Islanders Secure Win Over Lightning Despite Struggles
TAMPA, Fla. — The Islanders faced the Lightning for the second time in just over a week. Honestly, they didn’t play particularly well again.
Yet, surprisingly, they managed to defeat the Lightning for the second time.
Leading the way was Ilya Sorokin, who delivered another standout performance, guiding the Islanders to a 2-0 victory at Benchmark International Arena. Interestingly, Mathieu Darche managed to get his first win against his former team in his return to Florida.
I’d say calling it a road victory might be a stretch. Instead, Sorokin really kept them in the match, and they finally capitalized with Cal Ritchie’s impressive power-play goal in the third period, which shifted the momentum in their favor.
Defensively, the Islanders didn’t quite hold up as well as they hoped, especially after a solid seven-game homestand. The Lightning was quick to create chances right from the get-go, keeping pressure near the crease and circulating the puck effectively.
But Sorokin? He’s on fire, playing better than he has the past couple of years. Aside from a slip where he mishandled the puck in the first period, everything else seemed pretty solid.
In the second period, Scott Mayfield and Anthony Duclair both hit the post, and honestly, it was just Sorokin’s solid presence that kept the Islanders from facing a larger deficit heading into the final period. Tampa generated twelve real chances during those first 40 minutes, including a chaotic moment where Sorokin lost his stick while the Lightning was on a power play. Remarkably, they remained scoreless.
The Islanders had a chance at 10:14 in the third, courtesy of a double-minor high-sticking call on Brandon Hagel, which didn’t sit well with Lightning coach Jon Cooper.
Cal Ritchie managed to score at 2:31 during the power play and followed up at 12:45, netting a rebound with a deft touch. It was really one of the highlights in a game that didn’t offer many exciting moments.
Earlier in the week, Ritchie mentioned he feels more confident and less afraid of making mistakes, and tonight, that confidence certainly paid off by helping the Islanders secure two crucial points.
As the game wound down, the Lightning didn’t pose any further threats, and Sorokin, playing confidently throughout the evening, wasn’t about to let this one slip away.
Casey Cizikas sealed it with an empty-net goal as the clock ticked down to just 1.6 seconds remaining.
Really, who can blame the Islanders for jumping at that opportunity?
There’s a sense of pride after snagging three wins in the last two games, especially with all the Stanley Cup contenders and their supporters in attendance.
These two points pushed them past the Penguins into third place in the Metropolitan Division, now just one point behind the Hurricanes, even with three games in hand.
While it doesn’t directly impact their playoff chances right now, it’s noteworthy that the Islanders stand at 35 points—one ahead of the Lightning—thanks to two victories over Tampa in such rapid succession.
