This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
After a packed Saturday, Easter is a light day for the NHL. There are only two games on the slate, the first of which starts at 6 p.m. ET. Here are my lineup recommendations for the final Sunday of the NHL regular season.
SLATE PREVIEW
All 32 teams were in action Saturday, which means all four of these teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Boston and Colorado are on the road, but Colorado's "trip" between games was from Los Angeles to Anaheim.
GOALIE
Pavel Francouz, COL at ANA ($6,500): After a lengthy injury absence, Francouz is back. He may have not played in a while, but he has a 2.53 GAA and .919 save percentage in 15 games this season. Plus, this is a great matchup to step back into. The Ducks are 31st in goals per game, and also last in GAA. There's a good chance for Francouz to pick up a win in his return.
VALUE PLAY/ONE OFF
Pavel Zacha, BOS at PHI ($4,100): Zacha moved from New Jersey to Boston and saw his offensive game blossom. He's tallied 20 goals and 35 assists, and his 55 points are the highest of his career. Felix Sandstrom will presumably be starting for the Flyers, and he has a 3.64 GAA and .882 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Avalanche at Ducks
J.T. Compher (C - $4,700), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $6,600), Denis Malgin (W - $3,000)
This is the current matchup of the second line for Colorado due to some injuries, but it works for me. After all, the Ducks are last in GAA and shots on net allowed per game. They are also in the bottom three in terms of penalty-kill percentage. All season long, there has been no better matchup. That hasn't changed as we reach the end of the campaign.
Compher has had the biggest role of his career, having averaged over 20 minutes per game in ice time. That's helped him tally 51 points, also a career high. This includes seven points in Compher's last seven games. Nichushkin is the standout here, having notched 44 points and 147 shots on net in 49 games. This includes 15 power-play points, which is a positive in this matchup. Malgin is more along for the ride, but he has 15 points in 39 games since joining the Avalanche. Plus, he's spent most of the season playing fourth-line minutes. Being on the second line changes things.
DEFENSE
Devon Toews, COL at ANA ($5,100): Toews has eight points in his last 11 games, giving him 44 on the season. That includes two power-play points. While Toews doesn't usually play with the extra man, Cale Makar is out now, which has given the 29-year-old more time with the extra man. That bodes well heading into a matchup with the Ducks, who are in the bottom three in GAA, shots on net allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage.
