This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Will we know one of the Stanley Cup Final teams by the end of the weekend? If Vegas can win Sunday, the answer is yes. Until then, though, here are my recommendations for your daily fantasy lineup featuring the two games taking place this weekend.
GOALIE
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at WPG ($8,500): With another stellar performance in a win Friday (35 saves on 37 shots), Fleury has further distanced himself from the pack as the best goalie in these playoffs. He came into Friday's game with a .945 save percentage in the postseason and could end up winning the Conn Smythe even if the Golden Knights don't win the Cup. At this point, why not go with the hot hand? He would have served you well so far.
CENTER
Brayden Point, TAM vs. WAS ($6,700): Point has been the model of consistency recently, with one goal and one assist in each of his last three games. Beyond that, he has six goals and six assists in his last 12 contests. This comes after Point managed 32 goals and 34 assists during the regular season. Braden Holtby got off to a great start in the playoffs, but has allowed seven goals over his last two outings.
Lars Eller, WAS vs. TAM ($4,400): Though Nicklas Backstrom is back, don't forget about Eller. He still has seven points in his last six games, and his minutes didn't completely disappear with Backstrom's return – playing 17:56, with 2:17 of that coming on the power play. Meanwhile, the Lightning had a 3.36 goals-against average after the All-Star break, with Andrei Vasilevskiy sporting a 2.99 GAA and .904 save percentage in his last nine starts.
WING
Reilly Smith, VGK at WPG ($6,000): Smith picked up a goal in Game 4 – in fact, the deciding one – and also added an assist. He now has two goals in the playoffs, which isn't great. However, those two goals come with 14 assists in 13 contests. While Smith has played well, Connor Hellebuyck has had a save percentage below .900 in each of his last three starts.
T.J. Oshie, WAS at TAM ($5,900): Oshie came into the playoffs hot with 11 points in 11 games and has continued his strong play in the postseason with 12 in 16, including eight with the extra man. That's worth noting, as the Lightning struggled with the 27th-ranked penalty kill this year.
Yanni Gourde, TAM vs. WAS ($4,400): Sure, Gourde hasn't lived up to his regular season numbers where he struck for 25 goals and 39 assists in 82 games. However, the rookie has still contributed some, notching four points in five games against the Bruins, and picking up an assist in his last contest. You can't build a team out of just the elite forwards, so a slightly cheaper player with the upside of Gourde can come in handy.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at TAM ($5,800): Arguably no defenseman has been more involved than Carlson in these playoffs. In addition to his 14 points in 16 games (10 on the power play), he's put 55 shots on net. He's also averaged a whopping 4:09 per game with the extra man. That would be encouraging against any team, but it's particularly enticing against a Lightning team that – as mentioned earlier – doesn't do too well killing penalties.
Shea Theodore, VGK at WPG ($4,700): Theodore has provided some nice secondary scoring from the blueline in the playoffs, notching seven points in 14 games. Connor Hellebuyck, on the other hand, has allowed three goals in each of his last three starts, and has a .912 save percentage in his nine starts prior to Friday. Theodore has also added 21 blocked shots in the playoffs, so he can also add a little fantasy value in that department.
