This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are four games on the NHL schedule Friday as all three series will play their respective Game 3's. The Rangers lead 2-0 and travel to Washington, while all other series are tied at 1-1. Vancouver visits Nashville, Colorado hosts Winnipeg and Edmonton plays in LA. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Casey DeSmith, VAN at NSH ($7,600): DeSmith had a tough go of it Tuesday, giving up three goals on 15 shots in a 4-1 Game 2 loss to Nashville. Thatcher Demko is week-to-week with a knee injury, leaving the netminding duties to DeSmith. DeSmith was 12-9-6 with a 2.89 GAA and an .895 save percentage, but he is a capable goaltender and the hope is that the Canucks – one of the best teams in the regular season – will rally around the 32-year-old.
Stuart Skinner, EDM at LA ($8,000): Skinner has been mediocre in his last three starts, giving up 13 goals on 76 shots (.829 save percentage), but he got off to a bad start in the regular season before rebounding to become a top-seven netminder this season in the NHL. Skinner was 3-1-0 versus the Kings in the regular season, stopping 117 of 125 shots (.936 save percentage). He is more than capable of turning things around and I am expecting him to do so in LA on Friday.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Kevin Fiala, LA vs. EDM ($5,500): Fiala found the back of the net Wednesday in the Kings' 5-4 overtime win over Edmonton to even the series 1-1. He has had seven shots on goal in two playoff games thus far. Fiala had a very good regular season, scoring 29 goals and adding 44 assists in 82 games. Fiala was a force on the power play with 11 goals and 30 points.
Elias Lindholm, VAN at NSH ($4,100): Lindholm saw his four-game point streak come to an end in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Nashville. The talented center had six goals and 12 points in 26 games with Vancouver a trade from Calgary, where he had nine goals and 32 points in 49 appearances. Lindholm has fit in nicely on the Canucks' third line. He plays with Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland, as well as seeing second-line power-play time. Lindholm is a good choice if you need an inexpensive forward to fill out your roster.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Rangers at Capitals
Artemi Panarin (W-$8,700), Vincent Trocheck (C-$6,300), Alexis Lafreniere (W-$4,900)
The Rangers best line has combined for two goals and five assists in the first two games of the series, but the surprising thing is that Panarin has only one point. It was the game-winning goal in Game 1, but it's hard to believe that the 120-point man from the regular season is third in scoring on his line. The trio have looked great against the Capitals. Lafreniere has finally taken a big step forward this season, with career highs in goals (28) and assists (29), as he has finally shown why he was selected first overall in the 2020 Draft. Trocheck also had a career year, scoring 25 times and adding 52 helpers. The trio are a good choice Friday.
Avalanche vs. Jets
Nathan MacKinnon (C-$10,100), Zach Parise (W-$3,600), Mikko Rantanen (W-$7,900)
The duo of MacKinnon and Rantanen are one of – if not the top – the best pairings in the NHL. They each have three points in the first two games against the Jets, while Parise had the game-winner in Game 2. MacKinnon smashed his career high in points with 140, while Rantanen had 104 points, including 42 goals. Parise has already stated that this is his final year in the NHL and should be all in, in an effort to win his first Stanley Cup.
DEFENSEMEN
Quinn Hughes, VAN at NSH ($6,000): Hughes led all defensemen with 75 assists and 92 points in 2023-24. He was a plus-38 and is likely the front-runner for the Norris Trophy, which goes to the NHL's top defenseman. He has two assists in the series and is averaging 24:55 of ice time. Hughes had five assists in two regular-season games versus Nashville and he can be expected to hit the scoresheet in Friday's tilt against the Predators.
Josh Morrissey, WPG at COL ($5,600): Morrissey had a goal and an assist in Game 1, but he was held off the scoresheet Tuesday. Morrissey had another fabulous season with 10 goals and 69 points. He was a plus-34 and had 19 points with the man advantage. It all adds up to Morrissey being a good selection on your DFS blue line.
