This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There shall be no sweeps in the first round of the NHL playoffs, which as an impartial observer (i.e. a Red Wings fan) I am all for. There are four Game 4s on Monday that will really shape the outlook of these series. As for DFS purposes, here are the players I recommend targeting, and avoid, for your lineups.
GOALIE
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. NJD ($36): There have been some interesting outings from the goalies in line to start Monday…save for Shesterkin. He's just gone out there and played elite in net. Even in the Game 3 loss, the Russian goalie made 26 saves on 28 shots in a game that went into overtime. At the moment, Shesterkin is the one goalie in line to start I deeply trust, so I'm not getting cute.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Samsonov, TOR at TAM ($28): Samsonov came up big a few times in making 36 saves on 39 shots in an overtime win in Game 3. However, he was far from a road warrior this season. The Russian had a 2.82 GAA and .909 save percentage in away games during the regular season. Tampa averaged 3.41 goals per game this season, so winning on the road again won't be easy.
CENTER
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at WPG ($17): Getting a returning Mark Stone slotted on his wing (plus extensive power-play time) has really been a boon to Stephenson. He has a goal and an assist in each of his last two games. Beyond that, though, he also ended the regular season hot with 12 points in his final 12 contests. Connor Hellebuyck is a top-notch goalie, but he has allowed five goals in each of his last two starts.
CENTER TO AVOID
Vincent Trocheck, NYR vs. NJD ($20): Trocheck put 225 shots on net this season, but the Devils only allowed 28.2 shots on goal per game. Which would win out? So far, it has been the Devils' D, as Trocheck has only four shots on goal in this series while tallying zero points.
WING
Evan Rodrigues, COL at SEA ($17): Rodrigues seems ensconced on Nathan MacKinnon's wing at this point, and that's a great place to be. He has an assist in back-to-back games, and in the first game of the series he put six shots on net. Pucks have been getting to Philip Grubauer in this series, and that's a problem for the Kraken, as the netminder had an .895 save percentage this season.
Nino Niederreiter, WPG vs. VGK ($14): It feels unlikely Nikolaj Ehlers will be back soon, which should keep Niederreiter safely on the second line for the Jets. He's also contributed three points in this series. Laurent Brossoit impressed in limited regular-season action this year, but he's had two games in this series where he has allowed four goals, a reminder of his career .908 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Timo Meier, NJD at NYR ($25): Meier has been active, putting 12 shots on net in this series, but he has yet to contribute a point, which is probably what the Devils were hoping for when they dealt for the former Shark. To be fair, he's facing one of the best goalies in the NHL, and he happens to be scorching hot. Over his last 15 games, Shesterkin has an 1.64 GAA and .945 save percentage.
Jordan Eberle, SEA vs. COL ($13): Sometimes in the playoffs, wondering about who to avoid is simply about seeing who has gone cold recently. Over his last six games, Eberle has only one assist and 11 shots on net. While Alexandar Georgiev has not been stellar in this series, he had a 2.53 GAA and .918 save percentage during the regular season.
DEFENSE
Neal Pionk, WPG vs. VGK ($17): With Josh Morrissey unfortunately out for the rest of this series, at the very least, Pionk is in for a huge role for the Jets. While it was a double-overtime game, the defenseman played 41:08 in game three, and he picked up three assists in the process. It's not like that came out of nowhere, though, as he had an assist in each of his three previous games.
Bowen Byram, COL at SEA ($17): Byram has not needed power-play time to make a splash in this series. In addition to having an assist in all three games so far, he's put 15 shots on net. The Kraken's defensive success during the regular season came from only allowing 27.0 shots on goal per game. Colorado has broken through, though, as Grubauer has faced 109 shots in this series.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Dougie Hamilton, NJD at NYR ($24): Yes, Hamilton was the hero of Game 3, but that doesn't mean I want to shell out for this salary on the road against the Rangers. In the first two games he was held to zero points and two shots on goal total. Shesterkin still has an 1.64 GAA and .945 save percentage over his last 15 games. It'd be a gamble to go with Hamilton.
Jacob Trouba, NYR vs. NJD ($16): Trouba has been absolutely ice cold for a little while now. He actually only has one point in his last 12 games, and none in the playoffs. While Trouba did put 199 shots on net during the regular season, the Devils only allowed 28.2 shots on goal, so he may not be able to generate potential offense in that fashion.
