This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The start of the Bruins-Hurricanes series was delayed last night but will not be available on FanDuel's main slate today due to their (very) early start at 11 a.m. EDT. Instead, daily fantasy action will start at 3 p.m. EDT with Islanders-Capitals followed by Coyotes-Avalanche, Canadiens-Flyers and Blues-Canucks.
It's unlikely we will see another 5OT game like yesterday, but the Islanders-Capitals series should be fairly close, and a few games may require overtime, so keep that in mind when you make picks for the later games. Generally speaking, overtime games also means more shots and blocked shots.
GOALIES
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. ARI ($8,700): The stifling Coyotes defense held the Predators at bay, but this is the Avs we're talking about. Nathan MacKinnon has yet to unleash "Nasty Nate," and the Avs were one of the unluckiest shooting teams during return-to-play action with a 4.8 shooting percentage at even strength, compared to 9.1 during the regular season, which ranked fifth in the league. Grubauer should get plenty of goal support, so he doesn't have to be outstanding to get the win.
Carter Hart, PHI vs. MON ($8,400): Hart was brilliant with a .966 save percentage during round-robin play and backstopped the Flyers to the top seed, even though the analytics said the Flyers weren't *that* good. The Habs offense doesn't generate a lot of shots and lacks an elite finisher; meanwhile, the Flyers have allowed a league-low 25.3 shots per game.
Jacob Markstrom, VAN vs. STL ($7,600): He didn't look sharp against Minnesota, but with a few days rest, the Canucks' regular season MVP should be back in form. The Blues enter the playoffs struggling to find their game, going 0-3 in round-robin play and managing to score just six goals. The Canucks offense, meanwhile, scored 12 goals after getting shut out in Game 1. Markstrom's a strong value play with the Canucks riding some good mojo.
VALUE PLAYS
Nick Suzuki, MON vs. PHI ($4,600): I know I just slugged the Habs offense, but someone has to generate shots for them, and Suzuki has emerged as the team's No. 1 center. He's a bargain at this salary relative to other top-line centers.
Christian Dvorak, ARI vs. COL ($4,600): In a similar vein, with Nick Schmaltz still injured, Dvorak remains Arizona's top center and a relative bargain compared to other top pivots. He'll have good finishers in Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel on his wings, an upgrade over whatever sandbags Suzuki has to drag along with him.
Scott Laughton, PHI vs. MON ($4,200): He has been brilliant since moving to Kevin Hayes' left wing and finished round-robin play with five points, increasing his TOI each game. The Habs defense bailed them out against Pittsburgh but they run just three deep with Shea Weber, Ben Chiarot and Jeff Petry, so Philly can take advantage with their depth.
Joel Farabee, PHI vs. MIN ($3,300): The return of Jakub Voracek means Farabee will likely get bumped down, but how long can you keep burying Farabee's talent? He scored two points in the final round-robin game against Tampa and will likely play on the second power-play unit for some added fantasy value.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Coyotes
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,700), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,400), Vladislav Namestnikov ($4,600)
MacKinnon finally found the back of the net in the final round-robin game and hopefully it's the start of things to come. The Avs' shooting percentage is well below their usual mark, which means *ahem* an avalanche of goals should be coming soon. Don't sleep on Namestnikov, either, who gets time on both the power play and penalty kill.
Canucks vs. Blues
Elias Pettersson (C - $6,700), J.T. Miller (W - $6,900), Brock Boeser (W - $5,800)
One of the best scoring lines in hockey, these three feature prominently on a top-five power play and took over the series against Minnesota starting in Game 2. They generate a lot of chances, and while the Blues have a reputation for stalwart defense and goaltending, none of that was really on display in their previous three games. The Canucks will want to set the tone early on by being aggressive on offense, and it'll start with this line.
DEFENSEMEN
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. STL ($5,200): This kid's a game changer, quarterbacking an elite power play and smashing rookie records doing so. He led Vancouver with six points against Minnesota and plays with the ultimate safety net in Chris Tanev, allowing him to freewheel as much as he likes. He leads all Vancouver defensemen in average ice time and shots attempted.
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. MON ($4,700): He's another bargain at this salary because he's, by far, the Flyers' most important defenseman, even though it didn't look that way during round-robin play. Even though he was outplayed by Travis Sanheim, Provorov still leads the team with 25:09 TOI/GP, including 4:12 on the power play. It's unlikely he'll post a third straight game with zero fantasy points.
Dmitry Orlov, WSH vs. NYI ($4,200): John Carlson is a game-time decision, and it's unlikely he'll be 100 percent after missing the entire round-robin tournament. If Carlson sits again, expect Orlov to keep quarterbacking the top power-play unit. He has just one assist in three games but he usually gets a healthy dose of shots and blocked shots to make up for it.
