Islanders vs. Lightning Game 7 Prediction
The Islanders forced a Game 7 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals series with the Lightning but will New York pull off another upset on Friday night in Tampa? The puck drops at 8:00 p.m. ET tonight.
Game Snapshot
031 New York Islanders (+150) at 032 Tampa Bay Lightning (-169); o/u 5
8:00 p.m. ET, Friday, June 25, 2021
Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
Tampa Bay Lightning DFS SPIN
Lightning coach Jon Cooper didn’t have an update on Nikita Kucherov’s (undisclosed) status during his Thursday morning press conference. Kucherov left Game 6 on Wednesday after being crosschecked by the Islanders’ Scott Mayfield. Cooper was asked about the possibility of Kucherov not being available for Game 7 on Friday. “Is it ideal when you’re playing in the final four when you’re playing against the best teams in the league not to have your full lineup? No. But it also opens doors for guys,” Cooper said. He also noted that it would make for a great story if the Lightning won Game 7 without Kucherov. Obviously the Lightning are hoping he’ll be available, but it sounds like they’ll attempt to use his injury for some added motivation if he’s not.
New York Islanders DFS Spin
Islanders coach Barry Trotz felt Game 6 of the semifinals on Wednesday was Mathew Barzal’s “best game of the season.” Barzal registered two assists to help the Islanders earn a 3-2 overtime victory against the Lightning. “He was using his skill set, he was making good decisions and he was playing all 200 feet of the ice, which is big. He was a factor,” Trotz said of Barzal. Those comments come just one game after Trotz expressed his disappointment in Barzal’s decision to deliver a bad crosscheck to Jan Rutta, which resulted in Barzal taking a five-minute major and game misconduct. Wednesday’s contest was far better for Barzal and that’s the version of him that the Islanders will be hoping for in Game 7 on Friday.
Lightning vs. Islanders Game 7 NHL Prediction
The Islanders are just 4-10 in their last 14 meetings versus the Lightning in Tampa and are 9-19 in their last 28 meetings versus the Bolts overall. The favorite is also 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams while the home side has cashed in four of the last five meetings, which includes the Islanders’ Game 6 victory in Uniondale.
NHL PREDICTION: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING -169