This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Two Game 6s comprise the player pool for Tuesday's contests.
Evgeni Malkin has guaranteed a Game 6 win Tuesday, whereas Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is confident in his club too. It sets up to be a classic showdown in what has already been an excellent series.
Skip ahead to Wednesday, and the Sharks have a chance to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals on home ice. San Jose has won 83 playoff games since 2000, which is good for third in the league, but they've never made the finals. Martin Jones is an impressive 6-2 with a .938 save percentage and a 1.72 goals-against average at the Shark Tank during the playoffs.
My leans are to the Penguins and Sharks winning their respective Game 6s.
GOALIE
Matt Murray, PIT at TB ($33): The last time Murray allowed four goals (Game 1 against Washington), he bounced back with three consecutive wins and allowed just five goals on 109 shots over that stretch for a .954 save percentage and a 1.64 goals-against average. Murray didn't have the chance to avenge his poor outing this time, but look for him to return to the crease and win Game 6. Marc-Andre Fleury ($31) is a viable alternative if he receives the starting nod, but Murray can be started with much more confidence.
Player to avoid:
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. PIT ($29): Tampa Bay is 2-2 through Vasilevskiy's four starts in the series, and he has an underwhelming .919 save percentage and 3.26 goals-against average as the No. 1. He has fared well, but Tampa Bay has outscored Pittsburgh to win, and the Lightning are allowing over 40 shots per game during the series.
CENTER
Evgeni Malkin, PIT at TB ($25): Perhaps Malkin goes down without a point, but "Angry Evgeni" is the best version of the superstar, and it could be argued no one in the league can up their game to an elite level and dominate like him. Take away his 2015 playoff showing, and Malkin has 123 points through 111 postseason games. In most cases you can chalk up a guarantee to noise, but there is a lot of pride at stake for Malkin, and he has a history of delivering. Plus, he has a point in three straight games with a plus-2 rating and 11 shots on net.
Robby Fabbri, STL at SJ ($15): There has been some hit and miss from game to game for Fabbri but he has 15 points through his past 17 playoff games, including a tally in consecutive outings. The cap hit is low enough to create wiggle room to spend up elsewhere.
Player to avoid:
David Backes, STL at SJ ($20): It has been an underwhelming Western Conference Finals for Backes. He sits with a goal, an assist, 11 shots on net and a minus-3 rating through five games. He hasn't produced to his cap hit in the series, and San Jose is a daunting matchup on home ice.
WING
Chris Kunitz, PIT at TB ($17): Kunitz is having a nice run of late with 17 shots through his past four games and a three-game point streak with three goals and a helper. During the point streak, he has averaged 13.0 fantasy points. This is an affordable cap hit for Kunitz, too.
Player to avoid:
Nikita Kucherov, TB vs. PIT ($29): With two goals, five helpers and a plus-6 rating through his past three games, fading Kucherov could backfire. However, with the expectation Pittsburgh returns the win and limits Tampa Bay, Kucherov's salary is too hefty to combine with another superstar.
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at SJ ($24): It's been a disastrous series for Tarasenko. He hasn't registered a point and has been saddled with a minus-5 rating through the past four games. Through the latest two outings, he has registered just a single shot on net in each. A breakout showing could be in the works, but he's too pricey to go out on that limb.
DEFENSE
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJ vs. STL ($20): A multi-category contributor, Vlasic can return fantasy points in a number of fashions. Through his last 14 playoff games, Vlasic has 10 points, a plus-9 rating, 29 shots and 44 blocked shots. This is a reasonable cap hit, too.
Justin Schultz, PIT at TB ($13): Playing sheltered minutes is working for Schultz. He has two helpers, a plus-3 rating and seven shots on net through his past three games, and two of the points were with the man advantage. At close to minimum price, there is a lot to like about his floor-ceiling combo.
Player to avoid:
Brent Burns, SJ vs. STL ($33): To begin with, it is difficult to accommodate the contest-high salary among skaters, but Burns has also registered just a single assist through his past three games. The upside is there, and this is no slight on the elite fantasy contributor, but fitting him under the cap is next to impossible unless you're surrounding him with bottom-six forwards.
