This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There are four NHL games on the DFS docket Sunday, with the first puck dropping at 5 p.m. EST. You can set your lineups, watch some NFL playoff action, and then head back to check how your DFS squads did. Here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
As is usually the case, Saturday was packed. So each game on Sunday features a team closing out a back-to-back against a rested squad. Only the Senators get to be at home while the Wild, Panthers, and Flames are all on the road.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. CGY ($8,100): Hellebuyck doesn't really need help. He's won two Vezinas and his 2.02 GAA and .926 save percentage would both be personal bests. Hellebuyck gets an additional boost Sunday as the Flames aren't just playing for a second straight day but are also bottom-five in offense.
Karel Vejmelka, UTA at OTT ($7,300): After a couple off nights, Vejmelka bounced back by blanking the Wild last time out. He's also been strong overall posting a 2.45 GAA and .913 save percentage. Though the Sens get to play both of their back-to-back at home, they're in the bottom-10 when it comes to average goals.
VALUE PLAYS
Gabriel Vilardi, WPG vs. CGY ($6,800): Vilardi has not just been a fine addition to the Jets' top line, but also the top power play. He's notched 20 goals and 23 assists, including 10 and 10 with the extra man. The Flames rank bottom-five on the penalty kill and Dan Vladar with his career .892 save percentage is in line to start Sunday.
Tyler Bertuzzi, CHI vs. MIN ($5,900): Bertuzzi has been on quite the run with 14 points in his last 16 games. More to the point, he's averaged 2:35 on the power play with eight goals during that situations. The Wild saved Filip Gustavsson for this matchup, though they're also bottom-five in penalty-kill percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Golden Knights vs. Panthers
Tomas Hertl (C - $6,900), Victor Olofsson (W - $6,400), Pavel Dorofeyev (W - $6,200)
As long as William Karlsson is out, I expect Hertl and Dorofeyev to be together and Olofsson is as viable a choice to finish out this Vegas trio. The Panthers are middling in GAA, but that's because the defense has been great at preventing shots. That's tougher to do when you're on the road for the second time in as many days. Florida's goaltenders have been iffy and Aaron Ekblad is banged up, so the Golden Knights have a good opportunity here.
Hertl has been red hot with at least one point in nine of his last 10 games. And in five of those, he's put at least four shots on target. Olofsson had three 20-goal seasons with the Sabres and could do it with Vegas as he's produced 11 so far to go with eight assists. Thanks to nine goals from Dorofeyev's last 15 outings, he's reached 20 for the first time. He's also shot considerably more than last year with 49 shots over the aforementioned stretch.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. FLA ($6,800): Theodore has tallied 17 points in his last 16 matchups, giving him 44 on the season. He was close to a point-per-game player last year, yet was held to 47 games due to injury. Among those 17 points, seven have come on the power play. The Panthers list an average penalty kill and unlikely to overperform on the road on the second night of a back-to-back.
Dylan DeMelo, WPG vs. CGY ($4,100): DeMelo isn't a big-time scorer, though he's posted four points over his last five outings with multiple shots in three. He won't see much - if any - of the Flames' penalty kill, but will be at home against a team closing out a second straight day. DeMelo will also face Dan Vladar and his career .892 save percentage.
