The third round of the NHL playoffs will give us interesting meetings, among them the match of the winners of the central and eastern divisions stands out, the Islanders will go to visit Tampa Bay. The opening game of these teams will take place on June 13 at 22: 00 Moscow time. Our portal offers you its forecast for the outcome of this meeting.
Tampa Bay Lightning»
By the playoff games, both Stamkos and Kucherov had recovered, which paid off for the Lightning in the opening games. Now the Lightning leaders are on the move, which was clearly seen in the series against Florida ,where the team showed a bright game, although sometimes it failed defensively. In the games against Carolina, they showed strict defensive hockey of the Lightning and won the series in five matches, without allowing anything to create an opponent at their own goal, competently using the majority and mistakes of the opponent.
New York Islanders»
The Islanders failed in the end and dropped to fourth place in the division, but this is due to a lack of motivation, because they got a place in the playoffs for a long time. The team managed to prove itself well in this playoff and beat the division leader, "Pittsburgh". A competent tactical game is preached by the "Islanders", this was enough in the games with "Boston", where the team managed to get together after the initial failure, change the style of play, which brought them the coveted victory.
Injuries and disqualifications:
- Injuries:
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Tampa Bay - Gaborik (back injury), Nilsson (concussion).
Islanders-Lee (knee injury), Wahlstrom (upper body injury).
Statistics and figures
- The last game between these teams ended in a 1-2 victory for Tampa Bay.
- The Islanders have a good three-game winning streak.
- In their last five games, Tampa Bay has lost just once.
Forecast
It is difficult to single out a favorite in this confrontation. "Tampa Bay" has a more stellar and well-played squad, which has already been proven in past meetings. However, the Islanders are on the move this season and show a confident game, especially in defense. I think the meeting will be persistent and not very productive.