This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's the lightest day of the NHL playoffs thus far. There are only two games on the slate, and not because of series ending, although we could see a series end Wednesday. Hey, soon enough this is going to be the norm. Maybe we can acclimate with this Wednesday schedule. Here are my DFS recommendations, in terms of guys to roster, and also guys to avoid.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. SEA ($35): Three of these four teams finished in the top six in goals per game. The Avalanche were 11th, but Philipp Grubauer had an .895 save percentage this season, so I am not going that route. Georgiev had a 2.53 GAA and .918 save percentage this year. Basically, he's clearly the second-best goalie available, and I think the Kraken are less of a threat than the Panthers.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Philipp Grubauer, SEA at COL ($24): I mentioned Grubauer, and I am mentioning him here now. The Kraken only allowed 27.0 shots on net per contest this season, but the playoffs have been different. Colorado has put 131 shots on Grubauer so far, and just because it finished 11th on goals per game doesn't mean I want to take a shot on the German netminder.
CENTER
J.T. Compher, COL vs. SEA ($17): Compher has a point in each of his last two games, getting him on track in this postseason. He's also averaged 3:15 per contest on the power play in this series after having averaged 2:46 during the regular season. The Kraken had the 21st-ranked penalty kill, and it is tougher to prevent shots when you are down a man.
CENTER TO AVOID
Matty Beniers, SEA at COL ($14): Beniers may win the Calder, but he only has one point in this series. Not only that, but he will be missing Jared McCann on his wing for the foreseeable future. Skating alongside Ryan Donato just doesn't offer the same upside.
WING
Evan Rodrigues, COL vs. SEA ($18): Playing on Nathan MacKinnon's wing, Rodrigues has an assist in three-straight games. In fact, he has at least one point in five of his last six outings. As I noted, Grubauer had an .895 save percentage during the regular season.
Taylor Hall, BOS vs. FLA ($17): Hall has been doubling up, and I don't mean he's been skating on two lines. No, he had one point in Game 2, two in Game 3, and four in Game 4. Now, I'm not calling for eight points Wednesday, but whether it's Alex Lyon or Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers' goaltending situation is a reminder that they had a 3.32 GAA this year.
WINGS TO AVOID
Carter Verhaeghe, FLA at BOS ($23): Verhaeghe has picked up two points in this series, which isn't bad, but it is not on par with the 42 goals and 31 assists he had during the regular season. Plus, it's all about the matchup. The Bruins finished first in GAA and penalty-kill percentage this year, and even though Game 2 was a mess, Linus Ullmark still has a .926 save percentage in this series.
Jordan Eberle, SEA at COL ($17): Eberle has a point in each of his last two games, though those were both home games. The winger didn't have a point in the two outings in Denver, or in his three final regular-season contests. With only four teams playing, and with McCann out, I don't know if Eberle can keep his proverbial momentum going on the road.
DEFENSE
Devon Toews, COL vs. SEA ($20): Toews has been on fire with 14 points in his last 11 games. While he didn't have a point in Game 4, he should have plenty of opportunity to get back on track Wednesday. Cale Makar is the one who injured McCann with a hit, and he has been hit with some discipline from the league, leaving him sidelined for Game 5. Toews is expected to be the primary beneficiary.
Dmitry Orlov, BOS vs. FLA ($17): Orlov has been a key addition for the Bruins, a team that was already running roughshod over the NHL. He's tallied at least one point in every game of this series, including two points with the extra man. The Russian has gotten a little extra power-play time due to his recent run of play, and the Panthers had the 23rd-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Aaron Ekblad, FLA at BOS ($20): Ekblad is expected back for Game 5, but will he be at full capacity? Even if he is, he doesn't have a point in this series. Given the fact the Bruins had a 2.12 GAA this season, that's not terribly surprising.
Vince Dunn, SEA at COL ($15): Dunn was a star for the Kraken this season, tallying 14 goals and 50 assists. Unfortunately, he's gone ice cold at a bad time. Dunn doesn't have a point in his last seven games, and Georgiev did have a 2.53 GAA and .918 save percentage this season.
