This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's an eight-game slate for a busy Tuesday, highlighted by a Bruins at Blues game, a rematch of the 2019 Finals.
There's a pretty big gulf in three of the four inter-conference matchups, including the Wild at Canadiens, Jets at Rangers and Senators at Canucks. Though the teams rarely meet, all of them feature a clear favorite. The Habs have beaten the Wild just once since 2015, the Jets have lost six of their past nine against the Rangers, including the past three meetings, and the Canucks have lost only three times in their past 10 meetings against the Sens.
The Flames, Canucks and Senators are playing the second half of their back-to-back games, and all three teams are expected to start their backup goalies.
GOALIES
Cam Talbot, MIN at MON ($8,100): Based on the Wild's current rotation, look for Talbot to get the start instead of Marc-Andre Fleury in his home province. The Wild are 11-1-0 against the Habs with all the wins earned in regulation time, and it'll take a Herculean effort and some luck for the Habs to pull off a win.
Jaroslav Halak, VAN vs. OTT ($7,700): Thatcher Demko will likely get a rest after facing Dallas on Monday, and Halak has been very good with only one goal allowed in three of his past four appearances. He hasn't played much this season but throughout his career has also been quite good against the Sens with a career .919 Sv% and 2.49 GAA.
Jonathan Quick, LA at ANH ($7,600): Quick will likely get the start after allowing just one goal in his previous start and Cal Petersen struggling. The Kings are 1-0-1 against the Ducks this season and have the clear advantage after the Ducks traded away many of their veterans, and Quick has a career 25-13-9 record against them.
VALUE PLAYS
Frederick Gaudreau, MIN at MON ($5,100): Gaudreau is on a four-game point streak with three goals and five assists and should be able to extend his scoring streak against a very poor defensive team short on quality centers. The Habs have allowed at least four goals in eight of their past 10 games.
Andreas Athanasiou, LA at ANH ($4,600): Athanasiou skated 18 minutes on the top line after missing a month of action due to injury, finishing with three shots and blocking another. Playing with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe gives him exposure to the Kings' top scorers, and the Ducks have allowed at least three goals in seven straight games.
Kent Johnson, CBJ at SJ ($3,500): Johnson is listed as a center even though he's been playing on Jack Roslovic's left wing opposite Oliver Bjorkstrand on the second line. His minutes have been limited and he has only one shot in three games, but he has looked better in each game and should score his first point sooner than later. The Sharks allowed six goals in their last match against the Jackets.
LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Flyers
John Tavares (C - $7,700), Ilya Mikheyev (W - $5,300), Mitch Marner (W - $9,600)
Tavares takes over the top line with Auston Matthews day-to-day with an injury, and it's a good value play for the No. 1 center on a very good offensive team. Mikheyev keeps the cost of this stack low while Marner continues to be excellent over the past three months with 61 points in just 35 games.
Lightning vs. Red Wings
Brayden Point (C - $7,500), Nikita Kucherov (W - $8,700), Nick Paul (W - $3,700)
Point has been struggling but his career numbers against the Wings is very good with 24 points in 26 games. Paul is a good value play on this line and scored two points in his previous game, but it's a good idea to stack against the Wings because their goaltending has been very poor all season, and excluding Alex Nedeljkovic's superhuman shutout effort against the Canes has allowed 19 goals in four games.
Canucks vs. Senators
Elias Pettersson (C - $6,500), Brock Boeser (W - $5,800), Conor Garland (W - $5,000)
Boeser returned from injury and scored a goal Monday against the Stars, while Pettersson and Garland, who's on a six-game point streak, have been playing the best hockey of the season so far. It's a very high-upside line against a team that will be likely starting their backup goalie.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. DET ($6,900): Hedman had four assists in his previous game and should be able to build on that against the Dead Things. They will be without top center Dylan Larkin, and it's a good value play considering Roman Josi is $1,000 more but playing against a tough Flames squad.
Ryan Pulock, NYI vs. FLA ($4,800): No doubt the Panthers have a huge edge on offense, but with their wide-open style, even the normally very average Isles offense will have a chance to score a few goals. Pulock is their best all-round defenseman and usually plays the most minutes.
