The Hurricanes avoided disaster in Game 2 as they battled back twice to earn a win and even up the series before heading to Vegas. The Golden Knights get to be at home on Saturday with a start time of 8 p.m. EDT. And of course, that means it'stime for another FanDuel single-game NHL DFS contest.
For your roster construction, you are provided with $60,000 in salary for six players. One must be selected as your MVP. He will net you 1.5 times the points at 1.5 times the salary. Here's the lineup I landed on.
MVP
Jordan Staal, CAR at VGK ($7,500): Making Staal my MVP allowed me to stack my lineup with players who log plenty of minutes and participate on the top power plays for each team. The veteran is known for his defensive skill, faceoff prowess, and leadership while also recently providing on offense having potted a goal in three of his last four outings. With how Carolina's lead line has performed, it makes just as much sense to roster Staal as, say, someone like Sebastian Aho.
UTILITY
Jack Eichel, VGK vs. CAR ($13,000): Eichel is Vegas's best player who drives the action at both ends and takes on a lot of ice time. He's produced 90 points from each of the last two seasons while adding 19 so far during the playoffs. Though Eichel's last few matchups haven't been remarkable stats-wise, this selection is more about his talent and track record.
Mitch Marner, VGK vs. CAR ($12,000): One of the primary benefits of Staal being my MVP is that I was able to easily pick both Eichel and Marner. The former Leaf tops all NHLers with 24 postseason points. Marner also hasn't endured any slumps so far having contributed three assists this series with three shots on net during Game 2.
Nikolaj Ehlers, CAR at VGK ($10,000): Ehlers has gotten a lot of love of late as a slick, skill-heavy player prior iterations of the club lacked. He notched 71 points and 207 shots over the season, including 29 PPPs. Ehlers has also posted multiple points from four of his last 10 appearances and at least two pucks on net in five of six.
Mark Stone, VGK vs. CAR ($8,600): Stone was doing well and then got hurt, both events that weren't surprising for him. And he's gotten right back into the groove by tallying three goals on eight shots alongside an assist through four games. Stone also blocked two shots on Thursday, indicating he's healthy enough to throw his body around in the quest for the Cup.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. CAR ($7,800): I get to close out my roster with a top-pairing blueliner who also quarterbacks Vegas's first man-advantage? That's the last perk of my decision to make Staal my MVP. Theodore wasn't as active in Game 2 compared to the opener when he registered three points. He's also racked up 14 points across 15 outings after 39 during the regular season. If Brett Howden can sustain his playoff success, so can Theodore!
