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 16 at 03:00 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. The Lightning leaders are on the move now, as 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 gate. However, the Lightning played poorly against the Islanders, scored only one goal and lost.
New York Islanders»
The team demonstrated good hockey throughout the season. The Islanders managed to do well in this playoff game and beat the division leader, Pittsburgh. The Islanders preach a competent tactical game, and this was enough in the games with Boston, where after the initial failure, the team managed to gather, change the style of play, which brought them the coveted victory. The Islanders also started the series with Tampa Bay with a solid win on the road.
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 match between these teams ended in a 1-2 victory for the Islanders.
- The Islanders have a good run of four straight wins.
- In their last five games, Tampa Bay has lost just twice.
Forecast
It is difficult to single out a favorite in this confrontation. "Tampa Bay" has a more stellar and well-played roster. However, the Islanders are on the move this season and show a confident game, especially in defense, which we saw in the last game. I think the match will be tough, but the Lightning will still win on their own court.