GDT: #49| New York Islanders @ Tampa Bay Lightning | January 16th | 7:30pm | F/SOW 2-1

[MattMartin]

Preview

All time series record: The Lightning lead 43-41-3. Islanders all time @ Lightning are 18-24-2​

The only regulation loss the Tampa Bay Lightning have suffered in the last six weeks with Ben Bishop starting in goal was a game he left due to injury.

Bishop, who sat out four games with a sprained wrist, is 9-0-2 in 12 starts since last losing in regulation on Dec. 3 at Columbus. He's got a 1.49 goals-against average in that time.

Tampa Bay is tied with Boston atop the Atlantic Division at 60 points, while the Islanders (18-23-7), despite a recent hot steak, remain last in the Metropolitan with 43.

A 4-2 loss Tuesday at Florida snapped a seven-game road winning streak for the Islanders, though they've still won seven of nine overall. They're 3-1-0 to start a six-game road stretch.

Defenseman Calvin de Haan added an assist and has seven points on a five-game point streak after going without a point in his first 17 games of the season.

The Islanders could be without defenseman Travis Hamonic for a second straight game after he suffered an upper-body injury Sunday at Dallas.

They also sent Ryan Strome back to AHL Bridgeport on Wednesday after the 20-year-old forward had four points in 15 games with the parent club. New York went 9-4-2 with him in the lineup over the last month.

The Lightning won 3-2 in a shootout in New York on Dec. 17 after Valtteri Filppula scored twice in the last three minutes of regulation to force overtime. He has three goals in his last three against the Islanders.



Useful links
http://www2.dailyfaceoff.com/

http://www.tsn.ca/

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/islanders/

http://www.nypost.com/sports/islanders/islanders.htm

http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/

http://www.islesinfo.com/main.html



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[scott99]

It's AMAZING how well Tampa is playing without Stamkos. They are going to be very tough once Stamkos comes back. They must be playing great team defense as well as Bishop and St Louis are carrying the team. No stars on this team except those two. And Hedman is playing very well too.

 

[IslandersFan17]

Nabby is back?

 

[SI90]

Can't believe Tampas record and they have been without Stamkos. Bishops numbers are unreal.
Lets get a win!!

Keep Gudas away from JT!!!!

 

[Riseonfire]

Bishop has been lights out. Our top line needs to carry us (as per usual) if we're going to have a chance. So glad they didn't enter our division.

 

[2ndGenIslander]

Bishop has been absolutely lights-out. What a breakout year the guy is having. We're going to have to absolutely be on our A-game offensively to pull off a win here.

 

[enigmatic]

after last games loss, i will call this, while not a must win per say.....a VERRRYYY important win to keep our positive momentum going into the PHI, PHI, NYR games...

a loss here and there is okay (last game) as long as it is surrounded by wins on both sides..

 

[Words Of Wisdom]

This is gonna be a tough game. Without Stamkos, Tampa has been finding a way to get wins. It's funny, their team on paper looks not very good without him. They have tons of speed though. Bishop has really been playing extremely well, those numbers are really good, but his defense has helped out as well. If our first line does what it normally does, and we get some secondary scoring? Isles can win this! Let's go Isles!

 

[IslandersFan17]

We really can not afford any kind if losing streak at all.

 

[redbull]

I hope the second line has a huge night. The Isles need a great second line if they're going to make a run (just like last year).

And a healthy Visnovsky would be a gift!

If AMac is still on the PP tonight, I'm gonna send a harshly-toned email to the Doug Weight, possibly a 140 character anonymous tweet.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Any of our Tampa residents heading to the game tonight?

I hope the second line has a huge night. The Isles need a great second line if they're going to make a run (just like last year).

The secondary scoring is so damn inconsistent on this team.

 

[borisbadenough]

Any of our Tampa residents heading to the game tonight?



The secondary scoring is so damn inconsistent on this team.

KO or Vanek to the second line? TV would probably have more of an impact on the 2nd line. Makes the opposition rethink their d scheme. Mix and match Cappy

 

[Hockey Overlord]

They need to find the right balance in the first period.. Isles can win this.

 

[ScaredStreit]

Any of our Tampa residents heading to the game tonight?



The secondary scoring is so damn inconsistent on this team.

