After a heartbreaking, last-second loss in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, the New York Islanders will look to get back on track in Game 3 of the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 on Friday night in Edmonton.

Game 2 was very tightly contested throughout. Although the Islanders struck first on a Matt Martin goal 1:24 into the first period, Tampa Bay countered late in the frame with a Victor Hedman goal off a Devon Toews icing.

The teams held each other off the board for almost all of the remaining regulation. However, a bad shift by the Jean-Gabriel Pageau line led to a flurry of chances for Tampa’s top line, and Nikita Kucherov wired a one time shot past Semyon Varlamov with less than nine seconds left in regulation to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 win.

However, the most intriguing storylines heading into the game are on the Lightning side. They may be without two of their better forwards for this crucial game. For one, Alex Killorn got suspended for Game 3 due to boarding Brock Nelson in the first period.

Also, the team could possibly be without Brayden Point, who left the game in the second period. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper did not provide an update since the Bolts did not practice Thursday. With those two possibly being absent for game three, expect Mathieu Joseph and/or Carter Verhaeghe to come in.

For the Islanders, Brock Nelson did clear concussion protocol and he is expected to play for the Islanders. However, with how the Lightning played physically, the Islanders may look to make some lineup changes to add some toughness against the Lightning’s physical play. In particular, expect Ross Johnston to come back in to stand up for his teammates.

However, the Islanders will need to be much more aggressive on Andrei Vasilevskiy. The team played well enough to win, outshooting Tampa 28-21, but lost out on a five minute major and a five-on-three chance as well.

The Islanders went 0-4 on the power play overall, and special teams can cost you games at this time of year. As a result, expect the Islanders to be more aggressive on the power play, in particular, Ryan Pulock with his hard slap shot.

With Tampa looking to take a strangle hold on the series, it will be more difficult without a top-six option in Killorn and possibly their best player right now in Point.

New York will look to take advantage of the situation and cut the series deficit in half and gain momentum heading into the home stretch. Game 3 between the Islanders and Lightning is set for Friday night at 8 PM.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.