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NHL DFS: Picks for Thursday's two-game slate

Chris Morgan
·4 min read

We know one of the series taking place Thursday will see another game, but another might end. Edmonton could eliminate Calgary, winning the Battle of Alberta. Here are my recommendations for your NHL DFS lineups, both guys to target and to avoid.

GOALIE

Antti Raanta, CAR vs. NYR ($30): The Hurricanes have yet to win on the road in the playoffs… and have yet to lose at home. This series is heading back to Carolina's home ice for Game 5, and in the playoffs Raanta has a 2.09 GAA and .931 save percentage. Oh, and a 0.97 GAA and .968 save percentage at home.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Mike Smith, EDM vs. CGY ($35): No, this is not just because of that bizarre goal Smith let up in Game 4 which was shot, if I recall correctly, from the parking lot. Calgary is at home facing elimination. It ranked sixth this year in goals per game. The Flames' offense was actually better than the Oilers' this year, and a 40-year-old goalie like Smith has quite the track record to show that he's not exactly Andrei Vasilevskiy.

CENTER

Sebastian Aho, CAR vs. NYR ($26): Nothing is easy this time of the year, and sometimes you have to go with a guy who is facing a goalie likely to win the Vezina. Aho has been crucial to Carolina's offense in this series, as he has four points in four games. That comes after he had 81 points in the regular season.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) skates the puck up the ice in the third period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series
Consider Sebastian Aho in your NHL DFS lineups. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

CENTER TO AVOID

Ryan Strome, NYR at CAR ($18): Strome just picked up his first point in this series in Game 4, but he also only has seven shots on net in this series. The Hurricanes ranked first in GAA, shots on net allowed, and penalty-kill percentage this season. Carolina has clamped down on Strome, and I expect that to continue.

WING

Evander Kane, EDM at CGY ($28): Kane is absolutely thriving as the third member of Edmonton's top line alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He's tallied five goals over his last two games. Now, that's not sustainable, but what Oilers player would you want more than Kane right now outside the Big Two?

Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at CAR ($11): In his second season, the 2020 first overall pick tallied 19 even-strength goals. He's started 67.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone in the playoffs, highest on the Rangers. While Lafreniere only has one point in this series, over his last 16 games he has nine points.

WINGS TO AVOID

Artemi Panarin, NYR at CAR ($27): Panarin only has one point in this series, an assist. During the regular season he tallied 37 of his 96 points with the extra man. That's notable, given that the Hurricanes had the top penalty kill.

Andrei Svechnikov, CAR vs. NYR ($23): Aho has taken care of business for the Hurricanes. Svechnikov? He only has two points in his last nine games, and they both came in the same outing. Igor Shesterkin had a 2.07 GAA and .935 save percentage this season, so a cold forward is not likely to turn things around against him.

DEFENSE

Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. EDM ($18): Andersson scored the fluky goal in Game 4, but he does more than that. He had 50 points this season, including 19 with the extra man. The Oilers, meanwhile, had the 17th-ranked penalty kill.

Evan Bouchard, EDM at CGY ($17) Bouchard has started 63.3 percent of shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Edmonton defensemen and third overall on the team. He's also averaged 3:14 per game on the power play in this series. Jacob Markstrom is a Vezina finalist, but he has an .850 save percentage in this series.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Jacob Trouba, NYR at CAR ($19): Trouba has zero power-play points all season, including the postseason, so the fact the Hurricanes have the top penalty kill may not come into play. On the other hand, Raanta's 2.09 GAA and .931 save percentage will come into play, as will the fact the Hurricanes allowed the fewest shots on net per game.

Darnell Nurse, EDM at CGY ($17): Nurse's most notable contribution in the playoffs? Probably getting suspended for a head butt. He doesn't have a point in his last eight games. Nurse also doesn't play on the power play, which means missing out on all those key minutes with McDavid.