Post-Game Talk: #1| New York Islanders @ Tampa Bay Lightning | June 13th | 3:00 PM | F/W 2-1

MattMartin

Killer Instinct™
Feb 10, 2007
17,438
9,990
Long Island
NEW YORK ISLANDERS AT LIGHTNING











NEW YORK ISLANDERS AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
GAME 1 | SERIES TIED 0-0
WATCH: NBC | SN | TVA | NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM















Preview


The Lightning took down the Islanders in Round 3 last postseason and are expected to have their way with Barry Trotz’s club once again.


Bolts Have Dominated Isles

The Lightning are listed as heavy favorites to beat the Islanders in Round 3 for good reason. Tampa Bay has won 16 of the last 22 matchups against New York, including a playoff round victory in the 2020 Eastern Conference Final. The Bolts won the first two games to take a 2-0 series lead.

The Lightning are looking like a legit Stanley Cup contender once again this postseason. They defeated the Florida Panthers in six games in Round 1 before only needing five games to get past the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2. Nikita Kucherov leads the playoffs in scoring with 18 points, while Andrei Vasilevskiy ranks among the top goaltenders with a .934 save percentage.

The Lightning have elite-level talent at every position, but it’s their power play that might be their most terrifying asset. The Bolts’ power play is clicking at a whopping 41.7 percent rate this postseason. They should exploit an Isles penalty kill that is only operating at 61.5 percent efficiency.



Islanders Have Unfinished Business


The Islanders will be looking for revenge on Tampa Bay after losing in six games to Jon Cooper’s team in last year’s Eastern Conference Final. The Isles arrived to Round 3 this year by defeating Pittsburgh in Round 1 before knocking off the Bruins in six games in the second round.

The Islanders are typically known for their stout defense, but it’s their offense that has been making headlines this postseason. New York leads all remaining playoff teams with 3.58 goals scored per game. Top center Mathew Barzal has played a big part in that success, scoring three goals in the past four games.

New York has also one of the best goaltending tandems in the playoffs. Ilya Sorkin played a big role in helping New York eliminate Pittsburgh, while Semyon Varlamov took over against Boston and posted a .934 save percentage in the last five games. Varlamov is expected to duel with Vasilevskiy in Game 1.




















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Playoff Series History




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Team Leaders:







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MattMartin

Killer Instinct™
Feb 10, 2007
17,438
9,990
Long Island
Series Preview





For the second consecutive year, the Islanders and Lightning will meet for the chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Both teams had to endure a gauntlet of a division to make it this far, and both know they’re halfway to hoisting the Cup.


The bitter taste of defeat is still lingering on Long Island; this team is seeking revenge. As for Tampa Bay, they’re looking for a repeat of last year’s outcome. But, more importantly, they know they’ve got to replicate how they opened last year’s Eastern Conference Final. Perhaps not with another 8-2 shellacking, but with a statement win in the series’ opening game.

Anthony Cirelli sent the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final with an overtime goal in Game Six last year. Which of these teams will move on this year? Let’s find out.





Tampa Bay Lightning


The defending Stanley Cup Champions are essentially the same wagon they were last year. The only two regulars who weren’t part of last year’s team in some form or fashion are Ross Colton – who was still in Tampa’s minor league system – and David Savard, who was acquired at the trade deadline. This team not only knows how to win, but they know how to win together.

Tampa Bay’s depth is incredible. They’ve done a great job all year of keeping their lines structured and intact. It’s obvious to even the most casual viewer just how much chemistry each of the Lightning’s four lines have with one another. But, as dangerous as this team is in the scoring department, they rely heavily on their goaltender, and he may be the best in the business.

Andrei Vasilevskiy can shut out any team on any night, and he seems to step up when Tampa Bay needs it most. The Lightning have won six series in a row – four in 2020 and two in 2021. Vasilevskiy has a preposterous .964 save percentage and a hard-to-believe 1.02 goals-against average in the six deciding games. Plus, he’s recorded a shutout in the last three of those games, the first of which won his team the Cup. Utter dominance.


