Game Twenty-Eight: New York Islanders (15-10-3) at Tampa Bay Lightning (16-9-2)
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Benchmark International Arena, The Capital of Death Metal
TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, MSGSN, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App
Odds: Lightning -185
Know the Opponents: Lighthouse Hockey
When last these two teams met, the Tampa Bay Lightning were riding high atop the Atlantic Division on a seven-game winning streak. While they are still on top of the division, they are also nursing a two-game losing streak, thanks to the Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins. There was a bit of good in each of the losses, but too much bad, and the Bolts are looking to get back to the simplistic way they were playing during their winning streak.
It does appear that they will get a little bit of help in the line-up as Victor Hedman is likely to return tonight. The Big Swede led the stretching drills, and as we have seen a little too much in recent weeks, that is an indicator that an injured player is set to return to action.
Victor Hedman leads the post-practice stretch and receives a resounding round of stick taps, pretty good sign he’s ready for a return tomorrow #GoBolts #TBLightning
— Lightning Insider (@erikerlendsson.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Even if Hedman has been off his game a little this season, his return should help a defensive corp that was starting to show some cracks. With Declan Carlile getting loaned to Syracuse yesterday, it appears that Max Crozier is staying in the line-up. How Coach Jon Cooper throws the defense together tonight will be interesting. The temptation is to reunite Hedman and J.J. Moser and flip Emil Lilleberg back to his natural left-side, but Moser has been really strong on his natural side while Hedman and Ryan McDonagh were out of the line-up. And, despite playing on his off-hand side, Lilleberg has been pretty good as well.
Another factor that could play into things is the health of Nikita Kucherov. The superstar winger had what the team termed a maintenance day on Friday and didn’t practice. His skate Saturday morning was extremely optional as he was on the ice without pads and seemed to be testing something out according to The Tampa Bay Times Eddie Encina.
If Kucherov can’t go, the Lightning would likely dial in an 11/7 rotation and put Steven Santini in as the seventh defender. Oh, and Encina also reported that neither Andrei Vasilevskiy will not play tonight and is “day-to-day”. Jonas Johansson will start for the second straight game. Good times!
As for the other injured Lightning stars, Brayden Point has been upgraded to “questionable” for tonight, but Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak still likely to be out for a few more games (with Cernak still listed as “week-to-week”).
The last time these two teams met, the Lightning dominated the statistical categories, but failed to solve the Ilya Sorokin puzzle more than once. Tampa Bay ran into that issue in their 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh as well. Yes, they scored three goals, but Tristan Jarry prevented a couple of more, and some bad puck management (as well as special teams) led to the defeat.
The focus for the Lightning tonight should be on puck management and returning to the quick-moving, north-to-south style of game that was present for most of their seven-game winning streak. While they still had some turnovers, they limited the damage that resulted from them, and that helped to make life easier for their goaltenders.
The team was bound to cool off a bit after a really strong November, but the key to getting back in the win column will be to keep generating the scoring chances and not let frustration settle in when the opposing goaltender denies a few quality chances. Just keep shooting (oh, and figuring out the power play would be nice as well).
Potential Lines
Tampa Bay Lightning
Forwards:
Brandon HagelAnthony CirelliNikita KucherovJake GuentzelNick PaulGage GoncalvesZemgus GirgensonsYanni GourdePontus HolmbergCurtis DouglasDominic JamesOliver Bjorkstrand
Defense:
Victor HedmanJ.J. MoserEmil LillebergMax CrozierCharle-Edouard D’AstousDarren Raddysh
Goaltenders:
Jonas JohanssonBrandon Halverson
Opponent
Forwards:
Emil HeinemanBo HorvatMaxim ShabanovAnders LeeMathew BarzalMaxim TsyplakovSimon HolmstromCalum RitchieAnthony DuclairKyle MacLeanCasey CizikasMarc Gatcomb
Defense:
Matthew SchaeferRyan PulockAdam PelechTony DeAngeloTravis MitchellScott Mayfield
Goaltenders:
Ilya SorokinDavid Rittich