Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: NHL DraftKings Primer for May 12

It's time for the Eastern Conference to play a bit of catch-up.

Both conference semifinal series in the West are completed, and the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks will meet in the conference final.

However, there's still work to be done in the East. The Rangers trailed the Washington Capitals 3-1 in their series before rallying to win Games 5 and 6 and tying the series. Game 7 will be played Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Montreal Canadiens have won two games in a row in their series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. If they can win Tuesday night in Tampa, they will tie up the series and force a seventh game (which would be played at the Bell Center Thursday night).

DraftKings is offering a special Tuesday-Wednesday fantasy contest involving the four Eastern Conference teams. As usual, we have a $50,000 budget, and we will create a top lineup that will give you an excellent chance to win your matchup.

Pos.	Player	Opponent	FPPG	Salary
C	Tyler Johnson	Montreal	3.7	$7,500
C	Evgeny Kuznetsov	New York Rangers	2.1	$4,000
W	Chris Kreider	Washington	2.6	$5,800
W	Joel Ward	New York Rangers	2.3	$4,500
W	Troy Brouwer	New York Rangers	2.4	$3,900
D	P.K. Subban	Tampa Bay	3.6	$8,000
D	Brooks Orpik	New York Rangers	2.1	$3,100
G	Braden Holtby	New York Rangers	5.1	$8,800
U	Valtteri Filppula	Montreal	2.0	$3,800

Centers: Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning ($7,500) and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals ($4,000)

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Tyler Johnson has emerged as a bright star this season. A supremely quick skater, Johnson has a knack for finding open space on the ice and creating plays. Johnson scored 29 goals and 43 assists this season, and he has been a wrecking crew for the Lightning in the postseason. He has six goals and four assists in his last 10 games, and he figures to be the most dangerous player on the ice for the Lightning.

While Johnson is a high-priced star, Evgeny Kuznetsov of the Capitals comes at a much lower price. However, he has been dangerous for the Caps in the playoffs because he is explosive around the net and has pinpoint accuracy with his shot. He scored a third-period goal for the Capitals Sunday night against the Rangers, and he has scored five goals and two assists in his last 10 games.

Wingers: Chris Kreider, New York Rangers ($5,800), Joel Ward, Washington Capitals ($4,500) and Troy Brouwer, Washington Capitals ($3,900)

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Chris Kreider has been one of the most important players for the Rangers in their playoff comeback against the Capitals. He scored the tying goal in Game 5, and he notched their first two goals in their Game 6 Sunday night victory. Kreider's speed makes him dangerous on an every-game basis, and he also has the strength and tenacity to make plays around the net.

Joel Ward is a decent regular-season player who scored 43 goals the last two seasons. However, he turns it up a couple of notches in the postseason. Ward goes to the front of the net and excels at screening opposing goalies, picking up rebounds and deflecting shots. Ward has three goals and five assists in his last 10 games, and he figures to cause a lot of problems for Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist Wednesday night.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Troy Brouwer understands what it takes to win. He was a key member of the Blackhawks when they won the 2010 Stanley Cup, and he has been a huge help to the Capitals during the playoffs.

Brouwer scored 21 goals and 22 assists during the regular season, and he will go to the net and hammer opponents for a chance to get on the score sheet or set up an opponent. He is an excellent bargain alternative for your fantasy lineup.

Defensemen: P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens ($8,000) and Brooks Orpik, Washington Capitals ($3,100)

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

We have not put P.K. Subban in our lineup very often during the postseason. Subban is an explosive skater with a game-changing shot, and he is dangerous every time he takes the ice. He's also somewhat underrated for his defensive work.

It's just that he carries such an expensive price tag that we usually decide to spend his salary on other players. However, Subban is the leader of the Canadiens, and he has stepped up each of the last two games with three assists. Look for Subban to make a couple of big plays Tuesday night.

Brooks Orpik is a hard-working, hard-hitting defenseman who makes opponents pay for trying to camp out in front of the Washington net. Orpik does not figure to get involved in the scoring very often, but he will block shots and make big hits. He can make a key contribution to your fantasy matchup Wednesday night.

Goalie: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals ($8,800)

It may seem like there is an air of gloom and doom around the Capitals since they have given up a 3-1 lead in the series, and the franchise has lost those kind of leads four times in its history.

However, they were less than two minutes from winning Game 5, and they made a rousing comeback in Game 6 before falling short.

Braden Holtby has become the backbone of the franchise and is also one of the league's elite goaltenders. He beat the New York Islanders in the seventh game in the first round, and he has a 1.56 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage in the last 10 games. The prediction here is that he outplays Lundqvist in the seventh game and the Caps make it to the Eastern Conference Final.

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