This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs rolls on Thursday with a pair of Game 5s 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 Stars are clear favorites on home ice against the Kraken in a series that's tied at two games apiece, while the Hurricanes are modest home favorites as they look to close out the Devils. Both games come in with over/unders of 6.0 goals.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. SEA ($8,200): Oettinger has alternated poor starts with good ones in this series, but he'll be looking to break that pattern by backing up Monday's 6-3 Game 4 win with another victory. He's certainly capable of stringing together multiple strong performances, as Oettinger has gone 6-4 with a 2.71 GAA and .903 save percentage in the playoffs after an outstanding regular season during which he was 37-11-11 with a 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage.
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. NJ ($8,000): Andersen shook off his Game 3 clunker and returned to the dominant form he's exhibited throughout the rest of the postseason by kicking out 21 of 22 shots in a 6-1 Game 4 win. He's 4-0 with a 1.80 GAA and .930 save percentage in five playoff starts behind Carolina's stout defense.
Akira Schmid, NJ at CAR ($7,400): Neither Devils goalie has played well in this series, but New Jersey will likely turn back to Schmid in Game 5 considering he has four of the team's five wins this postseason. Schmid's best performance against Carolina came in relief in Game 4, as he turned away 11 of 12 shots after Vitek Vanecek ($7,600) allowed five goals. Perhaps desperation will kick in and help a Devils team that's looked overmatched play a stronger defensive game with the season on the line.
Philipp Grubauer, SEA at DAL ($7,400): Grubauer will hope Seattle's alternating pattern of wins and losses in this series will continue in Game 5. He has allowed at least four goals in all but one game against the Stars, so Grubauer will be tough to trust, though he is 4-2 on the road in these playoffs.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jack Hughes, NJ at CAR ($8,600): Hughes' first foray into the postseason has been a productive one, even with his team on the brink of elimination. The speedy center's 3-2-5 line in the last two games has bumped him up to 6-4-10 in 11 games overall, and he leads all skaters this postseason with 44 shots on goal. Hughes should be worth paying up for in what could be his final appearance of these playoffs.
Max Domi, DAL vs. SEA ($4,700): Domi has been an excellent source of secondary scoring for the Stars throughout the playoffs. He has a 3-7-10 line over the past six games, including two goals and an assist in Game 4.
Yanni Gourde, SEA at DAL ($4,200): Gourde's 3-6-9 line has him tied for the team lead in points this postseason with Jaden Schwartz ($4,600) and Justin Schultz ($3,800). The veteran center should continue to call on his wealth of playoff experience while skating in a middle-six role with power-play time.
Jordan Martinook, CAR vs. NJ ($3,600): After being held without a point in the opening round, Martinook has remarkably produced multiple points in every game of this series. His 3-6-9 line is good for the second-most points on the team this postseason, yet Martinook remains quite affordable at just $3,600.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars vs. Kraken
Roope Hintz (C - $7,500), Jason Robertson (W - $7,900), Joe Pavelski (W - $6,900)
Hintz continues to lead Dallas' offense with a 6-9-15 line that's tied for third in goals and fourth in points among all skaters this postseason. Pavelski has earned a promotion back onto the top line with six goals in this series alone. Robertson's had a quiet postseason with a 2-6-8 line on the heels of his 109-point regular season, but the immensely talented winger is capable of breaking out at any time.
Hurricanes vs. Devils
Sebastian Aho (C - $7,000), Seth Jarvis (W - $5,400), Stefan Noesen (W - $4,400)
Carolina has 21 goals in this series and is showing no signs of slowing down offensively. Aho leads the team's balanced offense in both goals and points this postseason with a 5-5-10 line, Jarvis has added a 4-4-8 line, and Noesen's at 3-3-6. In addition to sharing the ice on the top line, this entire trio also features on the top power-play unit.
Kraken at Stars
Alexander Wennberg (C - $3,200), Jaden Schwartz (W - $4,600), Morgan Geekie (W - $3,000)
This line has provided nice value throughout the postseason. Schwartz scored two goals in Game 4, giving him sole possession of the team lead with five and moving him into a tie for the team points lead with nine. The affordable Wennberg has chipped in a 2-4-6 line in the playoffs, while Geekie has a pair of assists in this series after scoring two goals in the first round.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. SEA ($5,700): Heiskanen looked no worse for wear in Game 4 after leaving Game 3 early due to taking a puck to the face. Dallas' top blueliner picked up his eighth assist and sixth power-play point in 10 playoff games Monday. Outside of the game he left early, Heiskanen has skated over 28 minutes in five of the past six games, giving him plenty of opportunities to accumulate fantasy points.
Vince Dunn, SEA at DAL ($5,000): Dunn got off to a slow start this postseason, but he's starting to look like the player that broke out with 14 goals and 50 assists in the regular season. After being held off the scoresheet until his goal in Game 6 against Colorado, Dunn has opened this series against the Stars with a four-game point streak, including two assists in Game 4.
Brett Pesce, CAR vs. NJ ($4,000): Pesce has consistently outperformed his middling valuation, scoring at least 9.0 fantasy points in six of 10 playoff games. He has a high floor thanks to consistent contributions in blocks and shots, but Pesce has also been marking the scoresheet frequently, with a 2-3-5 line over his last six games.
Damon Severson, NJ at CAR ($3,400): With Dougie Hamilton ($6,300) underperforming, Severson has been arguably the best defenseman in this series for New Jersey. He has seven shots on goal and four blocked shots over the past three games, and Severson lit the lamp in Game 3. Severson scored 46 points in 2021-22, so he has more offensive capabilities than the typical blueliner in this range.
