This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's NHL slate consists of the single-game contest between the Stars and Golden Knights, who are scheduled to play Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Both of these teams advanced in Game 7 on Friday, with the Stars prevailing 5-4 in overtime over the Avalanche while the Golden Knights shut out the Canucks 3-0 in a game that was tied until there was 6:08 left in the third period. The normally defensive-minded Stars instead relied on their offense to knock out Colorado in a series full of back-and-forth games. Vegas carried play throughout the series against Vancouver but saw its offense dry up late in the series after a change in the Canucks' net. The Golden Knights will get to dictate matchups in Game 1 with last change as the nominal home team.
GOALIES
N/A
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Joel Kiviranta ($7,500) went from zero to hero for the Stars, as the healthy scratch got an opportunity to join the lineup for Game 7 against the Avalanche with Andrew Cogliano injured, and he capitalized with a hat trick. That performance included the tying goal with 3:30 left in regulation and the overtime winner, and it's worth seeing whether the affordable Finn can carry over the momentum from Friday's contest into Game 1 against Vegas.
Alex Tuch ($8,500) leads the Golden Knights with eight goals this postseason, yet he's still priced below five of his teammates in this contest. The power forward's a nice value play given his scoring ability.
Tyler Seguin ($10,500) is the cheapest member of Dallas' top line and has had a disappointing postseason (2-5-7 in 15 games), but the center could turn into a great value at this price if he can find his game. Seguin led the Stars with 50 points in the regular season while none of his teammates broke 40, suggesting the six-time 70-point scorer is capable of much more than he has shown thus far this postseason.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights vs. Stars
Chandler Stephenson (C - $7,000), Max Pacioretty (W - $15,500), Mark Stone (W - $14,500)
Stephenson's a great value play, as he was moved from the fourth line all the way to the first late in the series against Vancouver in an effort to spark the offense. The versatile forward is no stranger to a top-six role, and coach Peter DeBoer likes the speed element Stephenson's presence brings to this line. Meanwhile, both Pacioretty and Stone are strong candidates for your Captain spot as this slate's two most expensive skaters. Prior to Thatcher Demko's superhuman performance in net for Vancouver in the last three games of that series, Pacioretty and Stone both feasted against the Canucks. Pacioretty had a 4-1-5 line in that series' first four games of the conference semifinals, while Stone added a 2-4-6 line over that span.
Stars at Golden Knights
Joe Pavelski (C - $9,500), Denis Gurianov (W - $9,000), Mattias Janmark (W - $6,500)
Pavelski and Gurianov are tied for Dallas' team lead in goals this postseason at eight apiece, and the latter has mustered a 6-7-13 line in his last eight games. The grizzled veteran and productive rookie are both solid value plays, while Janmark has dished a helper in two of the last three games and is worth a flier at just $500 above the minimum price.
DEFENSEMEN
Both of these teams are led in points this postseason by defensemen. For Vegas, that guy is Shea Theodore ($12,500), who has a 6-10-16 line in 15 games. Theodore's six goals are tied with Stone for second on the team behind Tuch, and the defenseman scored Vegas' only two goals against locked-in Vancouver netminder Thatcher Demko in the last three games of that series before the Golden Knights added a pair of insurance empty-netters in Game 7.
Miro Heiskanen ($11,000) not only leads the Stars in points this postseason, but his 6-15-21 line has him at least three points clear of any other player left in the postseason, be it forwards or defensemen. The star Dallas blueliner comes into this one riding an eight-game point streak (3-10-13).
Alec Martinez ($7,500) has provided a steady veteran presence on the Vegas blue line while chipping in offensively. He has a 1-6-7 line in 15 games this postseason, including two helpers and 15 shots over the past five.
