This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
All 16 NHL playoff teams have now been in action. There are four games on the slate for Friday. Congratulations to the Predators and Stars for getting an extra day off. Here are my recommendations for your daily fantasy lineup from Friday's quarter of games.
GOALIE
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. STL ($7,700): Hellebuyck has posted a 2.34 GAA and .930 save percentage over his last 12 contests. Meanwhile, the Blues only scored 2.71 goals per game on the road, 19th in the NHL. The first game of this series also went well for the Michigan native, as he made 24 saves on 26 shots.
CENTER
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. PIT ($5,400): Barzal notched 62 points this season to lead the Islanders, and he had a point in Game 1 of this series. He also averaged 2:56 per game with the extra man, notching 18 power-play points. The Penguins had the 19th-ranked penalty kill, and the fact Barzal is at home is another point in his favor.
Cody Eakin, VGK at SAN ($4,200): Eakin has three points in his last five games and has put nine shots on net over his last two contests. As for the Sharks, they were lacking in the goaltending department this season. They had an .889 team save percentage, lowest in the NHL.
WING
Artemi Panarin, CLM at TAM ($7,800): Panarin started 77.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Blue Jackets and one of the highest totals in the league. He also has 15 points in his last 14 contests. The Lightning were great this year, but the Blue Jackets scored four goals on them in Game 1, so anything is possible. There isn't much in the way of good matchups Friday, so you might as well grab an elite talent like the Bread Man.
Gustav Nyquist, SAN vs. VGK ($5,300): After joining the Sharks, Nyquist notched six goals and five assists in 19 games. He also has a point in three-straight contests. Meanwhile, Marc-Andre Fleury hasn't looked great since returning from injury. He's allowed four goals in each of his last three starts.
Kevin Labanc, SAN vs. VGK ($5,100): Let's go with another Shark, as in addition to Fleury's recent struggles, the Golden Knights had a 3.15 road GAA. Labanc started 58.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most among Sharks forwards. The 23-year-old also notched 20 points with the extra man.
DEFENSE
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SAN vs. VGK ($4,300): Vlasic isn't normally known as a scorer, but he recently had a stretch in which he had 10 points in 10 games. He also picked up two points in Game 1 of this series. Fleury has allowed four goals in each of his three starts since returning from injury, but on top of that he had a .907 save percentage on the road.
Vince Dunn, STL at WPG ($3,700): Dunn somewhat quietly had 12 goals and 23 assists in this his sophomore campaign. He also averaged 2:07 per game with the extra man, tallying eight power-play points. Though Hellebuyck has played well recently, the Jets did have the 22nd-ranked penalty kill.
