NHL Daily Fantasy Dose - Neal Could be the Real Deal in Game 1

Here's a look at the NHL daily fantasy picture for Friday, April 15:

Top Contrarian Options

• RW James Neal, Predators (at Ducks): Neal will be faded against the team that allowed the fewest goals during the regular season. However, both of Anaheim's goaltenders are vastly inexperienced when it comes to postseason play. Neal, a proven 30-goal scorer, finished strong down the stretch. He's also a proven playoff performer with 15 goals in 44 career postseason games - not far off his 30-goal clip.

• LW David Perron, Ducks (vs. Predators): Perron is listed as probable, but any injury risk will still scare many DFSers away. Perron's first line real estate can't be passed up considering his price. He had 20 points in 28 games after being dealt to Anaheim. He and the Ducks will look to take advantage of Pekka Rinne, who's coming off a rough season in which he sported a .906 save percentage.

• RW Patrick Kane, Blackhawks (at Blues): Game 1 between the Hawks and Blues ended in a 1-0 overtime win for St. Louis. The slow start for Chicago's offense, G Brian Elliott's magnificent play in the second half of the season and Kane's ridiculously high salary will keep him with low ownership on Friday. But this is a player who won the Art Ross Trophy by a wide margin, tallying 47 goals and 107 points. A multi-point game is always in the cards no matter the opponent.

Top Bargain Plays

• RW Jonathan Drouin, Lightning (vs. Red Wings): After his trade request failed and he didn't report to the AHL, Drouin is playing with something to prove now that he's back up with the big club. Playing top-six minutes is rare for a playing of his caliber and low salary. He scored two goals when he was called up for the final two games of the regular season. He could very well find twine against lackluster netminder Jimmy Howard.

• LW Robby Fabbri, Blues (vs. Blackhawks): Fabbri had a splendid rookie season, recording 18 goals and 37 points in 73 games in Ken Hitchcock's defense-first system. It was a bit worrisome how the rookie would be used by Hitchcock in a playoff game, but he played over 19 minutes in Game 1 - fifth-most among Blues forwards.

• D Brian Campbell, Panthers (vs. Islanders): The veteran blueliner logged over 24 minutes in Game 1, sending three shots to the net and adding a helper. Campbell is a great puck mover and a proven playoff performer. He was a key cog in Chicago's cup run in 2010 and has a total of 44 points in 98 playoff games. Look for him to play a key role as the Panthers look to bounce back in Game 2.

Top Teammate Plays

• C John Tavares & RW Kyle Okposo, Islanders (at Panthers): Tavares put his team on his back in Game 1, registering one goal and two assists in a 5-4 win. Okposo notched one goal and added a helper. Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo looked incredibly shaky in Game 1, and has a history of not playing his best in the postseason.

• C Ryan Getzlaf & LW Davis Perron, Ducks (vs. Predators): Getzlaf and Perron not only skate together on the first line, but they're both on the top power-play unit as well. Getzlaf and the Ducks got off to a slow start, but really turned it on in the second half and are the clear favorites on home ice. Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne had a medicore season in the crease, posting a .906 save percentage.

• C Tyler Johnson & Nikita Kucherov, Lightning (vs. Red Wings): Anyone who watched Tampa's recent Stanley Cup run knows what kind of player Johnson can be on the big stage. He's off to a good start having recorded a pair of apples in Game 1. Kucherov scored twice and added one assist. Expect these two to carry the offense in this series.