This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate consists of the one-game showdown contest for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Rangers and the Lightning after 8:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Tampa Bay climbed out of a two-goal hole to take Game 3 at home, cutting New York's series lead in half. Game 4 will be played in Tampa Bay, and the Lightning will be looking to repeat Sunday's result and tie the series before it heads back to New York. The Lightning are clearly favored in Game 4, which has an over/under of 5.5 goals, despite the Rangers holding an 11-7 edge in goals through three games in addition to a 2-1 series lead. The over/under comes in at 5.5 goals. Your lineup will consist of six players, including a Captain spot that costs 1.5 times as much and scores 1.5 times as many fantasy points.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. NYR ($10,800): Vasilevskiy was better in Game 3 than he was in either of the games in New York, and Tampa Bay's ability to control matchups at home was beneficial for him as well. The Lightning got their shutdown defensemen out there consistently against New York's top forwards at even strength. Both Rangers goals in Game 3 came on the power play. With Tampa Bay favored in Game 4, its goalie's a strong fantasy play.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at TB ($10,600): Shesterkin certainly wasn't the reason for New York's Game 3 loss. He allowed more than two goals for just the second time in his last 10 games, but he also managed to rack up 49 saves on 52 Tampa Bay shots. Without his strong play Sunday, Tampa Bay would likely have run away with that one, and Shesterkin should remain busy Tuesday.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mika Zibanejad, NYR at TB ($9,600): Zibanejad continues to provide value on a nightly basis and is a strong candidate for your Captain spot if you expect a high-scoring Rangers win similar to Game 1. The Rangers' first-line center has a 3-2-5 line in this series, and Zibanejad's on an eight-game point streak during which he has seven goals and six assists. He has been held without a goal only once during this eight-game stretch.
Brandon Hagel, TB vs. NYR ($2,000): You'll need some affordable players in your lineup to pay up for the pricey stars that have been doing most of the scoring, and Hagel offers excellent value at the minimum $2,000 valuation. The in-season trade acquisition is skating in a top-six role, and Hagel has demonstrated excellent scoring touch relative to his modest valuation. Hagel's mired in a lengthy point drought but potted 25 goals in the regular season between his time in Chicago and Tampa Bay.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Rangers
Steven Stamkos (C - $9,000), Nikita Kucherov (W - $9,800), Ondrej Palat (W - $6,800)
Shifting the more defensive-minded Anthony Cirelli off this line and moving Stamkos from center to wing while elevating Palat paid off in Game 3, as this newly formed trio combined to score all three of the Lightning's goals. Stamkos has a 2-2-4 line and 15 shots in this series, including a goal and an assist in Game 3. Kucherov's three-point night Sunday gave him a 2-3-5 line and 14 shots through three games against the Rangers. Palat has scored in two of the three games in this series and his goal in Game 3 was the game-winner in the final minute of regulation.
Rangers at Lightning
Ryan Strome (C - $7,200), Artemi Panarin (W - $8,200), Andrew Copp (W- $7,000)
Stopping Zibanejad's line will be Tampa Bay's top priority defensively, which should leave some less daunting matchup for Panarin's line. With a pair of multi-point games already this series and a 5-10-15 line through 17 postseason games, the 94-point regular season scorer continues to produce in the playoffs, making Panarin a nice value at $8,200. Strome was hurt in Game 3 after taking an uncalled cross check in the back, but coach Gerard Gallant indicated that the center should be good to go Tuesday. He has yet to get on the board in this series but would have ended the previous one on a four-game point streak had it not been for an offside call that wiped out Strome's would-be go-ahead goal in Game 5 against Carolina. Copp has been tremendous since joining the Rangers in a trade with Winnipeg. Between the regular season and playoffs, Copp boasts a 14-17-31 line through 33 games in a Rangers uniform.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. NYR ($8,600): New York's depth has looked superior in this series, but the Lightning are hanging around thanks to excellent production from their top players, including Hedman. He has gotten better with each game this series, dishing two assists in Game 3 after totaling one in Game 2 and no points in the series opener. In addition to his three assists through three games, Hedman has put 10 pucks on net and blocked five shots.
K'Andre Miller, NYR at TB ($2,000): Miller's a nice value play at just $2,000. He has topped 23 minutes of ice time in 11 of his last 12 games, and the well-rounded young blueliner isn't afraid to jump up into the rush when he gets the chance to do so. Miller was held off the scoresheet in Game 3, but he had built up a three-game point streak prior to that point, including a goal in Game 2.
