My Preferred Lines for Game 1

Team: 2022-23 New York Islanders

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 17, 2023

Published: Apr. 17, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Line 1: Small sample size, but they looked good when they did play together
Line 2: This line has looked great so far, no reason to break it up now
Line 3: I’m sure Bailey will end up getting a spot on this line, but Parise and Fasching have outplayed him handily this season. If Fasching ends up being unready for playoff hockey, put Bailey in his spot.
Line 4: You know what it is.

D Pair 1: Pulock and Pelech have a lot of familiarity with each other, especially in the playoffs. With Romanov out, this pair will provide some familiarity
D Pair 2: In theory, these guys balance each other out well. In practice, Aho is going to have to play his best games. I admit, I don’t think Aho is ready for 2nd pairing minutes in the playoffs, but Romanov being out gives us little other choice.
D Pair 3: I really, really like Bolduc as a prospect. But he’s still somewhat mistake prone, and Wotherspoon is both more veteran and looked good the few times he’s been dressed. The Isles will need better special teams than they’ve had, so keeping Dobson on the third pair makes some sense.