This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate consists of four Stanley Cup playoff Game 2s after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Bruins are heavy favorites to go up 2-0 in the series at home against Florida, while the Oilers are favored to bounce back after letting Game 1 slip away at home against the Kings. Carolina should keep taking care of business on home ice against the Islanders, and the Stars are modest home favorites after dropping the series opener to Minnesota in double overtime. The games in Edmonton and Boston have over/unders of 6.5 goals, while the other two are expected to be lower-scoring, with over/unders of 5.5.
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark, BOS vs. FLA ($8,500): Ullmark came into Game 1 questionable due to an illness, but he wasn't bothered by it in the slightest, making 31 saves on 32 shots in a 3-1 win to build on a regular season in which he went 40-6-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage. He should be worth paying up for as the safe option in net for the dominant Bruins.
Antti Raanta, CAR vs. NYI ($8,100): Check back to see whether the Hurricanes stick with Raanta or opt to alternate him and Frederik Andersen ($8,100), but either goalie should continue to find success against the feeble Islanders offense. Among playoff teams, only the Wild (2.91) scored fewer goals per game than the Islanders' 2.95. Raanta allowed only one goal in Game 1 to build on a 19-3-3 regular season, while Andersen went 21-11-1 in the regular season.
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. MIN ($8,000): Oettinger lost a Game 1 goalie duel to Filip Gustavsson ($7,400), but the Stars' netminder stopped 45 of 48 shots before losing in double overtime. It isn't time to press the panic button yet in Dallas. Not only did Oettinger post a stellar 37-11-11 record, 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage this season, but he also has a 1.72 GAA and .953 save percentage in his postseason career, albeit with a 3-5 record.
Filip Gustavsson, MIN at DAL ($7,400): Gustavsson stopped 51 of 53 shots to steal Game 1 in Dallas. This series will likely be full of grinding games with goals at a premium, so Gustavsson makes for an appealing value play at just $7,400 on the heels of a breakout regular season in which he went 22-9-7 with a 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jason Robertson, DAL vs. MIN ($8,000): After notching 18 points over the last eight games of the regular season, Robertson picked up where he left off by lighting the lamp in Game 1. The star winger also contributed seven shots and should continue to be a force regardless of the availability of fellow first-liner Joe Pavelski, who appeared to hit his head on the ice after a borderline hit from Matt Dumba in the second period of the series opener and didn't return.
Sebastian Aho, CAR vs. NYI ($5,500): Aho's a steal at just $5,500, even in what projects to be a low-scoring game. He opened the scoring on the power play in Game 1 and should continue to lead Carolina's offense after posting at least 65 regular-season points for the fifth time in the last six campaigns. Aho's game has translated well to the playoffs, as he has a 19-28-47 line in 49 career postseason appearances.
Mathew Barzal, NYI at CAR ($5,000): Carolina's game is puck possession, as the Hurricanes' defensemen aggressively pursue angles in the offensive and neutral zones while their forwards forecheck relentlessly. An Islanders team that's usually content to park the bus in front of Ilya Sorokin ($7,300) thus spent most of Game 1 playing defense, but Barzal's one of the few Islanders with the speed to capitalize on Carolina's aggressiveness, which can lead to odd-man rushes against if you can get past a pinching defenseman. Barzal may not be fully healthy considering he missed nearly two months due to a lower-body injury prior to Game 1, but he's still the best bet the Islanders have to create offense.
Anthony Duclair, FLA at BOS ($3,800): Using Florida's forwards against the stout Boston defense is a risky move, but Duclair has some nice against-the-grain appeal at $3,800 given his top-six role and substantial scoring touch. He missed most of the season due to injury after potting 31 goals last year, but Duclair lit the lamp in Florida's final game of the regular season and had three shots in Game 1.
Sam Steel, MIN at DAL ($2,600): Steel was effective in Game 1, tying the score 2-2 in the second period before assisting on Ryan Hartman's ($5,000) game-winner in double overtime. Steel's 25:47 TOI was fifth-most among Wild forwards, and he should continue to see extra minutes as long as fellow center Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) is unavailable, making Steel a low-risk, high-reward play at just $100 above the minimum valuation.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Kings
Leon Draisaitl (C - $8,200), Evander Kane (W - $6,100), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $3,200)
With shutdown center Phillip Danault shadowing Connor McDavid ($10,300), Draisaitl's line is poised to keep leading Edmonton's offense in more favorable matchups. After finishing second behind McDavid with 128 points in the regular season, Draisaitl lit the lamp twice on six shots in Game 1. Kane notched an assist in Game 1, giving him a 7-3-10 line in his last seven playoff games against the Kings dating back to their first-round clash last postseason. Yamamoto has by far the lowest valuation of the Oilers' top-six forwards, making him a low-risk, high-reward option.
Bruins vs. Panthers
David Krejci (C - $4,600), David Pastrnak (W - $9,700), Tyler Bertuzzi (W - $4,200)
Pastrnak has run his own line throughout the season, so he was unfazed by the Game 1 absence of center Patrice Bergeron (upper body/illness), picking up the first goal of the series in a 3-1 win. The league's second-leading goal scorer with 61 in the regular season should continue to lead Boston's offense. Bertuzzi had two assists in Game 1, adding to a hot streak that's seen him post a 1-8-9 line over the past five games. Krejci dished a helper in the series opener, giving him 125 points in 157 career playoff appearances.
Kings at Oilers
Anze Kopitar (C - $5,700), Adrian Kempe (W - $6,300), Quinton Byfield (W - $3,300)
Kopitar has no shortage of big playoff moments, and he was magnificent in Game 1, scoring the game-tying goal with 17 seconds left in the third period as part of a four-point performance in a 4-3 overtime win. Kempe scored two goals on eight shots in the series opener, giving him seven goals on a whopping 29 shots over the past four games. Byfield even managed to throw in an assist in Game 1, though like Yamamoto, Byfield's appeal lies primarily in his affordability.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Burns, CAR vs. NYI ($6,000): Carolina should continue to have the puck most of the game, and Burns loves to fling it on net, so he's poised to keep racking up shots after a two-assist, six-shot effort in Game 1. Burns has a 4-2-6 line and 19 shots on goal during his current four-game point streak.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. MIN ($5,600): Heiskanen had an assist in Game 1, which is hardly surprising since he dished 11 helpers in the final eight games of the regular season. His 73 points tied for fifth among defensemen in the regular season, and Heiskanen's a proven playoff performer, with a 9-25-34 line in 43 career postseason games.
Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. FLA ($5,000): McAvoy's well-rounded skill set was on full display in Game 1, as he had an assist, two shots and two blocked shots. He won't carry your lineup, but McAcvoy can provide nice value on the blue line, especially against a Florida team that allowed 3.32 goals per game in the regular season, which is the most among teams that made the playoffs.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. LA ($4,400): Bouchard continues to play a prominent role in the Oilers' offense. His power-play goal in Game 1 gave him goals in three consecutive games, and Bouchard has a 5-6-11 line in his last 11 games. He's a set-and-forget option at his current sub-$5,000 valuation.
