This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Saturday's featured NHL slate begins at 12:00 PM EDT and features Game 2s from four series. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
All of these teams last played Thursday, with the exception of the Avalanche and Coyotes, who will meet for the second time in as many days after Colorado prevailed Friday afternoon to grab a commanding 2-0 series lead. The Golden Knights also hold a 2-0 lead against the Blackhawks in what's been a higher-scoring series, while the Blue Jackets-Lightning and Hurricanes-Bruins split their first two games.
GOALIES
The first two games of this series showed that Columbus won't go down easily, if at all. The Blue Jackets' defensive-minded style has frustrated the Lightning, primarily keeping Tampa Bay to the outside and allowing Joonas Korpisalo ($7,700) to pile up 121 saves on 125 shots through more than 10 periods of action. With last change allowing Columbus to dictate matchups as the nominal home team in Game 3, Korpisalo's poised for another strong performance.
Philipp Grubauer ($8,700) has allowed just two goals on 46 shots through two games, as the Avalanche have largely tilted the ice the other way in front of him. He'll be a strong choice if he gets the Game 3 nod against a Coyotes offense that scored only 2.71 goals per game in the regular season, and the same would be true of Pavel Francouz ($7,000) if Colorado opts you rest Grubauer in this second leg of a back-to-back.
Tuukka Rask ($8,400) is capable of more than he's shown thus far in this series, allowing three goals apiece in Games 1 and 2. Boston's netminder posted a 2.12 GAA and .929 save percentage during the regular season, and he owns a 2.20 GAA and .926 save percentage in 93 career playoff starts.
The Coyotes could also opt to make a change in net from Darcy Kuemper ($7,400) to Antti Raanta ($7,000). The former posted a 2.33 GAA and .928 save percentage in the regular season but also dropped the first two games of this series, though he's hardly been to blame with six goals allowed on 68 shots. The latter is back from an undisclosed injury and held his own with a 2.63 GAA and .921 save percentage this season. Whichever affordable netminder gets the call will be a high-risk, high-reward option, as they'll need to be the best player on the ice for the Coyotes to come out on top.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
David Krejci ($5,100) has been arguably Boston's most impactful forward in this series. He's lit the lamp in each of the first two games, adding an assist and seven shots. With Carolina rightfully focusing most of its resources on slowing down the Bruins' star-studded top line, Krejci should continue to benefit from favorable matchups.
Pierre-Luc Dubois ($6,200) has carried the Columbus offense in this series, posting multi-point performances and four shots in each of the first two games. He remains affordable relative to his output at $6,200.
Brayden Point ($7,600) has opened the postseason on a five-game point streak, which includes two goals, an assist and 13 shots through the first two games of this series. Until Tampa Bay's top-line center shows any signs of slowing down, keep rolling him out with confidence.
Dominik Kubalik ($5,400) led all rookies with 30 goals in 68 regular season games, and he's taken his scoring up another notch in the playoffs. The Czech winger owns a 4-3-7 line through six postseason games, yet he's still priced $2,400 below teammate Patrick Kane, who will also need to play a key role for Chicago to turn this team around.
Chandler Stephenson ($3,600) skated on Vegas' top line in Game 2 with Max Pacioretty sidelined by an undisclosed injury. If Pacioretty can't make his return for Game 3, Stephenson looks like a great value option given his mix of role, affordability and matchup.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights at Blackhawks
Paul Stastny (C - $4,700), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $7,100), Reilly Smith (W - $5,800)
Chicago has had no answer for the Golden Knights' second line through this series' first two games; Stastny has a 1-1-2 line, Marchessault's at 0-4-4 and Smith's at 3-2-5. Keep stacking this unit against a defensively challenged Blackhawks team that allowed the most shots per game in the league this season.
Avalanche at Coyotes
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,800), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,600), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $6,800)
With the team's top three forwards all finally healthy at once, Colorado has opted to put the trio together, creating as dangerous a line as you'll see around the league. Even a stout Coyotes defense has had no answer for these guys, as MacKinnon has a goal and two assists, Rantanen has a goal and Landeskog has two assists through this series' first two games. MacKinnon is coming off his finest season yet on a per-game basis, with a 35-58-93 line in 69 games. Both Rantanen and Landeskog were slowed by injuries this season but exceeded a point per game in 2018-19.
Coyotes vs. Avalanche
Derek Stepan (C - $4,700), Taylor Hall (W - $7,000), Clayton Keller (W - $5,500)
Arizona's top line is cheap due to the daunting matchup, and these guys should bring their A-game here with the team doing all it can to avoid falling behind 3-0 in the series. Stepan has plenty of playoff experience from his days with the Rangers, as he owns a career 19-33-52 line in 103 playoff appearances. Hall's just two years removed from winning the Hart Trophy as league MVP, while Keller scored in Game 2 and has been Arizona's top scorer this postseason with a 3-2-5 line in six games.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman ($6,300) should be worth paying up for as this slate's priciest defenseman. The star Lightning blueliner has topped 20 fantasy points in each of this series' first two games, stuffing the stat sheet with 15 shots and six blocks. He has only mustered one assist but is capable of much more, as he's coming off an 11-44-55 line in 66 regular season contests.
Zach Werenski ($5,700) led all defensemen with 20 goals in the regular season, but he's yet to mark the scoresheet against the Lightning. He has kept his value afloat with three shots and eight blocks, and Werenski's capable of breaking out offensively at any time.
Alec Martinez ($3,800) has been a two-way stud for the Golden Knights against Chicago, with an assist, four blocks and a plus-3 rating in each of the series' first two games. His terrific all-around play could earn the veteran blueliner even more minutes in Game 3 after he skated 20 in Game 1 and 26 in Game 2, which went to overtime.
If Chicago's going to make inroads in this series, Duncan Keith ($4,900) will likely play a major role. The veteran blueliner dished our four helpers in four games against the Oilers, but his offense has dried out against Vegas. He's still getting plenty of opportunities with 23 minutes of ice time in Game 1 and 28 in Game 2, and Keith's still contributing secondary stats with four shots and five blocks in this series.
