This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
April is here (I don't write on Tuesdays, so pardon me for noting that all the way here on the second day of the month), and Wednesday brings us five NHL games. That's at the upper limit of the norm for this particular day of the week. The first games start at 7 pm. ET. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are two clubs on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Capitals are playing on the road for the second game in as many days, and playing the Hurricanes at that. Good luck to Alex Ovechkin getting closer to Wayne Gretzky in that one. The Panthers are playing at the Maple Leafs as well. Notably, both Washington and Florida saved their No. 1 netminders for Wednesday. Only one team is on the first leg of a back-to-back: the Avalanche. I'd consider the notion of Scott Wedgewood starting against the Blackhawks on Wednesday, but he started Colorado's last game, so it'll probably be Mackenzie Blackwood.
GOALIES
Mackenzie Blackwood, COL vs. CHI ($8,400): Whether the wood be Black or Wedge, I like the Avalanche netminder in this matchup. I shall operate as though it'll be Blackwood, who has a .919 save percentage since being dealt to Colorado. Chicago has managed a league-low 24.4 shots on net per contest, so Blackwood will likely not be terribly busy Wednesday.
Anthony Stolarz, TOR vs. FLA ($7,800): Stolarz will get a chance to face his former team Wednesday. He's had a strong campaign in Toronto, posting a 2.35 GAA and .919 save percentage. Florida, as noted, is on the second day of a back-to-back. Also, while Matthew Tkachuk is only one man, the Panthers are actually down to 12th in goals per game now.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
John Tavares, TOR vs. FLA ($7,000): Oh, you know, Tavares has just gone out and quietly tallied 69 points in 67 games, including 35 goals. Apparently losing the captain's "C" didn't bum him out too much. Tavares also has 13 points over his last seven outings. The Panthers are on the road playing their second game in as many days. Sergei Bobrovsky has a 2.44 GAA, which is good, but with a .907 save percentage. A tired Florida defense might let more pucks get to "Bob," and that would be a good thing for Tavares.
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. MIN ($6,500): Zibanejad is having a bit of a down year, though he has a point in each of his last two games. He remains a fixture on the top power-play unit, though. While the Swede's 18 power-play points is low for him, that's still above average across the entire NHL. When it comes to matchup with Minnesota, it's about time playing with the man advantage. The Wild rank 31st on the penalty kill.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Avalanche at Blackhawks
Brock Nelson (C - $5,800), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $6,500), Martin Necas (W - $6,300)
Chicago has allowed 31.1 shots on net per contest. It's also up to a 3.61 GAA, having now fallen below Pittsburgh into 31st on that front. Instead of Spencer Knight salvaging things in net for the Blackhawks, the Blackhawks have instead pulled the former Panther down into the morass. In nine outings with Chicago, Knight has an .887 save percentage. The Avalanche were pretty top-heavy early this season, but thanks to trades and playing returning to the lineup, they now are rolling three strong lines. This, Colorado's second line, looks quite good to me Wednesday.
Nelson won't get to 30 goals for the fourth season in a row (he sits at 23), but he's looked good since leaving the Islanders. In 12 games with the Avalanche he has eight points. Nichushkin has 13 points in his last 15 contests. While he doesn't have a point in his last three games, he has 12 shots on net in that time. Necas has 10 goals and 15 assists in 26 games with Colorado. That's with 76 shots on net, so Necas' shooting percentage has actually dropped since he was dealt from Carolina. He's been great, and he hasn't even been all that lucky.
DEFENSEMEN
Devon Toews, COL at CHI ($4,700): Toews will be hard-pressed to get to 50 points for the fourth season in a row, but he's making a run at it. After tallying six points (alongside 12 shots on net) over his last five outings, he's up to 39 points on the campaign. Given that the Blackhawks have a 3.61 GAA, there's at least a solid chance Toews is able to hit the 40-point threshold on Wednesday.
Tyler Myers, VAN vs. SEA ($3,900): Myers has a point in each of his last two games. He's also put three shots on net in both of those contests. The Kraken have fallen into the bottom 10 in GAA thanks to a major downturn in the play of Joey Daccord. He has an .876 save percentage over his last 12 games.
