Takeaways: Islanders Shut Out Bolts 2-0, Extend Winning Streak to Three Games

The New York Islanders kicked off their back-to-back set on a high note, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 at Benchmark International Arena.

Ilya Sorokin pitched a 32-save shutout, which accounted for his third of the season and 25^th in his career, which tied Chico Resch for most shutouts in franchise history. Cal Ritchie’s power-play goal held as he game-winner and Casey Cizikas potted empty-net goal for the second straight game to seal the deal.

The Islanders clamped down on the Bolts for the second time in three games – they won 2-1 on Tuesday at UBS Arena – marking the first time they’ve won against Tampa twice in a season since 2019-20.

It was the Islanders’ fourth shutout of the season and third in their last nine games.

TAKEAWAYS

- The Islanders were outshot 32-19 and out-attempted 74-42, but they were opportunistic when they needed to be. Brandon Hagel took a double minor for high sticking late in the third period, and Ritchie came up with an all-important power-play goal. Ritchie was positioned at the side of the net to corral the puck that bounced off the end boards, going between-the-legs to bank a power-play goal to take a 1-0 lead for the Islanders.

“Fortunate bounce there, I just tried to jam it,” Ritchie said. “Tony tried to find me down low, Lee got a touch on it. It’s too hard to get your body around it and put it in, so I tried to just get it in the net.”

- It was a big goal - one that showed how the Islanders can capitalize on a timely power-play goal - and against the NHL’s top penalty kill units. The Lightning entered the night with the league’s best power play (87.4%).

- The Islanders strung together three wins in impressive fashion. The Islanders clean sheet over the Lightning marked Tampa's only shutout loss of the season. The Isles defeated the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, becoming the second team all season to defeat the Avs in regulation and only team to do it by a margin of two goals or more. The Isles streak began with a 2-1 win over Tampa on Tuesday, which snapped the Bolts' seven-game winning streak.

“I think it’s a statement. We’re up there with the top teams in the league, we show it when we play against the top teams, we’re right in it with them,” Ritchie said. “We’re playing some good hockey right now, we just have to continue to build off of it.”

- Sorokin’s third shutout of the season marked the 25^th career shutout, tying him with Chico Resch for most shutouts in franchise history. After the win, Sorokin said he doesn’t pay attention to the record books and will save that reflection for the end of his career, most focused on helping his team perform.

“He makes it look easy and that’s great goaltending,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “He was outstanding from the start of the game.”

- Cizikas scored an empty-netter for the second-straight game and finished the game with 14:04 TOI, including 2:52 shorthanded. Cizikas also factored into the game-winning goal, as he drew the double minor that led to Ritchie’s power-play tally.

- The Isles penalty kill went 2-for-2 and got big kills when the team needed it, with Sorokin factoring in and coming up with big saves. He stopped Anthony Cirelli’s furious attempts at the right side of the crease en route to the Islanders’ second straight kill in the game.

“The PK was huge in the second period,” Roy said. “Cirelli had two grade-A [chances] around the net, but Ilya was so good tonight. He was moving really well. Sometimes you need your goalie to make big saves and that’s exactly what we got from him. Other than this, we blocked shots, cleared the puck and did a lot of good things.

- Adam Boqvist drew in for Travis Mitchell. Roy pointed out Boqvist’s strong performances in Tampa last season – he scored the opening goal in a 3-2 OT winner on Feb. 1 and tallied an assist on the road against the Lighting

- Andrei Vasilevskiy missed the contest and the Lightning were also without the firepower of Nikita Kucherov (day to day) or Brayden Point, who missed his seventh straight game. They did see the return of Victor Hedman, who recorded two shot attempts in 16:43 TOI in his first game back after missing 12 games.