The New York Islanders (32-29-10) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (42-25-5) on Saturday, March 29th. This game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa and televised on ESPN+. Both the Islanders and Lightning will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:00 ET.

Islanders vs Lightning

The New York Islanders Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Islanders fell to 32-29-10 with a 5-2 road loss to the Rangers. Entering as underdogs on the puck line, the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

After falling behind 2-0, Casey Cizikas put the Islanders on the board in the second period. The Rangers responded with another goal before Brock Nelson scored with just 8 seconds left in the second, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The Rangers added two more in the third, including an empty-netter, to seal the win.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Lightning’s defense struggled in their 7-4 loss to the Jets, bringing their record to 42-25-5. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.

Tampa Bay led 2-0 in the first period, but the Jets responded with seven of the next nine goals, including two empty-netters. Four different Lightning players found the net in the loss.

New York Offense Breakdown

In their 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders took 37 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Casey Cizikas scored his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth, just 8 seconds before the end of the second period.

The Islanders were held scoreless in the first and third periods and recorded 23 giveaways. Pierre Engvall picked up his first assist of the season on Cizikas’ goal, and Simon Holmstrom added his fourth assist.

Lightning Offense Breakdown

Brandon Hagel opened the scoring for Tampa Bay with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point followed with his 8th, coming on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal of the season in the second period, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th goal, unassisted, in the third period.

The Lightning took 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. They scored twice in the first period, added another in the second, and finished with their fourth goal at the 13:09 mark of the third period.

New York Team Defense

Defensively, the Islanders gave up the first goal just 3:44 into the game and allowed two more in the third period, including an empty-netter. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with an 89.7% save percentage, while the defense recorded 12 takeaways and 17 hits.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning struggled late, allowing four goals in the 3rd period, including two empty-netters, leading to a 7-4 loss. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage, while the defense recorded 6 takeaways and 16 hits.

Islanders vs Lightning Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, New York has an puck line record of 1-2 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• In their last ten games at home, the Lightning have a straight up record of 9-1 while going 8-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 4 goals per game in these contests.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Lightning have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 3-7.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Islanders have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 0-3.

Islanders vs Lightning Prediction

If you’re considering a direct moneyline bet, the Lightning is the choice to make. However, with a payout of -225, you might want to use this bet as a building block for a parlay.

For my recommended choice in the puck line, I’m leaning towards the Islanders to cover. Even if the Lightning secure a straight-up win, this game is expected to be tightly contested, and the Islanders should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.