New York Islanders knock off Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tampa Bay Lightning Fall 2-0 To New York Islanders

Kevin Sweeney

The Lightning proved a difficult matchup for the Islanders on Saturday night. It is difficult to beat a team twice in a season, let alone twice in a week. The Islanders beat the Lightning on Tuesday night. Lightning Forward Brandon Hagel had a two-goal game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Lightning’s 4-3 loss in the last outing.

The New York Islanders are 15-10-3 in the Metropolitan Division; they are in sixth place. The Tampa Bay Lightning are 16-9-2, and in first place. This business about placement in the standings is subject to change. Do you think the standings will become less tightly packed?

Lightning and Islanders Scoring Summary

The Islanders just beat the Lightning on Tuesday night. The Lightning lost 4-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in their last game, so they came into this one on a little bit of a losing streak. Here is a scoring summary from the game.

In the first period, there were no goals scored, though the Lightning had the more dangerous chances. In the second period, there were also no goals scored. This was a good thing for the Islanders. To get through 40 minutes in a scoreless tie with the Lightning is a big deal. The scoreless tie dramatically increased the odds that the Islanders would earn a point in this game.

In the third period, Cal Ritchie scored a pretty goal for the Islanders. That goal gave them an improbable 1-0 lead. Then, Casey Cizikas scored an empty net goal for the Islanders. That made the score 2-0. That is how the game ended.

Ironman Mask For Adam Pelech

Adam Pelech provides the Islanders with strong defense and key blocked shots on a nightly basis, but on Thursday night, his first goal of the season was a game-winner in their high-powered 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche. He got a pass from Mathew Barzal and fired a shot from the left circle, squeaking through Avalanche Netminder Mackenzie Blackwood.

Pelech had a big night. He scored a goal and recorded two shots, and one blocked shot in 22:20 time on ice. It was his first goal since Feb. 20, 2024, when he scored the overtime winner in a 5-4 overtime win over Pittsburgh. Pelech received the honor from teammate Simon Holmstrom, who was the last Islander to earn the Iron Man Mask for Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

To Beat a Team Twice In a Week

The Islanders beat Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, 2-1. It is difficult to beat a team twice in a season, let alone twice in a week. That challenge, despite the fact that the Tampa Bay is struggling, is what the Islanders faced tonight. It was ’90s music night in Tampa Bay as the Islanders faced their challenge.

News and Notes

  • The Lightning have a 16-10-2 record overall and are 8-7-0 in home games.
  • The Lightning are third in the league with 121 total penalties ( they are averaging 4.5 per game).
  • The Islanders are 9-4-1 on the road and 16-10-3 overall. Oddly, they seem to play better away from home. The Islanders have a +5 scoring differential, with 83 total goals scored and 78 allowed.
  • This game is the second time these teams have played this season. The Islanders won the previous matchup 2-1.
  • The Islanders had more than 40 shots in their surprising Thursday victory over the Colorado Avalanche.
  • Nikita Kucherov has 12 goals and 22 assists for the Lightning. He is their top scorer. Brandon Hagel has 10 goals and 5 assists over the past 10 games. He is the hottest player on the Lightning.
  • The Islanders were so offensively challenged that they made Washington’s goaltender, Logan Thompson, look like the greatest goaltender ever.
  • Horvat has been hot all season long for the Islanders. Horvat has 17 goals and 12 assists this season. Lee has scored 3 goals and added 1 assist over the past 10 games. He tied Brock Nelson for fifth place on the Islanders’ all-time scoring list.
  • In the last 10 games, the Lightning are 7-3-0, averaging 3.6 goals and 4.1 penalties per game. They have been giving up 2.1 goals per game. Meanwhile, the Islanders are 5-4-1, and scoring, averaging 2.3 goals per game while averaging 7.4 penalty minutes per game. They have been giving up 1.9 goals per game.
  • Jonathan Drouin was out for the Islanders. Add him to Alexander Romanov, Kyle Palmieri, and J. G. Pageau, and you get a hefty injured list for the Islanders. Kucherov and Brayden Point were both out for the Lightning.

Conclusion 

The Islanders face a difficult two-game series in Florida in a back-to-back. They played this game against the Lightning, and tomorrow they face the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Both of these teams are in the Atlantic Division, the other division in the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, the standings are so tightly packed that the Islanders can ill afford to drop one of these games in Florida.

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