3:10 pm
September 13

Lightning v. Islanders

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tampa Bay Lightning

@ New York Islanders

 

Starting Goalies:

Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB): Unconfirmed

Semyon Varlamov (NYI): Unconfirmed

 

Current odds:

Tampa Bay Lightning: (-145)

New York Islanders: (+125)

 

• There’s no phrase in playoff hockey more self-explanatory than “it’s a series now.” And in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday afternoon in Edmonton, the New York Islanders will try to turn their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning into a best-of-three. The Islanders earned their first conference finals victory in more than 27 years Friday night, when Brock Nelson scored the tie-breaking goal with 3:25 left in Game 3 to catapult New York to a 5-3 victory. An empty-netter by Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the final minute not only ensured the Islanders wouldn’t get swept, it confirmed all elements of a competitive and entertaining playoff series were in place.

• The Lightning would surely like to turn back the momentum generated by the Islanders over the previous two games. Tampa Bay cruised to an 8-2 win in Game 1, but New York took the lead 84 seconds into Game 2 and didn’t trail until Kucherov scored the game-winning goal with 8.8 seconds remaining.

• On Friday, the Lightning overcame a two-goal third-period deficit to tie the game when Tyler Johnson scored with 7:56 left, but they never led and gave up the go-ahead goal following a turnover in the New York zone by defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

• The Islanders didn’t need the feisty final seconds of Game 3 to understand the Lightning won’t hit the ice in a giving mood Sunday.”I think Game 2 gave us the confidence that we could win Game 3,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said Saturday afternoon. “We’re going to get their best game (Sunday) and we’ve got to have our best game. You’re in a position to get it to a best-of-three. The opposition doesn’t want that. They’re going to do everything to prevent us from doing that.”

• Lightning center Brayden Point and Islanders center Casey Cizikas both missed Game 3 with undisclosed injuries. Neither Cooper nor Trotz provided updates Saturday afternoon.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Tampa Bay Lightning
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