This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's time for a Sunday of early NHL action. There are two games on the slate, with the first starting at 4:30 p.m. EDT and the "late" one at 7:30. Here are my NHL DFS recommendations. Oh, and happy Mother's Day!
SLATE PREVIEW
I highly doubt we see Miro Heiskanen or Anthony Stolarz on Sunday. Heiskanen hasn't played yet this postseason while the Stars don't seem to be rushing him back. Stolarz hasn't returned to skating yet, and that's kind of important for a hockey player.
GOALIE
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. WPG ($7,700): Goals have been easy to come by in the Florida-Toronto series. Sergei Bobrovsky has endured a rough stretch and Joseph Woll is a backup on the road who gave up five goals during Game 3. Connor Hellebuyck may be on the verge of winning his third Vezina, but was also pulled in all three road starts against the Blues. You can't punt on a goalie, so let's go with Oettinger. Not that I'm complaining about having to land on him as he's posted a .919 save percentage at home this season.
VALUE PLAY
Evan Rodrigues, FLA vs. TOR ($4,500): Having won on Friday after tweaking the lineup, I imagine Paul Maurice won't change anything for Game 4. That includes Rodrigues on the first line with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. This move sparked the winger as he picked up two assists and five shots. Woll recorded a .909 save percentage during the regular season, but since stepping in for Stolarz has struggled to a 3.99 GAA and .869 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Maple Leafs at Panthers
John Tavares (C - $7,000), William Nylander (W - $7,500), Max Pacioretty (W - $5,100)
Bobrovsky produced a .906 save percentage this year. In the past, he's brushed aside iffy regular-season performances to excel in the playoffs. His first couple games against the Lightning went well, yet he's registered a 3.57 GAA and .854 save percentage through the last six outings. Of course, that includes all three this series. The Leafs boast two strong lines, and two of these players also participate on the top power play. And from a salary perspective, they're easier to stack than their top trio.
Tavares had been on a four-game point drought, though notched two goals and six shots on Friday. He also produced two multi-point efforts against the Senators alongside 74 during the regular season. Nylander has been hot of late with 15 points across nine outings with more than one in two of the last three matchups. Pacioretty brings his experienced and skills into the lineup on the second unit. He's had a bit of a rejuvenation in reminding us of his days as a 30-goal scorer as he's riding a four-game point run with three games where he tallied two points.
DEFENSEMAN
Thomas Harley, DAL vs. WPG ($5,900): The Stars haven't needed Heiskanen with how Harley has performed this postseason wit six points, 17 shots, and 25 blocked shots. That comes after 50 points during the regular season, even while sharing the load with Heiskanen. When it comes to Hellebuyck, I'm not really considering what happened before the playoffs in making this recommendation. Postseason struggles have been the norm for him, and this year has been particularly rough - especially on the road.
