The Devils dispatching the Rangers settled the second round, so we can get the second two series going Wednesday. I feel like one of these series will be low scoring, while the other should see the lamp lit with gusto. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Akira Schmid, NJD at CAR ($28): Can Schmid keep playing the hero in goal for the Devils? This season, including the playoffs, the Swiss goalie has an 1.94 GAA and .929 save percentage. The Hurricanes averaged 3.20 goals per game this season, which ranked 15th. Now, they were top five in shots on net per game, but they are missing three of their top-four wing players right now.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Stuart Skinner, EDM at VGK ($29): The Oilers did not vanquish the Kings on the strength of Skinner’s play. No, the Edmonton netminder had a 3.43 GAA and .890 save percentage in the first round. When you factor in goals and shots on net, the Golden Knights were the fourth-best team offensively of these four during the regular season. However, I just watched a healthy Vegas squad swiftly dispatch the Jets and give Connor Hellebuyck fits. Skinner is no Hellebuyck.
CENTER
William Karlsson, VGK vs. EDM ($18): Jack Eichel is the star for the Golden Knights now, and Karlsson is in a secondary role. However, Karlsson was one of the starts of round one, picking up four goals and an assist. As I mentioned, Skinner had an .890 save percentage against the Kings, and even during the regular season he had a .913 save percentage. That isn’t bad, but it isn’t imposing either.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nico Hischier, NJD at CAR ($25): Hischier has had an assist in each of his last five games, but on the other hand he hasn’t scored a goal in his last 12 outings. Obviously, over a certain sample size things can surprise you. The Bruins were by far the top defensive team in the NHL during the regular season, but the Panthers didn’t sweat it. That being said, the Hurricanes were the second-best defensive team to the Bruins, and they did not struggle against the Islanders.
WING
Zach Hyman, EDM at VGK ($26): If the Oilers keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together on a line, there’s a good chance Hyman won’t be skating with either of them at even strength. However, he’s still on the top power-play unit. Hyman had two points with the extra man against the Kings, and that followed 26 power-play points during the regular season. Vegas had the 19th-ranked penalty kill, which by the standards of playoff teams is worth targeting.
Seth Jarvis, CAR vs. NJD ($17): The Hurricanes have worked to make things easy for Jarvis. He’s skating on Sebastian Aho’s wing, and he averaged 4:07 per game on the power play in the first round. The second-year player responded with four points and 18 shots on net in six games. Schmid was a hero against the Rangers, but he is still relatively inexperienced, and any road playoff start could be the day where he shows some regression.
WINGS TO AVOID
Martin Necas, CAR vs. NJD ($20): Necas’ salary, compared to how he has played recently, makes him a Hurricane I want to avoid. He had a goal and two assists against the Islanders, but all those points came on the power play. He has two even-strength points over his last 16 games. The Devils had the fourth-ranked penalty kill this season, which is even tougher than the Islanders’ ninth-ranked penalty kill, so this matchup is a step up for the struggling Necas.
Jesper Bratt, NJD at CAR ($20): Bratt scored his first goal of this postseason in Game 7, but it was an empty netter and the general vibe was “Phew, hopefully that gets Bratt back on track.” He had 32 goals this season, but he only has three over his last 19 games. Now he faces a Hurricanes team that finished second in GAA and first in shots on net allowed per contest.
DEFENSE
Evan Bouchard, EDM at VGK ($22): No defenseman is hotter than Bouchard right now. He has a nine-game point streak going. Now, eight of his 10 points in the first round came on the power play, but guess what? The Golden Knights had the 19th-ranked penalty kill.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. EDM ($19): Alex Pietrangelo outproduced Theodore in the first round, but Theodore started 61.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Vegas defensemen, and third highest on the team overall. Theodore managed 41 points in 55 regular-season games, and being at home against the Oilers is not imposing.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Dougie Hamilton, NJD at NYR ($23): By the lofty standards of Hamilton, the Rangers kept him in check. Hey, New York is a strong defensive team, so that isn’t too surprising. Carolina, though, is even better. Hamilton’s greatest strength is how many pucks he gets on net. Well, the Hurricanes allowed a paltry 26.0 shots on net per contest this season.
Brady Skjei, CAR vs. NJD ($12): Skjei had a nice regular season, tallying 18 goals and 20 assists, though with a 9.6 shooting percentage that spoke to some puck luck. That puck luck has headed in the other direction. Skjei put 19 shots on net in the first round, but he came away with all of one point, an assist. The Devils only allowed 28.2 shots on goal this year, so even getting a puck on goal could be tricky for Skjei.
