This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We have an exciting night of playoff hockey ahead of us with four games on the docket. The action will open with the Hurricanes hosting the Devils, beginning at 6:00 p.m. EDT, followed by Ottawa in Toronto at 7:30, Florida in Tampa Bay at 8:30 and Minnesota in Vegas at 11:00. Here are my FanDuel lineup recommendations for Tuesday.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Lightning-Panthers series is the last one to kick off. While Tampa Bay concluded its regular season Thursday, it's a touch awkward for Florida, which hasn't played since last Tuesday. On the plus side, it's extra time for Matthew Tkachuk (groin), who might make his return after missing the Panthers' final 25 games.
Tampa Bay and Florida split the season series 2-2-0. This will also be a rematch of the 2024 first-round series when the Panthers bested the Lightning in five games.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. NJD ($8,100): Andersen was strong against the Devils in the 2023 series, stopping 101 of 110 shots (.918 save percentage) across five appearances en route to Carolina's 4-1 victory in that series. It's looking like this might be a repeat of that series after Andersen stopped 23 of 24 shots to help Carolina claim the first-round opener. It doesn't help New Jersey that it's playing without one of its key forwards in Jack Hughes (shoulder).
Anthony Stolarz, TOR vs. OTT ($7,800): Stolarz had a great 2024-25 regular season, posting a 21-8-3 record, 2.14 GAA and .926 save percentage across 34 appearances, but there were some questions as to how he might respond in the playoffs. He's far from a fresh face at the age of 31, but he went into this year without ever having started a postseason match. That test is now behind him, and he passed with flying colors after turning aside 31 of 33 shots to lead Toronto to a 6-2 victory over Ottawa. The Senators are likely to come out hard after a challenging start to the series, but Stolarz should be able to weather what Ottawa throws at him.
VALUE PLAYS
Brett Howden, VGK vs. MIN ($5,400): As far as low-cost options, Howden is arguably the hottest. He scored twice, including once on the power play, in Vegas' 4-2 victory over Minnesota in Game 1 on Sunday. That gives him three goals and five points across his past four appearances. The 27-year-old is coming off a regular season in which he set new career highs in goals (23) and points (40) over 80 outings.
Scott Laughton, TOR vs. OTT ($4,200): Laughton registered an assist against Ottawa in Game 1 on Sunday to extend his scoring streak to three games. The 30-year-old is a part of the supporting cast as opposed to a driver of the offense, but he's worth keeping an eye on in the playoffs. Although he doesn't have a lot of postseason experience, Laughton did contribute a respectable five goals and nine points across 15 outings with Philadelphia during his last playoff run in 2020.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Maple Leafs vs. Senators
Auston Matthews (C - $8,600), Mitch Marner (W - $7,700), Matthew Knies (W - $6,100)
Toronto's top line had plenty of success in Game 1. Matthews registered two assists, Marner accumulated three points (one goal) and Knies found the back of the net. It wouldn't be surprising to see them make a positive impact against Ottawa again tonight.
It helps that Matthews and Marner have been rolling for a while. Marner has been held off the scoresheet just once over his past 14 appearances, contributing seven goals and 22 points across that stretch. Meanwhile, Matthews has been a steady presence for about a month, providing 10 goals and 24 points over his past 18 outings while not having any scoring drought during that span reach two straight games.
Knies has been strong in his own right, supplying five goals and 14 points across his last 14 appearances, so he's worth taking to round out the unit.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TBL vs. FLA ($6,200): Hedman finished the regular season with 15 goals and 66 points across 79 outings, making it the third time in four seasons that he's surpassed the 65-point milestone. Hedman has a history of playoff success with 23 goals and 117 points over 165 career games. Even in 2024, when the Lightning struggled overall, Hedman contributed a goal and seven points in the five-game series versus Florida.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. MIN ($6,100): Theodore registered an assist in the series opener against Minnesota on Sunday, giving him four helpers across his past four games. He seems to know how to handle the Wild -- Theodore has a goal and six points across four outings versus Minnesota in 2024-25 between the regular season and playoffs.
