This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The weather is nice in most of the country, and the hockey is high stakes. The Conference Finals continue with a game Monday and another one Tuesday. Those two games combine for Monday's contests, and here are some players from those two games to target.
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NAS vs. ANA ($8,000): Yes, Rinne struggled in Game 2 against Anaheim. It was inevitable. Heading into that game, he had a 1.41 GAA and a .950 save percentage in 11 playoff contests. Don't write him off after one night, especially with Nashville at home. The Predators were 24-9-8 at home this year, while the Ducks were 17-15-9 on the road.
CENTER
Ryan Johansen, NAS vs. ANA ($6,100): Thanks to his two-point outing Sunday, Johansen has three multi-point games in a row. The Ducks have allowed 3.00 goals per game in the playoffs, and their goalies have a collective .909 save percentage. Johansen also had 23 power-play points this year, and the Ducks have struggled on the penalty kill in the postseason.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, OTT at PIT ($4,600): Pageau is more than just his four-goal game against the Rangers. Since that massive game, he's notched four points and 19 shots on goal in five contests. The Penguins have allowed 35.2 shots on net per game in the playoffs, so Pageau should be able to keep putting pucks on net in this matchup.
WING
Jakob Silfverberg, ANA at NAS ($6,300): While I'm not writing off Rinne, Game 2 does at least open the door to the possibility he may regress a bit. Plus, Silfverberg scored in Game 1 anyway, and he also lit the lamp in Game 2. This comes after a season wherein he tallied 23 goals on 227 shots in 79 games, and he's notched 13 points in 13 playoff games.
James Neal, NAS vs. ANA ($4,800): Out of nowhere, Neal seems to have found his old 40-goal form. He's tallied five goals in his last seven contests, and he's put 29 shots on net in those games as well. Before Game 2, John Gibson had a 2.78 GAA and a .911 save percentage in the playoffs. After allowing three goals on 33 shots Sunday those numbers aren't going to get better.
Bobby Ryan, OTT at PIT ($4,200): After missing three games late in the regular season, Ryan has taken his game up a couple of notches. He's tallied six goals and six assists in 14 games, including four power-play points. While Fleury has been quite good in the playoffs, he's still the same guy who had a 3.02 GAA and a .909 save percentage during the regular season. The Penguins also allowed 32.6 shots on net per game this year, third most in the NHL. Ryan's lackluster regular season is keeping him price down, so if he stays at his current level, he can be a steal.
DEFENSE
Justin Schultz, PIT vs. OTT ($5,300): Schultz broke out this regular season with 51 points, 20 on the power play. The playoffs haven't been quite as successful, but he does have eight points. He's also played 21:09 per game in the playoffs, including 3:48 on the power play. The Senators had the 27th-ranked penalty kill after the All-Star break, so Schultz may be able to take advantage of that.
Sami Vatanen, ANA at NAS ($3,700): Vatanen notched his first goal of the playoffs Sunday, but he's a player with some offensive upside, especially on the power play. He tallied 14 points with the extra man in 71 games. Vatanen also notched 128 blocked shots, and he's added 20 more in seven playoff games. The Predators finished eighth in shot attempts per 60 minutes this year (58.6), which could bode well for Vatanen.
