Game 3 Preview: Islanders vs. Lightning

GAME 3: ISLANDERS VS LIGHTNING
8 PM | NASSAU COLISEUM
SERIES TIED 1-1
WATCH: USA, CBC, SN, TVAS, NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 98.7FM
"It's a best-of-five now...It's our turn to respond."
After dropping a 4-2 result in Game 2, the New York Islanders will look to usher a decisive response in Game 3 to regain the series lead after the Tampa Bay Lightning tied the best-of-seven semifinal series 1-1 on Tuesday night.
Fortunately, the Islanders are looking forward to a boost as they host the Bolts for Games 3 and 4 at Nassau Coliseum and will try to capitalize with the home-ice advantage.

It's familiar territory for the Islanders, who have now returned home for Games 3 and 4 after earning a road split in Games 1 and 2 in all three of their series throughout this year's postseason run.
"A split on the road is how we started each series so far," Scott Mayfield said. "We're excited to get back to our house, to the Coli where we know our fans will be loud. We know we'll have that momentum with us."

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ESTABLISH GAME AND STICK WITH IT

After the Islanders won Game 1 2-1, Tampa pushed back in every facet of their game in Game 2.
The Lightning's top line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, who were shut down at even strength in Game 1, inflicted damage with a five point outing (2G, 3A). They received key contributions from their backend for the first time in the postseason with two goals from Jan Rutta and Victor Hedman. Their lethal league-leading power play converted for the fifth-straight game and they received timely saves from Andrei Vasilevskiy. They also ticked up the intensity as they jawed and clawed with the Islanders on many after-the-whistle scrums from the initial puck drop all the way to some after-the-buzzer encounters.
The Islanders didn't expect the reigning Stanley Cup champs to roll over after a Game 1 loss on home ice and anticipated the push from the Bolts. However, they didn't match Tampa's compete level and weren't able to dictate play the way they did in their commanding debut game of the series.
"We didn't get to our game, I thought they had a little more desperation in their game," Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "They simplified their game. We just didn't get our game rolling long enough for long stretches of time. It was a weird game...It was a hard game to get rhythm."
While the game featured a surplus of fluky moments, which the Islanders showed resolve through, including Semyon Varlamov's first-period absence and Ilya Sorokin's temporary relief after Varlamov was sent to the room following a collision with Point and a stretch of 4-on-4, 4-on-3 and 4-on-4 early in the first period.
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That being said, the Islanders know they can and will have to be better against Tampa, who benefitted from its top players raising their respective games.
"You're only going to limit their team to a certain amount," Trotz said. "But if you get to your game, stick to your game, and you have trust in your game, you're going to win more than you're going to lose. That's how we've operated in the last couple of years. Get to our game. Stick to our game. Usually, we get a good outcome."

SPLITTING SPECIAL TEAMS

The battle of special teams is important under normal circumstances, but in the scope of playoff hockey where the margin of error is miniscule and every ounce of ice is precious realty, it adds an amplified importance and can prove to be a difference maker.
Coming into this series and rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Final, the Islanders knew they'd have their work cut out for them in all aspects of the game. They also felt confident in their ability to match up with the Lightning.
When it comes to special teams, the Islanders have held their own in the series. They've made necessary adjustments to improve and those paid off in Game 2.
After a 0-for-3 performance on the power play in Game 1, the Islanders converted with a first-period strike from Brock Nelson in Game 2. From the bumper spot, Nelson was able to corral and quickly bury a deflected puck off of the stick of Bolts defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
On that specific unit, Trotz opted to change the personnel and use an extra forward in Travis Zajac, to replace Ryan Pulock. With an extra body pressuring Tampa's penalty kill down low, the Islanders benefitted from the change.
"We had to get more interior with Tampa Bay," Trotz said. "They do a real good job of denying you the entries. Once you enter, their d don't stray too far. We felt we had to get a little bit more on the interior with a guy like Travis."
Conversely, Tampa's power play went 1-for-5 in Game 2 and is now 2-for-7 in the series. Ideally, the Islanders would love to finish a game with a perfect penalty kill execution, but being able to hold Tampa's league-leading (39.5%) power play to 28.6% so far is solid, but can still allow room for improvement.

LINEUP UPDATES

*Update: Trotz provided an update on Pageau's status following morning skate.
"We had five guys that didn't skate [at morning skate] and he was one of them," Trotz said. "But it'd be a surprise if he's not playing."
Jean-Gabriel Pageau did not play for the majority of the third period. Following the game, Trotz confirmed that the centerman 'tweaked something' and was holding him out for precautionary purposes. Trotz said after the game he expected the forward to "be fine for the rest of the series."
During his availability on Wednesday afternoon, the Islanders' off day, Trotz neither confirmed or denied what Pageau's status for Game 3 was. He did, however, confirm that rookie winger Oliver Wahlstrom, who has not played since taking a hit along the boards in Game 5 of the first round against Pittsburgh, is available.
"[Wahlstrom] is available to come back in Game 3," Trotz said. "We're going to be healthy. I'd say we're going to have a very similar lineup that we had [in Game 2]."

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• Barzal scored his second goal in as many games. The centerman has earned points in six of his last seven games including goals in both games of this series. Of the 24-year-old's 11 postseason points (5G, 6A), eight of them (5G, 3A) have occurred in the last seven games.
• While Varlamov was in the Islanders' dressing room for the final seven minutes of the first period, Ilya Sorokin manned the pipes. It was his first appearance since Game 1 against Boston. The Russian rookie was 'fantastic' for the Islanders as he came in cold and made six saves on six shots before Varlamov returned for the second period and finished the game in net.
• With a game-winning goal in Game 1, Ryan Pulock leads the NHL for goals among defensemen with four. Pulock also leads blueliners in game-winning goals in the playoffs with three and is tied with Vegas forward Max Pacioretty for the most among all skaters.

BOLTS NOTES:

• When it comes to responding after a loss, the Lightning are quick to strike. With their win in Game 2, The Lightning improved to 4-0 this postseason in games following a loss and are 11-0 over the past two playoffs.
• Point scored his league leading 10th goal of the postseason and now has goals in five-straight games. The 25-year-old center has compiled 14 points this postseason.
• Point scored the opening goal for the Bolts. The team is 9-1 this postseason when scoring first.
• Palat scored his third goal of the playoffs and first of this series.
• Kucherov posted three assists in Game 2. The Russian winger leads the NHL with 22 points and 17 helpers. Kucherov has showcased his playmaking abilities as he's riding a five-game point streak. In that handful of games stretch, the 27-year-old has totaled 10 points (2G, 8A).
• Rutta scored the first goal of the postseason among Tampa's defensemen. His goal also became the eventual game winner.
• Hedman wired in his first goal of the playoffs and on the power play. The Swedish blueliner leads the league in points and assists with 13 points and 12 helpers.
• Tampa is 5-1 on the road so far in the playoffs.