This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's NHL slate features the one-game contest for Game 4 between the Lightning and Islanders at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
New York won Game 3 by a 5-3 score, putting an end to Tampa Bay's six-game winning streak. The Lightning still hold a 2-1 lead in the series, however, as well as a 13-8 edge in goals. While the Islanders benefited from an injury to the opposition's No. 1 center for a third consecutive series when Brayden Point missed Game 3, his practice participation suggests a Game 4 return is likely.
GOALIES
N/A
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mathew Barzal ($14,000) is third on the Islanders in points this postseason with a 5-10–15 line, and he helps create more scoring opportunities than any of his teammates thanks to his blazing speed with the puck on his stick. While the Islanders are clearly a notch below a healthy Tampa Bay team, Barzal should continue to create quality chances against a banged-up Lightning squad.
Anthony Cirelli ($8,000) is locked into a top-six role thanks to his outstanding two-way game, and his 16-28-44 line over 68 regular-season games suggests the Lightning's second-line center is capable of much more than his 2-3-5 line this postseason suggests. With north of 20 minutes of ice time in each of the past two games and four shots in Game 3, Cirelli could be on the verge of a breakout performance.
Matt Martin ($6,500) is known more for his physical play, but the integral fourth liner scored New York's lone goal in Game 2 before adding an assist in Game 3. At just $500 above the minimum price, Martin's worth rolling out while he's hot.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning at Islanders
Brayden Point (C - $14,500), Nikita Kucherov (W - $15,500), Ondrej Palat (W - $11,500)
Point missed Game 3 but was able to practice, suggesting he'll likely be back in there for this one. When he was healthy in Game 1, Point produced a five-point performance. Kucherov also had five points in Game 1 and delivered without Point with the game-winning goal in the final seconds of Game 2, while Palat has potted seven goals in his last seven games.
Islanders vs. Lightning
Brock Nelson (C - $13,500), Anthony Beauvillier (W - $10,500), Josh Bailey (W - $8,500)
After a quiet start to the series, New York's most productive postseason line came alive in Game 3. Nelson and Beauvillier each had a goal and an assist in the 5-3 win, while Bailey dished our a pair of helpers. Overall, Bailey leads the Islanders with 19 points in 19 playoff games, with Nelson second at 17 and Beauvillier fourth with 14. Beauvillier leads the team in goals this postseason with nine, while Nelson is just one goal back of that mark.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman ($11,000) was nowhere to be found in the Lightning's Game 3 dud, but the star defensemen had piled up a 4-3-7 line over the previous four games. Look for Hedman to get back to his productive ways now that the Lightning have experienced some push back from the Islanders.
Andy Greene's ($6,500) goal in Game 7 against the Flyers was an aberration, but the veteran blueliner can consistently deliver a high floor. The Islanders' trade deadline acquisition is averaging 9.4 fantasy points per game over the past five thanks in large part to the aforementioned goal and 3.0 blocks per game.
Kevin Shattenkirk ($8,000) has failed to mark the scoresheet in the past two games after dishing out five helpers over the previous two contests, but he has remained involved with four shots and four blocks. His recent floor of secondary stats coupled with his scoring upside make the seven-time 40-point scorer an appealing value play on the Tampa Bay blue line.
