This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The Rangers whiffed by letting the Lightning – who are aiming for their third straight Stanley Cup – back into this series. Andrei Vasilevskiy is red hot right now, and the Bolts are cruising as they head back to the Big Apple. A big game from Igor Shesterkin could change things quickly, though. He has been better at home all season, including the playoffs, and home-ice advantage allows the Rangers to match their top defenders against the Kucherov-Stamkos line. Against a top-heavy team like the Lightning, that makes a critical difference.
Regardless, we're expecting a low-scoring game. BetMGM has this game listed at a 5.5 O/U with the Lightning (-125) as road favorites.
SUPERSTAR
Frank Vatrano, NYR vs. TB ($16): It's tough to bet against either goalie in this slate, but that should increase the luck element on Thursday's DFS slate. Vatrano is a proven contributor, as he has posted seven points over the last eight games, including a pair of two-point games. Skating on the top line next to Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, he has a legitimate opportunity to be the top scorer in the contest. You're taking a gamble with Vatrano in the Superstar slot, but this is the type of gamble that pays off in large DFS tournaments.
FLEX
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. TB ($30): Zibanejad is a strong stack with Vatrano, or perhaps we should be looking at it the other way around. Nevertheless, Zibanejad has recorded 10 goals and 24 points this postseason while firing 60 shots on net. He also played more than 23 minutes in each of the last two games because injuries are piling up in New York's lineup, so he'll be flush with opportunity Thursday.
Adam Fox, NYR vs. TB ($26): Fox fits the stack description with Vatrano and Zibanejad because the trio works on the top power-play unit. The 24-year-old has registered 13 points – eight with the man advantage – over the last nine games while handling 25:44 of ice time per outing.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. TB ($33): I'm already leaning into a low-scoring game by putting Vatrano in my Superstar slot. Picking up Shesterkin doubles down on that premise. He had hiccups in the first round but has been magnificent since, registering a .943 save percentage, including a .957 mark at home.
Ondrej Palat, TB at NYR ($19): Palat is heating up now that he's back on Tampa's top line, as he has put up four goals and four assists across the last eight games. He's a supreme value at this salary while skating on a line with superstars Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.
