This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Since there is only one game Thursday, the daily fantasy contests for the day include Friday's two games. This will likely be the last chance you get this season to select from more than four teams for your daily fantasy needs. Make the most of it, perhaps by targeting, or avoiding, the players below…
GOALIE
Jake Allen, STL vs. NAS ($36):Pekka Rinne has been outstanding, but that is causing Allen to be overlooked. In the postseason, Allen has a 2.05 GAA and a .936 save percentage, and in his last 32 games he has a 1.90 GAA and a .938 save percentage. That's a big reason why the Blues allowed a league-low 1.88 goals per game after the All-Star break. The Predators have put 29.9 shots on goal per game in the playoffs, which is one of the lower averages in the postseason. The Blues also need to win, are at home, and perhaps they will actually get Allen some goal support in these dire circumstances.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Henrik Lundqvist, NYR vs. OTT ($34): Lundqvist's postseason play may make you forget he had a .910 save percentage and a 2.74 GAA in the regular season, which are the worst numbers of the 35-year-old King's career. On top of that, the Rangers allowed 2.90 goals per game at home, fourth most in the NHL. He's the third-most-expensive goalie, and if the regular season numbers are any indication, things could take a turn for the worse.
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CENTER
Rickard Rakell, ANA vs. EDM ($16): Rakell has averaged 7.3 fantasy points per game, and he started 36.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. He notched 33 goals in 72 games, tallying 12 power-play points as well. Rakell tallied five points in Anaheim's sweep of Calgary, and while he hasn't been quite as good in this series, he did score in Game 4 and has 14 shots on goal. Cam Talbot had a .919 save percentage during the regular season, which is just above average, and the Oilers had the 25th-ranked penalty kill after the All-Star break.
CENTER TO AVOID
Derick Brassard, OTT vs. NYR ($19): Brassard has averaged 5.5 fantasy points per game. To find a player averaging fewer points, you have to get down to Mark Letestu, who will only set you back $15. This series has not gone well for Brassard, who has zero points, and in his last game he was held to one shot on goal.
WING
Mats Zuccarello, NYR vs. OTT ($20): Zuccarello has five points in his last four games, and he ended the regular season on fire as well. In his final 16 games, he tallied 15 points, including six with the extra man. The diminutive Norwegian also started 34.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, fourth most among New York's forwards. Craig Anderson has a .917 save percentage in the playoffs, and in his last two games he's allowed nine points. On top of that, the Senators had the 27th-ranked penalty kill after the All-Star break.
Alex Burrows, OTT at NYR ($14): The Rangers have given up 34.4 shots on net per game in the playoffs, which is a point in Burrows' favor, along with New York's 2.90 GAA at home this year. Burrows has yet to notch a goal in the postseason, but he does have two helpers in this series. He's also averaged 2:16 on the power play, and the Rangers had the 26th-ranked penalty kill after the All-Star break.
WINGS TO AVOID
Vladamir Tarasenko, STL vs. NAS ($30): To say that Rinne has been great in the postseason may be understating it. He has a 1.33 GAA and a .953 save percentage, both of which lead all netminders. Tarasenko is the most expensive winger Thursday by a whopping $7. He does have a couple goals in this series, but they came in the same game, and he only has three goals in the playoffs total.
Jaden Schwartz, STL vs. NAS ($20): Let's just go with two Blues in this section. Everything about Rinne that was stated above remains true here. The Predators have allowed fewer goals per game than any postseason team, and they've only given up 29.0 shots on net in the playoffs as well. With six teams to choose from, you have slightly more options than usual in the postseason, so why go with a player having to solve the NHL's hottest goalie?
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Ellis, NAS at STL ($19): If not for Rinne's performance in net, people would be championing Ellis as an early Conn Smythe candidate. He has a seven-game point streak, notching nine points total. This comes after a fantastic regular season wherein he tallied 16 goals and 38 points in 71 games. He also notched 137 blocked shots, so he can help out on that end as well. Ellis has certainly been doing that in the postseason, as he has 27 blocked shots to go with all those points.
Andrej Sekera, EDM at ANA ($17): Sekera has averaged 6.0 fantasy points per game, as he tallied 35 points, including 11 on the power play. He's notched 15 shots on goal, and 21 blocked shots, in the playoffs. Sekera has also averaged 2:12 with the extra man. The Ducks have not been as stout defensively in the postseason, including on the penalty kill, which makes Sekera a bit more enticing than he looks on paper.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Joel Edmundson, STL vs. NAS ($18): Sure, Edmundson has had a surprisingly good postseason, but it can't help but feel like a fluke. After all, he has three playoff goals, which is the same number he had in the regular season. He's averaged a mere 4.3 fantasy points per game, and he has only two games in the playoffs where he has notched more than one shot on goal. In any matchup, he would feel a bit rich at this price, but that's especially true against Nashville.
Brady Skjei, NYR vs. OTT ($17): Skjei has four goals in the playoffs after notching five in the regular season. The difference for him? Skjei had a 3.9 shooting percentage this season, but that number has jumped to an unsustainable 28.6 in the playoffs. Skjei has only played 1:38 per game with the extra man in the playoffs, so he will likely need to beat Anderson at even strength to have any success.
