In daily fantasy hockey, stacking is a key strategy in tournaments. We want to correlate our lineups with up to four players to maximize our upside -- if one player on a line is scoring goals, it's likely that his linemates are getting assists, as well.
Ideally, we want players who will get a lot of ice time together on an even-strength line and a power-play line. Two good resources for line combinations are LeftWingLock.com and DailyFaceoff.com, so be sure to check those sites for updated line information.
We've got four series that are changing locations tonight for the third game in each series. Let's take a look at some stacks we can use.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins have gotten walloped in the first two games of this series. They've been outscored 10-3 in the games and have struggled to get things going offensively. This is why they'll be making some changes tonight.
The Bruins haven't been able to generate much, so they'll go back to what used to be their main identity. Patrice Bergeron ($8,400) and Brad Marchand ($8,200) will be joined by David Pastrnak ($8,700) to reunite the "Perfection Line". Bergeron had two goals in Game 2 and has 12 shots in the series, as the only Bruin to really perform well so far. Pastrnak has come up empty on 13 shots on goal, but it's good to see him getting the chances and he's too good of a goal scorer for that to continue. This line will of course play together on the first power play, even if it's a tough matchup against a great penalty kill.
This series will move to Boston, which should help the Bruins a lot. This means that the Carolina Hurricanes will find it difficult to match lines without the benefit of the last change. This is why it makes sense to load up one line at home because you can pick and choose your line matchups a lot easier. The 'Canes will also be forced to start Pyotr Kochetkov in goal, and while he's performed well so far, he's a very inexperienced goalie and now has to start a road playoff game.
If the Bruins are to get back into this series, this is their best opportunity to do so. They are favored in this game despite playing so poorly in the first two games, and this line should carry them offensively.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild were poor in their opening game but played like the team we saw in the regular season in Game 2. They have to move to the road for this game, but there are still reasons for optimism for them heading to Friday's game.
The Wild's superstar was great in Game 2. Kirill Kaprizov ($9,900) had a hat trick, after being somewhat disappointing in his first eight career playoff games. Mats Zuccarello ($7,100) and Ryan Hartman ($6,700) had two assists apiece in the game as well. They have been one of the most dangerous lines in hockey all season and could do damage again in Game 3.
The two players to potentially add to this stack are Joel Eriksson Ek ($6,100) and Kevin Fiala ($7,200). Eriksson Ek plays on the top power play in place of Hartman and had the puck in the back of the net three times on Wednesday, although one was called back after an offside review. Fiala is off to a slow start to this series, but he's one of the streakiest players in the NHL and we saw his magical run towards the end of the season when he was one of the most productive players in the league.
Minnesota's opponents have suffered some injuries on the back end in this series. The St. Louis Blues have suffered injuries to three defensemen already. Their bottom pairing consists of two guys that were mostly playing in the AHL this season. They also will continue to start Ville Husso in goal, who is inconsistent and can have games like Wednesday in which he allowed five goals.
The Wild have some really explosive players who can have big games, just like they did in Game 2. They are definitely a team we can stack tonight.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning return home after a solid performance to even the series at one game apiece. It was night and day between Game 1 and Game 2, and they'll look to carry over that performance tonight.
Tampa Bay's big guns were firing in Game 2. Nikita Kucherov ($9,700) had a goal and two assists. He was the leading scorer in the playoffs for both of Tampa's cup wins over the last two years, so he's certainly someone we can bet on during the playoffs. Steven Stamkos ($8,400) only had one assist, but Victor Hedman ($7,600) was a star with a goal and three assists. This is probably the most dangerous three-man stack on Tampa Bay currently. You can throw in Ondrej Palat ($4,300) for some even-strength correlation, or use Brayden Point ($7,000) for another member of the power play.
The Lightning really exploited the Toronto Maple Leafs when they had a man advantage, scoring three power-play goals. They also got below-average goaltending from Jack Campbell, which was one of the big question marks heading into the playoffs. If Campbell plays poorly again tonight, it could greatly benefit Tampa Bay and their star players.
Tampa Bay is favored in this game, and could easily get another big game from their top line.
Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.