This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The first round is well underway, and we have a slate of four Game 2s on the docket tonight. The home team won the opener in each of these series, but we might see some underdogs exact some revenge Tuesday.
SLATE PREVIEW
Tonight's action is spread out, starting with the Rangers hosting the Capitals at 7:00 p.m. ET. Washington with its minus-37 goal differential from the regular season, is arguably the worst of the teams that made the playoffs, and the Capitals did little to counter that perception in Sunday's 4-1 loss. The Lightning will play in Florida, beginning at 7:30. Tampa Bay just managed 19 shots in Game 1 but still kept things close in the 3-2 loss to the Panthers. It wouldn't be surprising to see this one be a tight series.
In terms of late games, Winnipeg will host the Avalanche, starting at 9:30 while the Predators will visit Vancouver, beginning at 10. Winnipeg beat Colorado 7-6 in Game 1 of its series despite the shots being 46-23 in favor of the Avalanche. People don't expect Alexandar Georgiev to outduel Connor Hellebuyck, but Colorado still needs more from its starting goaltender if it is to rebound in this series. The Predators took a 2-1 lead on Vancouver going into the third period of that series opener, but the Canucks rallied to a 4-2 victory. Still, the Predators at least showed that they can play at the Canucks level, which they might use as motivation going into tonight's clash.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. WAS ($8,400): Shesterkin saved 20 of 21 shots in his postseason opener, and I anticipate him continuing his effective play against the Capitals. Washington ranked 28th offensively in the regular season with 2.63 goals per contest, so it has an uphill battle ahead.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL at FLA ($7,200): If you're looking for a gamble on a cheap option, Vasilevskiy is an interesting pick. I think the chances of the Lightning evening the series are decent, and while Vasilevskiy did have a rough 2023-24 campaign with a 30-20-2 record, 2.90 GAA and .900 save percentage across 52 appearances, he does have an impressive playoff resume and looked fine in Game 1, turning aside 25 of 27 shots.
VALUE PLAYS
Artturi Lehkonen, COL at WPG ($4,500): The Avalanche are more known for their superstars than their depth scoring, but Lehkonen is an exception to that. Though he doesn't quite produce at an elite level and has spent more than his fair share of time unavailable, the 28-year-old has been great when healthy, supplying 37 goals and 85 points across 109 outings over the past two campaigns. He's red hot too, collecting five goals and 11 points in his past 10 games.
Conor Garland, VAN vs. NAS ($4,400): Garland carried his season-ending hot streak into the playoffs. He's on a six-game scoring streak in which he's recorded four goals and eight points. He also has nine markers and 20 points over his past 21 appearances.
Elias Lindholm, VAN vs. NAS ($4,100): Lindholm didn't live up to expectations during the regular season, providing 15 goals and 44 points across 75 outings, which stands as his worst point total since 2017-18. However, he was able to find the back of the net in the series opener versus Nashville, which also extended his scoring streak to four contests (two goals, four points), so we've seen a bit of the Lindholm of old recently.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Jets vs. Avalanche
Mark Scheifele (C - $5,300), Kyle Connor (W - $6,700), Gabriel Vilardi (W - $5,200)
I gave serious thought to instead featuring Colorado's top unit of Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,000), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,100) and Zach Parise (W - $3,500). However, the Jets' first line is considerably cheaper, and while I expect both teams to have their moments tonight, ultimately betting against Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is a far safer proposition than Connor Hellebuyck.
The Jets' top trio looked strong in Game 1 with Connor (two goals, one assist), Scheifele (one goal, two assists) and Vilardi (two assists) all featured heavily on the scoresheet. Connor appears to be an especially strong selection after collecting six goals and 15 points over his last nine games.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL at WPG ($8,200): Makar had a phenomenal regular season with 21 goals and 90 points over 77 contests, and he continued that success into the playoffs with a goal and three points in Game 1. Makar has a well-earned reputation as a postseason performer, having contributed 17 goals and 68 points across 62 career outings.
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. COL ($5,600): Morrissey did an admirable job attempting to match Makar's contribution in the series opener by supplying a goal and an assist of his own. The 29-year-old Jets blueliner now has three goals and 13 points across his past nine appearances, and he finished the regular season with high-end offensive numbers (10 goals, 69 points).
