This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Hurricanes and Panthers is set for 8:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. The Panthers are modest home favorites as they look to complete the series sweep and punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final. All game lines and odds used below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
With only one game on the schedule Wednesday, this will be a DraftKings Showdown contest. Your lineup will consist of one Captain that scores 1.5 times as many fantasy points and costs 1.5 times as much, in addition to five flex plays. The salary cap is $50,000. There are no positional requirements for your lineup, but the breakdown below will be organized by position.
GOALIES
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. CAR ($10,400): Coming off a 1-0 shutout win in Game 3, Bobrovsky's the obvious choice for your Captain spot as the Panthers look to complete the sweep in Game 4. He has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last eight starts -- the last team to score three on the two-time Vezina Trophy was Boston back in the first round. Overall, Bobrovsky's 10-2 with a 2.15 GAA and .935 save percentage this postseason.
Frederik Andersen, CAR at FLA ($10,800): Andersen certainly isn't to blame for Carolina's 3-0 deficit in this series considering he's turned aside 73 of 77 shots in almost 200 minutes of action between Games 1 and 3. Antti Raanta ($10,600) started Game 2 after the four-overtime marathon in the series opener, but Andersen should be in net for Game 4 with the Hurricanes' season on the line.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Matthew Tkachuk, FLA vs. CAR ($9,400): Tkachuk has led the way for the Panthers throughout the postseason, with teams highs in both goals (seven) and points (19) across 15 games. He scored the overtime winners in both Game 1 and Game 2 before assisting on the only goal for either team in Game 3. The star winger is a strong choice for your Captain slot if you decide against using a goalie there.
Martin Necas, CAR at FLA ($8,200): Necas is the only Carolina forward outside the top line to record a point in this series. Overall, he has a 4-3-7 line in 14 playoff games after leading the team with 71 points in the regular season.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Hurricanes at Panthers
Sebastian Aho (C - $9,200), Seth Jarvis (W - $8,000), Stefan Noesen (W - $5,800)
Carolina has only three goals all series, so this line has actually fared quite well in that context with six points in the series. Aho's two helpers in this series have him up to a 5-7-12 line this postseason, so he has sole possession of the team points lead and is tied for the most goals. Jarvis also has five goals and is tied with Jordan Martinook ($6,600) for the second-most points at 10. Noesen has added a solid 4-4-8 line through Carolina's 14 playoff games.
Panthers vs. Hurricanes
Anton Lundell (C - $3,800), Sam Reinhart (W - $7,400), Eetu Luostarinen (W - $3,200)
Florida's third line doesn't cost much, and utilizing this stack can give you the salary cap necessary to fill your Captain slot with an elite goalie or skater such as Bobrovsky, Andersen or Tkachuk. Reinhart's tied with Tkachuk for the team goals lead with seven, and he potted the only goal in Game 3. Lundell has a 1-6-7 line in the playoffs, while Luostarinen's at 2-3-5.
DEFENSEMEN
Brandon Montour, FLA vs. CAR ($8,600): Montour's just one goal shy of the team postseason lead with six, and his 58 shots on goal lead the Panthers. The standout blueliner provides significant offense while playing a key role on Florida's top power-play unit, and he's blocked at least one shot in each of the past 10 games.
Brett Pesce, CAR at FLA ($7,000): Pesce has multiple shots on goal in each of the past six games, and he's added 15 blocked shots over that span. With Carolina struggling to score, Pesce's an appealing option given his consistent contributions in secondary stats. He's scored over 9.0 fantasy points in each of the past nine games and at least 7.3 in each of the other two.
