This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The NHL playoffs kicked off Saturday with two games. On Sunday, three more series debut. The first game is at 3 p.m. EDT, but hopefully your Sunday is breezy enough you have the time to get your DFS lineups in before that. Here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Obviously, no back-to-backs are in play. The Hurricanes were always likely to go with Frederik Andersen in net, but they confirmed that for us early. Injury-wise, remember Dougie Hamilton is back and Jack Hughes is not.
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. NJD ($8,100): Carolina did what they do this season, which is to say led the league in shots allowed and penalty-kill percentage. Andersen scuffled down the stretch, but still posted a 2.50 GAA on the season thanks to the defense in front of him. The Devils finished 20th in goals and the Wild were at 25th. However, Minnesota welcomed Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov back and the Devils still don't have Jack Hughes.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Matthew Knies, TOR vs. OTT ($5,400): Like others before him, Knies has benefited from sharing a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Even so, the 22-year-old hasn't delivered five multi-point games in his last 12 outings solely owing to his linemates. Ottawa is middling when it comes to GAA, shots allowed, and killing penalties. And that leaves the Sens as a relatively-favorable playoff matchup.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Golden Knights vs. Wild
Tomas Hertl (C - $5,500), Pavel Dorofeyev (W - $5,800), Brandon Saad (W - $3,100)
I'm choosing this trio primarily because two of them are on Vegas's top power-play unit. The Wild made it to this point in spite of their penalty kill at 30th in that category. So grabbing a couple of the Golden Knights who see plenty of man-advantage minutes is a good way to go.
Though Hertl missed a lot of time down the stretch, he managed a goal and assist from the last game and scored 14 power-play goals overall. Dorofeyev's name may still fly below the radar for the casual hockey fan, but he compiled a campaign that made DFS players quite happy with 35 goals. He was also shooting a lot of late with 54 pucks on net through his last 15 outings. Though Saad is more rounding out the line than boosting it, he's a solid tertiary forward at this point of his career. After moving from the Blues to the Golden Knights, he's tallied six goals and eight assists.
DEFENSEMAN
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. MIN ($5,400): I can't mention the Wild's 30th-ranked penalty kill and then not look to roster the Vegas defenseman who's on the lead PP. Theodore didn't register a point with the extra man after returning from injury, yet still registered nine assists in 12 games and 19 PPPs on the campaign.
