This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate consists of the Game 2 showdown contest between the Islanders and Lightning, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Tampa Bay played up to its billing as the heavy series favorite in Game 1, coming away with a blowout 8-2 victory. These teams are trending in opposite directions, with the Lightning having won five straight and the Islanders dropping three of their last four games.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy ($10,800) has rattled off five consecutive victories for the Lightning and has eight wins in his last nine starts. His team looked far superior in an 8-2 Game 1 win, and Vasilevskiy will be a contender for your captain spot given his 11-3 record, 1.92 GAA and .930 save percentage this postseason.
Thomas Greiss ($10,000) got the Game 1 start for New York after shutting out the Flyers in Game 7 of the conference semis, but he was yanked after surrendering three goals on nine shots. Semyon Varlamov ($10,200) — who has nine of the Islanders' 11 wins this postseason — came on in relief and fared no better with five goals allowed on 25 shots. Whichever guy gets the nod in New York's net for Game 2 will be an enticing against-the-grain option, as the defense-first Islanders will require a strong goaltending performance in order to even the series.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Josh Bailey ($6,600) is the cheapest member of New York's top-six forward group despite leading the team in points this postseason with a 2-15-17 line in 17 games. You won't find a better value play on the team.
Yanni Gourde ($4,800) has consistently outperformed his modest valuation. His pair of goals in Game 1 gave Gourde a 3-2-5 line in his past five games, and he has put three pucks on net in four of those five contests. As far as cheap fillers go, Tampa Bay's third-line center is an excellent one.
If you're expecting a repeat of Game 1 and looking to maximize cap space for Tampa Bay's top players, it makes sense to lock in the cheapest skater in the Lightning lineup. That distinction goes to Patrick Maroon ($2,600), who dished out a helper in Game 1 and is no stranger to recent postseason success. He has three assists in 14 games for the Lightning in the 2020 playoffs after helping the Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019 with a 3-4-7 line that included the Game 7 double overtime winner against Dallas in the conference semis.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Islanders
Brayden Point (C - $9,000), Nikita Kucherov (W - $11,000), Ondrej Palat (W - $7,600)
Expect most lineups to feature both Point and Kucherov after each of them delivered a five-point night in Game 1. Despite being $2,000 cheaper, the center has actually been more productive than the star winger this postseason, as Point has an 8-15-23 line in 14 games while Kucherov has a 5-16-21 line. Palat is taking full advantage of his place on this highly skilled line, as he brings a five-game goal streak and six-game point streak into this contest.
Islanders at Lightning
Mathew Barzal (C - $8,800), Anders Lee (W - $8,400), Jordan Eberle (W - $7,200)
This is the only line that accomplished anything for New York in Game 1, as Eberle had a goal and an assist, Lee dished out two helpers and Barzal chipped in with an assist. Barzal has a 2-2-4 line and 16 shots in his last four games, bringing his postseason line to 5-9-14 in 17 games. Lee leads the Islanders with 58 shots in the playoffs and is one goal off the team lead with seven, while Eberle was the team's best player in the series opener and has a four-game point streak going.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman ($8,800) has been in a groove since the start of the conference semis, producing a 5-3-8 line with 23 shots and 13 blocks over the past six games. One of the league's best all-around defensemen blends a high floor of secondary stats with excellent offensive upside for the Lightning.
Kevin Shattenkirk ($5,400) is adept at setting up the rush from the blue line, and he has dished out five helpers in the last two games, with three in Game 1 of this series and two in Game 5 against the Bruins. Stretching back a little further, the veteran puck-mover has nine points over his past eight games for Tampa Bay.
Nick Leddy ($3,800) lit the lamp in Game 1 for the Islanders, and he has averaged a solid 10.9 fantasy points in the last four games despite that goal being his first point over that span. The affordable Islanders blueliner has racked up meaningful contributions in shots (seven) and blocks (12) over these past four games, and he should continue to serve as a reliable source of secondary stats.
