Daily Fantasy Hockey Playoff Preview: 05/03/18

Each day of the NHL Playoffs, Dylan and Brock will be collaborating on a full preview of that night’s playoff action. Dylan will break down each game from a Daily Fantasy Hockey perspective, giving you some of his favourite targets. Brock will provide his Daily Fantasy Notebook after morning skates, including Projected Lineups, Injury Updates, Goalie Rankings and DFS Value Plays. Enjoy playoff hockey and the best time of the year!

By: Dylan Berthiaume

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals

A lack of secondary scoring has the Penguins trailing the Capitals 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Thursday night. The Penguins’ top line has looked dominant so far this series, with Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby, and Patric Hornqvist combining for six goals and eight assists through the first three games. Bumping Hornqvist up to Pittsburgh 1 has done wonders for the line’s production but it’s certainly weakened the Penguins’ depth upfront. All six of the Penguins’ 5v5 goals in the series have come with the first line on the ice; lines two through four have yet to register an even strength goal. Loaded with talent up and down their roster, the Penguins are the last team you would expect to struggle to get secondary scoring. It’s undoubtedly been the difference in the series so far, and it’s hard to justify stacking any line besides their first in DFS tonight. Evgeni Malkin, the driving force behind the Penguins’ second line, draws another tough assignment at home tonight against Washington 2. Led by Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie, Washington’s second line has done an outstanding job limiting their opponents at 5v5 all season long, allowing just 26 scoring chances against per 60. The pair limited the Penguins to just four 5v5 scoring chances in Game 3 with Malkin on the ice; not the type of production you want to build your lineup around. Given how poor he’s been at 5v5 it would be ill-advised to use him, or Phil Kessel for that matter, in anything aside from a Pens’ powerplay stack. Pittsburgh 1 remains the prime stacking target in this one.

While Alexander Ovechkin and Washington 1 offer the most upside of any Capitals’ line, their aforementioned second line makes for a strong value build, totaling just $13,500 on DraftKings tonight. Backstrom and Oshie should continue to rack up big minutes at 5v5 and both see time on the top powerplay unit alongside Ovechkin and company. With Tom Wilson suspended for the next three games a Washington 2 stack paired with Ovechkin and/or John Carlson might be the way to go as far as Washington builds are concerned.

Winnipeg Jets vs. Nashville Predators

The Jets roared back from a 3-0 deficit to take an all-important 2-1 series lead in a thrilling game on Tuesday night. Winnipeg responded to a three-goal first period from the Preds with four of their own in the second, before Blake Wheeler iced the game with a pair of goals in the third. Wheeler and the Jets’ top line found a way to contribute outside of their suffocating matchup against Nashville 1 at 5v5 via a powerplay and empty-net goal. Obviously, this means of production is much less reliable game-to-game than 5v5 scoring, and as a result it’s best to disregard the outburst from Wheeler and Winnipeg 1 ahead of tonight’s game. Winnipeg’s second line has been much more productive at 5v5 and offer a lot more value at their current price. Paul Stastny and Patrik Laine are also integral pieces of the Jets’ top powerplay unit, so using them alongside Dustin Byfuglien or even Wheeler could reap major benefits tonight just as it did on Tuesday.

The Predators are not without their own quality stacking options tonight, but with so many other solid high-priced stacks on the slate, they seem to be the ones to fade by default. As good as their top line is they’ve struggled on the road all season, averaging almost six less scoring chances per 60 on the road than at home. Their head-to-head matchup against Winnipeg 1 has played to a wash for most of the series, and you should expect more of the same tonight. That powerplay is always capable of going off, but their below-average production at 5v5 makes them my high-priced fade of the night.

By: Brock Seguin

Injury/Lineup Updates

IN 

• – Shane Gersich will draw in for Tom Wilson. 
• – Joel Armia (upper-body) will be back in the Jets lineup for Game 4. 
• – Scott Hartnell is expected to replace Kevin Fiala in the lineup for Game 4. 
• – Yannick Weber is expected to play for the first time since March 24th. 

GAMETIME DECISIONS

• – Carl Hagelin (upper-body) will be a game-time decision for Game 4. 

OUT

• – Tom Wilson was suspended for three games. 
• – Jack Roslovic is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 4. 
• – Kevin Fiala is expected to be scratched for Game 4. 
• – Alexei Emelin is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 4. 

Projected Lineups

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals 

Penguins	Capitals

Winnipeg Jets vs. Nashville Predators

Jets	Predators

Goalie Rankings

✅ – Confirmed
????️ – Probable
????️ – Projected

Value Plays