This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a Western Conference double Game 7 special as the Stars-Avalanche and Canucks-Golden Knights close out their series. Both the Avs and Canucks have battled back from 3-1 series deficits to force a deciding game on the backs of heroic performances from key players. Can they do it again? Stars-Avs begins at 4 p.m. EDT with the Canucks-Knights starting at 9 p.m. EDT.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. VAN ($8,500): Fleury should and likely will get the start after Robin Lehner last lost night. Fleury was the winner in Game 4, the second half of a back-to-back, but didn't look particularly sharp, scrambling often and allowing three goals on 31 shots. Even though Vegas is controlling the play for most of the games, Vancouver's offense has been very opportunistic and the momentum is on their side, making Fleury's high salary hard to justify.
Michael Hutchinson, COL vs. DAL ($8,100): The journeyman backup has been much better than expected, allowing just four goals in two starts and making 58 stops. He gets plenty of goal support, and judging by the past three games, the Stars' unsustainable offensive surge this postseason (31 GF vs. 24.58 xGF, according to Natural Stat Trick) seems to be really slowing down.
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. VGK ($7,600): One thing's for certain: the Knights are probably going to outshoot and outchance the Canucks by a wide margin. The difference-maker over the past two games has been Demko, who has made an astonishing 90 saves. The Canucks have the momentum, and even if their comeback falls short, Demko should rack up plenty of saves.
Anton Khudobin, DAL vs. COL ($7,400): He has the lowest salary, but he's certainly not the best value play. Head coach Rick Bowness is known for his acumen on defense, and the Stars are generally doing a good job of suppressing shots, but it's their offense that has been failing them lately. Khudobin's play has tailed off with a sub-.900 save percentage in four straight games, and it's possible he's just not used to this type of workload as a backup, even if he's a very good one.
VALUE PLAYS
Alex Tuch, VGK vs. VAN ($4,400): He's been quiet the past three games with zero points, but his size and speed has made him a difficult matchup for the Canucks all series. He has a low floor because he gets plenty of chances; the only problem right now is Demko's awesome play.
Radek Faksa, DAL vs. COL ($3,400): The fourth-line center gets added value with his role on the second power-play unit, and even though the Stars' offense has dried up a little bit, Faksa is a consistent shooter and shot-blocker. He has gained fantasy points in all but one playoff game.
LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Stars
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,800), Andre Burakovsky (W - $5,200), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,000)
It's an expensive line stack, but Burakovsky brings down the total salary a little bit. The Avs offense still runs through MacKinnon most of the time, and the Stars' goaltending has not been good lately.
Canucks vs. Golden Knights
Bo Horvat (C - $6,500), Tanner Pearson (W - $4,500), Tyler Toffoli (W - $5,000)
The additional upside besides being Travis Green's most trusted two-way line is that there have been times where Pearson and Toffoli have moved up to play with Elias Pettersson. Horvat's no slouch with 10 goals scored so far, but the Canucks' lineup flexibility also makes this a potential value play. Toffoli and Horvat are both on the top power-play unit, which continues to be excellent.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. VAN ($6,500): He's worth the high salary because he generates so much offense for the Knights, often playing like a fourth forward. He has put 27 shots on net this series.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. COL ($6,000): The Stars offense may have slowed down, but not Heiskanen; he has a point in every single game this series. Expect that trend to continue as he's been the Stars' best player.
Cale Makar, COL vs. DAL ($5,600): Conor Timmins was injured, and the Avs continue to lose depth on defense. That means potentially even more minutes for Makar in another elimination game. He's scored a point in six straight games and recently added blocked shots to his repertoire with eight in his past four.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. VGK ($5,500): He's a fantastic value play at this price, and after a short lull where he seemed overmatched, Hughes has recorded five points in his past three games despite playing fewer minutes than usual.
Samuel Girard, COL vs. DAL ($4,600): Girard is one of the best among the second tier for his underrated puck-moving ability and role on the second power-play unit. He has four apples in his past three games.
Nate Schmidt, VGK vs. VAN ($4,500): He's the Knights' best all-round defender with a high floor because he shoots and blocks shots. Schmidt is about as consistent as they come, though he leaves much of the offense to Theodore.