Big number 88 has also saved 12.9 goals above average this playoff, easily tops in the playoffs among goalies. To put that into perspective, Marc-Andre Fleury ranks fourth with 4.2 GSAA. Vasilevskiy also leads all playoff netminders in high-danger save percentage, recording an eye-popping .921 HDSV% in 11 games.

I touched on Tampa Bay’s offensive prowess earlier. They’re deep, but their big guns are bonafide stars in this league, and all three of them come to play in the playoffs. Per HockeyStatCards, Tampa Bay’s three highest-graded players this playoff are Nikita Kucherov (1.36 average GameScore), Steven Stamkos (1.12), and Brayden Point (1.10). For context, the next highest-graded player is Alex Killorn – a playoff assassin in his own right – at 1.03, but nobody else has earned an average GameScore above 0.67. This team relies on these three to drive offense, and they’ve done just that, combining for a ridiculous 18 goals and 25 assists in Tampa’s 11 playoff games.


Much of the trio’s success has come on the powerplay, which has been humming all year long, especially in the postseason. They’re converting at an astounding 41.7% clip on the man-advantage. After struggling on the penalty kill in round one against Florida, Tampa Bay locked down the Hurricanes’ powerplay in round two to the tune of just two goals in 14 opportunities.

When leading after two periods, Tampa is 44-1-0 since the start of the 2020 playoffs. However, the Lightning are playing like they’re not ready to give up the Stanley Cup just yet, and they’ll be a tall task for the veteran Islanders bunch yet again in 2021.





New York Islanders



Nobody’s given the Islanders a chance all year long, so why start now? New York is a heavy underdog in this series again (+205) after closing at +125 to beat Pittsburgh in round one and reaching as high as +185 to eliminate Boston in round two.

What the Islanders do to teams doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. It barely shows up on the scoreboard. And it certainly doesn’t show up in the underlying metrics. New York has been labeled “boring” ever since Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz got to town three years ago, but all this team has done since then is win hockey games. They’re in their second consecutive semifinal and have won at least one playoff series every year during the current regime. So how do they do it? They’re able to roll four lines, of course.


The Islanders’ identity is their fourth line. Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin, and Casey Cizikas have played together for years – sans a mini-stint in Toronto for Martin – and are exactly what you’d expect from a fourth line, and then some. Most teams shorten the bench a bit come playoff time, but not so much the Islanders. This fourth line is averaging around 14 minutes a night, allowing their other lines to play their normal shifts. Usually, it results in the Islanders being the fresher team late in games, especially in overtime where they’re 3-1 this postseason.

New York’s depth and incredible dedication to playing heavy on the forecheck and wearing their opponents down also makes them dangerous the longer a series drags on. The Islanders are an incredible 6-0 in all games after the third game of a series this playoff, and they won three consecutive contests to eliminate both the Penguins and Bruins.

Anders Lee, the Islanders’ captain, has been out all playoff, but guys have stepped up in his absence. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, a player who seemingly lives for the postseason, paces the Isles with 13 playoff points, while trade-deadline acquisition Kyle Palmieri and longtime Islander Brock Nelson lead the team in goals with seven and six, respectively.

The Islanders are predicated on shutting down their opponent’s best players, and while a lot of that is strong defending, New York’s goaltenders are a big part of their success. Both goaltenders have save percentages north of .925 this playoff, and the luxury of keeping both fresh by riding the hot hand is a massive advantage for Barry Trotz.

As for shutting down top players, the Islanders held Pittsburgh’s combination of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Jake Guentzel to just five goals in six games in the first round, and despite David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand netting five each in the second round, New York held Taylor Hall and Patrice Bergeron to just a goal each, and Hall’s was into an empty net.
The Islanders and their fans are itching to get over the hump finally, and being able to take on the Lightning again with a chance at revenge may be the motivation they need to get it done.
 
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Thrasymachus

Registered User
Jul 1, 2018
5,211
6,703
so if lightning is assosciated with Zeus, that means we gotta make some animal offerings to Hades, lord of the earth and Zeus' opposite right?

Or is it poseidon cause of the whole island thing?

