This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are four games on tap Thursday, and all four road teams in these series were victorious Tuesday to take 1-0 leads in their best-of-sevens. Tampa Bay plays in Toronto, New Jersey hosts the Rangers and Winnipeg remains in Vegas while Colorado entertains Seattle. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. SEA ($33): Georgiev gave up three goals on 30 shots Tuesday in a 3-1 loss to the Kraken in Game 1. It was the 11th straight game that the Bulgarian netminder had allowed three goals or less, but the lack of scoring from the Avalanche gave Seattle the win. Georgiev was outstanding in the regular season, going 40-16-6 with a 2.53 GAA and .918 save percentage, all career bests. Look for a big performance from him and the Avs as Colorado needs the win to avoid going to Seattle down 2-0.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Philipp Grubauer, SEA at COL ($24): Grubauer was superb Tuesday, stopping 34 shots in a 3-1 win over his former teammates. He has been strong the last three weeks, giving up seven goals on 137 shots, but he struggled through most of the regular season, going 17-14-4 with a 2.85 GAA and .895 save percentage. I expect Grubauer to revert to his previous form, as the Avalanche should find the back of the net more than just once in the Mile High City.
CENTER
Nathan MacKinnon, COL vs. SEA ($36): MacKinnon managed an assist and seven shots on goal in the Avalanche's loss to Seattle on Tuesday. He was outstanding in the regular season, lighting the lamp on 42 occasions while chipping in with 69 assists in only 71 games. It was the first time the 27-year-old surpassed the 100-point mark, and he also set a career high with 366 shots on goal. MacKinnon should explode Thursday as the Avs need a big win to even the series.
CENTER TO AVOID
J.T. Compher, COL vs. SEA ($16): Compher was held pointless Tuesday, and he has only one goal and three assists in his last 12 games. While he had the best season of his career in 2022-23, scoring 17 times and adding 35 assists, Compher has not been an offensive threat of late. There are better choices at center than the 28-year-old.
WING
Mitchell Marner, TOR vs. TB ($30): Marner managed to assist on all three Toronto goals in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to Tampa Bay. He finished the season with 99 points and had regular-season success against the Lightning, scoring twice and adding an assist in two games. Marner excelled on the power play with nine tallies and 36 points this season.
Kyle Connor, WPG at VGK ($24): Connor had a goal and five shots on net in the Jets' 5-1 win in Vegas on Tuesday. He slumped a bit this season after scoring 47 goals and adding 46 assists last year, as he had only 32 tallies in 2022-23 as well as 49 assists. The talented winger plays on the first line as well as the first power play, where he managed 29 points, a new career high.
WINGS TO AVOID
Timo Meier, NJ vs. NYR ($25): Meier struggled offensively after his trade from San Jose, scoring nine times with five assists in 21 games. He was held off the scoresheet Tuesday in Game 1, and is seeing third-line duty at this time with Erik Haula and Jesper Boqvist. He remains on the top power play unit, where he managed 17 goals this season. He did manage a goal and three points in three regular-season games versus the Rangers, but they shut him down Tuesday.
Mikko Rantanen, COL vs. SEA ($34): Rantanen had an outstanding season with 55 goals and 105 points, by far the best of his eight-year NHL career. He scored the lone Colorado goal Tuesday, his first point in four games against the Kraken this season. Seattle has managed to contain Rantanen all season and he is too pricey to roster with confidence.
DEFENSE
Adam Fox, NYR at NJ ($23): Fox had a huge game Tuesday, assisting on four goals in the Rangers' 5-1 win over the Devils. It was a continuation of a regular season in which Fox had 12 goals and 72 points, eighth best among defensemen. The Rangers looked awfully good Tuesday in New Jersey, with Fox being a big reason why.
Cale Makar, COL vs. SEA ($32): Makar managed 17 goals and 66 points in only 60 games this season as he battled injuries. He missed the last seven games of the regular season before returning Tuesday for Game 1. Makar won the Norris Trophy in 2021-22 with 86 points, and he's always capable of a big breakout game. The Avalanche's backs are to the wall Thursday, so look for Makar to have a strong offensive showing.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Dougie Hamilton, NJ vs. NYR ($25): Hamilton smashed his career bests with 22 goals and 74 points this season, but was held pointless in Game 1. He had 275 shots on goal in 2022-23, also a career high, but the Rangers managed to hold him to one shot on goal in their big 5-1 win Thursday.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. TB ($15): To put it plainly, Rielly had a rough campaign after picking up 10 goals and 68 points last season. He was held to just four goals and 41 points in 65 games, missing five weeks in late November and most of December with a knee injury. Whether the issue limited the remainder of the season is unknown, but he had been far from elite in 2022-23. He has not picked up a point in two games versus Tampa Bay this season.
