This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We have three Game 7s on Saturday, which is super exciting. That also means some DFS opportunities as well. The first game is at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Here are the players to target, and to avoid, for your lineups.
GOALIE
Mike Smith, EDM vs. LOS ($37): Smith remains my process-of-elimination choice in net. Antti Raanta is a backup being forced to start. Jonathan Quick and Jeremy Swayman are on the road against top-10 offenses. Tampa and Toronto have been piling up the goals. As such, give me Smith at home against a team that ranked 20th in goals per game during the regular season.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM at TOR ($27): Vasilevskiy has carried his team in the past. This time, his team is carrying him. The Russian has allowed at least three goals in every game of this series. With Toronto's offense, why would that change now, especially on the road?
CENTER
John Tavares, TOR vs. TAM ($24): Tavares started this series slowly, but he's been on his game recently. The Toronto captain has a three-game point streak and has two points in each of his last two outings. As I noted, Vasilevskiy has allowed at least three goals in every game of this series, plus four goals in his last game of the regular season to boot.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS at EDM ($20): To the extent that it matters, Kopitar has tallied three of his four points in this series at home, and this Game 7 is on the road. Over his last 14 games, Smith has an 1.86 GAA and .948 save percentage. I'd want to spend my salary elsewhere, even if you don't have faith in the Oilers in a Game 7.
WING
Evander Kane, EDM vs. LOS ($27): Three times in this series, Kane has had a three-point game. He's also been undeterred by the Kings' defense, as he's put 29 shots on net in six outings. When you get shots on net it can bode well for you against Quick, who had a .910 save percentage this season.
Ondrej Palat, TAM at TOR ($18): Palat is situated on the wing on the top line for Tampa, giving him a chance to play with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. That's helped him to a four-game point streak. Jack Campbell had a shutout in Game 1, but since then he's had a 4.04 GAA and .877 save percentage in this series.
WINGS TO AVOID
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR vs. BOS ($20): The Bruins were shot suppressors this season, as they only allowed 28.7 shots on net per contest. That's a big reason why Swayman had a 2.41 GAA this season. Since taking over in this series, Swayman has allowed only two goals in three of his four starts.
Jake DeBrusk, BOS at CAR ($15): The Bruins have put DeBrusk back on the top line, but he hasn't put up a point in either of his last two games, and only three shots on net. The Hurricanes finished first in shots allowed per game and in penalty-kill percentage, so even power-play time may not help DeBrusk.
DEFENSE
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. TAM ($21): Rielly has tallied at least one point in four of the six games in this series, and he has eight points over his last 10 contests. He's a big-time power-play producer as well, having notched 23 points with the extra man during the regular season and two power-play points in this series.
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. LOS ($17): Barrie scored the game winner at even strength in Game 6, but I like him for his power-play prowess. He tallied 21 points with the man advantage in 73 games this year. The Kings, meanwhile, had the 22nd-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at CAR ($21): McAvoy picked up 21 of his 56 points with the extra man this season, but he's gone cold on the power play. He doesn't have a power-play point in his last 19 games. The Hurricanes had the league's best penalty kill, so it's unlikely McAvoy is going to turn things around.
Sean Durzi, LOS at EDM ($18): Durzi does have a point in each of his last two games, but I don't think that continues. Both of those points came on the power play, and you can't count on six minutes of power-play time per game, which is about what Durzi has seen in those games. Plus, Smith does have that .948 save percentage over his last 14 games.
