[7:39 PM] Lightning @ Islanders

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tampa Bay Lightning (5-4-0)

@ New York Islanders (4-5-0)

 

Starting Goalies:

Ben Bishop(TB): Confirmed

Thomas Greiss(NYI): Confirmed

 

Current odds:

Tampa Bay Lightning: (-115)

New York Islanders: (-105)

 

• The Tampa Bay Lightning have strung together three straight regulation losses for the first time since last October and attempt to pull out of the tailspin when they visit the New York Islanders on Tuesday. The Lightning managed three goals combined in losses against Montreal, New Jersey and the New York Rangers after starting a six-game road trip with a pair of victories.

• Coach Jon Cooper continued to shuffle his forward lines during Sunday’s 6-1 loss against the Rangers with very little success, getting a late goal from captain Steven Stamkos – his team-leading 10th point of the season. While the offense has been a little sluggish, most of the problems have been in the neutral zone and the defensive end where the Lightning have been giving up too many prime scoring chances. Forwards Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat own minus-8 ratings and Tampa Bay’s bottom four defensemen are a combined minus-17.

• Nelson picked up his play with two consecutive multi-point games and leads the team with nine – two better than Tavares, who banked three of his four goals in the last four contests. New York has yet to get much going with the man advantage in the first nine games, converting 3-of-25 chances to be ranked 26th in the league, and has given up four power-play goals in the last three outings. Goalie Jaroslav Halak, who is rumored to be on the trading block, has played once in the last four with Thomas Greiss winning two of three.

• New York D Dennis Seidenberg, a late free-agent signing in the preseason, boasts four points (two goals) and a plus-8 rating.

• The Lightning are 1-for-11 on the power play during the losing streak, but rank fifth in the league on the penalty kill (88.5 percent).

• The Islanders have gotten nine of their 27 goals from six defensemen.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Tampa Bay Lightening

Confidence: 5/10

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