This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs continues Tuesday with a pair of Game 4s 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
Both of Tuesday's favorites trail 2-1 in their respective series. The Devils are favored on home ice against the Hurricanes in a series that has yet to feature a road win, while the Stars are slight favorites to tie things up in Seattle. Both games have over/unders of 5.5 goals, so generating offense isn't expected to be easy.
GOALIES
Vitek Vanecek, NJ vs. CAR ($8,000): After appearing in relief in each of this series' first two games, Vanecek got the start in Game 3 and came away with his first win of the playoffs. He'll likely get the nod over Akira Schmid ($8,000) again in Game 4, but keep in mind that Vanecek has allowed at least four goals in each of his three starts this postseason.
Jake Oettinger, DAL at SEA ($7,800): Oettinger has posted two clunkers in this series' first three games, but the Stars will likely give their young goalie a chance to turn things around in Game 4. Between the regular season and playoffs, Oettinger's won 42 of his 68 decisions while posting a 2.41 GAA and .917 save percentage.
Philipp Grubauer, SEA vs. DAL ($7,500): Grubauer's 6-4 with a 2.67 GAA and .918 save percentage this postseason. Seattle has proved that its first-round upset of Colorado was no fluke, so Grubauer should continue to provide strong value in the Kraken's net.
Frederik Andersen, CAR at NJ ($7,300): Andersen figures to get a shot at redemption in Game 4, even if Antti Raanta ($7,300) is over his illness. After three brilliant outings to open his 2023 playoff run, Andersen was pulled from Game 3 in the second period, having allowed four goals. He was spared the loss as the Hurricanes fell 8-4, leaving Andersen with a 3-0 record, 2.03 GAA and .925 save percentage this postseason.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Joe Pavelski, DAL at SEA ($6,700): Pavelski has five goals in this series' first three games, so he's quickly making up for lost time after missing most of the first round due to a concussion. Seattle's defense will continue to focus on taking away the Stars' top line, leaving Pavelski more room to wreak havoc on the second line, and the tremendous puck tipper is operating in his usual net front spot on the top power-play unit.
Jesper Bratt, NJ vs. CAR ($5,200): Bratt's a nice value at $5,200. He's skating on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit and has scored 73 points in each of the last two regular seasons. So far in the playoffs, Bratt has a 1-5-6 line.
Yanni Gourde, SEA vs. DAL ($4,100): Gourde's no stranger to playoff success thanks to his time with the Lightning, and he's providing a nice mix of offense and chippiness for the Kraken in a middle-six role while also seeing time on the man advantage. He leads the team in points with a 3-6-9 line through 10 playoff games, and Gourde's currently on a four-game point streak.
Jordan Martinook, CAR at NJ ($3,400): Martinook's your guy if you believe in riding the hot hand. After failing to notch a point in the first round, Martinook has opened this series with three consecutive multi-point performances, producing a 2-4-6 line. He's skating on the second line and making the most of that opportunity after spending most of the season in Carolina's bottom six.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars at Kraken
Roope Hintz (C - $7,500), Jason Robertson (W - $7,900), Tyler Seguin (W - $6,000)
Hintz is the leading scorer this postseason among all players in action Tuesday, with a 5-8-13 line through nine playoff games. He shares the team playoff goals lead with Pavelski and Seguin, who has a 5-3-8 line. Robertson has been a disappointment with a 2-5-7 line, but he had the most productive regular season of any player taking the ice Tuesday, notching 46 goals and 109 points.
Devils vs. Hurricanes
Jack Hughes (C - $8,200), Timo Meier (W - $6,400), Dawson Mercer (W - $4,600)
Hughes was held in check in Games 1 and 2 but broke out with two goals and two assists in Game 3. After a 99-point regular season, he leads the team in both goals (five) and points (nine) through 10 playoff games. Mercer dished out three assists in Game 3 to raise his line to 2-4-6 this postseason, and Meier finally got on the board with his first goal and point of the playoffs. Seeing the puck go in could get Meier going, as he's coming off a 40-goal regular season.
Hurricanes at Devils
Sebastian Aho (C - $6,800), Seth Jarvis (W - $5,300), Stefan Noesen (W - $4,200)
Carolina has scored at least four goals in every game this series, so the Hurricanes' top line should generate some chances against Vanecek here. Aho leads the team in both goals and points with a 5-5-10 line through nine games this postseason, while Jarvis has sole possession of second in both categories with a 4-4-8 line. Noesen has fit in with the theme of symmetrical production on this line, contributing a 3-3-6 output.
DEFENSEMEN
Dougie Hamilton, NJ vs. CAR ($6,100): Hamilton has been held in check by his former team in this series, but he's capable of breaking out at any time. He ranked second in goals (22) and fourth in points (74) among defensemen in the regular season while leading all blueliners with 275 shots on goal.
Brett Pesce, CAR at NJ ($4,000): The well-rounded Pesce has enjoyed a quietly strong postseason. He's scored at least 9.0 fantasy points in five of nine playoff games and topped 7.0 in two of the other four. Pesce has a 1-3-4 line over his last six games, and he's blocked multiple shots in six of his last eight games.
Justin Schultz, SEA vs. DAL ($3,700): Schultz has been surprisingly productive during Seattle's playoff run and is showing no signs of slowing down. He had a goal and an assist in the 7-2 Game 3 win, giving him a 3-5-8 line this postseason. Three of those eight points have come on the power play.
Ryan Suter, DAL at SEA ($3,300): It sounds like fellow Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen ($5,900) will be available since he's dealing with a cut rather than a concussion after taking a shot to the face in Game 3, but Suter's a nice value at $3,300, even if he isn't asked to slide up to the top power-play unit. Suter has posted multiple shots and multiple blocks in each of the last two games while adding an assist over that span, and the veteran defenseman has skated over 22 minutes in each of the past four games.
