This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
I certainly did not expect the Montreal Canadiens to be leading this series 2-1, and especially not after the Golden Knights won Game 1 by a score of 4-1. And yet here we are on Father's Day in Montreal. For single-game contests you pick six players, one of which is your captain. Their point totals are worth 1.5 times everybody else, but you also have to pay a higher salary. Here's a lineup one might use Sunday.
CAPTAIN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at MON ($14,400): There are a couple reasons why I am going with Pietrangelo as my captain. For starters, he has a little bit lower of a salary, perhaps because he's a defenseman. However, he's been as hot as any player in this series, giving him a ton of upside as the captain. Pietrangelo has eight points over his last seven games and has a point in six of those seven outings. Plus, he's been incredibly active in that time. He has 31 shots on goal and 22 blocked shots in those seven games.
FLEX
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at MON ($10,800): I don't really see the Golden Knights falling behind three games to one in this series. Fleury is a big reason for that, as he has a 1.97 GAA and .921 save percentage in the playoffs. Additionally, Montreal only scored 2.82 goals per game during the regular season, which ranked 17th. Just be mindful that Robin Lehner was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate, and a starter won't likely be confirmed until pregame warmups.
Cole Caufield, MON vs. VFK ($7,000): Caufield only saw a bit of action during the regular season, but the Hobey Baker winner has started a whopping 71.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's highest o the Canadiens. It took him a little while to get going, but he has a point in six of his last seven games and 23 shots on net in that time.
Alex Tuch, VGK at MON ($6,600): Tuch started Game 3 as the first-line center with Chandler Stephenson out. If Stephenson can't play again that could be the case once more. While he didn't get a point in Game 3, Tuch put six shots on goal and had two blocked shots. He also played 3:34 on the power play.
Reilly Smith, VKG at MON ($6,200): While the health and layout of the top line for the Golden Knights is up in the air, the second line is steady. William Karlsson is between Jonathan Marchessault and Smith, and that's as formidable of a second line as you will find. While Smith doesn't have a point in his last two games, he did have six points in his six contests before that. Also, the Canadiens did have the 23rd-ranked penalty kill during the regular season.
Joel Armia, MON vs. VGK ($4,200): I've got to fit somebody else into this lineup, and Armia is who I am going with. He surprisingly is tied for the team lead in goals in the playoffs with five. Armia has also put 27 shots on net in the postseason. His points have come in fits and starts, but I like the potential for the Finn as much as anybody else around this salary level.
