This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Only a handful of regular-season games remain for the teams in the NHL. Of course, that means only a handful of games remain, period, for half the league. Amongst the 10 teams in action Wednesday night, some are definitely going to be at home when the playoffs begin, and maybe those are the teams to target for DFS purposes. Well, tune in to find out! And by "tune in" I mean keep reading. First puck drops at 7 p.m. ET!
SLATE PREVIEW
One team is on the second leg of a back-to-back. That would be the Maple Leafs, who are visiting the Lightning. However, Anthony Stolarz will be in net for Toronto, and he has a .922 save percentage. That might not be much of a matchup to target. Of the teams on the first leg of a back-to-back, the Rangers are worth paying attention to. If they start Jonathan Quick on Wednesday and save Igor Shesterkin for the Islanders, that would alter the possibilities for your DFS lineups.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury, MIN vs. SAN ($8,400): I'm a little surprised that the Wild, in the thick of a playoff race, have decided to give Fleury a start. Filip Gustavsson is decidedly better. Are the Wild just trying to add to Fleury's Hall of Fame resume with another win? Well, to be fair, there's a good chance he does get a win Wednesday. The Sharks have averaged a mere 2.55 goals per game, 31st in the NHL, so Fleury should be able to step up and get the Wild a much-needed victory.
Dustin Wolf, CGY at ANA ($8,300): About a week ago, Wolf made 26 saves on 27 shots against these same Ducks. That was no surprise. The rookie netminder has a .911 save percentage, and the Ducks have averaged 2.69 goals per contest. While this game is in Anaheim, as opposed to Calgary, the result this time should be similar.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. PHI ($6,200): It's been something of a tough season for Zibanejad, at least by his standards. Even so, he has 17 goals and 35 assists in 77 games. The Swede does have a point in three of his last five outings and multiple shots on net in all five of those contests. Philadelphia has a 3.42 GAA, bottom six in the NHL. Samuel Ersson has only managed a 4.11 GAA and .838 save percentage over his last 11 games as well.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Wild vs. Sharks
Marco Rossi (C - $5,200), Matt Boldy (W - $7,700), Marcus Foligno (W - $4,000)
Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek could – could – return soon, but for now, this is the makeup of the top line for the Wild. The Sharks have allowed 31.1 shots on net per game, which is bad, close to last in the NHL, but not remarkable. No, what is remarkable is San Jose's 3.74 GAA. Pittsburgh ranks 31st, and it has a 3.58 GAA. In a walk, this is the easiest matchup in the NHL.
Rossi has had a larger role in his second season, and he's earned it with his production. The Austrian center has 24 goals and 34 assists. In his last game he had a goal and an assist, and also put five shots on net. With 26 goals and 67 points, Boldy is actually on the lower end of what at least I have come to expect from him. However, he's put 260 shots on net, which is already the most in his career. It's just that his puck luck has been so-so, as he has a 10.0 shooting percentage. The Sharks will give Boldy plenty of opportunity to put shots on target, though. Foligno is by and large a depth forward, but he's skated on the top line recently and produced like a top-six forward. In his last five games he has two goals and two assists.
DEFENSEMEN
MacKenzie Weegar, CGY at ANA ($6,300): Weegar has 44 points, but he's also notched 172 shots on net in 76 contests. The Ducks have gotten decent goaltending, which is why they have a 3.16 GAA, but they have allowed a league-high 32.1 shots on goal per game. Anaheim also has a bottom-five penalty kill, and Weegar has notched 20 of his 44 points with the extra man.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. SAN ($4,800): In nine of his last 10 games, Spurgeon has put two shots on net. Hey, for a defenseman, that is notable. It feels more notable when said defenseman is about to face the team that ranks 31st in shots on goal allowed per contest. Spurgeon also has eight assists in his last 15 games, relevant in a matchup with the most-porous defense in the NHL.
