This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate features 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
All four road teams won Game 1, but the home team is favored in all four series, though Colorado is the only heavy favorite among that group against the visiting Kraken. The Golden Knights, Maple Leafs and Devils are all modest home favorites against the Jets, Lightning and Rangers, respectively. The games in Colorado and Toronto have over/unders of 6.0 goals, while the other two come in at 5.5.
GOALIES
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. SEA ($8,300): Georgiev's no Darcy Kuemper, but if he replicates his Game 1 performance of 27 saves on 30 shots, that could still be enough to get in the win column if Colorado's offense can get going. He's still the likeliest goalie to notch a win Thursday, as the reigning champs are unlikely to open the playoffs 0-2 at home.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at NJ ($7,600): Shesterkin came less than three minutes from a Game 1 shutout before Jack Hughes ($7,900) scored on a penalty shot. The Rangers dominated the series opener 5-1, and unless the Devils' young stars rapidly acclimate to playoff hockey, we could see a similar story unfold in Game 2. Shesterkin's 11-2-1 in his last 14 starts, and he's allowed only 25 goals over that span.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at TOR ($7,500): Vasilevskiy improved to 64-38 in his postseason career with an easy Game 1 win, as the Lightning spotted him seven goals in support. There are some concerns over how banged up the Lightning's blue line is, but more chances against would also mean more save opportunities for Vasilevskiy in Game 2, so he has plenty of appeal as a value pick at $7,500.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at VGK ($7,300): Hellebuyck was barely tested in Game 1 as the Golden Knights mustered a season-low 17 shots. He'll almost certainly see more traffic in Game 2, but the red-hot Hellebuyck should be up to the challenge, as he's allowed only four goals during his current four-game winning streak and is 6-1-0 with 10 goals allowed in his last seven starts.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mitchell Marner, TOR vs. TB ($6,400): Marner was Toronto's best player in Game 1, assisting on all three of the team's goals in the 7-3 loss. While his inability to score in the postseason has been a story in the past, Marner has quietly put up 11 points in his last eight playoff games, all against the Lightning.
Chris Kreider, NYR at NJ ($5,500): Kreider's among the best players in the league when it comes to deflecting pucks in front, and he scored two power-play goals in that manner in Game 1. Between the regular season and playoffs, Kreider now has exactly 100 goals in 181 games since the start of the 2021-22 campaign, with 39 of those coming on the power play.
William Karlsson, VGK vs. WPG ($3,600): Unsurprisingly, the "misfits" were Vegas' best players in Game 1. They may not all play on the same line anymore, but the trio of Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault ($5,200) and Reilly Smith ($4,200) know what it takes to win in the playoffs, as they cut their teeth during the Golden Knights' run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural 2017-18 season. While most of the team laid an egg in the series opener, Karlsson scored Vegas' only goal, Marchessault assisted on it and Smith led the team with five shots on goal while nobody else mustered more than two.
Tomas Tatar, NJ vs. NYR ($3,500): Tatar was noticeable in Game 1. He didn't get on the scoresheet, but his four shots were second-most on the team after Nico Hischier's ($6,000) five. After enjoying a strong finish to the regular season with a 3-3-6 line in his last five games, Tatar's a nice value play given his top-six role and affordable valuation.
Alexander Wennberg, SEA at COL ($3,100): Not only did Wennberg lead the way offensively with a goal and an assist in Game 1, but he also led all of Seattle's forwards with 20:38 TOI, including at least 2:25 on both the power play and penalty kill. His well-rounded game should continue to earn Wennberg opportunities to contribute in all situations for a Kraken team that doesn't intend to just roll over against the Stanley Cup champs.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Kraken
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,900), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,400), Evan Rodrigues (W - $4,600)
Rantanen scored Colorado's only goal in Game 1 after potting 55 in the regular season, while MacKinnon had an assist and seven shots on goal, plus he hit the post late. It's too early to panic in Colorado, and this pair of superstars should lead the way in Game 2. MacKinnon has a 10-7-17 line in his last nine games, while Rantanen's at 8-10-18 in his last nine. Rodrigues mostly just watches his linemates rack up points, but his deployment alongside these two elite players makes him an intriguing value play.
Lightning at Maple Leafs
Brayden Point (C - $7,200), Nikita Kucherov (W - $7,500), Steven Stamkos (W - $6,700)
The Maple Leafs had no answer for Point and Kucherov in Game 1, as the former scored twice while the latter racked up a goal and two assists. Overall, Point now has 53 goals in 83 games this season and Kucherov's at 116 points in 83 games. Stamkos didn't get in on the scoring in the Lightning's 7-3 Game 1 win, but his 34-50-84 line in the regular season suggests it's only a matter of time until he contributes some offense as well.
Jets at Golden Knights
Pierre-Luc Dubois (C - $5,800), Kyle Connor (W - $6,100), Mark Scheifele (W - $5,400)
This was the best line on the ice in Game 1, with its members combining for a 2-1-3 line and 12 shots. Connor was Winnipeg's leading scorer in the regular season with a 31-49-80 line, and he scored a goal in Game 1. Scheifele was held off the scoresheet in the series opener but is coming off a 42-goal regular season. Dubois had a goal and an assist Tuesday after posting a solid 27-36-63 line in just 73 appearances during the regular season.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. WPG ($6,100): The Golden Knights struggled as a team Tuesday, but there were some encouraging signs for Pietrangelo's future production in the series opener, most notably that he ranked second on the team with 3:57 TOI on the power play, coming just one second shy of Jack Eichel's ($7,000) team-high total. Look for a stronger all-around effort from Vegas in Game 2, with Pietrangelo leading the charge on both ends.
Adam Fox, NYR at NJ ($5,600): Fox had four assists in Game 1, giving him 27 points in his last 21 playoff games since the start of last year's postseason. He's coming off a second consecutive regular season north of 70 points, and like many great players, Fox appears to have an extra gear available for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Mikhail Sergachev, TB at TOR ($5,100): Victor Hedman (undisclosed) and Erik Cernak (upper body) both exited the series opener in Toronto, and Sergachev would have even more on his plate if one or both of those defensemen can't go for Game 2. Even when Tampa Bay's blue line was healthy this season, Sergachev was its top fantasy producer thanks to his role on the top power-play unit. He scored 27 of his 64 points in the regular season on the power play and dished a power-play helper in Game 1.
Bowen Byram, COL vs. SEA ($4,500): Teammate Cale Makar ($7,500) may not be fully healthy, but fellow former top-five pick Byram is firing on all cylinders. The fourth overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft had an assist and five shots on goal in the series opener, giving Byram a 3-4-7 line in his last 10 games.
