This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Don't get too locked in to the final day of the NBA regular season and forget about the NHL on Sunday. There are seven games on the DFS docket, with the first starting at 5 p.m. EDT. Onto the lineup recommendations!
SLATE PREVIEW
As you might expect, a few teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. That includes the Caps and Blue Jackets finishing off a home-and-home in D.C. In the first leg of this twofer, Columbus steamrolled a Washington team that was fully checked out by a 7-0 count. It will be fascinating to see how the hosts look at home Sunday. Beyond that matchup, the Jets host the Oilers, the Avalanche visit the Ducks, and the Sabres have to travel to take on the Lightning.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. BUF ($8,600): Connor Hellebuyck is going to win another Vezina, but Vasilevskiy has also been fantastic this season with a 2.20 GAA and .920 save percentage. Buffalo is top-10 in goals per game, but also on the road for the second straight day. And they're also bottom-10 in GAA, so I like the odds of Vasilevskiy getting the win.
Dustin Wolf, CGY vs. SAN ($8,500): I would be remiss not to include Wolf on Sunday. In his rookie campaign, he's posted a 2.26 home GAA. And the Sharks come to visit with their meager average of 2.59 goals.
VALUE PLAYS
Kent Johnson, CLM at WAS ($6,100): Johnson has taken a real step forward this season. After notching a goal and assist on Saturday, he's at 23 goals and 32 assists through 65 games with nine points from his last seven. The Caps looked unmotivated on Saturday and also don't have Logan Thompson. That means Charlie Lindgren is in line to start Sunday with his .893 save percentage.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, TAM vs. BUF ($5,400): Bjorkstrand may be playing third-line minutes since joining the Lightning, yet he's still managed five goals and four assists. It helps that he's averaged 2:15 with the extra man, where four of those eight points have originated. The Sabres maintain a bottom-10 penalty kill and are also on the second day of a back-to-back.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Flames vs. Sharks
Nazem Kadri (C - $7,600), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $6,500), Adam Klapka (W - $3,900)
San Jose sits bottom-four in GAA, shots allowed, and penalty-kill percentage. That paints a portrait of futility, but that still feels incomplete. The Sharks are not merely bottom-four in GAA, they are comfortably last with a 3.80. Calgary isn't great offensively at 30th in goals per game, one spot ahead of San Jose. Even so, I trust their first line for a stack.
Though the Flames have collective struggled to find the back of the net, Kadri hasn't with 32 goals to tie his career-high. He's also put 268 shots on target, nine away from tying his peak set last season. Huberdeau is at 28 goals, though only one has come during his last 10 outings - naturally against these same Sharks via the power play (included in his 22 PPPs overall). Klapka, a 24-year-old Czech rookie, had recently been logging fourth-line minutes. And yet, he's managed to find the scoresheet with three goals and two assists across his last 10 despite only averaging 10:50.
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan McDonagh, TAM vs. BUF ($4,900): McDonagh is not traditionally the offensively-minded sort, yet he's recorded 10 points in his last 15. He also directed four shots on net Friday. The Sabres have a bottom-five GAA and are also playing their second game in as many days, so McDonagh could find himself remaining active.
Martin Fehervary, WAS vs. CLM ($4,300): The Blue Jackets are bottom-eight in GAA and shots allowed. And while these teams are squaring off again after meeting Saturday, Columbus is the road team. However, that 7-0 Columbus rout on Saturday lingers. So I looked to see if any Washington defenseman didn't seem like he was checked out. Fehervary played 21:23 - including 2:35 shorthanded - with a shot, a hit, and three blocked shots. And on the season, he's tallied 25 points that isn't bad for a defensemen at this salary level.
