This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday marks the third-to-last day of the NHL regular season, and this slate consists of three games 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 Islanders are Wednesday's largest favorites in a win-and-in scenario on home ice against the Canadiens. The Stars also have something to play for as they visit St. Louis, as Dallas is still jostling for position near the top of the Central Division while the Blues have long been eliminated. The Flames were mathematically eliminated in their last game, but they're still significant home favorites against a bottom-five Sharks team in a game with a slate-high over/under of 6.5 goals.
GOALIES
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. MON ($8,500): Sorokin stumbled in the Islanders' 5-2 loss to Washington last time out, but with the Penguins losing at home to Chicago on Tuesday, the Islanders just need to beat the lowly Canadiens in their season finale to make the playoffs. Sorokin's 30-22-7 with a 2.35 GAA and .924 save percentage while Montreal averages just 2.76 goals per game, so the goalie should bounce back if he can handle the pressure.
Jake Oettinger, DAL at STL ($8,000): Dallas is just one point back of Colorado atop the Central Division with two games to play, due in large part to Oettinger's strong play in net. He's 6-1-0 with a 1.65 GAA and .934 save percentage in his last seven starts, and that strong stretch has brought Oettinger up to 36-11-11 with a 2.41 GAA and .918 save percentage overall. The Blues have a middling offense but nothing to play for, so Dallas' defense should impose its will in front of Oettinger here.
Sam Montembeault, MON at NYI ($6,900): The Islanders came into their previous game knowing that they would be in the playoffs with two wins, yet they let Darcy Kuemper carry a shutout deep into the third period of a loss to Washington. Montembeault's tied for third in the league with Sorokin and Oettinger with 10 stolen wins (more goals saved above expected than non-empty-net goal differential in a game), and he would provide tremendous value at just $6,900 if he can steal one here against the limited Islanders offense, which averages just 2.94 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Logan Couture, SJ at CGY ($5,900): Couture's 2-4-6 line over the past six games has brought him up to 66 points. He needs four points over the last two games to reach 70 for the second time in his career, and Couture's role on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit will ensure that he continues to share the ice with the few dangerous offensive players the Sharks have left.
Nick Suzuki, MON at NYI ($5,500): Suzuki has five multi-point outings in his last 11 games, with three goals and 10 assists over that span. Like Couture, he centers the top line and No. 1 power-play unit for his team. Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 64 points while no teammate has crossed 40 yet, and his 24 goals are two back of the total Cole Caufield racked up in only 46 games.
Sammy Blais, STL vs. DAL ($2,600): Blais has a 9-11-20 line in 29 games since being traded back to the Blues. He's skating on the second line to close out the season, and Blais' recent production makes him a strong value at just $100 above the minimum valuation, even against the stout Dallas defense.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars at Blues
Roope Hintz (C - $7,200), Jason Robertson (W - $8,900), Joe Pavelski (W - $6,500)
This is easily the most productive line taking the ice Wednesday. Robertson's sixth in goals (46) and seventh in points (106) across the NHL, and he's been even better down the stretch with a 5-10-15 line in his last six games. Pavelski has scored a goal in nine of his last 11 games while adding six assists over that span, and Hintz has a 36-38-74 line in just 71 games after a four-point performance in his previous game.
Flames vs. Sharks
Mikael Backlund (C - $5,800), Andrew Mangiapane (W - $4,500), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $4,100)
This line did all it could to keep the Flames in the playoff hunt down the stretch, so these guys will look to close out the season on a high note against a Sharks team that's allowing 3.84 goals per game. Backlund has delivered a career-high 55 points at age 34, and he'll be motivated to score one more goal and get to the 20-goal mark. Mangiapane came back down to earth as expected after last season's 35-goal outburst, but he posted a 3-4-7 line over the last seven games to cross the 40-point threshold for the second consecutive season. Huberdeau was held without a point only three times in the last 15 games, finally finding the consistency that eluded him for most of his first year in Calgary.
Islanders vs. Canadiens
Brock Nelson (C - $6,400), Kyle Palmieri (W - $4,800), Pierre Engvall (W - $3,100)
This line featuring the team's top scorer will look to lead the Islanders into the playoffs against a Canadiens team that's giving up 3.70 goals per game. Nelson leads the Islanders in both goals (34) and points (73). Bo Horvat ($6,900) has 38 goals this season, but only seven of those have come in 29 games since he was traded over from Vancouver. Palmieri has added a 16-16-32 line in just 54 appearances, and Engvall has 17 goals on the year, including five in 17 games with the Islanders.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, SJ at CGY ($7,700): This may be a lost season for the Sharks as a team, but it's been a memorable one for Karlsson, whose two goals Monday in Winnipeg pushed him across the 100-point threshold. He's the first defenseman to reach 100 points since Brian Leetch in 1991-92, and Karlsson will look to pad his lofty point total against a Flames team that may not be fully bought in for its season finale after being eliminated with Monday's home shootout loss to the Predators.
Mike Matheson, MON at NYI ($6,300): Matheson has played like a true No. 1 defenseman over the past month, delivering a 3-12-15 line over the past 14 games. He has complemented that production with a bevy of shots and blocks -- in the last three games alone, Matheson has put 10 pucks on net while compiling 11 blocked shots.
Scott Mayfield, NYI vs. MON ($4,000): Mayfield's known primarily for his physicality, but he has been surprisingly productive lately with a 1-5-6 line in his last 11 games. He brings a high floor thanks to his shot blocking ability, having blocked multiple shots in nine of the past 10 games. Mayfield should continue to put his body on the line with a playoff berth at stake Wednesday.
Thomas Harley, DAL at STL ($2,600): Harley has dished a helper in each of his last two games. The affordable blueliner will look to extend that streak against a Blues team that's allowing 3.65 goals per game.
