This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We're at the final. Not THE final. But, at least, a final.
The Lightning and Penguins kick off the Eastern Conference finals Friday, while the Sharks and Blues begin the Western Conference finals Sunday. In a playoff that's already produced plenty of surprises, everyone knows one thing's for sure: we'll be getting a Stanley Cup champion that's not Chicago, Los Angeles or Boston for the first time in five years. Heck, even the current Penguins squad bears little resemblance to the one that won in 2009, and the Lightning won more than a decade ago. The Sharks and Blues have never won a Stanley Cup.
Because the past few playoffs have been dominated by familiar teams, the respective conference finals brings some definite intrigue. Even the Lightning, who reached the conference final the previous season, comes in as an unknown, having polished off their first two opponents with relative ease, and now face their biggest test against the surging Penguins.
Meanwhile, the Blues and Sharks have injected confidence into their respective fan bases, and I'm not talking about Tony X or Jo Pawvelski. The swagger is real; Joe Pavelski is an elite player who comes through in the clutch, and Vladimir Tarasenko may be one of the most unstoppable one-on-one snipers in the league. Whatever hang-ups they had previously have been shed. The demons are gone. Everyone's coming in with a clean sheet.
GOALIE
Matt Murray, PIT vs. TB ($38) - There's little doubt the Pens enter the Eastern Conference finals with a lot of momentum. They've knocked off Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby in succession, and there's a good chance Ben Bishop ($36) is next. The Lightning offense hasn't run into any problems this postseason yet, so Murray certainly presents a new challenge, in that he's the best goalie so far in the playoffs and also one that the Lightning haven't faced many times. The Lightning will want to test Murray early and often, but Murray also seems to get better the more saves he makes.
Goalie to Avoid:
Ben Bishop, TB at PIT ($36) - With just four teams remaining, the best way to proceed is to pick the one that has the best chance of winning. It's not as if the Lightning don't have a chance, but keep in mind how flat they came out in Game 1 against the Islanders after a six-day break, and they'll be entering Game 1 against the Penguins after a five-day break. We still can't really figure out just how good this Pens team is, but we do know that it's played very, very well.
CENTER
Evgeni Malkin, PIT vs. TB ($25) - He was held without a point in the final four games against Washington, but his track record against the Lightning is excellent: 19 goals and 42 points in 31 career games, including a two-assist effort in his lone appearance against them this year. If Sidney Crosby ($28) draws Victor Hedman and Jon Cooper is more interested in stopping Phil Kessel's line, this frees Malkin up to do all sorts of things against the Lightning. It's slim pickings for centers under $25, though Joe Thornton at $20 is pretty good bargain with his four-game points streak.
Center to Avoid:
Nick Bonino, PIT vs. TB ($22) - Despite all the praise Bonino's line has received, Bonino had just one goal in the final three games against Washington, with most of the damage done by his streaking wingers. Bonino has enough talent to score 20 goals in a good year, but in reality is a two-way center better suited to a third-line role. Evgeni Malkin ($25) takes away some pressure, and Phil Kessel ($28) is playing the best hockey of his career, not having to play against top defensive pairings after being taken off Crosby's line. Bonino's impact is felt in the defensive and gritty areas of the game, and not really on offense.
WING
Nikita Kucherov, TB at PIT ($29) - I talk about how Kucherov has a history of being frighteningly efficient in the playoffs in my conference preview, and there's no reason to think he'll hit a brick wall anytime soon, even if the wall is named Matt Murray. The Lightning offense has struggled on the power play all season, which is great for Pittsburgh, but shouldn't affect Kucherov's effectiveness -- he is only second to Jonathan Drouin ($19) in power-play points on the team. Drouin, by the way, is an excellent pick for those looking for value. The Pens like to play fast, which plays right into Drouin and Kucherov's hands.
Troy Brouwer, STL vs. SJ ($22) - Prior to his three-point outburst in Game 7 against Dallas, Brouwer has quietly been one of the Blues' best players since Game 3 against Chicago, scoring five goals and five assists since. The Sharks defense outside of Brent Burns and the overrated Roman Polak will have trouble moving him from the crease, and Paul Stastny will once again be leaned on to take some of the most important draws. Brouwer's a big-game player, and if he gets his minutes he should get a few chances to score.
Wingers to Avoid:
Alexander Steen, STL vs. SJ ($23) - Nothing against Hitchcock's favorite, but by no means should Steen be considered a particularly gifted offensive player. He's certainly their best two-way player, but making strong plays on defense has little relevance in fantasy. Steen comes at a steep price, and managed to score in just two games despite playing more than 20 minutes in five of the seven games.
Carl Hagelin, PIT vs. TB ($25) - Aside from a short four-game points streak and a three-point effort against Washington in Game 7, Hagelin hasn't provided much offense, though it'd be wrong to say he hasn't had an impact. He uses his speed to move pucks up the ice, but when it comes to finish or vision he's certainly not top tier. The Lightning have a few of their own speedy forwards, as well.
DEFENSE
Victor Hedman, TB at PIT ($28) - Hedman scored eight points against the Islanders after a quiet opening round in Detroit, and just as he did last year, is stepping up his play in the playoffs and showing everyone just how overlooked he is. By the end of his career, Hedman should have at least a couple Norris Trophy nominations, and maybe even a win, but he's the key cog on the Tampa blue line. Strangely enough, he seems to perform better on offense when he's also tasked with shutting down the opposition, so drawing Sidney Crosby head-to-head shouldn't dampen his offensive production.
Brent Burns, SJ at STL ($34) - He doesn't come cheap, but he may very well be worth the splurge. The Blues have the worst penalty kill among the four teams remaining, while the Sharks own the best power play. This means that Burns has a good chance to capitalize with the man advantage, and nearly half the points from his playoff total came on the power play. The Blues are the more physical team by a good margin, but that also means a mistimed hit or an errant elbow or stick may result in a penalty.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJ at STL ($22) - He has six points during his five-game points streak but in two of those games failed to register a shot on goal. His assists are usually more of the secondary variety, and isn't as involved on offense as his numbers may suggest. With a Blues attack that runs three lines deep, Vlasic will be too busy blocking shots to even think about offense. The Sharks blew the Predators' defense wide open with odd-man rushes -- that won't happen much against the Blues.
Trevor Daley, PIT vs. TB ($18) - The buck pretty much stops after Kris Letang ($29) on the Penguins defense. No other defenseman on the roster can do what Letang does, and though Daley has been a valuable addition, he won't be a big difference maker in the series. His main goal is to provide Mike Sullivan with quality minutes the rare time Letang isn't on the ice. He has six points in the playoffs, and three of those have come in his past four games.
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