This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We're nearing the end of the first round with four Game 6s scheduled for tonight. The action will start with Ottawa hosting Toronto at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Vegas in Minnesota at 7:30, Dallas in Colorado at 9:30 and Edmonton at Los Angeles at 10. Here are my FanDuel lineup recommendations for Thursday's games.
SLATE PREVIEW
Colorado is considered the heaviest favorite tonight at -182, per FanDuel's moneyline, though Edmonton (-164) and Vegas (-164) aren't far behind. Dallas-Colorado has an Over/Under of 6.5, so that's projected to be the highest-scoring game. The other three matchups have an Over/Under of 5.5, though the odds are significant that Los Angeles-Edmonton will exceed the over (-140). The first four games of that Oilers-Kings series did exceed that over, though it's worth noting that Edmonton looked solid in Game 5, earning a 3-1 victory, while Calvin Pickard stopped 21 of 22 shots, so perhaps the Oilers have stabilized in their own zone.
GOALIES
Mackenzie Blackwood, COL vs. DAL ($7,900): Blackwood surrendered five goals on 18 shots en route to a 6-2 loss to Dallas in Game 5 on Monday, but I think there's a good chance of him rebounding with the series returning to Colorado. He stopped 49 of 51 shots (.961 save percentage) across his two playoff home starts this year, and Blackwood was similarly dominant in Colorado during the regular season, posting a 14-4-2 record, 1.98 GAA and .921 save percentage in 20 home outings with the Avalanche.
Calvin Pickard, EDM vs. LAK ($7,700): I'll be honest, I came to Pickard via process of elimination. It's hard to gauge where Toronto-Ottawa is heading – logic says that Toronto is still the favorite despite dropping two straight, but logic doesn't apply well to the Maple Leafs – so I'd rather steer clear of either netminder in that series tonight. Meanwhile, Vegas might be the odds-on favorite tonight, but Adin Hill ($7,800) hasn't been great in the 2025 postseason with a 3.00 GAA and an .865 save percentage through five outings. That leaves Edmonton-Los Angeles, so I'll go with the hot hand in Pickard, who has won three straight while posting a 2.44 GAA and a .912 save percentage. If nothing else, he should get plenty of offensive support as Edmonton looks to secure the series at home.
VALUE PLAYS
Claude Giroux, OTT vs. TOR ($5,500): The Senators lack playoff experience, but Giroux is one of the main exceptions to that. He logged his 100th career postseason game Tuesday. That experience seems to have been to his benefit as he's recorded a goal and four points across his past four outings. As the Senators get deeper into this series, and the possibility of a reverse sweep becomes real, Giroux will be counted on even more.
Evander Kane, EDM vs. LAK ($5,300): Kane missed the full regular season due to hip/knee issues, but that hasn't held him back in the playoffs. He has two goals and three points across his past three outings and has also fired 13 shots. Kane should continue to be an important secondary scorer for the Oilers while serving in a middle-six role.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Wild vs. Golden Knights
Joel Eriksson Ek (C - $6,800), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $8,500), Matt Boldy (W - $7,300)
This line was a key reason I didn't want to recommend Hill tonight. Kaprizov has been making this series rough for the Vegas goaltender, scoring five goals and nine points across five playoff outings. This isn't a one-player line, though. Boldy has supplied five goals and seven points of his own over five outings this postseason. Eriksson Ek isn't as impressive after being limited to 29 points in 46 regular-season appearances, but he's on a roll, too, with three assists over his past two outings.
It wouldn't shock me if Minnesota lost tonight, but even if that happens, this line should make its mark.
DEFENSEMEN
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. LAK ($6,300): Bouchard has been a major factor in Edmonton's first-round series, supplying four goals and seven points across five appearances. No other blueliner has more goals than him in the postseason. He also supplied 14 goals and 67 points across 82 regular-season outings.
Devon Toews, COL vs. DAL ($5,400): Cale Makar ($6,500) has been unusually quiet offensively lately with no points and a minus-4 rating across his past three outings, so let's pass on him in the short term. His teammate Toews has recorded an assist in each of his past two games, though, making him a nice discount option. Toews gets less attention than Makar, but he's recorded more than 40 points in each of his past four campaigns, including 10 goals and 34 assists across 76 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.
