Contrary to popular belief, “March Madness” is not exclusive to the sport of basketball, and Monday night’s action is going to be some of the best of the week because of pending playoff implications. The NHL schedule features seven games and 14 teams, and there are a few matchups worth monitoring.

The Senators can pull ahead of the Boston Bruins with a win, Calgary and Winnipeg can gain a buffer with victories and the Kings are in a must-win situation vs. the Devils. Desperation is certainly going to be a motivator for the players participating in these games, and that is an emotion worth harnessing.

There are certainly a number of players who combined could give you the desired results; here’s the ideal concoction of talent for a March 23 edition of DraftKings fantasy hockey.

Center: Jonathan Toews, ($6,100) and Joe Thornton ($5,000)

Jonathan Toews has been a force for the Chicago Blackhawks lately, and he’s poised to have success against a bottom-dwelling Carolina Hurricanes squad. Toews has 10 points in his last 10 games, but more importantly he’s had the Hurricanes’ number in 2014-15.

On March 2, Toews manhandled the Carolina with two goals, an assist and four shots on goal, and he finished with 11 fantasy points. He’s also been a dominant possession player keeping the puck on his stick, and he leads Blackhawks forwards with a 56.37 SAT percentage.

At 35 years old, Joe Thornton continues to silence his critics and doubters. “Jumbo Joe” has 62 points in 68 games, and 10 in his last 10.

Patrice Bergeron and Joe Thornton are 1st+2nd once again in Usage Adjusted Corsi% this season.

— Domenic Galamini (@MimicoHero) March 13, 2015

In addition, Thornton has been one of the NHL’s top possession players in a number of categories. According to NHL.com, he currently ranks ninth among forwards in SAT percentage and second among forwards for SAT REL percentage. 

These numbers only reinforce how historically underrated Thornton has been for the Sharks, despite not being put in a position to succeed, according to Stephen Burtch of Sportsnet.

Wingers: Thomas Vanek, ($5,000), Marian Gaborik ($5,000)

Sweet tip by @T_Vanek26 to give #mnwild the 2-0 lead over #stlblues. WATCH on WildTV: http://t.co/Osgva7SecZ #STLvsMIN

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) March 21, 2015

On the surface, Thomas Vanek has had an underwhelming season for the Minnesota Wild with only 47 points in 71 games, but he’s stepped up his game lately. Vanek has five goals and eight points in his last nine games, and historically is a clutch player against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

According to Hockey-Reference, Vanek has 22 goals and 49 points lifetime against Toronto, and he should pad those stats with ease because of how inept the Maple Leafs’ goaltending has been in recent weeks.

Marian Gaborik has played in only 58 games this season, but he has scored 22 goals, including five in his last 10 games. The Slovak sniper’s goals-per-game average is 0.38, his highest total since he was a 19-year-old with the Minnesota Wild.

Prior to that, Gaborik’s highest total was 0.50 during his 2011-12 season with the New York Rangers, according to Hockey-Reference.

If you are still on the fence about taking Gaborik, you should know that the Kings’ scorer has 11 goals and 23 points in 29 career games versus the Devils. A price tag of $5,000 really is a bargain, and history will give you some reassurance when it comes to investing in Gaby.

Defense: Dennis Wideman, ($5,400) and Kris Russell ($5,200)

The Calgary Flames’ blue line has really stepped up in the absence of Mark Giordano, and Kris Russell and Dennis Wideman deserve some recognition.

Russell has 10 points in his last 10 games, and a fantasy points-per-game average of 6.3 against the Colorado Avalanche this season. Wideman has been just as good with nine points in his last 10 games, and he has a 4.5 fantasy points-per-game average vs. the Avs.

Look for these two to continue their hot play against Colorado, especially with the Flames 6-2-2 in their last 10 as they look to solidify a spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

Goalie: Devan Dubnyk ($8,600)

Since the Devan Dubnyk trade Arizona is 5-21-6. Minnesota is 22-6-2. This is my favorite stat of the season.

— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) March 22, 2015

Devan Dubnyk is one of the “value” goalies in action, and it is surprising that he only costs $8,600. The Minnesota Wild netminder is is 7-3-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in his last 10 starts, and those numbers should improve against the Maple Leafs.

Under Carlyle, Leafs were second in the NHL in goal scoring. 3.25 goals per game. Since then, 1.84 goals per game, lowest in the league.

— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) March 20, 2015

Toronto’s goal scoring has really dried up since a coaching change was made back in January, and for that reason you can put a lot of faith in Dubnyk to shut the door on Monday night.

Dubnyk is having a season for the ages, and if Carey Price weren’t playing out of his mind, Dubnyk would be a viable contender for the Vezina Trophy.

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DraftKings stats and details per its official site. Outside statistics via Hockey-Reference, The Hockey News and NHL.com