Morning Skate Updates: Islanders at Lightning

The New York Islanders take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night at Amalie Arena at 7:30 p.m. Watch the game on MSG+, MSG GO or NHL.TV. Listen live on 88.7FM WRHU, 103.9FM LI News or online at RADIO.COM. Read the game preview. Check the game notes.

Video: Morning Skate Scrum 11/8: Barry Trotz

FILPPULA RETURNS TO TAMPA BAY:

Valtteri Filppula played three-and-a-half seasons for the Tampa Bay Lightning (2013-17), making Thursday a pseudo homecoming for the Finnish forward. Filppula has already returned to Tampa with the Philadelphia Flyers, but said he had good memories of his time with the Bolts.
Filppula recorded a career-high 25 goals with Tampa in 2013-14. He was a part of Tampa's Cup Final run in 2015 and played opposite the Islanders in the 2016 playoff series.

JON COOPER ON THE ISLANDERS:

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper had some praise for the Islanders on Thursday morning, a team he said was discounted by most after John Tavares' departure.
"When John left the team in summer I think there was this automatic that the Islanders aren't going to be any good. It's clear they were not a one-man team. He's a wonderful player and we can see that playing in Toronto. There's definitely a supporting cast there and that team was a playoff team a couple years ago and they've got pretty much the same group except for Mathew Barzal and a couple of young guys. Anders Lee has taken over the reins there, he leads by example. The one thing they're getting they probably haven't gotten consistently in the past is really good goaltending. Anytime you have that then you're scare teams. Barry's proved what he did with that team in Washington is what he's doing with the Islanders."

Jordan Eberle](https://www.nhl.com/video/c-62715803)

LIGHTNING PROJECTED LINES:

Forwards
J.T. Miller - Steven Stamkos - Nikita Kucherov
Yanni Gourde - Brayden Point - Tyler Johnson
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - Mathieu Joseph
Adam Erne - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan
Defensemen
Slater Koekkoek - Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh - Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn - Mikhail Sergachev
Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to start in goal.
\*projected lines courtesy of nhl.com/lightning