Islanders vs Lightning Prediction, Odds & Picks Apr 1
Lightning Can Clinch Berth
The Tampa Bay Lightning aim to clinch a playoff spot for the sixth straight season and slow the visiting New York Islanders’ surge toward a postseason berth when the teams meet Saturday night.
The Lightning have won two straight after Thursday’s 5-1 triumph over Washington and need a victory – or a Florida regulation loss Saturday – to seal a playoff spot. Tampa Bay also boasts five consecutive victories over the Islanders.
New York, which visits Metropolitan Division leader Carolina Sunday and welcomes Tampa Bay Thursday, has a four-point cushion in the race for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with six games left.
The Islanders are 5-1-1 over their past seven games and 3-0-1 in the last four on the road after grinding out a 2-1 shootout victory over Washington on Wednesday. Goalie Ilya Sorokin has won five of his last six starts and is third in the league in save percentage (.924).
Islanders Lean On Defense
New York has allowed 15 goals during its 5-1-1 surge, with five of those coming in the overtime loss at Columbus on March 24.
Sorokin (28-19-7) is a big part of that equation, but the Islanders have played solid team defense overall despite allowing 31.3 shots on goal per contest, 18th best in the league. The under is 3-2-1 in the last six Islanders games, according to NHL lines.
Brock Nelson leads New York with 32 goals and 69 points- while star center Mathew Barzal is next with 51 despite being out since February. 18 with a lower-body injury.
Bo Horvat (37 goals, six since being acquired by the Islanders) scored in the win over New Jersey on Monday and recorded a shootout goal at Washington.
Bolts Right Their Ship
Tampa Bay was stumbling big time with four straight losses before winning at Carolina 4-0 on Tuesday and getting a pair of goals from Pat Maroon in the victory over Washington.
Former Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has stopped 93 of 96 shots in the past three games, starting with a 2-1 loss at the league-best Boston Bruins last Saturday. The under in the sportsbook is 3-0-0 in the last three Lightning games after going 1-4-0 in the previous five.
However, Tampa Bay could light up the scoreboard any time with standouts such as Nikita Kucherov (104 points) and Brayden Point (47 goals, four in the last five games). Captain Steven Stamkos has also registered 13 of his 79 points in the past eight contests.
The Lightning are 5-1-0 in the last six games against the Metropolitan and 23-16 ATS, according to NHL odds, on one day’s rest this season. The over is 6-2-1 in the last nine games after Tampa Bay scored five or more in the previous contest.
Islanders vs Lightning Head-to-Head
Tampa Bay has outscored the Islanders 20-9 during its five-game win streak in the series, including a 5-3 triumph at Amalie Arena on Oct. 22.
New York had a 35-26 edge in shots in its fifth straight loss at Tampa, but backup Brian Elliott turned aside 32 of them and five different Lightning players scored.
The win streak started with a 1-0 victory for Tampa Bay in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals. The Lightning also beat the Islanders in the 2020 Eastern finals.
The Lightning is +700 to win the Eastern Conference (sixth), while the Islanders are +3300 (ninth), according to NHL betting lines.
Islanders vs Lightning Game Injuries
Islanders vs Lightning Game Information
- Game: Islanders (39-28-9) vs Lightning (44-26-6)
- Day/Time: Saturday, April 1st, 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
- Islanders vs Lightning Live Stream: NHL.TV
Islanders vs Lightning Betting Lines
Islanders vs Lightning Picks & Prediction
Both teams are feeling good about themselves after big wins.
Sorokin and Vasilevskiy are elite goalies in the league and it would be a surprise if the game became a shootout with them in net. With two games in two nights, though, New York coach Lane Lambert could possibly go with Semyon Varlamov (11-9-2) between the pipes.
The Lightning are 26-7-5 at home while the Islanders are an ordinary 17-15-6 on the road.
If you are online gambling, New York may have a little more at stake. But Tampa Bay is starting to round into form again. We think the Lightning win a low-scoring battle.
Maroon: “We’re finding an identity right now. I think it’s being strong, physical, strong on pucks. We have all the high-end skill. That will take over eventually, but you’ve got to defend first and play hard in your own zone. Then the offense will take over.”
— Chris Krenn (@Chris_Krenn) March 31, 2023
The Islanders are listed at +130 in our Las Vegas NHL odds. This means that if you wager $100 on New York, you have a chance to win $130. The Lightning are -150, offering a chance to win $67 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Islanders a 43.48% chance to win, with Tampa Bay at 60.00%.
