The Tampa Bay Lightning heads out on the road for the first time in almost a month to take on the New York Islanders.
The Tampa Bay Lightning hasn’t had to leave the comfort of the Sunshine State for almost a month now. The last eight games have been decided at the Amalie Arena right here in the heart of Downtown Tampa. Now, the Lightning will embark on a road trip which will take them right into the heart of a storm.
Tonight, the Lightning travels to the Barclays Center where they will take on the New York Islanders in their final meeting of the 2017-18 season. As of this moment, the season series is split right down the middle. This evening’s battle will be the deciding factor of who takes the glory and who goes home disappointed.
The Islanders haven’t exactly had the best season. In fact, they are currently sitting at the very bottom of the Metropolitan Division with a 31-32-10 record. However, the Isles are coming into tonight’s contest with a little momentum on their side.
Tampa Bay Lightning
On Tuesday night, the Islanders handed a solid 4-1 defeat to the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course, the Bolts have their own momentum heading into tonight’s game. The Bolts came back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3.
The Islanders have two players leading the way for them in points. The first of these players is captain John Tavares. Tavares has 32 goals and 43 assists for a total of 75 points so far this season. The second player with a total of 75 points is forward Mathew Barzal. Barzal has 20 goals and 55 assists thus far.
These numbers almost pale in comparison to the Lightning’s Russian dynamo, Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov continues to lead the National Hockey League in Points. After picking up a goal on Tuesday night against the Maple Leafs, Kucherov now has 37 goals and 57 assists for a total of 94 points.
There is one definitive key to a Lightning victory tonight. The Lightning simply must play a consistent 60 minutes of hockey. Yes, the Bolts were able to pull off a tremendous comeback against the Maple Leafs, but if they continue to play this way their luck is going to run out eventually. At this point in the season, you simply cannot depend on a late-game comeback to bring home the two points.
While everyone here in the Bolts Nation anxiously awaits puck drop, let’s take a closer look at all the information one will need to make sure they are on top of all the action between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders tonight from Brooklyn.
Game: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Islanders
Venue: Barclays Center
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Date: Thursday, March 22,, 2018
Start Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
TV Info: Fox Sports Sun, SN, MSG+
Radio Info: Lightning Radio on 970WFLA or TBL Power Play on iHeartRadio
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go App in the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store
The Tampa Bay Lightning has cemented their spot in the postseason, but positioning is still a very important piece to the puzzle. The Bolts will need to treat every game from here on out as if it is a win or go home situation if they want to find themselves in a good position when the playoffs begin.
Next: Ryan Callahan Out Indefinitely With An Upper-Body Injury
Despite the injury to Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan, the Lightning has the tools needed to play a solid 60 minutes of hockey. As long as they don’t allow themselves to get comfortable and remain focused on the task at hand, the Bolts will find themselves in a favorable position come the second week of April.