The third round of the NHL playoffs will give us interesting meetings, among them the duel of the winners of the central and eastern divisions stands out, the Islanders will take on Tampa Bay. The sixth game of these teams will take place on June 24 at 03:00 Moscow time. Our portal offers you its forecast for the outcome of this meeting.
New York Islanders»
The team demonstrated good hockey throughout the season. The Islanders managed to perform well in this playoff and beat the division leader, Pittsburgh. Competent tactical game is preached by the "Islanders", this was enough in the games with "Boston", where after the initial failure, the team managed to get together, change the style of play, which brought them the coveted victory. The Islanders also started the series with Tampa Bay with confidence, but in the last meeting they clearly failed both in attack and defense, losing heavily on the road.
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 gates. However, already against the Islanders, the Lightning played poorly in the attack, they did not score enough, which did not allow them to win, but already in the last game the attack showed itself in all its glory and scored 8 goals.
Injuries and disqualifications:
- Injuries:
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Islanders - Lee (knee injury).
Tampa Bay - Gaborik (back injury), Nilsson (concussion).
Statistics and figures
- The last game between these teams ended in an 8-0 victory for Tampa Bay.
- The Islanders have lost three times in their last five meetings.
- Tampa Bay has three wins in its last five games.
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. I think the match will be tough, but the Lightning will still win on the road and finish the series.