For the first time in 27 years, the Islanders will play in the Eastern Conference Final. This whole postseason, the Isles have been a huge surprise to us all, and honestly, the way things were going towards the end of the regular season, I don’t think anyone thought they’d make it this far.  But, here we are, Game 1 of the Conference Final.

Lightning Scouting Report

It has been a full week since the Lightning last played a game, and it was Game 5 of the second round which ended in a 3-2 double overtime win over the Boston Bruins. The Lightning have been in Edmonton for a few days already, while the Isles only arrived yesterday.

There has been a pattern in which teams that have the longest stretch between series, always struggle to win the next series. For tonight, look for the Lightning to come out a little slow and sloppy as they have to shake off some rust. However, the Lightning have the ability to get into their game within a short period of time, so the Isles should capitalize on the Lightning mistakes before their star-powered offense finds their rhythm.

The Lightning are a very well rounded team and are pretty deep as well.  If the Islanders stick to their system and continue to play how they’ve been, this should be an even series that which the Isles could come out on top.  Both teams have depth and a very good defensive system, but the Lightning offense is something to definitely look out for.

Isles Look Back

On Saturday night, the Islanders took on the Flyers in Game 7 of the second round. The Flyers won the previous two Games (5 & 6), both in overtime, in order to force a game 7.  Although it was clear that the Isles were the better team throughout the series, they struggled to finish the Flyers off, but in Game 7, they might have played their best game of the year. The boys put together an amazing defensive effort, completely shutting down the Flyers, and they were able to capitalize on their chances en route to a 4-0 victory. They also held the Flyers to only 16 total shots on goal.

Keys to the Game

As we all saw in 2016 against the Lightning, winning Game 1 doesn’t mean a lot. However, it sets a tone for the series. Tonight, the Isles need to come out playing their game and sticking to the system.  That’s pretty much it.

They need to play “boring” Islanders hockey, and they will most likely win this game. Also, being this deep into the playoffs, you can’t afford to have any passengers on any given night. You need to have every guy, up and down the lineup doing everything it takes to win a hockey game.

Team Stats

Goals For:  Islanders 54– Lightning 39

Goals Against: Islanders 31- Lightning 30

Average Shots: Islanders 30.9- Lightning 35.5

Average Shots Against: Islanders 26.9– Lightning 32.2

Power Play %: Islanders 17%- Lightning 17.1%

PK%: Islanders 82.2%– Lightning 81.3%

Goals For Per Game: Islanders 3.3- Lightning 3

Game of the Month Record

1-4-2