The Stanley Cup playoffs are set to open up Round 2 when the puck drops on the Islanders and Lightning on Wednesday at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.
New York, the No. 1 Wild Card in the Eastern Conference, was able to bounce the Florida Panthers in six games in the opening round, ending the thrilling series with a double overtime victory on Sunday. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has been off since April 21, when they quickly dispatched of the Detroit Red Wings in five games.
This will be a very compelling series as the Lightning may have some key injuries, but still has plenty of offensive fire power, while the Islanders' never-say-die attitude was on full display in Round 1. Here are our predictions for the Atlantic Division bracket Final. To view our slideshow, CLICK START at the top right of this page. View our Penguins-Capitals predictions here.
[No. 2] Tampa Bay Lightning (46-31-5, 97 points) vs. [W.C. No. 1] New York Islanders (45-27-10, 100)
Round 1 Reflection: Last time around, we picked the Lightning to defeat the Red Wings in seven games (they did in five) and the Islanders to fall to the Panthers in seven (they won in six). Tampa Bay now looks to advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the second straight season, while New York looks to keep the ball rolling after winning its first playoff series since 1993 last time out.
Season Series: 2-1 Islanders.
Special Teams (Playoffs): Lightning 17.4 percent power play (10th), 96.0 percent penalty kill (1st); Islanders 23.8 percent power play (6th), 86.7 percent penalty kill (5th).
Projected Goalie Matchup: Ben Bishop (4-1, 161 goals-against average, .950 save percentage), Lightning; Thomas Greiss (4-2, 1.79 GAA, .944 save percentage), Islanders.
Series Overview: This should be a tightly-contested series between a battle-tested Lightning group and a hungry Islanders club.
A huge concern for Tampa Bay this round will be its depth as captain Steven Stamkos (blood clot) and defenseman Anton Stralman (leg) are among several beat up players. Stralman is at least out to start the series, while Stamkos returned to practice for the first time Tuesday, but he was wearing a non-contact jersey and isn't expected back.
Another issue for the Lightning is its ability to score goals. While it ousted Detroit in just five games, Tampa Bay only lit the lamp nine times in the series.
Five of the goals came off the stick of Nikita Kucherov, which ties him for the playoff lead. Kucherov's line with Tyler Johnson (2-5--7 in Round 1) and Alex Killorn (3-2--5) can't be the only unit putting up points for the Lightning to win the series. Guys like Jonathan Drouin (four assists), with his dubious past behind him, and others will have to step it up in Round 2. On the defensive side, with Stralman absent, it will be on Victor Hedman to continue to log heavy minutes.
For the Islanders, John Tavares continues to put himself in the conversation as the best athlete in all of New York sports.
He had playoff defining moments in Round 1, including his game-tying goal in Game 6 with less than a minute left in regulation against the Panthers, and his double overtime game-winner later in that contest that sent Brooklyn buzzing.
Tavares is tied for the NHL lead with five tallies this postseason and is second in the league with nine points. Playing alongside the Islander captain on the top line, Frans Nielsen had three goals and four points against the Panthers, while Kyle Okposo had five helpers and six points.
Unlike the Lightning, the Islanders had plenty of depth scoring in the opening round. Defenseman Thomas Hickey scored his first-career playoff goal to win Game 3 in overtime, while Alan Quine, playing in just his seventh NHL game ever, found the twine in double overtime in Game 5.
One of the more interesting aspects of this series will be in the crease as Bishop and Greiss both had huge performances in the opening round. Bishop allowed just eight goals through the five-game set with the Red Wings, while turning aside 152 shots. Greiss held his own against the Panthers, including making a combined 88 saves in Games 5 and 6.
Bishop, who shutout the Red Wings to end the first-round series, is third in the NHL is goals-against average and save percentage after Round 1. Greiss is right behind him, ranking fourth. The men in the blue paint will go a long way in determining who will win this series.
Last Call: This one can go either way. The Lightning's' injuries are certainly a concern and one that could hinder them from taking out an Islanders team that has a Cinderella feel attached to it. New York actually finished with a better record than Tampa Bay this season, but had to settle for a Wild Card spot. It will all come down to goaltending as Bishop can easily will the Lightning to winning the series, while Greiss has shown poise, but doesn't have the same playoff experience as his counterpart. If the Islanders can shut down the Lightning's top line and Tampa Bay's other lines don't contribute, that would be key to a New York win.
The Pick: Islanders in 7.
