This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday could be a major day in the NHL playoffs. The Lightning and Golden Knights are in position to clinch their respective series, which would bring us awfully close to beginning the conference finals. That would certainly change the picture for daily fantasy players. Until then, though, here are some recommendations for your lineup.
GOALIE
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. BOS ($8,700): Vasilevskiy had a solid regular season, posting a 2.62 GAA and .920 save percentage. However, he's been even better in the playoffs with a 2.33 GAA and .923 save percentage. The Lightning will have the chance to eliminate the Bruins at home, and the fact the Russian netminder gets to be on his own ice is another point in his favor.
CENTER
Brayden Point, TAM vs. BOS ($6,500): Point has six points in this series and nine points in nine playoff games. That's after the 22-year-old had 32 goals and 34 assists this season. Tuukka Rask has struggled in the playoffs, as he has a 2.96 GAA and .903 save percentage in 11 postseason contests.
Anthony Cirelli, TAM vs. BOS ($3,100): Cirelli only played in 18 games this season, but he managed 11 points in that time. He's serving as the third-line center for the Lightning and has two points in his last five games. As was just noted, Tuukka Rask has a 2.96 GAA and .903 save percentage in the playoffs. Of the cheaper centers, Cirelli seems to have the most potential, so he offers a chance to save some cash and maybe still get a nice payoff.
WING
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK at SAN ($6,900): Marchessault has three multi-point games in this series, and he's been incredibly active offensively. In nine playoff games, he has put 39 shots on net. During the regular season, he managed a whopping 268 shots on goal in 77 contests, tallying 27 goals in the process. Though Martin Jones played well in the first round, he's been pulled twice against the Golden Knights so far.
Evander Kane, SAN vs. VGK ($6,700): Kane tore it up after being traded to the Sharks, notching nine goals on 80 shots in 17 games. He hasn't scored at quite the same pace in the playoffs, with four goals and an assist in eight games, but he's put 34 shots on net. Though Marc-Andre Fleury has been great, Vegas has allowed 35.1 shots on net per contest in the postseason. The Golden Knights also had a 3.00 GAA on the road.
Alex Tuch, VGK at SAN ($4,600): Tuch scored two goals on four shots in Game 4 of this series, but that's not a fluke. He has seven points in his last games, including four on the power play. In this series, Martin Jones has a 3.36 GAA and .886 save percentage. During the regular season, he had a .915 save percentage, which isn't bad but was the worst of all four goalies in action Sunday.
DEFENSE
Victor Hedman, TAM vs. BOS ($5,900): After being held without a point in the first round, Hedman has a point in all four games of this series. They have all been assists, but the Swedish defenseman knows how to light the lamp. He scored 17 goals this year after having 16 last season. Tuukka Rask has a 2.96 GAA and .903 save percentage in the playoffs, and if you stretch back into the regular season he has a 3.13 GAA and .899 save percentage in his last 14 starts.
Colin Miller, VGK at SAN ($4,200): Miller started 61.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Golden Knights. He notched 41 points this season, 17 on the power play and has three points in this series. The defenseman has also put 29 shots on goal and blocked 16 shots in his last 12 contests. Martin Jones' issues in this series have been noted a couple times already, but they are worth mentioning once again.
