Get used to this match-up: Lightning at Islanders Preview

Game Twenty-Six: Tampa Bay Lightning (16-7-2) at New York Islanders (13-10-3)

Time: 7:00 PM EST

Location: UBS Arena, A stone’s throw from legendary Belmont Park

TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, MSGSN, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App

Odds: Lightning -140

Know the Opponents: Lighthouse Hockey

After not seeing the New York Islanders for the first two months of the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning will match up against them three times in the next two weeks. They take them on tonight at UBS Arena, in Tampa on December 6th, and then back in New York on December 13th. Got to love those NHL schedule makers.

That means Lightning fans will be seeing a lot of the top NHL draft pick, Matthew Schaefer. The 18-year-old defenseman has been living up to the billing as he’s posted 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) in 26 games while averaging 23:26 of ice time. He’s injected some youth into a veteran-laced line-up that is currently on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

While he might be a new face, some familiar players are leading the Islanders offense as Bo Horvat ha a team leading 15 goals, and Matthew Barzal has 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists). In net, it’s the Ilya Sorokin show as he’s been anointed the number one starter with Semyon Varlamov has yet to play this season. Sorokin has posted a .901 SV% and 2.67 GAA in his 17 appearances.

On the Lightning side of the ice, they returned to practice on Monday after enjoying an off-day on Sunday. They bring a seven-game winning streak into tonight’s game as they close out a three-game road trip. While some familiar faces were on the ice, don’t expect any line-up changes any time soon.

Victor Hedman and Max Crozier were regular participants at the practice while Brayden Point and Ryan McDonagh ran through some individual drills after the main group was finished. Coach Jon Cooper cautioned reporters to not read too much into the participation. He conceded that Crozier was the closest to returning, but didn’t have a time table.

So, the patchwork “Syracuse-ish” defense is out on the ice for another game. Can they patch it together for another game? Sure, why not?

It could be a milestone game for a couple of players. Fresh off of his second star of the week award, Brandon Hagel will appear in his 400th regular season game. A little fact presented by the Lightning – Hagel celebrated both his 100th and 200th career games with hat tricks. He jumped the gun a bit and netted three goals in career game 299. He’s not the only one close to a round number as Nick Paul is one goal away from 100 career goals and Jake Guentzel is on the verge of 600 points (he’s at 598).

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New York Islanders

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