This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! If you plan to, you know, celebrate the holiday, it behooves you to get your NHL DFS lineups in first. There are five games starting at 7 p.m. EDT or later. Here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Fortunately, we have a straightforward goaltending situation. No team is on the second leg of a back-to-back Monday. Only one outfit, the Flames, is on the first leg, and even if Dustin Wolf starts as expected, I wouldn't want him against the Maple Leafs with the other options available anyway. That includes the flip side of that matchup, so allow me to get down to it.
GOALIES
Anthony Stolarz, TOR vs. CGY ($8,000): With Anaheim, with Florida, and now with Toronto, Stolarz has shown the ability to impress in a limited role. This year, the limiting factor has been injury, as opposed to his status as a backup. Through 26 outings Stolarz has a 2.40 GAA and .918 save percentage. It's remarkable that the Flames remain in the playoff race given their offensive issues. Calgary is, in fact, last in the NHL at 2.55 goals per game.
Darcy Kuemper, LOS at MIN ($7,800): When a goalie has allowed just two total goals over the course of four games, you can safely say he's playing well. Kuemper has done just that, and in fact he's picked up a shutout in each of his last two starts. Given that the Wild have averaged 2.70 goals and 27.4 shots on net per game, and lack both Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, Kuemper should be good to go. He might, dare I say, allow even up to two goals, but I think we can all live with that.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Brandon Hagel, TAM vs. PHI ($6,500): A few Lightning players have been on a bit of a skid, but not Hagel. He has five points over his last five games. Only one has been a goal, but that gives him 31 goals through 66 contests. Though the Flyers don't allow many shots on net, due to a lack of goaltending talent they have a 3.37 GAA, fifth highest in the NHL.
Elias Lindholm, BOS vs. BUF ($5,500): After the deadline, stacking a Bruins line becomes trickier, but in the right matchup you can still grab somebody for your roster. Well, aside from David Pastrnak, who is always worth it in a good matchup if you can make the salary work. This is certainly a good matchup. The Sabres have a 3.52 GAA. That's bottom four in the NHL and leaves them batting with Pittsburgh and Chicago to avoid finishing 31st (the Sharks have 32nd locked up). Lindholm is on a three-game point streak, and he also plays on the top power-play unit. That means time with Pastrnak, of course.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Devils at Blue Jackets
Nico Hischier (C - $6,800), Timo Meier (W - $7,200), Stefan Noesen (W - $4,400)
When it comes to questionable defensive numbers, the Blue Jackets have you covered across the board. They are in the bottom eight in GAA, shots on net allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage. If Elvis Merzlikins returns from his personal concern, he has a sub-.900 save percentage. Should he not be back, Daniil Tarasov has a career .899 save percentage. Two of these guys are on the top power-play unit, and even with Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton out, this is a matchup these three can handle.
Hischier missed time with injury as well, though not with the severity of his teammates. Since he returned he has four goals and five assists through 10 contests. That includes a point in each of his last three outings. Meier is also on a three-game point streak, and he's continued to shoot even with a 9.7 shooting percentage tamping his number down. Over his last nine games Meier has put 32 shots on net, and he's potted four goals in that time. Noesen's goal scoring has dropped off considerably, though he does have 19 goals on the year. That includes 10 with the extra man, and Columbus does have a bottom-eight penalty kill.
DEFENSEMEN
Luke Hughes, NJD at CLM ($5,300): His brother may be done for the season, but Luke is around, and he's stepped into a role on the top power-play unit with Hamilton out. He has seven points in his last six games, four of them coming with the extra man. Facing a team with a 3.33 GAA and a bottom-eight penalty kill like Columbus could help Hughes get on the score sheet once more.
Drew Doughty, LOS at MIN ($4,900): Doughty has four points in eight games in the month of March. That includes two power-play assists. Doughty has a role on the top power-play unit, and that's what I like best about the veteran here. The Wild have a bottom-four penalty kill.
