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We’re approaching the end of the second round of the NHL Playoffs, as the Vegas Golden Knights and New York Islanders both lead their respective series three games to one. As a result, the Vancouver Canucks and the Philadelphia Flyers appear to be going through some roster turmoil as they attempt to come back in their matchups. The NHL DFS slate for these games is set to start at 7:00 p.m. ET, and we’ll take a look at the implications for the changes from those two teams.
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Philadelphia Flyers
Oskar Lindblom ($3,400)
The Flyers have faltered in two consecutive games against Islanders, and are now facing elimination as they enter tonight’s must-win Game 5. Although the series stands 3-1, the Flyers have probably been outplayed in all four games this round, and were fortunate to hang on for an overtime win in Game 2 after blowing a 3-0 lead. They’ll need to play much better if they want to have any reasonable chance of winning the next three games, but the good news is that they might have some roster help on the way.
Flyers’ forward Oskar Lindblom was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer early in the season, and hasn’t played hockey since Dec. 7. Since that time, Lindblom has apparently made a full recovery, and he even participated in warmups prior to Game 4. There’s a chance that Lindblom plays tonight, and while he may not immediately slot back into his prior role on the second or third line, his presence in the lineup surely will provide some benefit. It will definitely be worth checking in on warmups to see what the Flyers lineup looks like on Tuesday.
Editor’s Note: Flyers RW Oskar Lindblom (illness) will skate during warmups prior to tonight’s game vs. the Islanders, but he is a few days away from playing, per head coach Alain Vigneault.
Vancouver Canucks
Elias Pettersson ($7,100), Brock Boeser ($4,700), J.T. Miller ($5,800)
The Canucks have been juggling their line combinations all series long against the Golden Knights, but it hasn’t really worked for them, as they now trail 3-1. The Canucks are trying everything they can but they are clearly overmatched against the Knights — who are arguably the best team in the Western Conference — and they likely will have no other choice but to experiment yet again in Game 5.
The Canucks first line for most of the 2019-2020 season was Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller. They had plenty of success with those three forwards playing together, but in Game 4 of this series they actually had those forwards on three separate lines. It’s hard to imagine that that continues into Game 5, but it’s also not at all clear what the lines will eventually look like. Warmups will be telling, but the Canucks have also shown a propensity for shifting things around in-game and there’s a large amount of uncertainty as far as which players will be on the ice together.
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