SLATE PREVIEW
The Golden Knights will attempt to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday as they are in Florida for Game 3. For single-game contests, you have a salary of $125 for five players with your Superstar receiving 1.5 times the salary. Here’s the lineup for Game 3.
SUPERSTAR
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. VGK ($30): While Bobrovsky has struggled in the first two games in the series – giving up eight goals on 46 shots – he returns home where he has given up only seven goals on 120 shots in his last four games. Bobrovsky has been outstanding overall in the playoffs, winning 11 games with a 2.50 GAA. Bobrovsky has looked like the two-time Vezina Trophy winner through most of the postseason and will need to return to form if the Panthers are expecting to cut the Golden Knights’ 2-0 series lead in half Thursday.
FLEX
Adin Hill, VGK at FLA ($28): Hill enters Thursday’s game on a three-game winning streak, giving up four goals on 89 shots. He has been great since taking over the starting gig from Laurent Brossoit in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals, as he is 9-3 with a 2.06 GAA and .937 save percentage. The Golden Knights have flourished with Hill between the pipes and he has been a solid pick in DFS during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Aleksander Barkov, FLA vs. VGK ($27): If Florida is to make it a series versus the Golden Knights, then Barkov must come to the forefront. While Matthew Tkachuk is their top player, he is too expensive at this time and taking Barkov allows you to fill out the remainder of your roster with good players. Barkov has gone pointless in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, but has four goals and 14 points in 18 games. Barkov had a goal and an assist in two regular-season games versus Vegas in 2022-23.
Carter Verhaeghe, FLA vs. VGK ($23): Verhaeghe has had an excellent playoff, scoring six times while adding nine assists in 18 contests. He has been shut down by the Golden Knights thus far, but is more than capable of turning things around. He was sensational during the regular season, potting 42 goals and picking up 31 assists. He plays on the top line with Barkov and sees second unit power play time.
Anthony Duclair, FLA vs. VGK ($17): Duclair completes taking the Panthers’ top line with Barkov and Verhaeghe. He picked up a goal and an assist in the opening two games of the series and has four goals and 11 points in 17 postseason games. Duclair missed most of the regular season recovering from offseason Achilles surgery and managed to play only 20 games – scoring twice while adding seven assists. Last season is a better indication of his game as he had 31 tallies with 27 assists in 74 games. I’m going all in on the Panthers on Thursday.
