This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL schedule includes just the single-game showdown contest for Game 6 between the Avalanche and Stars at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Stars lead this high-scoring series 3-2, and they hold a 22-21 edge in goals. The tide has been turning, however, as Colorado holds a 16-12 edge in goals over the past three games after Dallas raced out to a 2-0 series lead to go with a 10-5 scoring advantage. Dallas will have last change as the nominal home team in Game 6.
GOALIES
Anton Khudobin ($9,800) should be back in net after Ben Bishop was blitzed for four first-period goals before getting the hook in Game 5. The Russian netminder has won six of his last seven starts, but this series has been more about offense than goaltending.
Colorado turned to Michael Hutchinson ($10,200) in Game 5 with both Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz unfit to play, and Hutch came through with 31 saves in a 6-3 win. Given Francouz's poor play in this series since taking over for the injured Grubauer, Hutchinson will likely tend the twine again in Game 6. Hutchinson won his only regular season start with Colorado this season, but he was 5-9-1 with a 3.47 GAA and .888 save percentage in 16 appearances (12 starts) overall, primarily playing for the Maple Leafs, making him tough to trust.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nathan MacKinnon ($11,400) will likely occupy the captain spot in most lineups. He has at least one point in all 13 of Colorado's games this postseason, and the 2020 leader in playoff points sports an 8-15-23 line. That output includes a 4-6-10 line over this series' first five games.
Denis Gurianov ($6,400) will look to rediscover his magic from the Game 6 closeout of the Flames in the previous round, when he scored four goals and an assist. The Russian rookie brings a four-game point streak into this contest for the Stars, with two goals and four assists in that stretch.
Radek Faksa ($4,200) has been a valuable source of secondary scoring in this series, contributing a 2-3-5 line for Dallas. You'll need some cheap fillers in order to afford this slate's top players, and Faksa offers more upside than most given his strong recent play.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche at Stars
Nazem Kadri (C - $8,400), Andre Burakovsky (W - $6,800), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $3,400)
Colorado's second line hasn't been too far behind the MacKinnon-led top trio in production this postseason, but its members come significantly cheaper. Burakovsky paced the offense with two goals and an assist in Game 6, giving him a 6-8-14 line in 13 games this postseason. Kadri's goal in Game 6 raised his playoff line to 8-8-16, while Nichushkin has come alive offensively with two goals and an assist over the past two games.
Stars vs. Avalanche
Tyler Seguin (C - $9,000), Jamie Benn (W - $8,200), Alexander Radulov (W - $7,600)
Dallas' top line has been leading the charge in this series after a quiet first round, and the big boys should show up once again here. Seguin has a 2-2-4 line and 14 shots in this series, and his linemates have been even better. Benn has a point in every game this series and a 3-5-8 line, while Radulov has contributed a 3-3-6 line.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen's ($8,000) 18 points are tied for second among all skaters this postseason with Tampa Bay's Brayden Point and Colorado's Mikko Rantanen ($9,200), trailing only MacKinnon's 23. All those other names belong to established elite forwards, while Heiskanen's doing his damage from the blue line. He has at least one point in every game this series and a 2-8-10 line during an active six-game point streak, so Dallas' leading playoff scorer will likely get right back on the scoresheet here.
Cale Makar ($8,600) ranks right up there with Heiskanen as one of the league's elite young defensemen. The 21-year-old Colorado blueliner is playing above a point-per-game pace in the playoffs (3-11-14 in 13 games), and Makar has a 1-6-7 line since being held off the scoresheet in Game 1.
Nikita Zadorov ($3,000) is known more for physical play than scoring, but the towering blueliner has lit the lamp twice in the past six games for Colorado. Just getting consistent ice time is a win for a player as cheap as Zadorov, and the extra offensive opportunities that come from sharing the ice with Colorado's talented forward group are just a bonus.
