This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
The Panthers and Bruins are headed to Boston for Game 3. Edmonton will look to rebound against Vancouver after turning a 4-1 lead into a 5-4 loss in the opener. The first puck drops at 7 p.m. EDT on Friday. Here are my DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
There's a possibility Sam Bennett returns for the Panthers while Adam Henrique could draw in for the Oilers. Of those two, Bennett is more likely to change the DFS landscape. But while he traveled with the team to Boston, he also hasn't played since Apr. 23. Then there are questions in net. Will the veteran Casey DeSmith replace Arturs Silovs after the inexperienced netminder struggled in Game 1? And will the Bruins go back to their goaltending rotation now that Jeremy Swayman has produced a subpar outing?
GOALIE
Stuart Skinner, EDM at VAN ($8,200): It's a bold call to go with Skinner after he allowed five goals to the Canucks as the Oilers unraveled, yet there's a case to be made that Vancouver's the worst offensive team of Friday's four squads. And there's also only four goalies to choose from. Vancouver finished sixth in goals per game this season, but also 26th in shots. Through seven playoff matchups, the Canucks have somehow only managed an average of 20.7 pucks on net. That's alarming, and it's enough to get me to go with Skinner.
VALUE PLAY
J.T. Miller, VAN vs. EDM ($8,500): Miller scored on his only shot on net on Wednesday, though he's not one of the Canucks who's experienced issues firing shots on goal as he's already notched at least three four times during this postseason. He also produced an 11-game point streak to end the regular season. Maybe Skinner will have a good game in goal, though I feel Miller offers Vancouver's best chance of lighting the lamp and getting a few shots.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Oilers at Canucks
Leon Draisaitl (C - $9,600), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $6,900), Evander Kane (W - $5,400)
If you want to stack an Oilers line, you have to shell out some salary. But it's something you may have to do. The Canucks ranked 17th on the penalty kill this season, and the Oilers' top power play is almost mythical at this point. Two of these players are on that unit. Silovs looked great when the Canucks eliminated the Predators, yet he gave up four goals on 18 shots in Game 1 and has appeared in all of 13 NHL games, playoffs included. If Casey DeSmith slots in, he posted an .895 save percentage this year. So regardless who's in goal, I'm not deterred.
Draisaitl is a future Hall of Famer who just happens to share a lineup with the best player of his generation. The German isn't overlooked per se, but sometimes it's worth remembering his excellence. Draisaitl has notched multiple points in five of six playoff outings while scoring on the power play in every postseason appearance. Nugent-Hopkins has been dishing out the assists with multiple contributions from three of his last four games. He also registered 26 points with the extra man. Kane doesn't participate much while up a man, yet he still has managed 20 shots in the playoffs. That comes after he potted 24 goals alongside 220 shots this season.
DEFENSEMAN
Gustav Forsling, FLA at BOS ($5,000): Forsling netted a goal in Game 2, which actually is an extension of a solid run of play that goes back to the regular season as he's tallied nine points across 12 matchups. He's a top-pairing defenseman, so he logs plenty of ice time. Swayman struggled Wednesday, so will Ullmark be prepped to step in? At this salary, it's worth finding out with Forsling.
