This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The NHL returns to action after Thursday and Friday's games were postponed due to the players' protest against racism and police brutality.
The Lightning and Bruins will begin play at 12 p.m. EDT, followed by Flyers-Islanders at 7 p.m. and then Knights-Canucks at 9:45 p.m. The Stars and Avalanche, who were slated to play yesterday, will resume their series on Sunday.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. VAN ($8,000): Fleury should get the start after Robin Lehner lost Game 2 - and history's on his side. Fleury has gone 12-2-2 in his career against Vancouver and 6-0-2 as a Golden Knight. At even strength, Vegas are outplaying the Canucks. And on most nights, they will provide enough goal support but the trouble comes when the Vancouver power play is clicking. If Vegas can stay out of the box, Fleury should be able to bag a win with plenty of motivation as he's yet to lose in August.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. BOS ($7,900): Expect Boston to push back hard after a 7-1 blowout loss in Game 2, and there's definitely going to be a little less confidence in their goalies. Vasilevskiy hasn't been lights-out for the Lightning, but all he has to do is play better than Jaroslav Halak, who had no answer for the Tampa power play and sports a pedestrian .903 save percentage this postseason.
Thomas Greiss, NYI vs. PHI ($7,800): The Islanders have yet to lose two in a row in return-to-play action. They've been resilient and strong defensively all season, which will limit the number of shots Greiss sees. There should also be substantial confidence in his ability after he shared duties with Semyon Varlamov for most of the season and put in a strong Game 2 performance with 20 saves in relief. Carter Hart comes in with the same salary and will likely face more shots, but neither have hit the 35+ Save bonus this series.
Jacob Markstrom, VAN vs. VGK ($7,300): Markstrom has faced 83 more shots than the next goalie, which is worth 58.1 fantasy points alone. Spread over 12 games, it's worth close to five fantasy points – better than a Shutout Bonus and one point away from a win. Markstrom offers a strong value play at this salary after performing well in Game 2, while concerns about fatigue may be mitigated with a three-day pause between Games 2 and 3.
VALUE PLAYS
Tyler Toffoli, VAN vs. VGK ($4,700): Toffoli may still be nursing a bum ankle, but he really adds another dimension to the Canucks attack on the top power-play unit. Brock Boeser ($4,800) takes a bit of a backseat, which makes Toffoli the slightly better value play.
Alex Tuch, VGK vs. VAN ($4,200): With no Tyler Myers, the Canucks' defensive depth looks suspect and Tuch's speed and size make him a difficult matchup. He's scored a goal in three straight on a line that displays enough talent to be most teams' second line.
Paul Stastny, VGK vs. VAN ($3,800): Vegas runs two first lines and Stastny comes at a considerably lower salary than William Karlsson. Karlsson might be surrounded by better wingers, but Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault are no slouches combining for nine points in four games against the Canucks this season.
Yanni Gourde, TB vs. BOS ($3,000): The Lightning' third line struck with three points while Gourde led all forwards in ice time with 21:03. It's inflated because of special teams, but it's a good sign Cooper trusts them so much after Gourde averaged around 15 minutes - excluding the 5OT affair - going into the series.
LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Bruins
Yanni Gourde (C - $3,000), Barclay Goodrow (W - $2,600), Blake Coleman (W - $4,400)
It's an inexpensive gamble on a line that has generated considerably better puck possession stats than the Lightning's second line with Anthony Cirelli. Only Gourde sees time on the power play, but all three play on the penalty kill. They also combined for three points and six shots in Game 2.
Islanders vs. Flyers
Brock Nelson (C - $5,500), Anthony Beauvillier (W - $5,000), Josh Bailey (W - $4,500)
Barry Trotz leans on his top two lines. In terms of raw point production, the second unit sit nine points ahead of Mathew Barzal's line. This series has featured more goals than expected, even though both teams entered the semis with top defenses.
Canucks vs. Golden Knights
Elias Pettersson (C - $6,600), Tanner Pearson (W - $4,300), Tyler Toffoli (W - $4,700)
Pettersson ranks second in playoff scoring and managed to score three points with Pearson and Toffoli, who also racked up three points. If this lines stays intact, it represents a solid value play because Pearson and Toffoli's salaries are lower than those of most first-line wingers.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. VAN ($6,200): Theodore's the Golden Knights' best blueline offensive playmaker and he's not afraid to rush the puck. The Canucks' defense routinely allows a lot of shots and there were many times they got hemmed in their own zone in Game 2 because Theodore can walk the line so well.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. VGK ($4,700): Fatigue may be a factor with Hughes playing less than 20 minutes for the third straight game after averaging close to 25 minutes in the previous matchups against Minnesota and St. Louis. Still, his impact is undeniable and remains a QB on an elite PP.
Nate Schmidt, VGK vs. VAN ($4,500): If Theodore doesn't fit under your cap, Schmidt offers a viable replacement because he plays in all situations and is talented enough to chip in on offense. Theodore's extra value comes with the man advantage, but Schmidt is more reliable during 5-on-5 and blocking shots.
Mikhail Sergachev, TB vs. BOS ($4,000): Sergachev led all defensemen in ice time during a blowout win with three points and remains Tampa's top power-play quarterback. And if Ryan McDonagh does not play, expect Sergachev to skate well over 20 minutes. He also blocks shots, giving managers a good floor.
Philippe Myers, PHI vs. NYI ($2,800): It's highly unlikely Myers will be able to repeat his heroics, but his play has continued to trend upwards. Even though he only played 17 minutes in Game 2, he's still the Flyers' ice time leader at even strength. Myers has also blocked a shot in four straight games, making him a worthy value play at this salary.
