This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's all-day NHL slate begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT and includes three games. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
This slate begins with Game 2 of the Islanders-Flyers series, which New York opened with a convincing 4-0 win. After that comes Game 3 between the Lightning and Bruins. These teams will meet for the second time in as many nights after Tampa Bay evened the series with an overtime win Tuesday, and Boston will now benefit from last change as the designated home team after the Lightning had last change in Games 1 and 2. Lastly, the Stars will look to expand on a surprising 2-0 series lead over the Avalanche. You wouldn't guess Dallas was an underdog coming in given the team's 10-5 goal differential through two games.
GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov ($7,400) shut out the Flyers in Game 1 after putting away the Capitals with a Game 5 shutout, racking up an even 50 saves over those two games. With coach Barry Trotz implementing a boring yet effective defensive system in front of him, Varlamov should continue to shine for the Islanders.
Carter Hart ($8,300) was outplayed by Varlamov in the series opener, as he was beaten three times on 28 shots. Despite that poor result, Hart still has a sparkling 1.86 GAA, .938 save percentage and two shutouts in nine games this postseason. The 22-year-old netminder should bounce back in what projects to be a low-scoring series.
Jaroslav Halak ($8,000) finally succumbed on the 40th shot in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss, but he's still 4-1 as Boston's clear-cut starter since Tuukka Rask left the bubble. With 71 saves on 77 shots (.922 save percentage) in Games 1 and 2, Halak's well positioned to bounce back and help his team retake the series lead.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nathan MacKinnon ($8,500) continues to be a must-play every time the Avalanche take the ice. He has at least one point in all 10 of Colorado's postseason games and multiple points in each of the last four for a 7-11-18 line overall. If that's not enough to convince you, MacKinnon has also put at least six pucks on net in four of his last five games.
David Krejci ($4,500) was held off the scoresheet for the first time in eight games Tuesday, but the veteran center should bounce back quickly. He has a 39-74-113 line in 142 career postseason contests, and Krejci's roles on the top power-play unit and second line have him well positioned to add to his playoff success.
Jakub Voracek ($5,300) was Philadelphia's best offensive player in the first round against Montreal, racking up a 4-3-7 line in that six-game series. The Flyers have nowhere to go but up after being shut out in Game 1, and Voracek should lead the way.
Blake Coleman ($4,200) scored in the closeout game against Columbus and lit the lamp twice in Game 2 of this series to give him three goals in his last three games. If you believe in riding the hot hand, lock in Tampa Bay's trade deadline acquisition. Coleman possesses more scoring touch than his third-line deployment suggests, as he potted 43 goals in 135 games with the Devils these past two seasons.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars vs. Avalanche
Tyler Seguin (C - $6,600), Jamie Benn (W - $5,600), Alexander Radulov (W - $5,400)
After a quiet opening round, Dallas' top line has found its scoring touch in this series. Between Games 1 and 2, Seguin has a 1-2-3 line, Benn has dished out four assists and Radulov has led the way with a 3-2-5 line. Until Colorado proves it can stop this line, keep deploying all three of its members.
Lightning at Bruins
Brayden Point (C - $6,009), Nikita Kucherov (W - $7,800), Ondrej Palat (W - $4,500)
Point has been Tampa Bay's best forward all playoffs, with a 5-7-12 line in 10 games. Kucherov has a 3-7-10 line overall, and he's generating more chances in this series, with a goal on 12 shots through two games. Palat potted the overtime winner Tuesday, giving him a point in each of this series' first two games.
Islanders at Flyers
Mathew Barzal (C - $6,300), Anders Lee (W - $5,700), Jordan Eberle (W - $5,200)
This line has been heating up as the playoffs progress, and all three of its members scored a point in Game 1. Barzal has a 3-5-8 line in 10 games this postseason, Eberle has a 3-3-6 line in 10 games, and Lee has four goals in his last six.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen ($5,700) is Dallas' leading scorer this postseason, with a 3-11-14 line in 11 contests. The third overall pick in the 2017 draft is blossoming into a star, so expect his price to keep climbing from here.
Torey Krug ($4,500) offers nice value given his offensive prowess from Boston's blue line. Krug has dished out a helper in each of this series' first two games, and he was just one point shy this season of scoring 50 for the fourth consecutive campaign.
Samuel Girard ($3,300) should pick up some of the extra minutes created by Erik Johnson's injury, giving the affordable Avalanche blueliner more opportunities to rack up counting stats. Girard has averaged nearly 23 minutes of ice time in this series' first two games, and his pair of helpers in Game 1 raised his line to 1-5-6 in 10 games this postseason after a 34-point regular season.
