The NHL playoffs are underway, and we have a four-game slate on our hands tonight. If you missed last night's action -- here were the final scores: N.Y. Islanders 1 - Panthers 3 -- Red Wings 2 - Lightning 5 -- Blackhawks 3 - Blues 2 -- Predators 3 - Ducks 2.
I will be going game-by-game to breakdown DFS targets, lines and Vegas stats.
New York Rangers (+148) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (-162)
The Penguins took game one by a final score of 5-2. They will be looking to take game two before heading to New York for games three and four. This game starts at 3:00 PM ET, so make sure to set your lineups early!
Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist is a game-time decision heading into game two, due to an eye injury he sustained in game one. He practiced on Friday and appeared to be okay, but it's definitely an injury to keep an eye out on. If he is unable to go, backup goalie Antti Raanta will take his place. He allowed three goals on 19 shots on goal when he replaced Lundqvist, so he is someone that I don't recommend putting into your lineups. However, some guys that I like for from New York are: Derek Stepan and Rick Nash (from the 1st line) and Derrick Brassard as well as Mats Zuccarello (from the 2nd line). All of these guys are tournament plays, but the safest guy to roster into your lineups from the Rangers would be Stepan. He has 18 points in his last 11 games and is the guy carrying the Rangers' offense.
As for the Penguins -- it looks like Evgeni Maklin could make his return to the ice on Saturday. If he does return on Saturday, he is worth a roster spot, but I would wait a game or two just to see how plays after being out a month. As for the rest of the guys -- a lot of them are great plays tonight, but are expensive, so it's all about how much exposure you want to these guys and how much you're willing to spend. One guy to definitely consider paying up for is Patric Hornqvist. He had a hat-trick in game one and added an assist, which was good enough for 15.5 fantasy points. He played one heck of a game and is a great play in all formats. Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are also great plays in all formats. They combined for five points in game one and should continue to do a lot of damage throughout the series. Look for them to put some more points on the scoreboard tonight. Trevor Daley, Tom Kuhnhackl and Nick Bonino are all nice value plays that allow you to pay up for those high-priced studs you love tonight.
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