This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
I hope you're a fan of the Original Six, because Wednesday's two games are the Bruins against the Rangers and the Maple Leafs versus the Canadiens. Two classic rivalries, but what to do with your DFS lineup? Here are some players to consider...
GOALIE
Tuukka Rask, BOS at NYR ($36): Rask likely won't be terribly busy Wednesday. After all, the Bruins have only allowed 23.5 shots on net per game. That's why Rask has a 2.36 GAA in spite of an .898 save percentage. The Finn's save percentage will almost definitely improve, at which point Rask's numbers will be even better.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Frederik Andersen, TOR at MON ($30): Andersen's first two starts were bad, but since then he has a 2.24 GAA and .919 save percentage over nine starts. This game may be more reminiscent of that rough beginning to this campaign, though. The Canadiens lead the NHL in both goals (4.00) and shots on net (34.5) per contest.
CENTER
John Tavares, TOR at MON ($29): All four of these teams rank in the top 10 in GAA, so this might not be a day of heavy offense, even if the Habs and Leafs are at the top of the league in goals per game. Tavares gets overshadowed by Auston Matthews, despite being the big free-agent draw a couple years ago, but he still has 12 points in 13 games. Also, if Carey Price starts Wednesday, he has a 2.81 GAA and .899 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. BOS ($28): Even if the Bruins weren't so impressive at preventing shots, I would be skeptical about Zibanejad. He was great last year, but over his last eight games he has only one point, an assist.
WING
Zach Hyman, TOR at MON ($19): Hyman gets to play on Toronto's top line with Matthews and Mitch Marner, which is a good starting point. On top of that, he's put 32 shots on goal in 13 games. The Canadiens have allowed 29.0 shots on net per contest, which isn't a lot, but is the most of these four teams.
Jonathan Drouin, MON vs. TOR ($18): It'd be nice if Drouin was shooting the puck more, but he has nine assists through 12 games. Plus, he's averaged 3:13 with the extra man, and the last time he played a full season he had 16 power-play points. The Maple Leafs have the worst penalty kill of these four teams, and they are the only one of the four in the bottom 10 of the NHL.
WINGS TO AVOID
Chris Kreider, NYR vs. BOS ($17): While his center Mika Zibanejad has been struggling, Kreider has three goals in his last six games. However, he has only four points on the season, all goals. On top of that, those goals have come thanks to a 17.6 shooting percentage, which would be a career high. Meanwhile, Rask has never had a save percentage lower than .912 in his career, so he's a strong candidate for improvement, and likely soon.
Craig Smith, BOS at NYR ($15): Boston's top line is too good, and too hot, to suggest avoiding, but the rest of the team is a different story. As per usual, Smith is shooting the puck a fair amount, as he has three goals on 30 shots on net through 10 games. However, the Rangers have held opponents to 27.9 shots on net per contest, and Igor Shesterkin has a 2.31 GAA and .916 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Jeff Petry, MON vs. TOR ($23): As I mentioned, Toronto's penalty kill has been decidedly mediocre, even though Andersen has played better after his slow start. Petry is having an incredible season thus far, with 14 points through 12 games. Yes, his 18.8 shooting percentage is going to regress, but I want to focus on the fact Petry has averaged 3:23 per game with the extra man and has six power-play points.
Morgan Rielly, TOR at MON ($19): Rielly had to ease into this campaign, but he's scorching (and scoring) currently. The 26-year-old has 10 points in his last seven games, including five on the power play. Assuming Price is in net for Montreal instead of Jake Allen (the two have been swapping starts and Price's turn is up), that's another point in Rielly's favor, as Price has an .899 save percentage.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Adam Fox, NYR vs. BOS ($20): Fox has taken on a much bigger role in his second season. He's jumped from averaging 18:54 in ice time to 24:32, and he's not playing 4:28 per game with the extra man. Unsurprisingly, five of Fox's seven points have come on the power play. Unfortunately, the Bruins have one of the five best penalty kills in the NHL.
Jake Muzzin, TOR at MON ($17): I'm not really finding a notable second defenseman I would recommend avoiding, especially with how hot Charlie McAvoy has been for the Bruins. Muzzin has performed a little more on offense than expected, though, as he has six points through 13 games. However, he doesn't play on the power play at all, so Montreal's middling penalty kill won't come into play. Additionally, Muzzin has only six shots on goal in his last six games, being held without a shot on net three times.
