The NY Islanders 3rd Line Has Been Team's Most Consistent

There has been plenty of finger-pointing at NY Islanders players who have underperformed this season and maybe none more so than the three players that currently make up the team's third line.

The trio of Anders Lee, JG Pageau, and Pierre Engvall have all failed to reach expectations this season, but have been stepping up in a big way in the postseason.

Anders Lee's 17 goals this season were his lowest total since the 2014-15 season - his first as a full-time NHLer. Making $7M a season, much more has been expected of the Islanders Captain. In this series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Lee has arguably been the best Islander in all four games. He has points in all four and has used his size and strength to his advantage along the boards and in front of goal.

JG Pageau missed his first game of the season in Game 1, adding an extra element down the middle for the Islanders. He's been most valuable in the faceoff dot, winning 19 of his 23 draws in Game 4. His biggest moment came early in the second period yeserday, hammering home a power play goal for his first tally of the series.

"He's always solid. So strong," said Lee about Pageau. "I think me, Engy (Engvall) and Pager are just trying to play a simple game. Work our tails off and try to make things happen and he's our strength down the middle."

Pierre Engvall won't ever be the type of player to light up the score sheet, but he's shown his value in a tightly played playoff series over the first four games. One of the reasons Lou Lamoriello traded for Engvall last season was due to his speed. He's helped create odd-man opportunities using his speed through the neutral zone and has beat out icing calls on multiple occasions.

With their season on the line again in Game 5, this line will need to continue in its current form as they've been the team's most effective from Game 1.