This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are no words to describe the Canadiens' Cinderella run. They're getting routinely outplayed by the Golden Knights and aren't receiving many power plays, yet they're up 2-1 in the series after Marc-Andre Fleury's gaffe opened the door to an overtime win. Only two months ago, there was talk the Habs could not be a Cup contender due to Carey Price's poor play and high cap hit, but no one's been better these playoffs.
The Golden Knights will push hard again as they did in Game 3, which they should also brush off as tough luck. It's Fleury's second major puckhandling gaffe under intense pressure (the other being the 2004 World Junior final), so it'll be interesting to see how often he handles the puck. It might not too much because Vegas keep dominating possession, and that usually leads to positive results in the long run.
Puck drop is at 8 p.m. EDT.
As with all FanDuel showdown formats, no goalies are available for selection and a Captain can be designated for 1.5x fantasy points. The remaining roster spots are not restricted by position.
VALUE PLAYS
Alex Tuch, VGK at MON ($9,000): It was an interesting decision to play Tuch at center, who went 1-for-5 in the dot and where none were taken in the defensive zone. However, it did the trick on offense as Vegas's top line was basically unstoppable generating chance after chance only to be stymied by Price. With all due respect to Chandler Stephenson, Tuch is the more talented player and stacking the first unit could provide a boon in fantasy points.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, MON vs. VGK ($7,500): KK assisted on Josh Anderson's overtime winner in what was an excellent performance by the third line to extend his point streak to two games. The young center has endured an up-and-down season, but he's finding his groove in the playoffs and playing on the power play is a bonus. Montreal tends to spread their offense, so it's not a bad idea to pick some of their cheaper scorers.
LINE STACKS
Alex Tuch ($9,000), Max Pacioretty ($15,000), Mark Stone ($10,500)
I expect Vegas to be luckier tonight while still maintaining plenty of puck possession like they did Friday. This trio also represents better value than Nick Suzuki's group – the Habs' most dangerous – which comes in $2,500 higher. This line also generated 14 shot attempts in only 10:01 of 5v5 TOI together, according to Natural Stat Trick.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at MON ($14,000): Pietrangelo's worth it because he's been the Knights' MVP so far. He simply does everything with three goals on 17 shots this series while being productive as any Vegas forward.
Ben Chiarot, MON vs. VGK ($7,500): The Habs don't have the puck on their stick very often, so the play to is to pick ones who will block a lot of shots. Jeff Petry and Shea Weber are usually solid options, but they don't offer the same offensive upside against the Golden Knights. That leaves Chiarot, who's Montreal's leading shot blocker and will only need five to earn the same fantasy points as an assist.