This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Happy Mother's Day. For all you mom's out there playing daily fantasy hockey, plus everybody else, here are some recommendations…
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. TAM ($31): Holtby has been outstanding in the playoffs, as he has a 2.04 GAA and .925 save percentage in 12 appearances. He hasn't allowed more than three goals in a single game, and has only lost two of his starts. All of the goalies left have been impressive, but Holtby is the cheapest by $3.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at WPG ($35): It turns out that Fleury is human after all. He allowed four goals on 26 shots in a Game 1 loss to the Jets. Sure, it's only one game, but Pekka Rinne was playing out of his mind last postseason until he wasn't. Winnipeg scored 3.80 goals per contest at home this year, highest in the NHL, while Vegas had a 3.00 on the road.
CENTER
Tyler Johnson, TAM vs. WAS ($17):Johnson had a solid year wherein he managed 21 goals and 29 assists, not to mention 186 shots on net. He's now added six points and 32 shots on goal in six playoffs contests. Though Braden Holtby has been fine in the postseason, the Capitals had a 3.29 GAA on the road this year.
CENTER TO AVOID
William Karlsson, VGK at WPG ($25): Yes, Karlsson was one of the best stories in the league this year, but he also had a 23.4 shooting percentage that is unsustainable in the long term. He also did score in Game 1 on the power play, but Connor Hellebuyck had a 2.36 GAA and .924 save percentage this season. Karlsson is tied for being the second-most-expensive center available, and he simply doesn't have the track record of some of his counterparts.
WING
Patrik Laine, WPG vs. VGK ($27): Though Laine hasn't been scoring goals at his usual pace, but he has seven points in his last eight contests (including two goals). He also started 57.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone this season, highest on the Jets. As previously noted, the Golden Knights had a 3.00 road GAA this season, and Marc-Andre Fleury finally looked human to start this series.
Joel Armia, WPG vs. VGK ($10): Armia only has two points in the playoffs, but he's been unexpectedly active since returning from injury. Over his last five games he's put 16 shots on net. That alone makes him interesting at this price. If he does anything, he'll be a steal, and selecting him also leaves you cash to spend elsewhere on big names.
WINGS TO AVOID
James Neal, VGK at WPG ($19): Neal was held without a point, or shot, in Game 1 of this series. His scoring has dipped since returning from an injury absence, as he has only four goals in his last 23 games. It may be hard for him to add to that against a Jets team that had a home GAA of 2.46 and only allowed 29.4 shots on net in those contests.
Kyle Connor, WPG vs. VGK ($19): After scoring 31 goals this season, Connor only has two in the playoffs, and they came in the same game. Though Marc-Andre Fleury looked iffy in Game 1, he came into that contest with a 1.53 GAA and .951 save percentage in the playoffs. That follows a regular season where he had a 2.24 GAA and .927 save percentage.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK at WPG ($15): Theodore averaged 5.9 fantasy points per game this season, sixth-highest among defensemen available, and more than several pricier defensemen. He was also a rare bright spot for Vegas in Game 1, as he had an assist and three blocked shots. The 22-year-old also averaged 2:33 per game on the power play, and that number has risen to 3:39 in the playoffs.
Mikhail Sergachev, TAM vs. WAS ($13): Sergachev started a whopping 70.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Lightning. He also managed 16 points on the power play. His power-play time has increased recently to boot, as he's averaged 2:37 per game with the extra man over his last eight outings. All it takes is one power-play point to make the Russian rookie worth this price.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Ryan McDonagh, TAM vs. WAS ($18): Unlike Sergachev, McDonagh doesn't get any time on the power play. He averaged 11 seconds per game with the extra man after being traded to the Lightning, and that has remained true in the playoffs. It's not like the points have been there either, as he has only five in his last 19 games, all assists, and only 26 shots on goal.
Matt Niskanen, WAS vs. TAM ($17): Niskanen and McDonagh have similar profiles. Niskanen has only five points and 28 shots on net in his last 19 games, and he's only averaged 0:27 per game with the extra man in that time. The one weakness the Lightning had this year was their penalty kill, and Niskanen, with his zero power-play points, can't take advantage of that.
