This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate features Game 5s from four different first-round playoff series after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
All four series are tied at two games apiece, so it's not surprising that three of the games are nearly toss-ups. The only game with a clear favorite is Kings-Oilers, as Edmonton's expected to take care of business at home given its 19-10 edge in goals this series. That game, along with Lightning-Maple Leafs and Blues-Wild, all have over/unders of 6.5 goals, while Bruins-Hurricanes comes in just a smidge lower at 6.0.
GOALIES
Mike Smith, EDM vs. LA ($8,500): Jonathan Quick reciprocated Smith's Game 2 shutout in Game 4, but the Oilers should provide Smith more support in this one. After a Game 1 clunker, Smith has played quite well, stopping 116 of 121 shots for a .959 save percentage over the past three games.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at CAR ($7,600): The home team has won every game in this series, but Swayman only played in the pair in Boston, so he's personally 2-0 while allowing two goals in each of his outings. With some uncertainty over who will get the nod in Carolina's net, the cheaper Sayman is an appealing option for Boston in what projects to be Tuesday's lowest-scoring game.
Jordan Binnington, STL at MIN ($7,700): Binnington was one of the Blues' playoff heroes en route to the Stanley Cup in 2019, and he found that form in Game 4 when called upon to make his series debut. After a 28-save performance in Sunday's 5-2 win, Binnington should get the call for this pivotal Game 5 and has plenty of upside, though his mediocre regular season performance makes him a risky choice.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN vs. STL ($8,000): After being blanked on five shots in Game 1, Kaprizov has been dominant over the next three games, compiling a three-game goal streak during which he's scored five times on 15 shots and added an assist. The Russian superstar should be worth playing up for as this evenly played series shifts back to his barn for a pivotal Game 5.
Evander Kane, EDM vs. LA ($6,700): Kane has been the most consistently dangerous player for Edmonton in this series. Not only has he piled up a 5-1-6 line in the team's two blowout wins, but the power forward had five shots in each of the team's losses. Kane was arguably the Oilers' most engaged forward in the Game 4 shutout loss, and his spot on Connor McDavid's wing puts Kane in prime position to lead a bounce-back effort at home in Game 5.
Brayden Point, TB at TOR ($5,400): This is a nice buy-low opportunity on Point, who's a proven playoff performer but hasn't quite gotten going yet in this series. He has a 1-1-2 line through four games, but Point has compiled 14 shots over the past three after being held to two in Game 1, so it feels like he's on the verge of a breakout performance. With a 29-29-58 line in his last 50 playoff games, Point's a nice value at $5,400.
Vincent Trocheck, CAR vs. BOS ($3,600): Trocheck's a nice value at just $3,600. Carolina's second-line center has a 2-2-4 line in this series after topping the 50-point mark for the fourth time in the regular season. With Charlie McAvoy sitting out due to COVID-19 protocols on the Boston blue line, Trocheck should continue to generate opportunities against the depleted Bruins defense.
Carl Grundstrom, LA at EDM ($2,500): Grundstrom filled in for Viktor Arvidsson (undisclosed) on the second line in Game 4 and made the most of the opportunity with two goals and an assist. He'll be a tremendous value play at the minimum $2,500 valuation if deployed on the second line again, and Grundstrom's worth a look even if moved down to the bottom six after Sunday's offensive outburst.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Blues at Wild
Ryan O'Reilly (C - $4,400), David Perron (W - $5,300), Brayden Schenn (W - $3,300)
O'Reilly and Perron have been as good as any 1-2 punch up front in the playoffs, but they're available for much less than other prominent center-wing duos. Perron has provided more offense with a 5-2-7 line and 19 shots, while O'Reilly has been a two-way force, though his 3-3-6 line and 16 shots also aren't too shabby. Schenn has just one assist in this series and has bounced around the lineup a bit, but he's a good value as the third option on this line.
Bruins at Hurricanes
Patrice Bergeron (C - $7,300), Brad Marchand (W - $7,200), David Pastrnak (W - $7,400)
The Perfection Line's back together, and its battle-tested members have gotten better as this series has gone on. Marchand's recent slump is a distant memory, as he has carved up Carolina for a 3-5-8 line over the past two games. Bergeron has a 3-3-6 line in the last three, and Pastrnak's at 2-2-4 in the last two. Shifting back to the road will make it more difficult for Boston to put this trio in favorable matchups, but these guys have proven time and time again to be matchup-proof, so it's a good idea to get some or all of them into your lineup.
Maple Leafs vs. Lightning
John Tavares (C - $5,300), William Nylander (W - $5,000), Ondrej Kase (W - $2,900)
With Tampa Bay devoting its top defensive resources to keep Auston Matthews in check, Toronto's second line should benefit from more favorable matchups, and these guys have the skills to take advantage. Nylander's coming off a two-goal game, and he has put at least three pucks on net in every game this series following a 34-goal, 80-point regular season. Tavares has been a perennial playoff underperformer since joining Toronto, but this would be a great time to start changing that narrative for a guy who's coming off his sixth regular season with 70-plus points. Kase's an appealing cheap lineup filler, as he dished out two assists in Game 1 and has a pair of three-shot performances in this series.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB at TOR ($7,000): Hedman's a force in every postseason game, and unlike pricey forwards, he has a sturdy base of blocked shots to fall back on in addition to shots when his point production is limited. The star defenseman has a goal, give assists, 13 shots and six blocks in this series, which works out to an average of 17.5 fantasy points per game.
Tony DeAngelo, CAR vs. BOS ($5,400): DeAngelo has dished out five assists in four games, leading the Hurricanes in points in this series. If the trend of the home team winning every game holds in this series, it will likely be thanks to DeAngelo contributing again offensively.
Colton Parayko, STL at MIN ($4,200): Parayko's being asked to do it all on a banged-up Blues blue line that lost Torey Krug to a lower-body injury early in Game 3. Since Krug went down, Parayko has averaged nearly 29 minutes of ice time per game while scoring 17.5 fantasy points in Game 3 and 17.7 in Game 4 thanks to an assist in each game to go with a combined five shots and nine blocks.
Jake Muzzin, TOR vs. TB ($2,900): Muzzin has quietly been one of the best players in this series filled with stars. The veteran defenseman has always stepped his game up in the postseason, generating an 11-17-28 line in 69 career playoff appearances. That production includes two goals and an assist over this series' first four games.
