This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT and features Game 1s from the four playoff series that didn't begin Monday. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
All four home teams are favored, having earned home-ice advantage through superior play in the regular season. The Avalanche (vs. Nashville), Panthers (vs. Washington) and Flames (vs. Dallas) are all lopsided favorites, while the Rangers are modest favorites against the Penguins. The Colorado and Florida games are expected to be high-scoring (over/under: 6.5 goals), while the other two should be more defensively oriented (over/under: 5.5 goals).
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. DAL ($8,100): Markstrom's coming off a stellar regular season in which he went 37-15-9 with a 2.22 GAA and .922 save percentage. He has the most favorable draw of any goalie, as the Stars ranked last among playoff teams with an average of 2.84 goals per game in the regular season. Every other team in action Tuesday scored over three goals per game.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. PIT ($8,000): Shesterkin played well against pretty much everybody this season, as evidenced by his 36-13-4 record, 2.07 GAA and .935 save percentage. He was especially stingy against the Penguins, though, posting a 3-1-0 record, 1.01 GAA and .960 save percentage in four regular season meetings between these Metropolitan Division rivals.
David Rittich, NSH at COL ($7,500): The risk probably outweighs the reward with Rittich, but he has some against the grain appeal as he fills in for the injured Juuse Saros (lower body). Rittich made 42 saves to beat Colorado this past Thursday, and he could face even more rubber in this one against a much more motivated Avalanche team. If things don't go completely south, Rittich should deliver decent value at $7,500 by piling up a gaudy save total.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Sidney Crosby, PIT at NYR ($7,900): With a long history of postseason success, Crosby's a nice choice to build around, even going against Shesterkin at his hefty valuation. Crosby produced a 31-53-84 line in just 69 appearances this season, and he's well over a point per game in the playoffs at 69-122-191 in 174 postseason games.
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY vs. DAL ($6,900): Only Connor McDavid produced more points this season than Gaudreau, who piled up 40 goals and 75 assists. Despite that productivity, Gaudreau finds himself valued below nine other skaters in action Tuesday, making Johnny Hockey a strong value pick.
Andrew Copp, NYR vs. PIT ($4,400): Copp found instant chemistry with Artemi Panarin after coming to New York in a midseason trade, and the former Jets forward proceeded to rack up an 8-10-18 line in 16 games with the Rangers. Built for the postseason with a 6-foot-1, 206-pound frame and responsible two-way game, Copp offers excellent value at $4,400.
Mikael Granlund, NSH at COL ($3,500): Granlund finished the regular season on a tear, compiling a 1-8-9 line over his final four games. Given his top-line role and momentum heading into this one, it's hard not to like the Finnish center at just $3,500, even against the mighty Avalanche.
Tom Wilson, WAS at FLA ($2,900): Regardless of Alex Ovechkin's (upper body) availability, Wilson will likely present problems for the Panthers in this series. He's one of the league's most physically imposing forwards but also has scoring touch, as Wilson surpassed the 20-goal mark for the third time in four years with 24 this season. At just $2,900, Wilson's a low-risk, high-reward option in what figures to be a fast-paced game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Predators
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,600), Mikko Rantanen (W - $6,400), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $4,700)
MacKinnon and Rantanen are two of the league's most productive players year in and year out, while Landeskog's no slouch himself and a major bargain at $4,700. Rantanen led Colorado in both goals and points with a 36-56-92 line. Remarkably, MacKinnon (32-56-88) was right behind him despite dressing for only 65 games. Landeskog added a 30-29-59 output in only 51 appearances. Given Rittich's 3.57 GAA and .886 save percentage in Nashville's net, this line's ceiling is unparalleled.
Panthers vs. Capitals
Sam Bennett (C - $4,200), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $7,400), Claude Giroux (W - $4,100)
Florida's second line brings a terrific mix of recent success and playoff experience against a Capitals team with some question marks in net. Huberdeau tied Gaudreau for second in the league with 115 points this season. Bennett's mix of skill and grit translates nicely to playoff hockey, and he has a 7-11-18 line in 20 appearances over the past three postseasons. Giroux was a key component of a few deep Flyers playoff runs, accruing a 25-48-73 line in 85 career playoff appearances. Bennett and Giroux also found success this season, as the former potted 28 goals in 71 games while the latter had 23 points in 18 appearances after joining the Panthers.
Stars at Flames
Roope Hintz (C - $6,300), Jason Robertson (W - $6,300), Joe Pavelski (W - $5,500)
If Dallas is going to keep this interesting or even pull off the upset, it would likely be due to this line, whose members are available at a discount due to the tough matchup. There's a massive drop-off in production between these three players and the rest of the Stars roster. Pavelski led the team in points with a 27-54-81 line, Robertson led in goals at 41-38-79, and Hintz chipped in an impressive 37-35-72 output, while none of their teammates even broke 50 points.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. NSH ($7,700): In the head-to-head battle between the league's two most productive defensemen, the edge goes to Makar over Roman Josi. Makar costs $900 less and has significantly more help around him, plus scoring on Rittich should be easier than doing so against Darcy Kuemper. Josi had 10 more points (96-86), but Makar played three fewer games and still had five more goals, leading all blueliners with 28.
Jacob Trouba, NYR vs. PIT ($5,200): Like Copp, Trouba's a former Jet whose skill set should play up in the postseason for the Rangers. The physical defenseman also has skill, and Trouba produced an 11-28-39 line in the regular season while laying a high floor thanks to 204 shots and 177 blocks. His ceiling's also pushed up a bit by the Penguins turning to Casey DeSmith in net with Tristan Jarry (foot) unavailable.
Noah Hanifin, CGY vs. DAL ($4,300): Hanifin's a nice value given his scoring down the stretch. His 10-38-48 line overall included a 3-11-14 line over Hanifin's last 12 appearances, and he put 30 pucks on net in the last 10 games.
MacKenzie Weegar, FLA vs. WAS ($4,000): Even with Aaron Ekblad (lower body) back, Weegar's a strong choice on Florida's blue line. Weegar's certainly capable of contributing to Florida's high-powered offense, but he doesn't have to score to provide fantasy value. In his last 15 games, Weegar had multiple shots in all but two while adding eight multi-block performances. Over the entire season, he had 203 shots and 156 blocked shots to complement 44 points.
