This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The second round of the NHL playoffs begin Tuesday. As I'm sure everyone expected, the Panthers and Kraken are here. There are two games on the docket, which is business as usual at this point in the postseason. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. SEA ($35): Obviously, there are only successful teams left at this point in the postseason. All four of the teams going Tuesday finished in the top nine in goals per game. Oettinger came up big in the first round as the Stars won three in a row to close things out. Plus, during the regular season, he had a 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Samsonov, TOR vs. FLA ($31): How did the Panthers upset the Bruins? Through the strength of their offense. The Panthers averaged 3.51 goals per game this season, but led the league with 36.8 shots on net per contest. Florida solved a Boston squad that paced the league in GAA. Certainly it can threaten Samsonov.
CENTER
Ryan O'Reilly, TOR vs. FLA ($19): O'Reilly didn't have a point in the last two games of the first round, but prior to that he had a six-game point streak. In fact, since returning from injury he has 13 points in 11 contests. The Panthers won through offense, not through the goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky. In the last series, even with three wins in a row, the Russian goalie had a 3.94 GAA and .891 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anton Lundell, FLA at TOR ($17): Lundell had two assists in each of the final two games of the first round. That's great, but I don't expect it to continue. Prior to that, Lundell had been held without a point for nine games in a row. Sure, he had success against the Bruins, but that feels like a fluke I don't want to try and ride.
WING
William Nylander, TOR vs. FLA ($26): Nylander had an incredible regular season, boosting his numbers to 40 goals on 293 shots. He's added two goals and three assists in the playoffs, and that is on 8.7 percent shooting, below his 13.7 percent mark on the year. Speaking of the regular season, Bobrovsky had a 3.07 GAA and .901 save percentage.
Evgenii Dadonov, DAL vs. SEA ($17): Leaving Montreal for Dallas helped boost Dadonov's numbers, as better talent around him has paid off. The Russian had 15 points in 23 games after the trade, and in the playoffs he's added four points and 14 shots on net in six contests. Philipp Grubauer helped vanquish the Avs, his former team, in the first round, but during the regular season he only managed an .895 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Sam Reinhart, FLA at TOR ($21): Reinhart had a good series against the Bruins, but there are only two games taking place Tuesday, and Toronto is the second-best defensive squad of the four. Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe may be fine, but I am a little less confident in Reinhart. I may not want to use Samsonov as my DFS goalie, but he did have a 2.33 GAA and .919 save percentage.
Jordan Eberle, SEA at DAL ($17): There's a good chance Jared McCann won't be back and playing on the top line with Eberle just yet. Eberle had 20 goals and 43 assists this season, but facing Oettinger on the road will be tough. As I noted, the Stars goalie had a 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Brandon Montour, FLA at TOR ($22): Montour was a star in the first round, as he had four multi-point games. The defenseman is the key figure on Florida's power play, and he had 33 points with the extra man this season. Toronto had the 12th-ranked penalty kill, which is above average but not too imposing for a player like Montour.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. FLA ($20): Rielly came up big in the first round as well, and he is riding a five-game point streak. He also blocked 17 shots over those games, contributing at both ends. As previously mentioned, Bobrovsky a 3.07 GAA and .901 save percentage, which is the reason why Alex Lyon was starting in net when the playoffs began.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Aaron Ekblad, FLA at TOR ($18): Montour's explosion on the power play has moved Ekblad to a lesser role. He doesn't have a point with the extra man in his last eight games. In fact, Ekblad didn't have a single point in the first round. He is ice cold, and until he gets on track I am steering clear.
Vince Dunn, SEA at DAL ($13): Dunn was great for much of the regular season, but he's been cold as well. He has only one point, a goal, in his last 10 games. Now he is on the road facing a goalie with a .919 save percentage. I don't think Dunn is getting back into form Tuesday.
