This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
With the regular season ending Thursday, there are eight games on the docket tonight. Although that's a somewhat light slate by typical Tuesday standards, there's no shortage of great players to comb through, so here are my recommendations for tonight. I suggest waiting until close to game time before making your final decisions, though, because some teams that have secured a postseason berth might opt to rest veterans at this late stage of the campaign.
SLATE PREVIEW
Ottawa, Boston, Detroit, Montreal and Washington are all playing in the second half of a back-to-back, so those squads will be competing tired. That said, the Bruins are hosting the Senators (7:00 p.m. ET start) while the Red Wings are visiting Montreal (7:00), which negates the fatigue factor for those four squads. Meanwhile, Toronto will play again Wednesday, which might influence some of the Maple Leafs' roster decisions. Especially with the playoffs around the corner, Toronto is likely to rest different players during each half of that two-game set.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR at CLM ($8,500): Andersen missed a significant portion of the season, but he's been fantastic when healthy, supplying a 13-2-0 record, 1.84 GAA and .932 save percentage across 16 appearances. He's kept that trend going by winning his last two starts while saving 52 of 54 shots (.963 save percentage), including a 23-save shutout against the Blue Jackets on April 7. Look for him to have another strong outing against Columbus, which is tied for 26th offensively with 2.81 goals per game.
Logan Thompson, VGK vs. CHI ($8,100): Thompson has been a mixed bag with a 24-14-5 record, 2.74 GAA and .907 save percentage in 45 outings in 2023-24. However, Chicago is as favorable a matchup as you can get -- the Blackhawks rank 32nd offensively with 2.16 goals per game -- so Thompson doing well.
VALUE PLAYS
David Perron, DET at MON ($5,000): Detroit is one of the few teams with something major to play through over its final days of the regular season. With a wild-card spot in the balance, Perron has stepped up, providing two goals and 10 points over his past eight contests. That gives him 16 goals and 46 points through 75 appearances in 2023-24.
Andrei Kuzmenko, CAL at VAN ($5,000): With 22 goals and 45 points in 70 games between Vancouver and Calgary, this campaign marks a major departure from his 74-point 2022-23 showing. Still, he seems to have found his way late in the season, scoring nine goals and 16 points over his past nine appearances while playing primarily on Calgary's top line. Look for him to continue that strong output Tuesday in a contest against the squad that traded him back in January.
Nick Cousins, FLA vs. TOR ($3,800): If you're looking for an especially cheap option, Cousins has been rolling with two goals and five points through five contests. Although he's typically not much of an offensive asset -- Cousins has seven goals and 15 points in 68 games -- he logged a season-high 16:00 of ice time Saturday and is projected to serve on the second unit Tuesday, so he's getting a significantly bigger opportunity when compared to his season average of 12:14.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Leafs at Panthers
Auston Matthews (C - $10,600), Mitchell Marner (W - $8,600), Tyler Bertuzzi (W - $5,700)
Those not watching the contests with playoff implications tonight will likely be tuned into this contest to see if Matthews reaches the 70-goal milestone. It's an accomplishment the NHL hasn't witnessed since 1992-93, but the Leafs superstar has been closing in on that mark by scoring 14 goals in his last 13 contests. He'll enter Tuesday's action needing just one more goal to hit that milestone.
Bertuzzi has meshed well with Matthews recently, leading to the 29-year-old winger supplying six goals and nine points over his past 10 games. It helps that Marner is there to set up both of them. He has 26 goals and 84 points in 67 contests this season, including a goal and eight points since returning from an ankle injury.
Red Wings at Canadiens
Dylan Larkin (C - $8,400), Alex DeBrincat (W - $7,000), Lucas Raymond (W - $5,900)
The Red Wings need to win this game to have a chance to make the postseason. They were under similar circumstances Monday and this line came through en route to a 5-4 overtime victory over the Canadiens.
Raymond was particularly critical Monday, finding the back of the net late in the third and adding another goal in overtime. He's up to 31 markers and 71 points in 81 games this season, including six goals and 10 points over his past five contests. DeBrincat also scored a goal in the third frame to aid in Detroit's comeback versus Montreal. He had an assist in the contest too, bringing his multi-point streak up to three games (three goals, seven points).
Larkin wasn't as big of a factor Monday, being limited to an assist, but he's still been a big part of Detroit's recent efforts with five goals and 11 points over his past eight outings. He's up to 33 tallies and 68 points in 67 contests in 2023-24.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at PHI ($6,600): Carlson has been doing all he can to push Washington into the postseason, contributing five goals and 14 points over his past 16 games. That's elevated him to 10 goals and 52 points across 81 appearances in 2023-24. With the Capitals still fighting for the second wild-card spot, Carlson has no shortage of motivation going into Washington's season finale.
Noah Hanifin, VGK vs. OTT ($6,100): Hanifin has recorded at least a point in four straight games and five of his past six contests, giving him two goals and five assists in that span. He's up to 13 goals and 47 points in 79 outings between Calgary and Vegas this season. Ottawa, which ranks 28th defensively with 3.46 goals allowed per game, is a good adversary to extend that hot streak against.
