This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
No series in this round has ended yet, but I think we might see that happen Tuesday, as two of the four clashes are potential elimination games. The Capitals are even facing getting swept by the Islanders, which feels pretty bizarre. For now though, Washington's alive, and so is Chicago. That means I can include players from those teams on my list of players to target, and to avoid, for DFS purposes. Remember, as has often been the case in the playoffs the games start at 3:00 p.m. EDT.
GOALIE
Carter Hart, PHI at MON ($34): Hart was back at it again Sunday, as he stopped 23 shots to shut out the Canadiens. While Montreal has averaged 34.1 shots on net per game, Philadelphia's only giving up 28.7 shots on net per contest. Clearly, the Flyers were able to tamp down the Habs in their last game. That makes things even easier for Hart.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Semyon Varlamov, NYI vs. WAS ($30): The Capitals are facing elimination. That's my primary concern for Varlamov here. Washington averaged 3.42 goals per game, second highest in the NHL. With their backs against the wall, I expect the Caps to leave it all on the ice. It's hard to sweep a team in the NHL, which would mean a loss for the Russian netminder.
CENTER
Sean Monahan, CGY at DAL ($18): Monahan tore it up against the Jets (six points in four games), but things have been a little slower against the Stars. The center did just have two assists in his last game though, and he's put nine shots on net in this series. With Ben Bishop consistently banged up in the postseason, Anton Khudobin has had to be in the net the bulk of the time. While he has a 2.68 GAA in the playoffs, he also has a weak .907 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sean Couturier, PHI at MON ($23): While Couturier had 59 points in 69 games this year – a slight step down for him but still impressive – he's largely struggled in the playoffs. The 27-year-old only has two points, both assists, through six games, and he's only put 10 shots on goal as well. There were people saying that Carey Price is the kind of goalie that could steal a series or two for the Canadiens, and so far he has a 1.40 GAA and .953 save percentage in the playoffs.
WING
Max Pacioretty, VGK vs. CHI ($27): Pacioretty has missed a chunk of the playoffs, but this matchup with the Blackhawks is right up his alley. Few players are as prolific at putting pucks on net as Pacioretty, as he had 307 shots on goal in 71 games. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks gave up 35.1 shots on net per game, highest in the NHL. That math adds up for the American winger.
Anders Lee, NYI vs. WAS ($18): The 30-year-old skates on New York's top line with Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle, and those three were one, two, and three in terms of starting in the offensive zone on the Islanders. Lee has a goal in three straight games, and he also has 21 shots on net in his last six contests. As for Braden Holtby, he had a 3.11 GAA and .897 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
T.J. Oshie, WAS at NYI ($21): While Nicklas Backstrom has been out, Oshie has had to skate with Lars Eller as his center. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that over his last two games without his usual center he has zero points and only two shots on goal. Backstrom is dealing with a concussion, so there's a good chance he won't be available again Tuesday. Given that, I wouldn't take a chance on Oshie.
Brendan Gallagher, MON vs. PHI ($19): Gallagher is one of the most prolific shooters in the NHL, but that's a skill that is hard to exploit against the Flyers. Like I said, Philly only allowed 28.7 shots on net per game, lowest in the NHL. Also, given that Hart has a 1.51 GAA and .949 save percentage in the bubble, any shots Gallagher gets on net aren't likely to go in.
DEFENSE
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. CHI ($23): After putting 219 shots on goal in 71 games during the regular season, Theodore has been on fire in the playoffs. Not only does he have 24 shots on net in six games, he's also tallied four goals and two assists. Corey Crawford can stand on his head from time to time, but given the Blackhawks have allowed 35.1 shots on net per contest, even if he does Theodore can rack up the fantasy points.
Duncan Keith, CHI at VGK ($18): Keith doesn't score goals like he used to, but he did have 11 power-play points in 61 contests. That was while he was averaging 2:17 per game with the extra man. In the playoffs, he's averaged a whopping 4:35 per game in power-play time. While the Golden Knights are a formidable team, they also only had the 27th-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Shea Weber, MON vs. PHI ($21): It's the same story for Weber as with his teammate Gallagher. He's a defenseman that usually puts a lot of shots on goal, but the Flyers excel at suppressing shots. Also, despite his big shot the veteran defenseman isn't a power-play weapon any longer. He only had eight power-play points this season, and he only has one power-play point in his last 23 games.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at MON ($17): Provorov notched 13 goals this season, but he hasn't lit the lamp yet in the playoffs. With the way Price is playing (1.40 GAA and .953 save percentage) that doesn't feel likely to change. After all, in this series the Canadiens have only allowed three goals total.
