This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
No Kings. No Blackhawks.
Does that sound familiar?
It shouldn't, because for the first time in what feels like forever (four years, actually), the Western Conference will feature a different champion. What happens from now until the Stanley Cup Finals is anyone's guess, but it should be noted that the Sharks and Blues are considered the favorites, due to their more well-rounded rosters, playoff experience and the fact that each of their divisional rivals have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
GOALIE
Martin Jones, SJ vs. NSH ($36) - It's a tough night to pick a winning goalie, which makes it unwise to spend precious dollars on Friday's most expensive starter, but Jones and the Sharks are entering Round 2 with a new-found confidence, having just exorcized their reigning demons. Nashville failed to score more than three goals in any of the seven games against Anaheim, and the Sharks have a formidable defense led by Brent Burns.
Goalie to Avoid
Kari Lehtonen, DAL vs. STL ($30) - At some point, Lindy Ruff's win-and-you're-in strategy is going to blow up in his face. For now, Lehtonen is the Stars' starter, but he's just not reliable, and there will be a goaltending change at some point in the series ... it is known. The Blues also have this one guy who's really good at scoring whom you might have heard of -- Vladimir Tarasenko? The Blues know the Stars' weakness, and there's no mental block here because both Chicago and Los Angeles have been eliminated. The Blues have won four of their last five meetings against the Stars.
CENTER
Logan Couture, SJ vs. NSH ($22) - Odds are Peter Laviolette is going to sic Shea Weber and Roman Josi on Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski's line, which means Couture gets a much easier matchup. Joonas Donskoi has been a welcome addition to the Sharks' top six, even if he looks like he's struggling with the more physical style in the playoffs, but the pair will be on the ice when Josi and Weber aren't, and that's generally a good thing. Couture had six points in five games against Jonathan Quick, despite playing on the second line, which should give pause as to how well he's played.
Center to Avoid:
David Backes, STL at DAL ($19) - The Blues captain had two goals and two assists in seven games against Chicago, but truth be told, he makes a far bigger difference in the game with his checking and physicality rather than his scoring, which makes him a poor fantasy option. Paul Stastny's line likely will draw Jamie Benn after going head-to-head against Jonathan Toews and winning, but the Stars have another scoring center in Jason Spezza, so it's likely coach Ken Hitchcock will tap Backes for this defensive assignment, especially considering how much Hitchcock loves his chess matches and staples the STL to the bench when the opposition's top forwards are on the ice.
WING
Jamie Benn, DAL vs. STL ($33) - No joke -- Benn is probably the best player in the league now. He was dynamite against Minnesota, scoring at least one point in each of the six games. The Blues' defense will be a much stiffer test, but if Ryan Suter can't stop Benn, then it's a little difficult to see how Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester will handle him.
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at DAL ($30) - Have I already mentioned how little ice time Tarasenko has gotten? Even if he receives precious little ice time because coach Ken Hitchcock refuses to roll the dice and venture out of his comfort zone, he can do a lot of damage in little time. If Tarasenko had a difficult time getting though Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, it certainly didn't show. Sure, he was held without a point in three of the seven games, but this is the Stars we're talking about -- their goalies practically give away goals for free.
Wingers to Avoid:
James Neal, NSH at SJ ($23) - Neal certainly has more to offer with just two goals in seven games this playoffs, but will the Predators have problems scoring against the Sharks? It's possible, because the Preds offense didn't look particularly potent in Round 1; Neal, Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen combined for just four goals. Neal, who has just eight goals in his last 26 playoff games, will also draw the Sharks' top pairing, adding yet another layer of difficulty.
Patrick Sharp, DAL vs. STL ($22) - He might get to play with Jamie Benn, but he's been rather invisible in the playoffs, held without a point in four of the six games in Round 1. He came through huge in the series-clinching game with a goal and an assist, but the production has come far and few between. He's the third scoring option behind Benn and Jason Spezza at the moment, and no longer seems to be the player who can generate offense by himself. Tomas Hertl ($16) and Jaden Schwartz ($26) are two better options.
DEFENSE
Shea Weber, NSH at SJ ($24) - Bombs away! John Carlson and Brent Burns are the only defensemen in the playoffs who have fired more shots on net than Weber, who scored two goals in Round 1 against Anaheim. He has eight goals and 27 points in 35 career games against San Jose, and even though the Sharks have been the best shot-blocking team on a per game basis in the playoffs (23 per game!!!), the Kings didn't have anyone who could launch pucks like Weber. At some point, one of Weber's bombs is going to find the net. Mattias Ekholm ($13) is certainly worth taking for those who want a Predators defenseman but don't want the high price.
Brent Burns, SJ vs. NSH ($34) - It's hard to go wrong with the top scoring defenseman in the playoffs, and there's no reason why Burns won't be able to continue to score. In fact, it's a shame Burns is no longer a winger, because a battle between Brent Burns and Shea Weber in the crease will be the closest we'll ever get to a real-life Chewbacca vs. Sasquatch death match. Because Burns doesn't always play with Joe Pavelski's line, coach Peter DeBoer has a chance to exploit matchups and put Burns on the ice against Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. That should be an offensive boon.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Alex Pietrangelo, STL at DAL ($29) - He'll be far more concerned about Jamie Benn than scoring any points, so that already takes him out of the equation on offense. Coach Ken Hitchcock will certainly ask him to defend, and should he happen to be particularly cheerful that day, may even allow Pietrangelo to venture across the opposition's blue line. Take away Pietrangelo's three assists Game 5 and he had just a goal and two assists in seven games against Chicago.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJ vs. NSH ($21) - What Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester ($12) will be for the Blues, Vlasic will be for the Sharks. While Brent Burns takes care of the offense, Vlasic will be tasked with cleaning up his own zone, blocking shots, keeping James Neal and Filip Forsberg in check and moving the puck up the ice with his usual ease and consistency. Vlasic had just one assist against the Kings in a series that featured a lot of goals, so it's perplexing why he's so expensive for Friday's slate -- then again, this just makes things easier for DFS players.
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