I'll be there. And no I wont be wearing a paper bag.

 

[Islanders1932]

The current pace for the last place wild card slot is 89 points. Therefore the Islanders need at LEAST 90 points.

Islanders have 43 points in 48 games.

In 34 games the Islanders must get at least 47 points. Here is a look from a record standpoint.

The Islanders would need to go roughly something like: 22-9-3

That is the bear minimum they would need to qualify for the playoffs. Now we know that teams turn it up at the end of the year so it will likely end up being around 90-93 points that we will need.

So if it ends up being 93 points, we would need to go something like: 23-7-4

There is not a lot of room for error here. We are a long shot already and we cannot afford to lose two games in a row.

Realistically every 5 games we need to average out to 3-1-1. just to have a shot at the playoffs.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

Have to give Yzerman credit, first he traded for Lindback, saw he didn't look like a starting goalie so made the deal for Bishop.

 

[19 in a row]

Keeping my fingers crossed but can't help but feel we are playing a good team with a depleted line-up with Hammer out and Strome down. I guess the way this team works that means a win.

Back to Strome, if we are trying to make a playoff push I still have a hard time digesting that it is more important for the team's current and long term interests to have Strome get his work in at Bridgeport, rather than on the front lines where he is contibuting... Just feel that we should have the best line up possible and I don't think I am going out on a limb by saying that Regin is a downgrade from Strome who was showing signs and should only have gotten better each game... However, I am an Islander fan, this is the path I have chosen in life and cursed my kids with, so I guess I should not be surprised by any move this team makes.

 

[PROMputt]

Have to give Yzerman credit, first he traded for Lindback, saw he didn't look like a starting goalie so made the deal for Bishop.

This is what drives me nuts about Snow(and I am not a Snow hater). His failure to recognize that he did not have a #1 goalie and his bigger failure to not even bring in someone. Bishop is the perfect example of how a goalie can make a good defense look great. Bobrovski did it last year with Columbus also. Yes the Islanders dmen need improvement, but when your last line of defense is mediocre at best, it does not make life any easier. Ask yourself a question, how many games has the Islanders goalie stole a win for them this year? On good teams it happens more than you think...

All that being written, with the horrible stretch in November it kind of make every game a big game now if the Islanders want to make the playoffs.

 

[2ndGenIslander]

Have to give Yzerman credit, first he traded for Lindback, saw he didn't look like a starting goalie so made the deal for Bishop.

Yeah what a great move by Yzerman. I had no idea Bishop is the tallest goalie to ever play in the NHL at 6'7". He beat out our GM!!!

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Here's an update

@StapeNewsday: Capuano: Poulin in goal, Martinek in for Carkner, Regin w/Nielsen, Bailey. #Isles

https://twitter.com/stapenewsday/status/423857575156023296

 

[IceAce]

We've held our own against the big boys the past few weeks, time to rebound with another good effort tonight. Hopefully the Panthers game was just a speedbump.

 

[PWJunior]

Here's an update



https://twitter.com/stapenewsday/status/423857575156023296

So is Nelson the #3C then?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

So is Nelson the #3C then?

That's what it's sounding like.

 

[The Underboss]

Any of our Tampa residents heading to the game tonight?



The secondary scoring is so damn inconsistent on this team.

No unfortunately. Had a chance to sit in a suite too, but not feeling great today.

 

[Levi Walking Bear]

This is what drives me nuts about Snow(and I am not a Snow hater). His failure to recognize that he did not have a #1 goalie and his bigger failure to not even bring in someone. Bishop is the perfect example of how a goalie can make a good defense look great. Bobrovski did it last year with Columbus also. Yes the Islanders dmen need improvement, but when your last line of defense is mediocre at best, it does not make life any easier. Ask yourself a question, how many games has the Islanders goalie stole a win for them this year? On good teams it happens more than you think...

All that being written, with the horrible stretch in November it kind of make every game a big game now if the Islanders want to make the playoffs.

Most of us here thought that Snow would get a goalie last summer. Yzerman recognized Tampa's biggest hole, when he didn't get it right the first time with Lindback he traded for Bishop. If Bishop did not work out who knows, he might have tried to get another goalie until the problem was fixed.