This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
On Wednesday, we got one blowout NHL game and one that seemed primed for a blowout until a comeback/collapse (your mileage may vary based on which Canadian team you back) changed that around. Now, on Friday, those four teams hit the ice again. The first puck drops at 7 p.m. ET. Here are my DFS recommendations to kick off the weekend.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are a couple of goaltending situations that intrigue me Friday. Stuart Skinner will likely be in net for the Oilers, even with how Game 1 wound down. What about the Canucks, though? Arturs Silovs is a goalie with limited experience. He allowed four goals on 18 shots in Game 1. Casey DeSmith may return to the starting role. Then, there's Boston. The Bruins were doing a rigid goalie swap until Jeremy Swayman "got in the head" of the Maple Leafs. He was pulled in Game 2 against the Panthers. Will Linus Ullmark step back in?
GOALIE
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA at BOS ($7,800): Though "Bob" has been inconsistent in the playoffs, even in this series he's allowed six goals one night and only one the next time out, but he posted a 2.37 GAA this year behind an elite defense. Florida's remained stingy, allowing a mere 25.6 shots on net per game in the playoffs. The Bruins have only managed 26.3 shots on goal in the playoffs themselves. Maybe Bobrovsky won't be all that busy, which makes it less likely he allows goals (and more likely he gets a win).
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM at VAN ($5,000): As an Oiler, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to guys to dish the puck to. Nugent-Hopkins has picked up multiple assists in three of his last four games. He's also part of Edmonton's vaunted top power-play unit. The Canucks had the 17th-ranked penalty kill. Power-play time for Nugent-Hopkins could pay off. It frequently does.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Panthers at Bruins
Anton Lundell (C - $4,000), Sam Reinhart (W - $7,000), Eetu Luostarinen (W - $2,900)
Whether or not Swayman or Ullmark is in net, I'd stack Florida's second line (or at least the second line presuming Sam Bennett does not return). With the Panthers' top line now stacked with talent, the second line provides a more palatable salary outlay. The Bruins also were below average in terms of shots on net allowed per game, while the other three teams in action were in the top six.
You can't rely on Lundell for goals, or even getting pucks on net, but he's been dishing out the helpers. He's picked up an assist in five of his last six games. Reinhart is a goal-getter by trade, having tallied 57 this season. That's enticing enough as is, but in Game 2 of this series, he went ahead and picked up four assists to remind you he's more than a scorer. This season, Reinhart tallied 37 helpers. Luostarinen has been unexpectedly involved offensively recently. He has three points in his last four games and 10 shots on goal over his last five outings.
DEFENSEMAN
Nikita Zadorov, VAN vs. EDM ($3,100): If you're looking for defensive options for DFS in the playoffs, sometimes it's about finding guys who aren't on top pairings or first power-play units but are producing unexpectedly. Right now, that's Zadorov. He has three goals and two assists in seven playoff games. The Oilers have spent much of the season winning despite Stuart Skinner's play, as he had a .905 save percentage this year.
