New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert has made changes to his lineup through four games this season, with more changes coming for Game 5. Here's why these current lines deserve a chance.

The New York Islanders have played four games this season. After keeping the lines the same through the first two games, two wins, second-year head coach Lane Lambert made some in-game adjustments in game three, then added new personnel for game four. 

He's made changes again as the Islanders ran these lines at Monday's practice:

Anders Lee - Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal

Pierre Engvall –Brock Nelson – Kyle Palmieri

Simon Holmstrom– Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Oliver Wahlstrom

Matt Martin – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck

Extras: Hudson Fasching, Julien Gauthier

Adam Pelech – Noah Dobson

Alexander Romanov – Ryan Pulock

Samuel Bolduc – Sebastian Aho

Ilya Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov

So, let's dive in, one line at a time.

1st Line

Mathew Barzal moving to left wing seemed to unlock something in his game. 

Having his forehand towards the slot and crossing over the opponent's blue line on his backhand makes him more dangerous than when he was on the right wing.

However, Simon Holmstrom wasn't carrying his weight in the shot department, with one shot on goal through three games, and didn't provide the net-front presence needed. 

That led to Holmstrom being a scratch Saturday night, with Oliver Wahlstrom joining the top line.

That's changed as Wahlstrom is now skating on Jean-Gabriel Pageau's wing, and Lambert has elevated Anders Lee to the top line. 

Anders Lee seems to have lost a few steps, struggling to provide the defensive style Pageau's line demands, and maybe being placed on Bo Horvat's left will help Lee play more of a simple game.

"Production out of him and net presence," Lambert shared as the reasoning for Lee's movement to the top line. "Leesy in a straight line, going right to the net should be good." 

We saw Lee play a role in the Islanders' equalizer against the Devils with an extra man, who came alongside his top-line comrades. 

The question is, can Lee get from the corner to the net before the ensuing shot comes? 

That's what you should be watching for Tuesday night since that's a clear need for Horvat and Barzal.

2nd Line 

The Islanders' second line has picked up where they left off, and a significant part of that has been Pierre Engvall's play.

His ability to win board battles, on top of his speed, actually makes him a candidate for that top-line role.

But that's just a line that Lambert cannot break up unless he seriously has to, as they have been on the ice for four of the Islanders eight even-strength goals this season. 

A healthy Kyle Palmieri has done wonders for that line, forcing the opposition to pay attention to him giving Brock Nelson prime shooting lanes, which he's taken advantage of. 

3rd Line 

Here's where things get tricky for New York. 

For the last few years, Lambert relied heavily on Zach Parise and Pageau to go against the opponent's best and shut the door. 

Now, Lambert is navigating waters without the 39-year-old Parise, placing two youngsters on Pageau's wing.

For the lack of offense Holmstrom provides, he has the potential to be a perfect third-line player for the Islanders because of that defensive IQ. 

The question becomes Wahlstrom, who is still trying to figure out how to be successful at the NHL level.

Once believed to be the next sniper from New York, Wahlstrom showed off a two-way game last season for the first time in his young career. 

That ACL injury at the end of December stunted his growth in that regard, as he is working his way back to NHL pace after almost nine months away from action. 

Getting into Saturday's game was critical for Wahlstrom, especially as a measuring stick, but he's just not ready to be a top-line player.

If Wahlstrom can be defensively sound, which he is capable of being, then he will need to pick and choose when to jump in on the offense. If Wahlstrom does get a few chances in a game to show off that release and can provide the offensive support Pagaeu needs, that line should be reliable.

But once Wahlstrom shows that playing that defensive style needed for that line's role isn't something he can provide consistently, he won't stick there.

And if he won't stick there, Wahlstrom is running out of spots for Lambert to try, with players like Julien Gauthier and Hudson Fasching, stronger bottom-six players, waiting in the winds.

4th Line

The Islanders fourth line has remained the same, outside of an in-game adjustment Saturday night that saw Cal Clutterbuck get shifts alongside Pageau. 

The line hasn't been stellar, but they also haven't been as bad as people may think. 

Sure, they aren't as reliable as they once were nor do they provide offense, but they are effective in moderation.

It's not a threesome that can nor should be playing 10-15 minutes per game, especially when Pageau is the best face-off man on the team and should be taking as many defensive-zone draws as possible. 

The key for this line is Casey Cizikas staying out of the box, as he's made three trips to the box so far. Matt Martin has been fine after a strong season. 

Final Thoughts

The Islanders lineup has scored eight five-on-five goals through four games. Nelson and Palmieri are point-per-game players with four, while Horvat and Barzal each have three. 

The Islanders' top six should be able to provide the offense needed for this team to win games, but the good teams in the NHL get production up and down the lineup. 

Depending on the opposition, the Islanders top players may get shut down. 

And like we saw against the Buffalo Sabres on opening night, two points may come down to a fourth-line deflection. 

The Islanders face a very dangerous Colorado Avalanche team on Tuesday night, and these lines should get a chance to prove that they can click.

Chemistry must be built as early into the season as possible, especially for a line like Horvat's, and their success should cause a trickle-down effect.