This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The NHL has made a big event out of Tuesday, with all 32 teams in action, including an ESPN tripleheader. Now, the first game is at 6 p.m. EDT, but that's not terribly early. To try and partake in this all-team slate, I am going to look at all these matchups when it comes to my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS matchups. Hopefully you have a big Tuesday just like the league is.
GOALIE
Adin Hill, VGK vs. PHI ($31): In the last game of the day, when you may be burnt out on hockey, the Golden Knights host a Flyers team that has scored 2.71 goals per game since the start of last season. Hill has taken the edge in the goaltending "battle" between him and Logan Thompson thanks to a 1.73 GAA and .934 save percentage, which also makes him a strong option in this matchup.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. COL ($35): Sorokin will be looking to rebound from a bad start, and if he had a better matchup I'd expect that to be the case. However, the Avalanche are a tricky opponent. Colorado has averaged 3.38 goals and 33.5 shots on net per contest since the start of last year, led by some of the better offensive players in the NHL such as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
CENTER
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, CAR at TAM ($17): Kotkaniemi impressed, and surprised, with 18 goals and 25 assists last season. That has earned him a bigger role this year, and it has paid off. The Finn has seven points in six games as Carolina's third-line center, with a spot on the second power-play unit. Jonas Johansson is likely to start yet again for the Lightning, and he's allowed at least three goals in every start this season.
CENTER TO AVOID
Connor Bedard, CHI vs. BOS ($22): The Connor Bedard Experience has started off well, with two points and two assists through six games. Of course, he's been helped by the fact he's averaged 20:19 in ice time, including 5:19 with the extra man, for a team basically built around him. That being said, the Bruins are too tough. They top the league in GAA and penalty-kill percentage since the start of last year, and Linus Ullmark is the reigning Vezina winner.
WING
Tyler Toffoli, NJD at MON ($24): Toffoli has become a bit of a journeyman, but from stop to stop he's been a 20-goal guy time and time again. Now a Devil, Toffoli has three points and 16 shots on net through four games. Montreal is one of only two teams on the second leg of a back-to-back Tuesday, and Sam Montembeault has a career .896 save percentage.
Sam Reinhart, FLA vs. SAN ($23): Reinhart has tallied two points in each of his last four games. Sure, his 31.6 percent shooting will drop, but he's had back-to-back 30-goal seasons, so it's not like this is a total fluke. Kaapo Kahkonen will likely be in net for the Sharks, and he has a career .899 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jake Guentzel, PIT vs. DAL ($24): Guentzel started the season hot, but he doesn't have a point in his last two games. While his 9.1 percent shooting will likely improve, he also has been held to a single shot on net in each of his last two contests. Now he has to face Jake Oettinger, who has an 1.58 GAA and .943 save percentage.
Brock Boeser, VAN at NAS ($20): Boeser already has six goals, but on 35.3 percent shooting. Plus, four of those goals were in Vancouver's season opener against the Oilers. After a bad outing against Edmonton, Juuse Saros has only allowed one goal in each of his last two starts. All in all, that gives him a 2.49 GAA and .916 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Shayne Gostisbehere, DET vs. SEA ($18): Gostisbehere's five-game point streak ended in his last outing, but he still put five shots on net. He already has a key role on the power play for the Red Wings, having averaged 2:43 per game with the extra man. Phillipp Grubauer has a 3.04 GAA and .896 save percentage, and since the start of last year the Kraken rank 20th on the penalty kill.
Drew Doughty, LOS vs. ARI ($18): Doughty had 27 points with the extra man last season. He doesn't have any power-play points yet this year, but has averaged 4:25 per game on the power play, so those points will come. Maybe in this matchup. The Coyotes are in the bottom five on the penalty kill and in terms of shots on net allowed per game since the start of last year.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. COL ($21): Dobson is on a three-game point streak, but those came against Arizona, New Jersey, and Buffalo. The Avalanche are a tougher matchup. Alexandar Georgiev had a .918 save percentage last year, and this season he has a .943 save percentage.
Torey Krug, STL at WPG ($17): Krug has played a ton of minutes but doesn't have a single point, and also only has put five shots on net. Connor Hellebuyck also started slowly, but he just made 38 saves on 40 shots against the Oilers, so I'm feeling better about him. Plus, the Jets have the eighth-ranked penalty kill since the start of last year, so even Krug's usual success on the power play may be hard to come by.
