Below are breakdowns of the game’s on tonight’s four-game NHL DFS slate.
Colorado @ Detroit
The Avs have the highest implied goal total of the slate per Vegas, and they have the best matchup of the slate per my matchup stat. They’ll be chalky, and their top line, which is arguably the best in hockey, will be heavily owned. As a result, you’ll need some exposure to Nathan MacKinnon’s line in cash, and preferably you’ll just roster MacKinnon. Gabriel Landeskog is the cheapest way to get exposure to the line, and he’s noticeably cheaper than his linemates on FD. Samuel Girard is the D-man who plays with the top line on the top PP unit, and he’s a cheaper way to get exposure to that line. The same goes for second line Colin Wilson who plays up on the top PP unit.
The Avs are the biggest favorite of the slate at -160, so Semyon Varlamov is a fine option in net for cash games. However, he’s the most expensive goalie of the slate on both sites, so we’ll look for some other cheap cash options elsewhere.
San Jose @ Montreal
This game has game stack potential. Three of tonight’s four games have an elevated over/under of six, and of those three, this is the only game with a very close moneyline. That means both teams have a good chance to score tonight. Both teams also have plus matchups per my matchup stat, mainly due to subpar goal tending for both teams. San Jose has the third highest implied total of the slate, so they’re a good cash option. And it’s a viable option to stack skaters form both teams in GPP lineups.
For the Habs, the Max Domi line is the preferred line from their top six. Phillip Danault’s line will have the tougher matchup against San Jose’s top line, which also tends to skate with Erik Karlsson’s tough D pair in road games. Domi is joined by Jonathan Drouin and Andrew Shaw, with Drouin also joining Domi on the top PP unit. Defenseman Shea Weber has returned and has reclaimed his place on Montreal’s top PP unit.
On the flip side, the Danault line is the much better defensive line, so you’ll want to go with Sharks taking on the Domi line. With the Danault line taking on SK1, it’s Logan Couture’s line that is preferable. Tomas Hertl joins Couture at even strength and on the top PP unit, so they make for a good stack. Defenseman Brent Burns is more likely to play with that line at even strength.
Calgary @ Chicago
Calgary is the second biggest favorite of the night, and because the game has an over/under of six, the Flames have the second highest implied total. Calgary has a slightly above average matchup per my matchup stat, and the Hawks are playing for the second night in a row, so the Flames are worth a look.
Chicago has a solid defensive third line, but they tend to only see bottom six matchups in home games, so Calgary’s top six is in play. The top line of Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm all stay together on the top PP unit, so that’s the line to go with if you’re using Flames. Defenseman Mark Giordano plays with them on the top PP unit.
Corey Crawford has some GPP appeal here. Calgary puts a ton of pucks on net as they rank second among teams on this slate in shot attempts per 60 at even strength. If Crawford is one his game, he could out up a big number.
Carolina @ Los Angeles
This game is the only one with a standard over/under of 5.5 goals, and both teams have below average matchups per my matchup stat. As a result, this one is more about the goalies than the skaters. As of this writing we’re not yet sure who will be in net for the Canes, but whoever it is will have some cash appeal as the favored goalie in the game with the lowest over/under of the slate. Hopefully, and most likely, it will be Curtis McElhinney who gets the start.
Player News
Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup on Monday and contributed 27 points (7-of-12 FGs, 12-of-12 FTs), five rebounds, six assists, one block and one three-pointer in a 109-106 win over the Rockets in Game 4 on Monday.
After missing Game 3, Butler was back in the lineup on Monday. He started off slow, but he scored 23 points after halftime to help Golden State take a 3-1 lead in the series. This was “Playoff Jimmy” on full display. Excluding his early exit in Game 2, Butler had scored at least 24 points in his last six completed games, dating back to April 9. If he’s playing this well, the Warriors will be tough to beat in a seven-game series. It’s worth noting that Jonathan Kuminga, who started in place of Butler in Game 3, was back to being out of the rotation in this game. Expect Butler to continue to dominate as Golden State attempts to clinch this series in Houston in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Shohei Ohtani walked three times, stole a base and scored a run in an extra-inning win Monday over the Marlins.
Ohtani’s steal was the seventh of the season. The three walks bring his season total to 18, and his on-base percentage is a strong .392 over the first 28 games of 2025. Ohtani has now reached at least three times in three consecutive games, but it’s worth noting he hasn’t gone deep since April 16.
Teoscar Hernández hit a two-run homer in a win over the Marlins on Monday in extra innings.
Dane Myers hit a pinch-hit grand slam to tie the game in the sixth inning against the Dodgers.
After Dustin May left the game, Myers came on to hit for Matt Mervis off southpaw Anthony Banda, and he slaughtered a ball over the center-field fence to turn a 5-1 deficit into a 5-5 game. He also singled, and he improved his slash to a strong — and totally unsustainable — .315/.327/.463. He does appear to see the ball pretty well against southpaws, however.
Tommy Edman hit a walk-off two-run single in the 10th inning to give the Dodgers a 7-6 win over the Marlins on Monday.
Buddy Hield started on Monday and finished with 15 points (6-of-15 FGs), four rebounds, three assists, two steals and three three-pointers against the Rockets in Game 4 on Monday.
Jimmy Butler’s return from a one-game absence also allowed Hield to enter the starting lineup after scoring 17 points in Game 3. He really struggled in Games 1 and 2, but he was able to build on his performance from Saturday in Monday’s win. Hield is a streaky shooter, but he has been on recently and hit eight triples across Golden State’s two home games. He’ll look to carry this shooting with him to Houston for Game 5 on Wednesday.