This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Lightning looked a little tired in Game 1 despite, once again, outshooting their opponents and controlling much of the play, but simply couldn't close the gap after trailing 3-1 at the end of the second period. The Stars came as advertised with a heavy forecheck, excellent control of the neutral zone and great goaltending from Anton Khudobin.
Natural Stat Trick had the Lightning posting an abysmal 29.17 CF% in the first period but finished strong with a dominant 92.59 CF% in the third, and the key for Game 2 will be to come out strong and finish strong. The Stars defense is extremely difficult to crack, and ended up with a 1-0 goal advantage thanks to an ENG in the final frame despite getting heavily outplayed.
Puck drop for Game 2 is at 8 p.m. EDT.
GOALIES
FanDuel does not make goalies for selection when there's only one game on the slate, but Andrei Vasilevskiy and Khudobin are expected to be the starters. Game 2 will likely follow a similar script; Khudobin will see more pucks but both goalies should put in strong performances as the backbone of their respective defenses.
VALUE PLAYS
Joel Kiviranta, DAL vs. TB ($7,000): The Finnish rookie has been clutch in the postseason and now has two goals in two straight games. His line with Corey Perry and Roope Hintz wasn't particularly good as a unit, but Kiviranta has shown an ability to produce despite limited chances and limited ice time. Kiviranta lined up with Joe Pavelski and Denis Gurianov in his last shift and if Rick Bowness sticks with that line, Kiviranta should be able to get more offensive chances.
Corey Perry, DAL vs. TB ($6,500): Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is insane, and it certainly feels that way with Perry, who has scored just one goal in the playoffs. However, he's been playing very well and had a few chances to score in Game 1. Who knows who's going to score for Dallas on every given night, but it does seem that at some point, the former Cup winner is going to come through. Perry played his final shift with Jamie Benn and that's something to watch for if Hintz is out and Bowness has to juggle his lines.
LINE STACKS
Tampa Bay
Yanni Gourde (C - $8,000), Blake Coleman (W - $7,500), Barclay Goodrow (W - $7,500)
It's a relatively inexpensive line stack for what has been a very good line all postseason. They were the only line to get on the board in Game 1; it's unfortunate hits don't count for fantasy points but their physical style (19 hits combined) matches up really well against Dallas. Goodrow and Coleman are a very good pair, and Cedric Paquette ($6,000) gets the occasional shift with them if managers want to bring the line stack total down.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. DAL ($12,500): Even though Hedman plays more than any other Lightning player and provides a consistent source of points and blocked shots, his salary is a little high against a team that doesn't allow a lot of goals.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. TB ($9,500): He had just one assist in the series against Vegas but managed to score a point in Game 1 with a secondary assist on Jamie Oleksiak's goal. His FPPG just edges John Klingberg (10.45 vs. 10.27) but the big discrepancy in salary ($1,500) makes Heiskanen the far better value play.
Kevin Shattenkirk, TB vs. DAL ($8,500): He led all Lightning defensemen in shots (6) but had zero points to show for it and has not registered a point in six straight games. He's far too power play dependent and inconsistent to be a reliable selection – hard pass.
Jamie Oleksiak, DAL vs. TB ($7,500): I don't expect him to score another goal this series but his increasing ice time and key role on the PK makes him a solid option for managers looking for blocked shots. He led the way with six in Game 1, followed by the also very reliable Esa Lindell ($7,000), who had four.
