This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
The Panthers host the Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final. If they win, they get another shot at their first Stanley Cup. What about you, though? Well, you get $55,000 in salary for your DFS lineups. You have to pick five players, and you must select one to be your Captain, who will earn 1.5 times the points. Whether this series ends or returns to New York, here's the lineup I like best for Saturday. Puck drops at 8 p.m. EDT.
CAPTAIN
Matthew Tkachuk, FLA vs. NYR ($14,000): Both teams have very good goalies, but the Panthers were one of the best teams at preventing shots during the regular season. And that's continued in the playoffs as they've only allowed 24.5 per game. On the flip side, the Rangers have conceded 32.9. Only the Jets and Islanders gave up more this postseason, and both were booted in five games in the first round. That's why I want a Florida player at home for my captain. You want pucks on net? Tkachuk had 280 of them during the regular season and has since added 62 more, including 16 over the last three outings. I fully expect him to make things hard on Igor Shesterkin.
UTILITY
Artemi Panarin, NYR at FLA ($14,500): Tkachuk tends to be at the center of good things for the Panthers, and Panarin operates in the same role for the Rangers. He racked up career highs of 49 goals and 120 points this season while also notching 303 shots. Panarin hasn't potted a goal in his last eight appearances, but still has five assists. Even as good as Florida is at preventing shots, Panarin has managed at least three pucks on net three times this series.
Chris Kreider, NYR at FLA ($11,500): The second shot I'm going to take on the Rangers is Kreider as he just registered a goal, assist, and four shots in Game 5. He also produced 18 goals and 11 assists on the power play this season and has averaged 3:51 with the extra man across the playoffs. Even against a solid penalty kill, power-play time is still a plus in a single-game contest scenario.
Anton Lundell, FLA vs. NYR ($8,500): I'm rounding out my lineup with two Panthers at lower salaries. Lundell is a complementary player, yet he's averaged 16:34 in the playoffs and participates on the second power play. He's also had his moments throughout the postseason with a four-game point streak against the Lightning, two two-point efforts to top the Bruins, and just tallied a goal and three shots on Thursday. That's solid stuff for a third-line center.
Kyle Okposo, FLA vs. NYR ($6,500): Okposo is a flyer, but anything he does at this salary could be big for your lineup. Florida's fourth unit doesn't play a lot, and he was a healthy scratch to start this series. However, the veteran's presence has been called upon the last couple of outings, where he's provided five shots. Okposo has made the most of his minutes, and he'll bring significant bang for your buck if he manages to score. With my remaining salary, he holds the highest upside.
