This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Avalanche finished off their sweep of the Predators on Monday night, becoming the first team to move on to the second round. As a result, we only have three games on the docket Wednesday evening. The Rangers host the Penguins, who are up in the series 3-1. Meanwhile, the Panthers will host the Capitals, and the Flames will host the Stars. Both series are tied 2-2.
All advanced statistics are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. DAL ($8,200): Both goalies in this series are playing remarkably. Markstrom has a .952 save percentage while Jake Oettinger has a .960 mark. There have been 14 total goals scored through four games, including three empty-net tallies. If I'm betting on one goalie to crack, it will be Oettinger. The Flames have posted 3.12 xGF/60 compared to the Stars' 2.12 mark so far.
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. WAS ($8,000): According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Panthers (-220) are massive favorites at home where Bobrovsky has played his best hockey. Through the regular season and playoffs, Bobrovsky has a .919 save percentage and a 27-4-0 record.
Louis Domingue, PIT at NYR ($7,600): The Rangers' defense has been so bad that even Igor Shesterkin ($8,500) can't play hero. Domingue has an .890 save percentage and a 3.72 GAA through three playoff starts, so his stats don't jump off the page, but he has the best chance to get a win. After all, the Penguins lead the postseason with 4.18 xGF/60 at even strength.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Tyler Toffoli, CGY vs. DAL (W - $5,500): Toffoli has just one point in this series, but he has fired 13 shots on net through four games. He's still getting plenty of ice time on the second line, and he'll aim to leverage his time on the power play against the Stars' 19th-ranked PK (79.0 percent in the regular season).
Nicklas Backstrom, WSH at FLA (C - $4,800): Backstrom's salary is depressed because of a lackluster regular-season performance. However, he has picked his game up in the playoffs with five points through four games. This game is listed with a 6.5 O/U, so there's room for Bobrovsky to perform well and Backstrom to provide value.
Carter Verhaeghe, FLA vs. WSH (W - $4,700): Verhaeghe has registered three goals and two assists through four games while skating on the second line after recording 24 goals through 78 games in the regular season. He has shown an ability to score at a high rate over long periods of time, and it's encouraging that he has averaged 2.5 per game during this series.
Kasperi Kapanen, PIT at NYR (W - $3,600): Kapanen has a secure role on the second line and the second power-play unit. While he has just two points through four games, he fired 16 shots on net in that stretch while averaging 18 minutes of ice time. He's knocking on the door, and he's set up well to capitalize if Shesterkin and the Rangers can't turn things around.
LINE STACKS
Penguins 
at Rangers 
Sidney Crosby (C - $8,800), Bryan Rust (W - $7,400), Jake Guentzel (W - $8,400)
This is a pricey line stack, but when Crosby gets rolling like this, it's difficult to stop him. Through four games, he has posted nine points, and both Guentzel and Rust have combined for 11 points. Shesterkin hasn't been able to put the team on his back this series, as he has put up a 4.26 GAA thus far. This line is a must-start for cash games, and if it hits its ceiling, you'll regret fading it in tournaments.
Flames 
vs. Stars 
Elias Lindholm (C - $7,500), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $8,300), Johnny Gaudreau (W - $8,700)
This has been an extremely low-scoring series with essentially just 3.5 goals being scored per game. Sometimes a series will keep a low pace all the way through, but we've already seen one game have six goals scored in it. Furthermore, there's value in picking players that are flying under the radar for large DFS tournaments. This line has plenty of ceiling, too, as each player on this line reached the 40-goal mark this season.
DEFENSE
Aaron Ekblad, FLA vs. WSH ($6,500): Ekblad is back and as good as ever with four points through the last four games. He's handling major ice time with nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game. The Capitals are expected to roll out Ilya Samsonov in the blue paint. Samsonov has an .892 save percentage and a 3.24 GAA on the road since the beginning of March.
Kris Letang, PIT at NYR ($6,500): Letang provides an intriguing floor on a nightly basis, as he has posted three points, 11 shots on net and 13 blocked shots through four games. Working on the power play is key for Letang because the Rangers' penalty kill has struggled so far in the postseason. Letang carries a high salary, but if you're stacking the Penguins from above, he makes sense to be in the mix.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. DAL ($5,000): Andersson broke out this season with 50 points through 82 games, and he provided a steady stream of shots and blocked shots in the process. The 25-year-old has produced just one point this series, but if the floodgates open up, expect him to be on the front lines. Through the last three games, he averaged 23 minutes of ice while skating on the second power-play unit.
John Klingberg, DAL at CGY ($4,400): If you're not sold on the Flames, Klingberg is probably your best hedge on the blue line. He racked up 47 points through 74 regular-season games, including 20 points on the power play. When he can stay out of the box, he eats up big minutes like he did Monday with 24:45 of ice time.
