This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We will almost definitely never see the Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens square off in the semifinals round of the NHL playoffs again. Based on how Game 1 went for the Habs, they might be good with that. The fact Vegas won Game 1 by a score of 4-1 definitely serves as a data point for those who had skepticism about the quality of the all-Canadian division. Personally I thought that was overstated, but Montreal has definitely over performed to this point, and this is the first time they have truly been on the road in a long time.
As such, when building my five-player roster with the $115 salary pool Yahoo gives you for Wednesday's single-game contests, I definitely was primarily interested in Golden Knights. Here is a potential roster you could put together for a contest.
SUPERSTAR
Mark Stone, VGK vs. MON ($30): Stone is known for his elite defensive play, but the winger is just as good on the offensive end. He's been streaky in the playoffs, as he had a four-game jag of points and then a three-game stretch, but otherwise he has been held without a point. That being said, you never know when a new streak will begin, and he had 61 points in 55 games during the regular season.
FLEX
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. MON ($34) : The Canadiens finished 17th this season with 2.82 goals per game. While they have made it to this point in the playoffs, they've done it scoring a mere 2.42 goals per contest. Fleury had a .928 save percentage during the regular season and has a .927 save percentage in the playoffs, so he could easily shut down the Habs once again at home.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. MON ($22): Pietrangelo's four-game point streak ended in Game 1, but he was still incredibly active. The defenseman had seven shots on goal and three blocked shots. In the playoffs Pietrangelo has actually started 62.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Golden Knights. And yet, he has 39 blocked shots in the postseason.
Chandler Stephenson, VGK vs. MON ($16): Stephenson does not have the name recognition of many of his teammates. What he does have, though, is a spot centering Vegas' top line between Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. He's also on the top power-play unit, so you would think he'd have plenty of chances for assists. Stephenson did have a cold streak there, but he picked up an assist in Game 1, so hopefully he can use that to build that proverbial momentum.
Corey Perry, MON at VGK ($12): This wasn't so much about wanting to make sure I had a Canadien as it was needing a player whose salary I could fit on my team. Perry and that old-fashioned "veteran presence" he brings have actually proven surprisingly helpful in the playoffs. He's tallied seven points over his last 10 games. On top of that, the 36-year-old started 60.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone this season, which was tops among Montreal forwards.
