This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The NHL regular season ends later this week. There's a lot of playing out the string going on, between the teams out of it and the teams locked into playoff positioning. However, the games will be played, and some players, even on teams with nothing to play for, will be going for it 100 percent. Monday there are six games on the docket, with the first few starting at 7 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Two teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. In terms of your DFS decisions, the Sharks are visiting the Canucks. The other game is intriguing from a pure hockey standpoint, as the Oilers are hosting the Kings. That's a playoff preview right there!
GOALIES
Kevin Lankinen, VAN vs. SAN ($8,300): Uh, yeah. The Sharks are 31st in goals per game and last in GAA. They are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Truly, a matchup doesn't get any better than this. Thatcher Demko missed Vancouver's last game with an illness, which is why Lankinen is, for now, pegged to start Monday. Lankinen has a .901 save percentage, but a 2.64 GAA. In this matchup, I'd accept basically any numbers from a netminder.
Karel Vejmelka, UTA at NAS ($8,100): Vejmelka deserves a lot of love. He has started 23 games in a row for the Hockey Club. Twice in that time he has played both games of a back-to-back. Even with his large workload this season, Vejmelka has a 2.52 GAA and .906 save percentage. Utah better let the netminder enjoy a start against Nashville. The Predators have averaged 2.55 goals per game, lowest in the NHL.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Pius Suter, VAN vs. SAN ($5,600): Six times in his last 15 games, Suter has picked up multiple points. Vancouver's offense has had struggles throughout the campaign, but Suter has emerged with 24 goals and 45 points, both personal bests. Now he gets a shot against a Sharks team that is comfortably last in GAA. Oh, and they are on the road for the second day of a back-to-back as well, of course.
Matt Duchene, DAL at DET ($5,400): Duchene was good for the Stars last season, but this year he has been on another level. In fact, with 81 points in 82 games, he could be a point-a-game player this season. Duchene has been helped by his power-play production, as 27 of his points have come with the extra man. That's actually why I want him in this matchup, as the Red Wings have the league's worst penalty kill.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Canadiens vs. Chicago
Nick Suzuki (C - $7,300), Cole Caufield (W - $6,700), Juraj Slafkovsky (W - $5,800)
Montreal's likely grabbing of the final playoff spot in the East (it's a win-and-in situation) is largely down to this line. Well, that and the Red Wings, Islanders, Rangers, and Bruins all failing to rise to the occasion. That's not to say this trio isn't good. It is a very good line, one built upon three high draft picks. As the season went on, it became clear that Chicago was the second-worst defensive team in the NHL, ahead of only the Sharks. Even the addition of Spencer Knight hasn't changed that.
Suzuki didn't have a point in his last game, but it was the second night of a back-to-back, and he still had three shots on net. It was only the third time in 17 games that Suzuki failed to get on the score sheet. Caufield already has his first 30-goal season, and he's only three goals shy of his first 40-goal season as well. He's put 26 shots on net over his last eight outings, so it would appear he would very much like to add to his goal total. Slafkovsky was the highest pick of these three, even if he's the third-best player of this trio. However, he's one point shy of his second 50-point season, and he has 14 points over his last 17 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev, UTA at NAS ($5,800): Sergachev's move from Tampa to Utah may not have yielded a return to the postseason, but he has excelled in a lead role. The Russian has 15 goals and 37 assists on the season, and he's tallied seven points in his last seven games. Nashville's offense is terrible, but the defense isn't much better. The Predators have a 3.33 GAA, which is in the bottom eight in the NHL.
Filip Hronek, VAN vs. SAN ($4,100): Obviously, Quinn Hughes is the star of the show on the Vancouver blue line, but in this matchup, you can save some salary and still get a good defenseman in Hronek. With five points in his last five games, Hronek is up to 33 points in 59 contests this season. San Jose is the only team in the NHL with a GAA over 3.70, or 3.60, and it is also 31st in shots on net allowed per contest.
