The Game 1s are in the books. Wednesday brings up four Game 2s. We have seen one game from each of these series. Can we take anything from that? Maybe a little, in terms of intended lineup usage and preferred goalies. Also, injuries, unfortunately. Fingers crossed for Joe Pavelski. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. MIN ($32): The Hurricanes-Islanders series is the one that looks like it will be lacking in goals, but until I know if the Hurricanes will truly alternate goalies or go with Antti Raanta I am turning to Oettinger. Yes, the Stars lost Game 1, but in the process Oettinger made 45 saves on 48 shots in a game that went into double overtime. The Wild averaged the fewest goals per game of any playoff team, and I like Dallas’ chances of getting the home win in Game 2 to even the series.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. LOS ($32): Things were looking good for the Oilers…and then suddenly they were losing 4-3 in overtime to the Kings. How much trust can you give an inexperienced goalie who had a .913 save percentage in his first real NHL action? The Kings are a little banged up, but they averaged 3.34 goals per game, and they clearly didn’t seem lacking in Game 1.
CENTER
Anze Kopitar, LOS at EDM ($26): While Phillip Danault was chasing around Connor McDavid, Kopitar was left to handle the offensive load at center, including on the power play. The Slovenian came up huge in Game 1, notching four points, including two with the extra man. Edmonton picked it up defensively after trading for Mattias Ekholm, but they did finish with the 20th-ranked penalty kill. This feels like the kind of situation where Kopitar might play every available power-play minute.
CENTER TO AVOID
Bo Horvat, NYI at CAR ($20): The return of Mathew Barzal may only mean so much in this series. Horvat had 16 points in 30 games with the Islanders, but he saw his shooting percentage fall to 8.1. He succeeded because he put 86 shots on net. Carolina, though, allowed the fewest shots on net per game in the NHL. The Hurricanes are built to keep a player like Horvat in check.
WING
Zach Hyman, EDM vs. LOS ($26): Hyman’s point in Game 1 came on the power play, which tracks. He had 26 points playing a prime role on the league’s best power play. The Kings had the 24th-ranked penalty kill, lowest of any playoff team. If the Kings can’t stay out of the box, this matchup is built for the Oilers, and Hyman.
Tyler Bertuzzi, BOS vs. FLA ($19): In Bertuzzi’s first-ever playoff game (as a Wings fan, that stings) the winger picked up two assists. He’s tallied at least one point in eight of his last nine outings. Will Alex Lyon be in goal again in Game 2? If he is, he has a career .903 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Sam Reinhart, FLA at BOS ($23): Reinhart played a lot of minutes for a guy on the third line, and you can chalk that up to the power play. He averaged 4:00 per game with the extra man and notched 27 of his 67 points on that front. Well, the Bruins have the league’s best penalty kill, so this matchup does not shape up well for a guy who primarily excels on the power play.
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR vs. NYI ($13): Teravainen had 37 points in 68 this season, but since a four-game absence he has one point in six contests. In Game 1, he was held without a shot on net. Ilya Sorokin had a 2.34 GAA and .924 save percentage this season, another reason why this is shaping up to be a low-scoring series.
DEFENSE
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. LOS ($19): Bouchard had a mixed bag of a Game 1, scoring a power-play goal while picking up four penalty minutes as well. In terms of the former, the defenseman has six power-play points over his last 11 games. As for the latter, he had all of 28 penalty minutes in 82 games, so that feels more like a fluke. I like Bouchard’s position on this power play, especially against the Kings and their 24th-ranked penalty kill.
Dmitry Orlov, BOS vs. FLA ($19): Orlov has plenty of playoff experience from his time with the Capitals, and he came up big in Game 1 with an assist and five shots on goal. The Russian played 22:32 in his pairing with Charlie McAvoy as Boston’s top blue-line duo. Florida had a 3.32 GAA this season, highest among playoff teams, and Game 1 didn’t see any sort of clamp down defensively happen.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. MIN ($24): Heiskanen shouldered a massive load in Game 1, skating for 41:42 in the double-overtime affair. He had 73 points this season, but notably he only has one goal in his last 17 games. Filip Gustavsson surprised during the regular season, emerging with a 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage. He continued that into the playoffs, making 51 saves on 53 shots to help the Wild earn the big road win.
Brent Burns, CAR vs. NYI ($23): Burns picked up two assists in Game 1, but both on the power play. The Islanders had the ninth-ranked penalty kill this season, so that may not happen again. Plus, Sorokin had a 2.34 GAA and .924 save percentage, so when he’s in net, the Islanders are even better defensively.
