This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Islanders' 8-2 defeat was their worst loss of the season, and after a strong showing defensively for the entire playoffs, it was definitely a surprise. The Isles couldn't buy a save and the Lightning were extraordinarily efficient. Even Lightning head coach Jon Cooper called it a "one-off." Expect a much better showing by the Islanders in Game 2.
GOALIES
No goalies are available for selection because there's just one game on the slate. Andrei Vasilevskiy will start for Tampa, as he's done all playoffs, while Semyon Varlamov will likely get the call after Thomas Greiss started last game.
VALUE PLAYS
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, NYI vs. TB ($7,500): I'm not convinced at all that Pageau will be very productive on offense at even strength with Derick Brassard and Ross Johnston as his wingers, but strangely enough, Pageau and Johnston seemed to work pretty well as a pair. The upside for Pageau is his role on the power play, which went 1-for-5 in Game 1.
Blake Coleman, TB vs. NYI ($7,500): He remains one of my favorite value plays. He finished Game 1 with an apple and three shots on net, which is pretty good production for a third-line forward. It's a checking line Jon Cooper obviously trusts a lot, and only three other Lightning forwards have registered more shots than Coleman.
LINE STACKS
Islanders vs. Lightning
Mathew Barzal (C - $13,000), Jordan Eberle (W - $10,500), Anders Lee (W - $13,500)
The pucks are starting to go in for Eberle, who had been experiencing really poor luck at the beginning of the playoffs but now has five points in his past four games. It's a line that likes to swap scoring chances, but it's also the Isles' most talented line.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. NYI ($11,500): He was fantastic in Game 1, and despite ceding a lot of power-play time to Mikhail Sergachev, Hedman still has the most upside among Tampa defensemen. No one on the Islanders come close to him, either, so Hedman should remain a fixture in most daily lineups.
Kevin Shattenkirk, TB vs. NYI ($8,000): He's a very opportunistic offensive defenseman and only retains value if the Lightning can go on the power play a lot. They converted three of their six chances in Game 1, with Shattenkirk's only power-play assist coming in garbage time with seven minutes left in the third period. He finished with a team-low 13:17 TOI among Lightning defenseman, and while he's got the hot hand with five points in two games, it's hard to believe he can be consistent.
Ryan McDonagh, TB vs. NYI ($7,000): He's Cooper's second-most trusted rearguard and he was excellent in Game 1, registering a 73.33 CF% at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick. He's usually only good for blocked shots, but with the way he's been controlling the play recently, don't be surprised if the points start to come in, though keep in mind the Isles should be much better defensively in Game 2.
