Friday featured two Game 2s, where Carolina extended its series lead while Edmonton tied the Battle of Alberta.

Hurricanes 2, Rangers 0 (Hurricanes lead series 2-0)

Antti Raanta earned his first career playoff shutout (21 saves) to ensure that the Hurricanes keep home ice advantage as they head into MSG. Raanta is rounding into form with three consecutive quality starts along with quality starts in four of his last five games. He has been especially lethal at home during the playoffs, allowing one goal or less in five of six games in Raleigh. As long as he is getting the job done, the Canes have no need to rush Frederik Andersen back.

Brendan Smith's shorthanded goal in the second period turned out to be the winner, while Sebastian Aho added an empty-net goal with just over a second left in regulation. Aho, who also regularly kills penalties, also recorded an assist on Smith's goal.

In two games in Carolina, the Rangers have scored a grand total of one goal. At least Igor Shesterkin seems to have put his first-round struggles behind him, having earned quality starts in each of his last four games. Shesterkin stopped 20 of 21 shots he faced in the loss.

This was a low-event game, so honestly there's not a whole lot else to write about.

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Oilers 5, Flames 3 (series tied 1-1)

Although the offense didn't explode the way it did in Game 1, this game still featured plenty of it. There were more goals by the end of the first period of this game than there were in the entire Hurricanes/Rangers game. Not only that, but Game 2 of the Battle of Alberta had nearly double the total shots (80) of Game 2 of the Battle of the Metropolitan Division (43).

At first, it looked like déjà vu for the Flames, who took a quick 2-0 lead just six minutes into Game 2. But after that, the scoring was mostly from the Oilers, while the Flames had a more difficult time with Oilers goaltending this time. Mike Smith had a solid bounce-back game, finishing with 37 saves.

The hands, the feet… this Connor McDavid guy has it all.

CONNOR FREAKIN' MCDAVID #StanleyCup | #BattleofAlberta | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/PmvN69nNSX

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 21, 2022

Along with the above goal and an assist, McDavid also finished with five shots and four hits. Here's a McDavid stat you probably didn't expect: The Oilers captain has at least four hits in six playoff games this season, including each of his last three games. In addition, McDavid has also taken at least five shots in each of his last four games. Oh yeah, and he still has multiple points in all but one game during these playoffs, as well as goals in five consecutive games. If Edmonton wins this series, it's because McDavid has willed his way to that victory. In the meantime, he's showing a multicategory flex that could extend his value even further if it carries over to the regular season. Look out.

Leon Draisaitl, high ankle sprain and all, scored the insurance goal and added two assists with a plus-3. He has four goals in his last five games, back-to-back three-point games, and a five-game point streak. Although this injury is clearly slowing him, it's not enough to keep him out of action.  

With a goal and two assists, Duncan Keith recorded his first three-point game as an Oiler. It was also his first three-point game in the playoffs since 2016.

Zach Hyman's shorthanded goal in the third period eventually became the game-winner. Hyman has three goals in his last two games. He is also shooting a ton with 16 shots over his last three games, including six shots in Game 2.

Jacob Markstrom has now allowed at least five goals in five of his six games against the Oilers this season. I don't see the Flames switching to Dan Vladar anytime soon, but this matchup split is concerning if you're a Flames fan. Chris Tanev missing his third consecutive game hasn't helped, as he led the Flames in blocked shots (158 BkS) and is an important shutdown defenseman.

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The Blue Jackets have resigned Joonas Korpisalo to a one-year extension worth $1.3 million. Korpisalo shouldn't have been on any fantasy teams this season because of a 4.15 GAA and .877 SV%. The numbers may have had something to do with a hip issue, which he had surgery on in April. Regardless, the Blue Jackets seem to be banking on the devil that they know as opposed to dipping into the free agent market for a backup to Elvis Merzlikins.

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Rick Bowness isn't returning as the coach of the Dallas Stars next season. I wrote about the fantasy implications here.

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Continuing my 2021-22 season review from a fantasy perspective, here are two of the worst picks that I made in this season's drafts. As a wise fantasy sports expert once said, you won't necessarily win your league by getting a top pick right, but you can certainly lose it by getting a top pick wrong. No pressure. None at all. 

We can't predict with certainty that a player will be a bust. But there could be warning signs, which I'll try to identify. As well, could these players be comeback candidates next season? Surely their fantasy stock has fallen.  

Mark Stone

Stone felt more like a heavy boulder being dragged along two of my teams. He himself probably felt like he was carrying a boulder on his back, as a chronic back injury resulted in Stone missing over half of his team's games. His April return to the Vegas lineup seemed like a desperation move for a team trying to avoid missing the playoffs. That showed in his output, where he registered only a goal and an assist over nine games while he appeared to be less than 100 percent. With those numbers, you might as well have kept him on IR.

Stone's back injury has dated back to the 2021 Conference Final, when Stone didn't record a single point in the six-game series against Montreal. The good news is that he recently underwent back surgery and is expected to be ready for next season. Even with the back injury, he still produced at a 66-point pace over the entire season. Having said that, Stone is now 30 and is part of a team that has multiple core players over that age. It will be interesting to see how Stone and the rest of that team responds to unexpectedly missing the playoffs. Having a healthy Jack Eichel for a full season might work wonders.

Dougie Hamilton

Moving from Carolina to New Jersey hurt Hamilton's fantasy value, as his scoring numbers were lower across the board. Over seven more games, Hamilton's point total decreased by 12, his plus-minus swung from plus-20 to minus-18, and he registered just seven power-play points all season. Injuries also factored in, with Hamilton missing 20 games. Yet over a full season, Hamilton would have been on pace for just 40 points – fantasy worthy, but much lower than was expected.

There are several reasons to be on board for a Hamilton comeback next season. For starters, he has now had a full year to adjust to the Devils system. Led by Jack Hughes, New Jersey's scoring appears to be on the rise. Also, Hamilton maintained a similar shot total from last season (3.2 – 3.3 SOG/GP) – a shot total that is his strongest peripheral category. In addition, Hamilton could simply be in for a better season just by remaining healthy. Finally, the Devils have invested enough money in Hamilton, so he'll receive many more opportunities to succeed on the power play and other offensive situations.

Hamilton will probably fall in next season's fantasy drafts. If you know what he can contribute in multiple categories, you might be able to pick him in a spot where he could provide great value.

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Finally, a programming note: No DFS or games picks articles today, as Saturday features only one game. However, both articles will appear on Sunday, which is a busier playoff day with three games.

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I’ll have two more of my worst picks tomorrow. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding for more fantasy hockey.