This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Who doesn't love a Game 7? Well, perhaps fans of teams who are still playing. For the impartial viewer, a Game 7 is always exciting. We have two Game 6s Friday, but you also have a daily fantasy lineup to set. So here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your roster.
GOALIE
Carter Hart, PHI at MON ($35): Hart looked great at home and lousy on the road this season, so what was he going to do in the neutral site of the bubble? Well, he's endured a couple subpar starts in this series, but he's been stellar overall by posting a 1.66 GAA and .944 save percentage - the latter number leading the league this postseason. Hart may have let in four goals in Game 5, but I expect the young netminder to bounce back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jacob Markstrom, VAN vs. STL ($33): All four goalies in action Friday – assuming Jake Allen starts again – have impressed during these playoffs. That makes this a tricky decision, as Markstrom has produced a .927 save percentage. That would be stellar during the regular season, but he has also allowed three goals in each of his last four starts against the Blues. When splitting hairs, that counts.
CENTER
Sean Couturier, PHI at MON ($23): Couturier dished two assists last game, both on the power play. That's worth noting because the Canadiens ranked 19th on the penalty kill. Couturier lines up on the top power-play unit for the Flyers and averaged 2:46 per game with the extra man during the regular season. But during the playoffs, the 27-year-old has averaged 4:30 in power-play time.
CENTER TO AVOID
Kevin Hayes, PHI at MON ($16): And now, I am recommending you avoid another Flyers' center. Hayes scored 23 goals this year over 69 games, but hasn't notched one in the playoffs. While he's racked up five assists, four of those came in the first two contests in the bubble. And in four of his last six games, Hayes has only directed one shot on net. That likely won't cut it against the Habs.
WING
David Perron, STL at VAN ($23): Perron has fired 22 shots on goal in five games this series, which makes sense for two reasons. One, he put 166 shots on net in 71 games this season, most among Blues' forwards. Two, the Canucks gave up 33.3 shots on net per contest. That combination should keep working out for the veteran in his third stint with the Blues.
Jake Virtanen, VAN vs. STL ($10): During the last game, Virtanen moved up to the Canucks' top line. Suddenly, he was skating alongside Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. Coincidentally, Virtanen also found himself scoring a goal while adding an assist. Will he get that opportunity again? If that happens, the young winger could be a great value at this salary.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. STL ($22): If Virtanen is going to be on Vancouver's top line, that would mean Boeser has been moved down the lineup. Perhaps it's because he hasn't tallied a goal in this series or it could be due to only registering five shots on net. Jake Allen just had his first poor start of the playoffs, but posted a 2.15 GAA and .927 save percentage during the regular season.
Tomas Tatar, MON vs. PHI ($15): Tatar has been held to zero shots on net in three of the five games this series. And during the regular season, he managed 14 of his 61 points with the extra man - including eight of his goals. The Flyers ranked 11th on the penalty kill this year, which is actually the best of the four teams in action Friday.
DEFENSE
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. STL ($20): Hughes' six-game point streak ended, but he still has eight shots on goal over his last two games. The biggest thing going on in the rookie's favor is his power-play prowess. During the regular season, he averaged 3:49 per game with the extra man, where 25 of 53 points were produced. The Blues also had the 18th-ranked penalty kill, which shouldn't worry Hughes.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at MON ($17): Provorov's point production has decreased in the playoffs, but he still accumulated 13 goals and 23 assists over 69 regular-season games. He also potted seven of those goals and nine of those helpers with the extra man. As I mentioned earlier, the Canadiens had the 19th-ranked penalty kill this season, a mark that's the lowest of today's four teams.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Shea Weber, MON vs. PHI ($20): Weber can still get it done offensively, as his 15 goals in 65 contests will show. Scoring against the Flyers is tricky, especially when Hart is on his game. The Flyers only allowed 28.7 shots on net per contest, lowest in the league. Considering Hart has impressed with a .944 save percentage in the playoffs, it's pretty clear the second-year goalie is locked in.
Colton Parayko, STL at VAN ($16): It was hard to find a second defenseman to recommend avoiding Friday. Parayko has been quite involved offensively, but the points haven't been there. The defenseman with the big shot managed two goals against the Golden Knights in the round robin, but those remain his only playoff points. Parayko also only averaged 46 seconds per game with the extra man this season, so he's not really a power-play weapon.
