This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Let's keep it rolling. There are a whopping six NHL games Tuesday, though we only will cover the last four. What's great is that they are all playoff series games — none of that round robin stuff. Want to know which players to place in your lineup and which ones to steer clear of? Let's fine out.
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, TOR vs. CLM ($28): I went to the Andersen well for Game 1 of this series, and I see no reason not to do that again. The Dane didn't get the win, but he made 33 saves on 34 shots. Had he gotten any offensive support this would have been a different situation. Well, the Maple Leafs ranked third in goals per game this season, while the Blue Jackets were tied for 27th. I expect things to be different Tuesday.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Alex Stalock, MIN at VAN ($36): Stalock may have shut out the Canucks in Game 1, but he only had a .910 save percentage this season and he spent most of the year backing up Devan Dubnyk. Vancouver scored 3.25 goals per game this year, so I do not expect another shut out for Stalock. In fact, this could go quite differently for the netminder.
CENTER
Blake Wheeler, WPG vs. CGY ($22): For the first time in the bubble there are back-to-back games. Considering that neither team needs to travel, what does that mean in terms of rest and being ready for the game? Wheeler had 65 points in 71 games and scored 20 goals for the seventh straight season. The Flames also allowed 32.4 shots on net per game, and, travel or not, defenses might be a step slow on the second leg of a back-to-back.
CENTER TO AVOID
Auston Matthews, TOR vs. CLM ($35): Of course Matthews is expensive. He should be. He's an elite player. However, the Blue Jackets were an elite defensive team this year as well. They posted a 2.61 GAA and only allowed 29.9 shots on net per game. That was while having to use three goalies, all relatively untested. Joonas Korpisalo wasn't as impressive as his teammate Elvis Merzlikins this year, but he still shut out the Maple Leafs in Game 1 behind that Columbus defense.
WING
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR at NYR ($24): Carolina's top line of Teravainen, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov had a great year, and they've been crushing it against the Rangers so far. In fact, Teravainen has gotten on the score sheet in both games. Given that the Rangers had a 3.14 GAA, and given that Igor Shesterkin has been unavailable, maybe we shouldn't be surprised. Don't expect anything to change for Teravainen, especially since the playmaker has more than 40 assists in each of his last three seasons.
Pavel Buchnevich, NYR vs. CAR ($17): Despite the shortened season, Buchenvich set a career high with 46 points in 68 games this year. He's also been skating on New York's top line and sees time with the extra man as well. Carolina had a 2.84 GAA this year, which was impressive, but that was with goalies that posted a .903 save percentage. If the back-to-back games opens the defense up at all, it could be a different story than usual for the Russian winger.
WINGS TO AVOID
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY at WPG ($21): Tkachuk got himself in some hot water in Game 1 with a questionable hit, but that's not the biggest issue the 22-year-old is facing. No, that would be the goalie in the other net. Connor Hellebuyck should win the Vezina this season due to a 2.57 GAA and .922 save percentage put up over 58 games.
Cam Atkinson, CLM at TOR ($19): Atkinson had a goal and an assist in Game 1, including playing his part in an empty-net goal, but that's not reflective of the kind of season he had. It was a down, injury-plagued year for Atkinson, who only managed 12 goals in 44 games. Frederik Andersen had a down campaign himself, but he never had a save percentage below .914 prior to this season. Additionally, while the Maple Leafs had the 21sth-ranked penalty kill, Atkinson only managed eight power-play points this year.
DEFENSE
Neal Pionk, WPG vs. CGY ($19): Pionk broke out this year with 45 points in 71 games, with most of that coming due to 25 power-play points. Yes, the Flames had a top-10 penalty kill this year, but I expect them to have to start David Rittich in net due to it being the second day of a back-to-back. Rittich only has a 2.97 GAA and .907 save percentage, so I'm not too concerned about him.
Matt Dumba, MIN at VAN ($18): Why Dumba and not Jared Spurgeon, who had two goals from the blue line in Game 1? Well, for starters sample size, obviously. Second, Dumba had three shots on goal in Game 1, and 167 shots in 69 games this season. Spurgeon, meanwhile, put 112 shots on net in 62 games, and his output this year came in part to a career-high shooting percentage. If I'm picking a Wild defender, I'm going with Dumba.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Anthony DeAngelo, NYR vs. CAR ($20): DeAngelo enjoyed his Rielly-style breakout this year, as his shooting percentage jumped from 3.6 all the way up to 10.1. He was also helped out by netting 19 points with the extra man. The Hurricanes had the fourth-ranked penalty kill this season, which is formidable enough I'm not worried about them being on the second leg of a back-to-back. Also, if James Reimer is in net for this one he actually had better numbers than Petr Mrazek this season.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. CLM ($17): This season, Rielly's shooting percentage fell from 9.0, well above his career average, to a number more in line with past performance. As a result, his goal total fell from 20 to three, though he only played in 47 games. Still, it seems clear last year wasn't some new Rielly, but instead a career year. Now he's facing a Blue Jackets team with a 2.61 GAA.
