Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for April 21st of the 2015/2016 NHL season. Each day we'll be providing you with a handful of forward, defensemen, and goaltender picks for DraftKings and FanDuel GPP and cash games.

The playoffs are starting to get interesting as game fives bring the added pressure of elimination. Both Detroit and Chicago will face elimination on the road facing top defensive teams.

All the goaltending situations look the same as last game. Petr Mrazek will will likely be between the pipes for the Red Wings as they face elimination. With both Murray and Zatkoff playing well in their playoff debuts, the Pens are likely to sit Fleury once again. This opens the door for young Matt Murray as potential high value play. As always, be sure to check LeftWingLock prior to lineup lock for all confirmations.

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NHL DFS Picks for Thursday, April 21st

A couple strategy notes. For cash game construction look for players who can contribute to your score when they are not providing offense. Examples are guys who take a ton of shots, defensemen who block a lot of shots(DraftKings). Also, look for guys who get powerplay time and especially Top 6 forwards. You can find value in players who join a new line due to an injury or just get a promotion and more ice time.

For large field tournaments (GPP's) you want to find payers who have multi point upside and can grab double digit fantasy points. To stack the most upside in your forwards a common strategy is to punt the defense position. This doesn't mean just grab anyone. Try and look for a D man who will be playing more PP time or might get a boost in overall playing time due to an injury.

Let's take a look at some solid plays for today's action.

Matt Murray - Goaltender, Penguins (Draftkings - $7,200  FanDuel - $8,600)

He made his playoff debut in game three and outside of the Rick Nash short handed goal he was impressive in limiting rebounds. He faces a tough challenge winning back to back games in Madison Square Garden but the Penguins are playing terrific defensive hockey right now. He makes a great GPP play on a night with a lot of high priced options.

Tyler Johnson - Center, Lightning (DraftKings - $6,000  FanDuel - $6,600)

The Lightning return home with a 3-1 lead in the series with a great opportunity to close out the Red Wings. The home team has dominated the games between these teams and Johnson had six points in the first two games. Expect another strong game on Thursday.

Vladimir Tarasenko - Winger, Blues (DraftKings - $7,900  FanDuel - $9,200)

After a 40 goal regular season Tarasenko has kept his pace into the playoffs with three goals in the first four games. The Blues have a chance to put away the defending champions at home which is huge considering their first round exits the last two years.

Jonathan Drouin - Winger, Lightning (DraftKings - $4,300  FanDuel - $4,600)

Forget the off ice drama he and Lightning faced during the regular season. He has been playing a big role for the Lightning in the playoffs averaging 18 minutes of ice time per game and has at least three shots in all four games. He is coming off a monster game in Detroit where he picked up three assists. Great value on the second highest scoring team to this point in the playoffs.

Duncan Keith - Defense, Blackhawks (DraftKings - $6,200  FanDuel - $6,000)

He is tied for the team lead in points with Patrick Kane which says a lot for the Hawks situation as Keith missed the first game. He has scored three goals and has recorded 12 shots on goal in his three games. If the Hawks are to claw back into this series he will again have to be aggressive which could lead to a big game.

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