This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There's four Game 4s on Monday slated to kick off at 3 p.m. EDT. Check out my recommendations for building a winning lineup below...
GOALIE
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM at CLM ($34): Though his .917 save percentage was a little lower than expected, Vasilevskiy's 2.56 GAA was still impressive. He's been a little better than that in the postseason, as he has a 1.86 GAA and .927 save percentage in six starts. The Blue Jackets only scored 2.57 goals per game, which was lowest among playoff teams.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Darcy Kuemper, ARI vs. COL ($33): Kuemper came up big all season for the Coyotes – at least when he was healthy – and that's been true in the playoffs, as well. However, I'm a little concerned that fatigue could set in at this pace, as he's facing 40-plus shots per game. Colorado averaged 3.37 goals per game, which was fourth in the NHL.
CENTER
Bo Horvat, VAN vs. STL ($23): There's been few players hotter than Horvat in the playoffs. He already has four multi-point games, including the first two games of this series. This game is the second day of a back-to-back, and while the Blues have two decent options between the pipes, the trust level for Jordan Binnington might have dropped due to his struggles in the playoffs thus far. That could mean Jake Allen having to make back-to-back starts.
CENTER TO AVOID
Patrice Bergeron, BOS at CAR ($29): Bergeron was stellar per usual this year, though if David Pastrnak is not able to play again, that leaves a gaping hole on his line. Carolina only allowed 29.3 shots on net per game, which could limit Bergeron's upside. On top of that, the Hurricanes had the fourth-ranked penalty kill.
WING
David Perron, STL at VAN ($21): Perron put 166 shots on goal in 71 games, most among St. Louis forwards. Meanwhile, the Canucks allowed 33.3 shots on net per contest, and probably won't be more stringent than usual on the second leg of a back-to-back. Additionally, Perron had 27 power-play points and Vancouver had a middling penalty kill that ranked 16th.
Nino Niederreiter, CAR vs. BOS ($14): This is more about the potential for Niederreiter to find himself in a better position than usual. Andrei Svechnikov seemed to suffer a bad leg injury in Carolina's last game, and if he's unable to give it a go, Niederreiter could step in on Carolina's top line alongside Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. A spot on the number-one power-play unit could be his as well. The Bruins are quite tough defensively, but replacing Tuukka Rask with Jaroslav Halak makes things ever-so-slightly easier.
WINGS TO AVOID
Gabriel Landeskog, COL at ARI ($23): Landeskog has picked up a few assists in the playoffs, but he doesn't have a single goal in the bubble. While I am skeptical of Kuemper because he might be facing a ton of shots, it doesn't mean I want to select a specific Avalanche player with a high salary. After all, Kuemper has a 2.22 GAA and .928 save percentage this year.
Phil Kessel, ARI vs. COL ($18): It seems like the Coyotes may be having regrets about the whole Kessel thing. He only scored 14 goals this season and doesn't have a point against the Avalanche in this series. In fact, Kessel only played 12:01 in Game 3. Maybe that was just an attempt to light a fire under him, but it could also mean that Kessel's role has simply been diminished.
DEFENSE
Alex Pietrangelo, STL at VAN ($23): This may have been the most-productive season of Pietrangelo's career. The veteran defenseman scored 16 goals on 225 shots, both personal bests, in only 70 games. As I mentioned earlier, the Canucks gave up 33.3 shots on goal per contest this year. That should give Pietrangelo plenty of opportunity to be active offensively.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. STL ($20): Speaking of being active, Hughes averaged 3:49 per game on the power play, tallying 25 points with the extra man. This penalty-heavy postseason has been a real boon for the rookie defenseman. The Blues had the 18th-ranked penalty kill, which was worst of the eight teams in action Monday.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Dougie Hamilton, CAR vs. BOS ($24): Hamilton returned from an extended absence for this series, and he's looked no worse for wear so far. Still, the Bruins had a 2.39 GAA this year, lowest in the NHL. Tuukka Rask may have left the bubble, but Halak still had a 919 save percentage. The Bruins also had the third-ranked penalty kill.
Victor Hedman, TAM at CLM ($22): Despite a little injury scare there, Hedman has remained healthy and on the ice for the Lightning. He's also continued to have a high salary. Can he live up to that salary here, though? The Blue Jackets had a 2.61 GAA and only allowed 29.9 shots on goal per game this year. On top of that, Joonas Korpisalo has a 1.51 GAA and .956 save percentage in the playoffs, and shut out the Maple Leafs twice.
