This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Tuukka Rask, BOS at TOR ($8,200): The Leafs will have home-ice advantage but will be without the services of the suspended Nazem Kadri, and thus far in the series Mike Babcock has not been able to come up with an answer for the Bruins' vaunted top line. Rask has been very good against the Leafs – the team that drafted him back in 2005 – throughout his entire career and limited them to just four goals in two games. The Leafs will have to come out hard or otherwise face a 3-0 hole, but the Bruins have been the far superior team. Rask may not shut them out but certainly has a good chance to get the W.
CENTER
Nathan MacKinnon, COL vs. NSH ($7,100): MacKinnon's managed to score three points in two games away from Denver, but now returns home where he's been flat-out dominant this season. That the Avs were able to score at all on the road is a very good sign, and they'll only get more comfortable on home ice. They're still a long shot to win the series, but don't expect the Preds to be able to keep the Avs off the board.
Brayden Point, TB at NJ ($6,400): He's formed a brilliant second line with fellow undersized scorer Tyler Johnson and two-way winger Ondrej Palat, thanks to Anthony Cirelli and Yanni Gourde's dependability on the third line. Point plays much bigger than his size suggests and through two games has a goal and two assists while averaging more than 18 minutes per game. The Devils have the matchup advantage, but their top defensive pairing will again be preoccupied with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.
WING
Brad Marchand, BOS at TOR ($7,300): His speed has been difficult to contain for the Leafs and his tenacity makes him a chore to play against. The Leafs have had no answers for Marchand and the Bruins' top line, and unless they make drastic changes expect that to continue. There may be slightly fewer high-quality chances since the Leafs will dictate much of the matchups with last change, but clearly the matchups haven't mattered much to Marchand and his line.
David Pastrnak, BOS at TOR ($7,100): His unbelievable skill was on display with a six-point effort in Game 2, and there's no reason that dominance shouldn't continue. The Bruins are going into a hostile environment but their core group is very experienced, and the Leafs haven't been able to stop the bleeding on defense. The Leafs should provide a tough challenge but it's a night where it might be wise for fantasy owners stack up on Bruins linemates.
Kyle Palmieri, NJ vs. TB ($5,600): He's been relatively quiet two games into the series with a minus-3 rating, but at least he's trying, having registered seven shots on goal. He'll need to step up and help out Taylor Hall carry the scoring burden or otherwise face an 0-3 hole in the series. The Devils offense has been surprisingly effective against a pretty deep Lightning squad, so perhaps it's time Palmieri got on the board as well.
DEFENSE
Torey Krug, BOS at TOR ($5,900): Emotions will certainly be running high but when Marchand is on the ice, he's inevitably going to draw a few penalties. Krug has done a masterful job of running the Bruins power play, with four of his five assists coming on the man advantage. If the Leafs find themselves in an early hole discipline might be an issue, which will be a boon for Krug.
P.K. Subban, NSH at COL ($5,500): The Preds defense is so deep it's hard to pinpoint a single standout defenseman, but Subban continues to present the most intriguing upside. He was held without a point and finished with a minus-2 rating in Game 1, but responded in Game 2 with two power-play assists and 27 minutes of ice time. He's trending up and the Preds can surely smell blood with a 2-0 series lead.
