How are we doin' today DFS peeps? I have been enjoying these playoffs so much of what I've been able to watch live…which is the early games. 4 a.m. bells ring early, friends. The games I haven't been able to see live, I've done my homework of looking over shift charts, and different tables to try and get a feel for what happened during each playoff game that I miss. I feel great about this slate tonight, so let's dive in!
Slate Preview
Ottawa Senators
I picked this series to go long. My league mates laughed, but just hear me out for a second. The season series went all to the Sens and at even strength this club holds their own, it's just the silly mistakes that are crushing this group. I'm interested to see what the atmosphere is like at the Canadian Tire Centre (I have no idea how I know what their rink is called) tonight and am leaning in on playing some Ottawa. Don't get me wrong, if you want to full-out stack the Leafs, I'm not going to be the one to stop you, but I do see the Senators giving me options to work with for this four-gamer. My top priority with anything Senators is always Brady Tkachuk at $7,300 who is always live for a shot bonus and at least three interviews prior, during, and after the game. If I'm going Senators then pairing Tkachuk with Tim Stutzle on his line/power play at $5,500 is fine, and then going to the blue line for a two-forward, one defensemen stack. I don't even mind going to find your filler stack here in this game, because if I'm just chasing ice time, then the Senators third line is right up there as they've been the group tasked to slowing down the Auston Matthews line. Ridly Greig ($3,700), Michael Amadio ($3,200), and Shane Pinto ($4,300) are cheap enough to fit in another expensive stack and will likely be up there in ice time. In my single-entry, I'm almost there with putting in the Senators, with the one issue being faceoffs when it comes to the Matthews line as that line's puck possession off the draw kept the Senators moving back into their own end for most of Game 2.
Minnesota Wild
I watched a lot of Vegas this season. I watched a lot of Minnesota this season. All that said, these games have been late, so I have yet to see what's what in this series, but I do have a good enough feel off watching highlights and going through game sheets of how I want to attack this game, and for me that means Minnesota's top line. Kirill Kaprizov ($8K) might be one of my favorite players to watch in the NHL right now and pairing him with Matt Boldy ($6,400) and Joel Eriksson Ek ($5,900) because they are fully correlated. It wasn't that long ago where we avoided stacking teams going into Minnesota and while the Kings ended the regular season with the best record on home ice, that was Minnesota for a time early on. I'm going to pick on that top defensive pairing for Vegas anyway that I can following their last game and can see myself plugging in the Wild if I have the salary to make it all work.
Winnipeg Jets
This series is exhausting. I don't mean that in a bad way like this is a tough one to sit though, but you can tell that every shift is a battle between these two clubs. While getting to the Blues was something that I kicked the tires on this morning, it's just the Connor Hellebuyck factor on the other side that's steering me away and getting me more onto Winnipeg tonight. Kyle Connor has the game-winning goal in each game so far and don't mind him at $7,400 as either a one-off or a piece of a power play stack or top line stack. If getting up to the top line is too pricey, then getting in a Cole Perfetti ($4,500), Nino Niederreiter ($3,800) is a decent play as well. I wouldn't go as far as a depth line in this one as for me it's more top line or bust, but in MME getting to a bit of either top two lines is a decent way to attack this slate.
Defensemen
Victor Hedman at the top of the board at $6K is fine if you're looking to go to Tampa, but I like the two options below him with Josh Morrissey at $5,800 and Jake Sanderson at $5,700. Sanderson is the one where even if I'm not playing the Senators, I would look to get him into my lineup as a more expensive defenseman – twice in the third period last game I thought he was going to be the one who ties it up. Justin Faulk at $4,100 will play big minutes tonight for the Blues if you're looking to chase ice time and am fine with his teammate Cam Fowler at $3,800 as well. For a cheap option I'd lean Ryan McDonagh at $3,300 or Artem Zub down at $3K.
Goalies
I don't know how this makes sense, but I was more tempted to play Adin Hill at $8,400 on Tuesday than I am today at $8,200. Connor Hellebuyck at $8K is right at the price I would settle on even with the shot volume being on the lower side in this series. If I'm not playing any Ottawa, then maybe Anthony Stolarz at $7,800 but that would only be if I was going all in on the Leafs. Just eye test, he was not reading the puck right at all late in that contest on Tuesday and while that might not be something that continues game-to-game he in some ways got bailed out by the Senators just flat out missing the net. Linus Ullmark ($7,600) for me on the other side in single-entry is a maybe but in MME, he makes some sense as he'll see good volume tonight at that price.
Good luck tonight everybody!
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