This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The Eastern Conference Finals head down to South Florida on Sunday. After the Rangers and Panthers split the first two games, this is what you might call a "pivotal" Game 3. It's also an early start, as the puck drops at 3 p.m. ET on this holiday weekend. For DFS purposes, you get $50,000 in salary for six players. One is your Captain, and while the Captain's salary is elevated, they will earn you 1.5 times the points.
This series began with a couple low-scoring games, which is not surprising. Igor Shesterkin has been the best goalie this postseason, managing a 2.22 GAA and .926 save percentage through 12 starts. Meanwhile, the Panthers have a 2.23 GAA in the playoffs and have allowed a mere 24.5 shots on net per contest. Florida also had a league-low 2.41 GAA during the regular season, while the Rangers finished seventh. As such, I am not exactly betting on either team exploding offensively, but you can't win DFS contests you don't enter, and I landed on this lineup.
CAPTAIN
Vincent Trocheck, NYR at FLA ($13,500): For my Captain, I opted for the player among these two teams that has had the most-productive postseason thus far. Trocheck and Matthew Tkachuk are tied with 16 points, but the Rangers have played one fewer game. Also, Trocheck has seven goals to Tkachuk's five. Six times in the playoffs the former Panther has had a goal and an assist, including in Game 2. I'm betting on production.
FLEX
Carter Verhaeghe, FLA vs. NYR ($8,400): Verhaeghe has a reputation for "stepping up in the playoffs." You score a couple big goals at key times in your career and, well, for some correlation does equal causation. To be fair, he had at least one point in every game against the Lightning in the first round, and he's current on a three-game point streak. Personally, I just see a guy who has had over 30 goals and 70 points in each of his last two seasons. The best players tend to be the best players, be in the regular season or the playoffs.
Chris Kreider, NYR at FLA ($8,200): Be it the first line, or the top power-play unit, you can find Kreider on the wing ready to light the lamp. He's had at least 36 goals in each of his last three seasons, and he had 18 power-play goals this year. While Kreider only has points in one of his last five games, in that game he had a hat trick and put seven shots on net. The American has notched two shots on goal in both games of this series, and having a guy with the acumen to put pucks on goal is good against a team that excels at preventing just that.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at FLA ($6,800): Lafreniere broke through with 28 goals and 29 assists this season, and he's added four goals and six assists in the playoffs. While he's been held without a point over his last four games, he skates with Trocheck and Artemi Panarin, and he's shown what he can do. At this salary, he's worth rostering in case he finds his form.
Brandon Montour, FLA vs. NYR ($6,600): Montour's primary role is running the point on the power play. This season he averaged 3:54 per game with the extra man and tallied 17 power-play points in 66 games. In the playoffs he's averaged a whopping 4:20 per contest in power-play time. While the Rangers have a formidable penalty kill, it remains easier to score with the man advantage. In a single-game contest at this point in the playoffs, simply having the potential for so much power-play time has DFS value.
Vladimir Tarasenko, FLA vs. NYR ($6,400): I didn't set out to do so, but having an even split between Rangers and Panthers does feel good for Sunday. Tarasenko is on the wing for Florida's top line next to Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. He had six goals and nine assists in 19 regular-season games with the Panthers. While the Russian has only added five points in the playoffs, that's why he is available at this salary, but that provides him with upside to give you bang for your buck.
