This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Sunday features seven NHL games starting at 6 p.m. ET or later. On the weekend, having to get your lineups in an hour earlier tends to be a bit easier. Here are my DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
As is often the case, Sunday is stuffed with teams on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Islanders and Hurricanes, Blue Jackets and Senators, and the Flyers and the Penguins, are facing off with one another. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are hosting the Red Wings, the Kings are visiting the Canucks, the Devils are at the Jets, and the Ducks are in Calgary to face the Flames. In fact, not a single game doesn't feature at least one team on the second leg of a back-to-back.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. ANA ($8,500): I saw this matchup and jumped on it, and Markstrom's own performance (which has been spotty) is effectively not relevant to me. The Ducks are 31st in goals per game, last in GAA, and on the road of the second leg of a back-to-back. Markstrom shouldn't be too busy, and he's as close to a lock of getting a win as anybody.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. NJD ($7,500): Hellebuyck has been fantastic at home this season, posting a 2.31 GAA and .923 save percentage in 30 appearances. The Devils have been strong offensively, but they are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. Hellebuyck is rested and at home, so I went with him, as one of the goalies on a rested team Sunday.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Martin Necas, CAR vs. NYI ($5,900): Necas has taken his game to a new level this season, tallying 27 goals and 41 assists in 75 games. He's also put a whopping 223 shots on net, dwarfing his previous high of 159. Both of these teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but the Hurricanes are at home. Also, Semyon Varlamov has barely played recently, making two appearances in all of March. There could be some rust there.
Jason Zucker, PIT vs. PHI ($5,000): Zucker has been shooting quite a bit recently, notching 62 shots on net in his last 18 games. All that shooting has paid off, as he has 11 goals in that time. The Penguins get a couple extra hours of rest before Sunday, and they are at home as well. Also, Carter Hart may not be ready to return from an illness, so Samuel Ersson could be in net for the Flyers.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Flames vs. Ducks
Mikael Backlund (C - $5,700), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $3,900), Blake Coleman (W - $3,500)
Well, the Ducks are last in GAA and shots on net allowed per game. They are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. The Flames are rested. The only question was what Calgary line to stack. I went with the current layout of the second line.
Backlund has 11 points in his last 11 games, including seven on the power play. Unsurprisingly, the Ducks also have the 31st-ranked penalty kill. Huberdeau has shot a lot less in his first season as a Flame, but he's still contributing. He's tallied a point in eight of his last 10 games. Dube doesn't play on the power play, but he has 18 goals on 172 shots on net, plus 18 assists. He also has four goals in his last eight outings.
Senators at Blue Jackets
Shane Pinto (C - $4,100), Alex DeBrincat (W - $6,100), Drake Batherson (W - $5,500)
The Blue Jackets are 30th in shots on net allowed per game, and they are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Because Elvis Merzlikins is banged up, Jon Gillies might be in net. Gillies may his return to the NHL last season after a few years without getting the call. He responded with an .887 save percentage in 20 appearances. There's a reason why Gillies has gotten so few chances at this level, and why he couldn't crack Columbus' woeful goaltending rotation. I have no worries stacking a Senators line on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back in this matchup.
Pinto has picked up 20 goals as a rookie, including two in his last three games. It benefits him to be back on the second line between these two wingers as well, and those two goals speak to that. DeBrincat has four goals in his last five games himself. He's put 248 shots on net in 76 contests, and as I noted the Blue Jackets are 30th in shots on goal allowed per game. Batherson hasn't been scoring as many goals, but he's shooting a ton, tallying 64 shots on net in his last 18 outings. He's also been a real power-play weapon, tallying 27 points with the extra man.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Hanifin, CGY vs. ANA ($5,400): The Flames might have made the playoffs had Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson been able to be productive at the same time more often. Recently, Hanifin has been the hot defenseman, tallying seven points in his last 10 games. The Ducks, as I noted, are last in GAA and shots on goal allowed per contest, and are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. DET ($5,200): Toronto may be the team on a back-to-back, but I still like Rielly here. He has 10 points in his last 15 games, including five with the extra man. Ville Husso has been banged up, which has been an issue for the Red Wings. The expectation is Alex Nedeljkovic, who has an .888 save percentage, will be in net for Detroit.
