Friday we move to Game 3s, which means a change of venue. Four teams get their first chance to play at home. Only one team Friday is still facing the chance of being swept, the Islanders, so we have some good series going. Here are the players to target, and to avoid, for your lineups.
GOALIE
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. CAR ($34): I just mentioned the Islanders, and Sorokin is as good as any goalie you’re going to find in the NHL. He had a 2.34 GAA and .924 save percentage this year after having a 2.40 GAA and .925 save percentage last season. For what it’s worth, he had an 1.91 GAA and .935 save percentage at home, and now the Islanders are indeed at home to face the Hurricanes.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Linus Ullmark, BOS at FLA ($34): This is not me overreacting to Game 2, when the Panthers surprisingly poured it on the Bruins. It’s about Florida actually having a potent offense. The Panthers averaged 3.51 goals per game, but also led the NHL with 36.8 shots on net per contest. Now this series moves to the Sunshine State, so I am a little hesitant to pay Ullmark’s salary Friday.
CENTER
Anze Kopitar, LOS vs. EDM ($26): Kopitar didn’t have a point in Game 2 after having four in Game 1, but what he did have, once again, was over five minutes of power-play time. That kind of opportunity with the extra man boosts a player’s fantasy upside. This is especially true given that the Oilers had the 20th-ranked penalty kill this season.
CENTER TO AVOID
Bo Horvat, NYI vs. CAR ($20): Horvat was racking up goals with the Canucks prior to being dealt to the Islanders, but over his last 21 games he’s only lit the lamp twice. Scoring against the Hurricanes, with either of their goalies in net, is difficult because of their defensive prowess. Carolina was first in shots on net allowed per game and second in penalty-kill percentage this season.
WING
Tyler Bertuzzi, BOS at FLA ($20): Bertuzzi picked up a point in Game 2, staying hot and stretching his point streak to six contests. While the Panthers got the win in Game 2, they still allowed three goals. Alex Lyon has a career .903 save percentage, so he’s not likely to be the one to lead Florida to success.
Evander Kane, EDM at LOS ($20): Kane has a three-game point streak, which means he has a point in both games of this series. He’s long excelled at putting pucks on net, and he had 146 shots on goal in 41 regular-season games this year. The Kings were good at suppressing shots this season, but Joonas Korpisalo has faced 76 shots through two games. If they aren’t clamping down, then a lot is being asked of Korpisalo, a veteran with a career .904 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jason Robertson, DAL at MIN ($36): I assume the Wild won’t make the frankly deranged decision to start Marc-Andre Fleury over Filip Gustavsson again. Gustavsson had a 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage this year and made 51 saves on 53 shots in the Game 1 upset for the Wild. That will make things tougher for Robertson, who will also likely be missing his linemate Joe Pavelski once again.
Matthew Boldy, MIN vs. DAL ($21): This matchup won’t exactly be easy for the Wild either. Jake Oettinger had a 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage this season. Dallas also had the third-ranked penalty kill, and 26 of Boldy’s 63 points came with the extra man.
DEFENSE
Evan Bouchard, EDM at LOS ($20): Bouchard had another point in Game 2, and it was indeed on the power play. After Tyson Barrie got dealt, the power play became Bouchard’s realm, and he has eight power-play points in his last 16 outings. The Kings, meanwhile, had the 24th-ranked penalty kill this season, and obviously have let up a couple goals on that front already in this series.
Dmitry Orlov, BOS at FLA ($17): Orlov has actually been the best Boston defenseman in this series, picking up two points and six shots on net. He doesn’t play much on the power play, but he still racks up the minutes on the top pairing with Charlie McAvoy. Lyon, as I noted, has a career .903 save percentage, and scoring has not been an issue for the Bruins in this series.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. CAR ($21): Yes, Dobson had two assists in Game 2, but I don’t expect a repeat performance. What Dobson did best in the regular season is put pucks on goal (206 shots on net) and contribute on the power play (19 points with the extra man). The Hurricanes allowed a paltry 26.0 shots on net per game, though, and had the second-best penalty kill. Sure, Dobson had a nice Game 2, but in Game 1 he was held to a single shot and zero points, even though he played over six minutes on the power play.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. DAL ($17): Spurgeon had 11 goals and 23 assists this season, but he’s not so high flying that you can rely on him against a goalie like Oettinger, who boasted a 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage. Notably, Spurgeon has seen his power-play minutes return for the playoffs, but considering the fact the Stars had the third-ranked penalty kill, that may not matter.
