This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Be prepared for some early hockey Sunday. The first of three games the Stadium Series matchup between the Islanders and Rangers - starts at 3 p.m. EST. These are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. ARI ($31): Arizona's 2.87 goals per game isn't great, ranking in the bottom-10 in the NHL. And the average of 26.7 shots is even worse, down at the "Blackhawks/ Sharks" level of futility. The Avalanche sit top-10 in shots allowed, so Georgiev isn't likely to be all that busy at home on Sunday.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Cam Talbot, LOS at PIT ($35): The Penguins, unlike the Coyotes, have been unlucky to score so few goals as they've averaged 2.90 goals on 33.3 shots a night. You may remember Talbot playing great early this season, but his performance has slid more than any goalie with a 4.69 GAA and .860 save percentage over his last eight appearances.
CENTER
Vincent Trocheck, NYR at NYI ($20): Trocheck has averaged 3:35 on the power play, where he's tallied 17 points. The Islanders have the league's worst penalty kill, and I don't think the solution they've been waiting for is to play outside. They also rank 31st in shots allowed, and Trocheck has directed at least three pucks on net in four of his last five games.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS at PIT ($24): Kopitar is still productive and a first-line center, but at 36 he's averaged under 20 minutes for the first time since 2014-15. The Kings are on the road for the second day of a back-to-back, and his mileage-heavy legs may be a step slow. Meanwhile, Tristan Jarry enters with a 2.52 GAA for the Penguins.
WING
Bryan Rust, PIT vs. LOS ($22): Rust has potted a goal in four of his last five games. His 31 points in 38 games only include two with the extra man. That'll work against the Kings as they have the league's top penalty kill, even with Talbot's poor play for over a month.
Miles Wood, COL vs. ARI ($14): Since returning from injury, Wood has been as intriguing as ever with eight points and 28 shots in 11 outings. The Coyotes have allowed an average of 32.1 shots and Karel Vejmelka enters with a career .898 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Clayton Keller, ARI at COL ($22): Keller has tallied a whopping 21 of his 49 points with the extra man. The Avalanche maintain a top-10 penalty kill. Given that, I'd avoid Keller on the road Sunday.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at NYI ($15): I tend to be skeptical about rostering players in outdoor games unless there's a particularly good reason for doing so. With Trocheck, he's a power-play staple for the Rangers and the Islanders have the league's worst penalty kill. Lafreniere has only averaged 1:16 while up a man and has only recorded four points during that situation. Just in case, I'd avoid Lafreniere and stick to the regular power-play performers.
DEFENSE
Adam Fox, NYR at NYI ($24): If I'm going to repeatedly bring up the Islanders' least-effective penalty kill, it might as well be for one of the best PP defensemen. Fox has produced 21 points with the extra man over 44 appearances.
Samuel Girard, COL vs. ARI ($18): In 19 games since returning to the Avs, Girard has managed 11 points and 28 shots. He's no Cale Makar, yet has proven a sturdy secondary option on the Colorado blueline. Karel Vejmelka comes in with an .893 save percentage, and you can save a lot on salary by going with Girard instead of Makar. The upside isn't the same, but the value potential is enticing.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. NYR ($24): The Rangers' goaltending has been inconsistent, but the club feature two strengths in that they've only allowed 28.5 shots per game and list the fifth-ranked penalty kill. Dobson has put 123 shots on net to go with 21 power-play points, so this matchup isn't in his favor.
Drew Doughty, LOS at PIT ($18): Doughty still logs a lot of minutes, though his large role on the power play helps him on that front. That's also helped him be productive with 12 of his 28 points coming with the extra man. In addition to being on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, Doughty will be facing a solid penalty kill.
