This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
I did not think we'd be facing a potential series ending Saturday, but here we are. The Rangers sweeping the Capitals? That, I expected. However, New York could also sweep Carolina if it wins Game 4 on Saturday. As a neutral observer and overarching hockey fan, that would be a shame, and it would also mean fewer opportunities for NHL DFS contests. Speaking of those, here are my lineup recommendations. There's no afternoon hockey Saturday, so the puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.
SLATE PREVIEW
The goaltending situation in Carolina seems a bit up in the air, but thus far it also hasn't mattered. In terms of injury news, earlier this week Brett Pesce got a "hasn't started skating" update and Jonathan Drouin got a "no timetable" update, so don't count on either of them.
GOALIE
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at CAR ($8,200): Well, for starters, Shesterkin's next playoff loss will be his first this season. The Russian has played a key role in New York's success. He has a .935 save percentage in these playoffs. He hasn't allowed more than three goals in a start since March 26. No easy matchups remain, so I'll go with the goalie playing the best.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at CAR ($5,100): Artemi Panarin has delivered as usual, and Vincent Trocheck has gotten a bit of a glow-up in these playoffs thanks to his production and his adversarial chattiness. Don't overlook the other guy on the Rangers' second line, though, a favorite of mine who has become the player that was hoped for when he was the first overall pick. Because he didn't hit the ground running like some vaunted prospects, Lafreniere's not always treated like a top guy in the NHL. However, Lafreniere had 28 goals and 29 assists this season and has been on fire in the playoffs. He has two points and five shots on net in each of his last two games.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Avalanche vs. Stars
Casey Mittelstadt (C - $4,000), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $5,400), Zach Parise (W - $3,400)
Colorado's top line stands out. It also makes filling out the rest of your roster a bit tricky. This line is not on that level, but it does offer intriguing potential as this series moves from Dallas to Denver. Jake Oettinger looked great against Vegas after a rough Game 1, but this series has been a different story. He has allowed seven goals on 57 shots.
Mittelstadt scored a goal in Game 1 against the Jets and has turned to assisting his teammates in lighting the lamp since then. The former Sabre has six helpers in his last five games. Lehkonen plays on Colorado's top power-play unit, playing with the three guys from the first line and Cale Makar. That helps boost his upside, but he has not been reliant on the power play in a productive postseason. Lehkonen has nine points in the playoffs but only two with the extra man. Parise is a bit of a tag on because the wing depth gets shallow for the Avalanche quickly. The veteran did score two goals in the first round, though, and he's put two shots on net in both games this series.
DEFENSEMAN
Thomas Harley, DAL at COL ($4,600): Miro Heiskanen is shouldering a massive load for the Stars, but behind him you find Harley, who has averaged 23:57 minutes of ice time per game in the playoffs, including 1:24 minutes on the power play. While Harley was cold early in the postseason, he has two assists and 11 shots on net over the last four games. Alexandar Georgiev is also the most questionable netminder among these four teams, recording a .897 save percentage this year.
