Islanders Blank Lightning to Win 2-0

The New York Islanders got the best of the Tampa Bay Lightning again, this time down in Tampa, 2-0. The Islanders have extended their winning streak to three in a row, while the Lightning see their skid extend to an equal number of games.

Goalie Ilya Sorokin led the way for the Islanders, making 32 saves in the effort to keep the Lightning off the board. Jonas Johansson stood tall in his effort to fill in for Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is now labeled as day-to-day, for the second game in a row. He stopped 17 of 18 shots, with the only goal he allowed coming with the man advantage.

Islanders Continue to Handle Lightning

The game remained scoreless through the first two periods of the game. The Islanders broke through on a power-play goal from Calum Ritchie (3). Casey Cizikas (3) put in the dagger on an empty-net goal.

Ritchie snapped a seven-game drought without a goal by getting on the board tonight. For Cizikas, his goal represented his first point since he had a multi-point game against the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 20.

The Islanders were 1-for-3 on the power play in the game, with the Lightning’s special teams allowing a rare goal. Meanwhile, the Lightning’s offensive woes on special teams continue. They went 0-for-2 on the power play. The offense was without Nikita Kucherov, and it showed. He’s out day-to-day, like Vasilevskiy, so how they’ll fare is to be determined.

On Sunday, the Islanders will turn around and take on the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. Meanwhile, the Lightning hit the road to Toronto and will take on the Maple Leafs on Monday. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Ilya Sorokin (32 saves, shutout)
2. Calum Ritchie (1 goal)
3. Jonas Johansson (17 saves, .944 save percentage)