Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 4/18/17

Hello my fellow hockey fans and welcome to another day of NHL playoff action here at DFSR. We have a nice cozy little three-game slate today, but it should be full of excitement as usual. Let's get started, shall we?

 

Hockey is back and with it come our NHL projections which help inform these picks every night. When you purchase a DFSR NHL subscription to our base hockey projections you also get access to our brand new MLB DFS suite of tools including full projections, optimal MLB lineu, s and our Player Lab, which includes filters to help you create MLB lineups for FanDuel and DraftKings for any format. It’s a set of tools well beyond anything we’ve ever had, and something we feel will help our users crush the MLB season.

If you want to see the numbers behind our projections, create lineups with a single click, or research as deeply as your heart desires, click the button below to test out yourself.

TOP GOALIE OF THE DAY

Carey Price FD - $8900 DK - $8000
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 14.34 DK - 3.58

The Vegas odds currently have the Rangers listed as -110 favorites to win this game and tie the series. That is mainly because this game will be played in New York. Well, Montreal loves travelling to Manhattan as they won both regular season meetings there this season and they won easily last game by a score of 3-1. Price was about two minutes away from a shut-out. All three home teams are currently small favorites to win today and even though Talbot has two shutouts in a row, I don't see him shutting the Sharks down in the shark tank again this evening. Montreal is out-playing New York right now and look for Price and the Habs to come away with another road victory. The superstar goalie has faced an average of 30 shots per game this series while allowing only five goals in three games.

 

MONTREAL CANADIENS VS. NEW YORK RANGERS

MTL Offense (15th) vs. NYR Defense (12th)

NYR Offense (4th) vs. MTL Defense (5th)

Series Update - MTL 2-1

Like I mentioned above, the Canadiens are playing better hockey than the Rangers right now and they are firing on all cylinders. The Rangers looked out of place and if not for a late goal, they would have been blanked last game. Montreal's top two lines are showing great chemistry and Lundqvist looks like he's wearing down between the pipes for New York. Even if the Rangers score a couple of goals, you just don't know where they will come from. Let's concentrate on a few Habs' skaters today.

Alexander Radulov FD - $6100 DK - $5400
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 8.04 DK - 2.4

Tomas Plekanec FD - $4500 DK - $3800
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 6.58 DK - 1.99

Here we have two guys who play top six roles for their squad and they both see a lot of poweplay time as well. Radulov skates on the top line with Max Pacioretty and he's been playing like a man possessed this series. He has two goals, three assists and seven shots on goal in his last two gmes while averaging 20 minutes of ice-time. He's much cheaper than Pacioretty  and is a terrific play in all formats.

Plekanec struggled in the regular season with only 28 points, but he is performing in a huge way so far in the playoffs. The Habs didn't score a goal in the first game, but in the last two games he has a goal, two assists, seven shots and four blocks. He is way too cheap on both sites and I love the idea of having a piece of both top lines for the Habs.

Shea Weber FD - $5600 DK - $5900
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 12.76 DK - 3.91

This guy didn't let me down last game when I recommended him as he scored a PP goal on two shots and added a block to boot. That's points in two straight games for him while firing six shots on net and blocking eight shots. Ouch! He's taking them for the team that's for sure. There is a ton of value elsewhere in this slate and I think it's a great idea to get this guy into our lineups in all formats. He has averaged 30.5 minutes of ice-time in his last two games.

 

 

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

It actually looked like Columbus was going to win the last game as they were dominating by a score of 3-1 after the first period. But we all knew it was too good to be true. The Penguins scored three unanswered goals before the Jackets tied it to force overtime. Jake Guentzel scored the game winner in OT to give him his first ever hat-trick. Sid and the kids form an exciting trio and should play together for the rest of the series. Sergei Bobrovsky has been playing poorly this series and the Jackets finally found a way to solve Marc-Andre Fluery last game. Look for another high scoring game today.

PIT Offense (1st) vs. CLB Defense (3rd)

CLB Offense (5th) vs. PIT Defense (15th)

Series Update - PIT 3-0

Evgeni Malkin FD - $8800 DK - $8100
Opponent - CBJ
Proj Pts FD - 15.68 DK - 4.57

Jake Guentzel FD - $6600 DK - $6100
Opponent - CBJ
Proj Pts FD - 9.68 DK - 2.75

How is a team supposed to stop Pittsburgh. You have Sid and the kids on one line and then this guy and Kessel and whoever else jumps off the boards to join them on the second line. Malkin has two goals and four assists so far this series and has fired 10 shots on goal to along with four blocked shots.

The one half of Sid's kids has been tearing the Blue Jackets apart. He has four goals (1 on the PP), an assist and eight shots in his last two games. I also want a piece of both top lines for Pittsburgh today and these two are elite plays in all formats against a very vulnerable Columbus defense who will be without their best defenseman Zach Werenski.
Cam Atkinson FD - $6700 DK - $6500
Opponent - PIT
Proj Pts FD - 14.74 DK - 4.25
Seth Jones FD - $4600 DK - $5300
Opponent - PIT
Proj Pts FD - 9.33 DK - 2.72

First of all, Atkinson showed that he is willing to put his team on his back to try and win a game in this series. The young star scored two goals in the first five minutes of last game and he fired four shots on goal while logging 25 minutes ice-time. He plays on one of the top two scoring lines and #1 PP for Columbus. I'm never big on the 'Jackets for cash games because of their inconsistent playing time, but he always has monster upside.

Zach Werenski is out for the season with a facial fracture. If you aren't squeamish, I retweeted a picture of his wounded face on my twitter account. Poor dude. Someone has to step up and Jones will be seeing a lot more powerplay time now. Jones has an assist, five blocks and six blocks in his last two games while logging 26.5 minutes of ice-time. He could also help you win a large tourney today.

 

 

EDMONTON OILERS VS. SAN JOSE SHARKS

EDM Offense (12th) vs. SJ Defense (2nd)

SJ Offense (13th) vs. EDM Defense (11th)

Series Update - EDM 2-1

In the Playoffs you have to win ugly games and Edmonton has outscored the Sharks 3-0 in the last two games. Goalie Max Talbot has been solid between the pipes but hasn't really been challenged yet. The Sharks are looking to tie the series tonight, but look for another low scoring game in San Jose. There is very little value here so let's dig a little deeper into the player pool.

Zack Kassian FD - $3600 DK - $3400
Opponent - SJ
Proj Pts FD - 4.47 DK - 1.32

I did not think I would ever recommend this dude in a fantasy sports column but he deserves it. Some guys are different players in the playoffs and Kassian is a perfect example of that. The grinder has been seeing more ice-time lately because of his strong play. He has a goal in each of his last two games while firing six shots on goal and has averaged 16 minutes of ice-time.

Joe Thornton FD - $5100 DK - $4400
Opponent - EDM
Proj Pts FD - 9.56 DK - 2.79

Big Joe was injured in the first two games but he played 16 minutes last game. He only had two shots and a block, but if the Sharks find a way to beat Talbot, look for the veteran centre to play a big part of it as he skates on the top line and #1 PP unit for the Sharks.

 

 

 

Hockey is back and with it comes our NHL projections which help inform these picks every night. When you purchase a DFSR NHL subscription to our base hockey projections you also get access to our brand new NFL DFS suite of tools including full projections, optimal NFL lineups and our Player Lab, which includes filters to help you create NFL lineups for FanDuel and DraftKings for any format. It’s a set of tools well beyond anything we’ve ever had, and something we feel will help our users *ahem* tackle the NFL season.

If you want to see the numbers behind our projections, create lineups with a single click, or research as deeply as your heart desires, click the button below to test out yourself.