Just trying to figure out what occult rituals I need to be doing here in advance
 

Bronson

Registered User
Apr 5, 2007
2,673
1,444
so if lightning is assosciated with Zeus, that means we gotta make some animal offerings to Hades, lord of the earth and Zeus' opposite right?

Or is it poseidon cause of the whole island thing?

Just trying to figure out what occult rituals I need to be doing here in advance
Stop playing god of war :)

I think we can and will beat them. They have a great team for sure, but they roll mainly three lines and two defensive pairs. The key will be to grind down Hedman and Sergachev.
 

scottywiper

Registered User
Dec 2, 2018
8,307
4,368
3am in my part of world, there goes a good night's sleep!
My young fella will not be happy either!
EDIT: He's looked at game times and seen all the other games are at 8am. I take him to school at 8.15 every day, he's declared this unacceptable and is pushing for a week off school! Even on Saturday he has junior soccer at 10am so he might not be able to watch any games live and he's furious!
 
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Ballsmash

Registered User
Jun 9, 2021
9
10
Kareby
So excited to see the match on sunday live instead of the day after on Sunday! Want to see the other games live as well, who needs sleep anyway?
 
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danteipp

Registered User
Aug 3, 2005
6,749
3,750
Stop playing god of war :)

I think we can and will beat them. They have a great team for sure, but they roll mainly three lines and two defensive pairs. The key will be to grind down Hedman and Sergachev.

The Isles definitely have to hit them and try to wear them down, but be smart about it and don't gift them too many PPs either.

The Isles especially need to try to knock Point off his game and get as many shots on Kucherov as possible.

Work that hip and his lower body - legally of course. Maybe have Uncle Leo get under his skin and get Kucherov to make some emotional mistakes and play undisciplined hockey?

I have to admit I really hope Wahlstrom is back soon, just to give Trotz another option, especially if there are any injuries. I do not want to see players like MDC, Ross, Czarnik or Knuckles ever take the ice in this series.
 

FourRings

Registered User
Mar 26, 2013
4,775
2,303
New York City
Stop playing god of war :)

I think we can and will beat them. They have a great team for sure, but they roll mainly three lines and two defensive pairs. The key will be to grind down Hedman and Sergachev.
Yep. Focus on Sergachev, he loses his cool pretty quickly. Gotta bang Kucherov around too and he's good for a slash or two.
 
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JKP

Registered User
Sep 19, 2004
6,500
3,354
Halifax, NS
so if lightning is assosciated with Zeus, that means we gotta make some animal offerings to Hades, lord of the earth and Zeus' opposite right?

Or is it poseidon cause of the whole island thing?

Just trying to figure out what occult rituals I need to be doing here in advance
Animal offerings and Poseidon - so surf and turf for dinner, got it!
 
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Riseonfire

Josh Bailey! GAME ONE, TO THE ISLAND!!!
Nov 8, 2009
11,303
5,281
Tampa's Dmen don't have a single goal among them. Hope the Isles shade down low to double up a key forward or two to force the play back to the blueline.
 
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Instant

Registered User
Feb 20, 2018
2,259
1,451
I need some of your faith in this team, lol. Somehow Tampa is this "big, bad monster" in my head and I don't know if we can hang with them.
 

IslesRock4

Ever Forward
Jul 21, 2007
23,188
997
Long Island
Hate to dampen the mood but YUCK!



Announcing crew will be yuck no matter what. Really can’t stand Forslund and his tropes. And he always sounds like he’s playing to the crowd, ie to whichever team is the bigger media darling. Which is never us.

Kenny at least has a classic “big game voice” even if hockey isn’t his strong suit. Don’t mind this change at all.
 

IslesRock4

Ever Forward
Jul 21, 2007
23,188
997
Long Island
I read that Hedman is a little hurt right now. Anyone know what his issue is? A weakened Hedman might be our opportunity,
He got clipped into the boards in a game on March 30, looks like it was in issue with one of his legs or hips. Didn’t really miss time although he did sit out the last couple games of the regular season to rest up for the playoffs.

Hard to say how much it has affected him in the playoffs when he still has 24+ min/game and 11 assists. Think he’s still the best player on the ice even if he is banged up.
 

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