NHL DFS Showdown Breakdown: TBL vs. NYI (Game 6)

With only one game on the NHL slate, all you have to play is DraftKings Showdown slate.

In Showdown you play six players, regardless of position, including one player as your “Captain.” Captains cost 1.5x their regular price but receive a 1.5x DraftKings point multiplier.

Below I have broken down both team’s top-9s and which lines are worth stacking and which players are the best plays on each line.

New York Islanders

NYI1

Anders Lee ($8,200) – Mathew Barzal ($8,800) – Jordan Eberle ($7,200)

It has been a difficult series for the Islanders’ top-line and head coach Barry Trotz recognized that heading into Game 5. He split the lineup, moving Eberle to J.G. Pageau’s line to start but reunited them later in the evening. They were together when Lee picked up Kevin Shattenkirk’s miss and fed Eberle on a 2-on-1 to extend their season.

Still, their underlying numbers in the series aren’t pretty. They have a 42.7 CorsiFor%, 40.8 ScoringChancesFor% and just a 1.28 ExpectedGoalsFor/60. If you’re going to play any of the three in Showdown, Lee is the best option. You get some salary savings from Barzal, a more stable floor thanks to his team-leading shot volume.

NYI2

Anthony Beauvillier ($7,600) – Brock Nelson ($8,400) – Josh Bailey ($6,600)

The Islanders’ second line was terrific in the first couple of rounds but has also had a tough time getting anything going vs. the Lightning. Their CF% (40.5) is worse than NYI1 and their xGF.60 (1.29) is virtually the same–not good. Nelson has just seven shots in the series and the price is too steep for someone playing at that level, so the slightly cheaper Beauvillier is the best option on this line. His shot volume has also fallen off a bit but it’s still much better than his linemates.

NYI3

Matt Martin ($2,400) – Jean-Gabriel Pageau ($7,400) – Cal Clutterbuck ($2,000)

Pageau’s linemates aren’t great but he’s done a terrific job driving play regardless of who he’s playing with. With Clutterbuck, he’s managed to post a 2.88 xGF and 1.96 xGA. Those are really good numbers with two career fourth-liners on your wings. He hasn’t had a shot in two games but has been playing consistent minutes and is a reasonable one-off play if you are stacking the Lightning.

Tampa Bay Lightning

TBL1

Ondrej Palat ($8,000) – Anthony Cirelli ($6,000) – Nikita Kucherov ($11,200)

Obviously missing a player who is tied for the playoff-lead in points hurts but the Palat-Cirelli-Kucherov trio has been nearly as effective. You saw in the late stages of the third period and the start of the first overtime in Game 5, missing Brayden Point hurts the most on the power-play. Even if Point (who is officially listed as a game-time decision) doesn’t play, Palat and Kucherov remain fully in-play and Cirelli is a low-floor/high-upside option. Cirelli only has 13 shots and doesn’t have a point in the series but the puck dominance with Kucherov and Palat will give him chances to breakthrough.

TBL2

Barclay Goodrow ($3,600) – Yanni Gourde ($5,600) – Blake Coleman ($7,000)

There is plenty of value to be found on the Lightning’s second line. With Point out, this line gets elevated and there’s a lot to like about them. The most expensive is Coleman, who is averaging 3.7 shots per game in his last three games. Gourde saw some time on the top power-play unit with Point sidelined and he’s been extremely consistent in this series. He has two goals and three assists while averaging 2.6 shots per game vs. the Isles and is arguably the best value on the slate. Goodrow doesn’t have the offensive upside but comes at a steep discount. He also kills a lot of penalties, so there’s three block-shot bonus potential here.

TBL3

Carter Verhaeghe ($2,000) – Tyler Johnson ($5,200) – Alex Killorn ($5,800)

There’s not much to like about Tampa Bay’s third line. Johnson’s offensive game just isn’t what it once was and he doesn’t get the important minutes. Verhaeghe is a total dart throw at the minimum price. Killorn has the highest upside because he’ll see some time on PP1 if Point doesn’t play but his floor is so low, he’s almost not worth playing at $5,800.