NHL DFS Showdown Playbook: Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Published: Jun 28, 2021
NHL Showdown Slate: Montréal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning June 28th, 2021
Spread: TB -1.5
O/U: 5
Injuries
Canadiens
None
Lightning
None
MVP/CPT
Nikita Kucherov , F TB
Kucherov has been over a point per game throughout the playoffs. He is expensive, but he is the player most likely to hit three points.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, G TB
There might not be a safer floor in this game than Vasilevskiy. He has two shutouts in his last four starts, and has been consistently good throughout these playoffs.
Tyler Toffoli, F MON
Toffloi leads the Candiens in points and shots in these playoffs. If you had to bet on someone scoring for them, Toffoli would be my choice.
Brayden Point, F TB
Point’s goal streak finally ended in game seven, but he has been on one heck of a shooting bender in these playoffs scoring on nearly one in three shots,
Carey Price, G MON
You always need to be on watch for the game that Price might steal. I don’t think he is going to see huge volume but many people will be on Tampa Bay to win, so Price could be a good contrarian play.
Mid-Tier
Victor Hedman, D TB
Hedman has hit the point where he is more feast or famine. He is hitting the shot blocks bonus one third of the time in these playoffs, and is getting points at a similar pace, but when those two items don’t happen together, he isn’t going to hit value.
Cole Caufield, F MON
Caufield has points now in seven of his last eight games, and it’s pretty amazing to think that Montreal didn’t want to put him in the lineup at the start of the playoffs.
Nick Suzuki, F MON
Suzuki has five points in his last four games, and he has hit the shot block bonus twice in these playoffs. He is a player I would be considering for tonight.
Value Tier
Tyler Johnson F TB
Johnson is a wildcard type player. He is very cheap, but he has shown flashes in these playoffs of the player that he once was who would drive play and was a threat most nights he was on the ice.
Erik Cernak F TB
Cernake is a player that is giving you a little bit of everything. He has points in two of his last three games, and he is consistently giving you shots and blocks.
Ben Chairot D MON
Chairot is your most likely Montreal player to hit the shot-block bonus tonight. That is likely all he will give you, but at his price you can live with that result.
PrizePicks...Picks
Joel Armia Shots on Goal - Over 1.5 - Armia has cleared COVID protocol and should be in the lineup for Montréal tonight. He has two or more shots in four of his last five games. I will take the over on this one.
Ondrej Palat Shots on Goal - Under 1.5 - Palat’s shots seem to be feast or famine. In his last six games he has two games where he has five shots, but in the other four he has 1 shot or less.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.