Nearing the end of the season, teams are becoming desperate to try and punch their ticket into the playoffs. This Thursday night, there are 10 games scheduled in the NHL with a lot of offense projected. There are some high expected goal totals after a low-scoring evening last night. Let’s take a look at some of the best DFS plays on the night.

Center

Jeff Carter (LA): $6,200 vs. ARI
The Arizona Coyotes will take the short trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in what will be the second game of a back-to-back. The Kings are hosting one of the worst teams in the NHL in a must-win game. Although the Coyotes have had a terrible season, they are actually on a hot streak. Coming off of a win in Vegas, the LA Kings might have their hands full. That being said, it is still the Coyotes and it is a road game. Jeff Carter becomes one of the better center options of the night where most players are priced way up. Carter has missed most of the season but is a true goal scorer. With 10 goals and seven assists in his 22 games, Carter provides a much needed secondary scoring threat for the Kings to make a deep playoff run.

Nico Hischier (NJ): $5,100 vs. PIT
The New Jersey Devils rookie has cemented himself as the top center on the team. Playing alongside Taylor Hall, Hischier is always a multi-point candidate. With eight points in his last nine games, Hischier is the first part of a Devils stack against a defensively challenged Penguins team. Ranked fifth in goals allowed on the season, Pittsburgh needs to stop the bleeding before entering the playoffs. On home ice, look for the Devils to score early and often.

Wing

Tyler Toffoli (LA): $5,000 vs. ARI
As the second piece to a Kings stack, Tyler Toffoli is a great option. The top line for the Kings will likely be line matched against the defensive Derek Stepan which will lead to more opportunities for the Kings second forward unit. Toffoli has shown great chemistry alongside Jeff Carter and will look to continue contributing to the offensive success. The second line right-winger will also see time on the second power-play unit, solidifying extra ice-time.

Tobias Rieder (LA): $3,900 vs. LA
The third part of a Kings stack is the skillful left winger, Tobias Rieder. The former Coyote is now on a Stanley Cup contending team and looks to have finally created chemistry with his new team. With three points in his last four games, Rieder has been a great point per minute producer. He just hasn’t had the ice time to take advantage. In order to roster the high-priced players tonight, Rieder slots in as a value who should be able to pay value tonight in a revenge game.

Taylor Hall (NJ): $7,500 vs. PIT
It looks as though the former first-overall 2010 NHL Draft pick is finally going to see some playoff action this year. Taylor Hall has carried his Devils team all season long, scoring 30 more points than anyone else on the team. Take into consideration that the original starting goaltender, Cory Schneider, hasn’t won a game since December, it is short of a miracle New Jersey is still relevant. Nonetheless, Taylor Hall remains one of the top offensive players this season and in true consideration for MVP. Coming off of three assists in his last game, and nine points in his last five games, Hall is still at the top of his game. No team has had an answer for the gifted winger and there certainly won’t be anyone on Pittsburgh who will be able to slow him down.

Sam Gagner (VAN): $3,700 vs. EDM
Playing on the second forward line and top power-play unit, Sam Gagner is near the minimum price. There is a bit of a revenge narrative as Gagner played the majority of his career with Edmonton. Gagner seems to score his points in bunches and has recorded five points in his last six games. The Canucks are out of the playoff hunt but have shown ways to win against some of the NHL’s best teams. Now they will host a seemingly deflated Edmonton team, who were embarrassed by the Blue Jackets just two nights ago. As one of the more penalized teams in the NHL, look for Gagner to chip in on the PP.

Defense

Drew Doughty (LA): $5,900 vs. ARI
The final part of a four-piece Kings stack is the veteran superstar, Drew Doughty. Doughty is among the NHL’s best offensive defenseman, with 55 points in his 77 games. He averages 27 minutes a night (including power-play time) which leads to plenty of opportunities for multiple fantasy point production. Contributing to shots, blocked shots, goals, and assists, Doughty is a great play at a reasonable price.

Sami Vatanen (NJ): $4,800 vs. PIT
The Devils are a team who are expected to score a lot of goals tonight. Usually, they are able to slow the pace of the game down quite a bit by line matching. Against Pittsburgh, however, they will be forced to keep up with a much higher tempo style of play. The Penguins also are a very undisciplined group giving Vatanen and the rest of New Jersey Devils power-play chances to score often. Although he hasn’t scored a lot this year, Vatanen should be able to chip in on a couple of assists.

Goalie

Tuukka Rask (BOS): $7,900 vs. TB
This is the first time I have recommended starting a goalie against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The two teams are simply trending in opposite directions. The Bruins are looking primed for a deep cup run, while the Lightning has lost two straight and four of their last seven. Nikita Kucherov has slowed his offensive dominance and Andrei Vasilevskiy has been letting in some weak goals. Now playing in Boston, the Lighting will have a tough matchup against a fast, physical and well-rounded team. There is risk attached to starting Rask, but at low ownership and a discounted price, the Finnish netminder should be able to squeak out a very important win.

Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.