Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers
The battle of the Keystone State is tied at one game apiece and now shifts to being held in the city of brotherly love. The Penguins came hot in the first game but with the Flyers bouncing back, we should be in for a long series.
When looking for offensive options on the Penguins, everyone starts with the top two lines namely, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, and Patric Hornqvist. They are all on the first power-play together, and all have multi-point upside really any night. On shorter slates like today, you should be trying to have some part of that stack, but it really just comes down to a salary thing. They are all very expensive, and fitting a full stack is doable, just know you will be takings some serious savings elsewhere. If you can’t stack, the Penguins have plenty of other options to look at if you want to buy in for their upside. Derick Brassard is seeing time on the second power-play unit, but the most consistent player in the game in terms of fantasy points. They have four wingers you should be prioritizing in this order: Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Carl Hagelin, and Conor Sheary.
For the Flyers, they are also somewhat top heavy when it comes to their offense, and with the pricey salaries they have, they can also be difficult to roster. Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere are on the first power-play together and if they come out playing as they did the other night, then you will want some exposure to them. They have a number of role players who also have some upside, Wayne Simmonds, Travis Konecny, Nolan Patrick, Ivan Provorov, and Oskar Lindblom. All good to fill a roster spot, but wouldn’t necessarily be going out of my way to lock them in my lineup.
This is only a four-game slate, I think both goalies in this are unplayable. We are likely to see plenty of goals in this game, and there are better options in some of the later games.
Winnipeg Jets at Minnesota Wild
This series has been very one-sided so far, with the Jets dominating almost every aspect of the game. They also took a ton of shots compared to the Wild, which probably isn’t sustainable, but it does show some nice upside.
Speaking of the Jets, we know that their top two forward lines are very productive in almost every game, and come into this one with an expected Corsi for of 48, which is second highest on the slate. They are projected to be taking a ton of shots yet again, so you will likely want some exposure to their offense. Stick with the line pairings, since they also have some good power-play correlation. Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Paul Stastny, and Patrik Laine are on the first power-play together and have shown over the first two games, they are very powerful, and can put up goals in a hurry. They are the clear top option, but if you need some other options, look at, Kyle Connor, Dustin Byfuglien, and Bryan Little, Nikolaj Ehlers or Mathieu Perrault.
For the Wild, they are back in the land of 10,000 lakes and are looking to put a win on the board this series. The Wild are an interesting team in NHL DFS since they have a ton of different players who can contribute, but aren’t truly a big threat offensively. Yes, can multiple players score, can the Wild also look very average and not be true must play, also yes. Even on a four-game slate, they are clearly the lowest team in terms of offense, and they do come in with the lowest expected Corsi for at 41. Not a cash game option, but stack up one of their power-play lines for GPPS.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals
The Capitals got shocked in Game 1, and are now in a borderline must wins situation, as going down 0-2, would put them in a tough spot. In a situation like this, I tend to lean to the team who needs to win.
The Capitals do have a very good offense and despite the fact they don’t take a ton of shots, they still come in with an expected corsi for of 46. If you have the salary for Alex Ovechkin, you should play him any chance you get, since he is a hat trick waiting to happen. He had a very slow Game 1, but I like him to bounce back tonight. In general I think the Capitals offense are a good play tonight, and they have a ton of options to look at. TJ Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Tom Wilson for some salary savings, John Carlson and Matt Niskanen.
The Blue Jackets come in with an expected goal total of 2.50, which is second lowest on the slate, so not truly going to be looking at them for offensive options. If you want to stack them up, go for them in a GPP, and look for names like Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson, Seth Jones, Thomas Vanek, and Boone Jenner.
Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings
What a series we have on our hands with this one. A double overtime game the other night gave Vegas a 2-0 lead in this series. I will say this, do not count the Kings out just yet. They are getting their best defender back, Drew Doughty, who was suspended for the previous game, and the Kings have a great postseason history to draw from.
This is looking to be yet another low scoring game, but has sneaky upside. Jonathan Quick is looking to one of the top goalies on the slate, since Vegas has an implied total at 2.30, which is lowest of any team today. I think Quick is fine for any format, and with the amount of shots he’s been facing, he can be great in GPPS. Over the past month, the Golden Knights have a 51 corsi against, meaning they give up a ton of shots. That may not have been true in the first two games, but now back at home the Kings have to respond. So if you want to bet on the Kings to bounce back and put pressure on Vegas, then they make a good play tonight.
For Vegas, they do have the players who have been consistent to start the series, and with them taking so many shots, they are all in play. Even if they don’t score a real NHL point, some of these players could take four or more shots, and chip in with a blocked shot, and still be viable in DFS. William Karlsson, James Neal, Jonathan Marchessault, Erik Haula, and Shea Theodore.