PREMIUM
Stephen Nover's Puck Line Game of the Week
(NHL) NY Islanders vs. Tampa Bay,
Point Spread: -1.50 | 162.00 Tampa Bay (Home)
Result: Win
Point Spread: -1.50 | 162.00 Tampa Bay (Home)
Result: Win
The buy sign is back on Tampa Bay. The Lightning looked good beating San Jose, 5-2, at home this past Saturday in their last game.
It was encouraging to see Nikita Kucherov reuturn to his hot ways scoring two goals after being switched to a line with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat. The line change also energized Tyler Johnson, who scored two goals playing with Steven Stamkos and Vladislav Namestnikov. Kucherov and Stamkos rank first and second, respectively, in scoring in the NHL.
Tampa Bay has dominated the Islanders winning seven of the last eight meetings. New York, though, defeated the Lightning, 5-3, in Tampa on Nov. 18 during the previous meeting.
The Lightning should be fired-up remembering that recent loss, just their third home defeat in 15 games. The Islanders played a tough game last night squeaking past the Panthers, 5-4, on the road.
I like the goalie matchup, too, from a Lightning standpoint much preferring Andrei Vasilevskiy against either Thomas Greiss or Jaroslav Halak. Vasilevskiy has been one of the top goalies this season leading the NHL in wins with 14 and rating fifth in goals-against-average at 2.22.
It was encouraging to see Nikita Kucherov reuturn to his hot ways scoring two goals after being switched to a line with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat. The line change also energized Tyler Johnson, who scored two goals playing with Steven Stamkos and Vladislav Namestnikov. Kucherov and Stamkos rank first and second, respectively, in scoring in the NHL.
Tampa Bay has dominated the Islanders winning seven of the last eight meetings. New York, though, defeated the Lightning, 5-3, in Tampa on Nov. 18 during the previous meeting.
The Lightning should be fired-up remembering that recent loss, just their third home defeat in 15 games. The Islanders played a tough game last night squeaking past the Panthers, 5-4, on the road.
I like the goalie matchup, too, from a Lightning standpoint much preferring Andrei Vasilevskiy against either Thomas Greiss or Jaroslav Halak. Vasilevskiy has been one of the top goalies this season leading the NHL in wins with 14 and rating fifth in goals-against-average at 2.22.
