They've allowed at least three goals in all but one of their past eight games and in their previous matchup allowed six goals against the Bruins, with Krejci and Pastrnak providing three goals. Bertuzzi has yet to score a goal with his new team but he's fit in rather well and taken Pavel Zacha's spot on this line – both play on the second power play unit – and considering who Bertuzzi's playing with and the matchup, could also be a value play on his own.
DEFENSEMEN
Dougie Hamilton, NJ vs. TB ($7,500): Hamilton has scored an assist in two straight games and while a matchup against the Lightning seems daunting, note they've really struggled with just four wins in their past 10 games. Hamilton doesn't play a lot of minutes but the quality of his linemates, especially on the power play, is second-to-none.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at VAN ($6,500): Heiskanen is on a six-game point streak and faces the league's worst penalty kill. The Stars have been excellent on the road all season and Heiskanen continues to be play the lion's share of the minutes on their blue line. In their previous game against the Canucks, Heiskanen played 28:47, including 6:11 on the power play and 10 more minutes than the next defenseman.
Neal Pionk, WPG at CAR ($5,100): The matchup will be challenging since the Canes have one of the league's best penalty kills, but note that with Josh Morrissey out of the lineup, Pionk has taken over as the power play quarterback. Pionk has scored a point in four games but the Jets seem to have turned a corner with two straight wins and eight goals scored.
