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NHL DFS Hockey: Yahoo Plays and Lineup Strategy for Saturday, March 25

NHL DFS Hockey: Yahoo Plays and Lineup Strategy for Saturday, March 25

A couple of teams in a different sport will punch their tickets to the Final Four on Saturday. Hey, even if you are watching college hoops, you can have DFS NHL lineups out there ready to win you some cash. There are seven NHL games starting at 7 p.m. EDT or later. Here are the players to target, and to avoid, for your lineups.

GOALIE

Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. VAN ($33): Oettinger has a 2.51 GAA and .916 save percentage, a bit of a drop down from where he was but still good numbers. He is at home Saturday playing and his team has a lot left to play for, while the Canucks are playing out the string. The Canucks are 11th in goals per game, but thanks to injuries and the trade of Bo Horvat, their current offense isn't quite as impressive.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Matt Murray, TOR at CAR ($24): Ilya Samsonov is away from the team, so Murray is the top goalie for now. His last two starts have been quite good, but since returning from injury he has an .892 save percentage over his last five outings. The Hurricanes have averaged 3.27 goals per game, but also 34.9 shots on net per contest, which is third highest in the NHL.

CENTER

Nick Suzuki, MON vs. CLM ($19): Suzuki has two points in each of his last three games. It's hard to do that four games in a row, but this matchup could help make that happen. The Blue Jackets are in the bottom three in GAA and shots on net allowed per contest, they are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and their patchwork blue line corps picked up a couple more injuries Friday.

CENTER TO AVOID

John Tavares, TOR at CAR ($27): Tavares has been productive enough not to be stuck in Auston Matthews' shadow and command a high salary of his own. This matchup is super tricky, though. The Hurricanes have a 2.56 GAA, second lowest in the NHL, and have also given up a league-low 25.8 shots on net per contest.

WING

T.J. Oshie, WAS at PIT ($16): Oshie has been healthy for a nice stretch, and he has 15 points over his last 14 contests. Once again he's also been a key cog on the power play, having averaged 3:20 per contest with the extra man this season. The Penguins have given up 33.1 shots on net per game, and Tristan Jarry is banged up again. If Casey DeSmith is in net, he has a 3.11 GAA and .907 save percentage.

Sammy Blais, STL at ANA ($13): On a stacked Rangers team, Blais was basically unable to see the ice. With the Blues, though, he's averaged 14:19, including 1:53 on the power play. That's helped him notch 10 points in 19 games. The Ducks, for their part, have a 4.00 GAA and have allowed 39.1 shots on net per contest, both of which are highest in the NHL.

WINGS TO AVOID

Brock Boeser, VAN at DAL ($18): Boeser's 9.7 percent shooting has played a role in the fact he only has 13 goals in 62 games. However, he's also shot less, having put 134 pucks on target. Jake Oettinger has a 2.51 GAA and .916 save percentage, so it'll be hard for Boeser to light the lamp in this one.

Jason Zucker, PIT vs. WAS ($17): Zucker was hot for a bit, but over his last six games he only has one point. He's still been shooting a ton, but will that matter Saturday? Darcy Kuemper has been playing better hockey recently, as he has a 2.50 GAA and .919 save percentage in his last eight starts. John Carlson is back as well, which should help stabilize the Washington defense.

DEFENSE

Mattias Ekholm, EDM vs. VGK ($19): Ekholm has enjoyed being around the talent collection in Edmonton. Since being acquired at the trade deadline, he has nine points and 22 shots on net in 11 games. Jonathan Quick is the only goalie currently healthy for the Golden Knights, and he has an .897 save percentage over his last five seasons.

Mike Matheson, MON vs. CLM ($18): Matheson just keeps staying in peak form. Over his last 15 games he has 11 points and a whopping 50 shots on net. The Blue Jackets are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Elvis Merzlikins is likely to be in net. He has a 4.10 GAA and .880 save percentage.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Quinn Hughes, VAN at TOR ($21): Hughes has averaged a whopping 4:09 per game on the power play, tallying 31 of his 67 points with the man advantage. That's a lot! The Stars, though, have a top-five penalty kill, and Oettinger has a 2.51 GAA and .916 save percentage.

Morgan Rielly, TOR at CAR ($17): Rielly has been a key cog on the power play again, with 15 of his 36 points coming with the extra man. Well, the Hurricanes have the second-ranked penalty kill. Carolina is second only to Boston defensively this season, making this a matchup to steer clear of.