6/28/2023 0 Comments Islanders point blank![]() The Bolts penalty kill, however, still leaves somethign to be desired as the team is killing off only 79.7% of penalties, ranking them 25th in the NHL. The Lightning power play is eighth in the NHL once again, with a 19.4% conversion rate. Oh, and to add insult to injury, veteran defenseman Brendan Witt, returning from IR, was waived by the Islanders yesterday. On the other hand, since his waiving on January 20th, the Islanders are 1-5 during that stretch and have been outscored 20-8 combined in those six contests. He's been a sound addition to the Lightning for the most part, even if he has not made an offensive contribution yet. In five games with the Lightning, Thompson is minus-1 and has nine shots on goal. To lose to the Isles twice in two weeks puts the Bolts in the same situation - shooting themselves in the foot and empowering a team just three points behind them in the conference standings.Īnd the sideshow that must be mentioned: Nate Thompson faces off against his former team tonight for the first time since his waiving. The back-to-back losses to Florida last month were damning for the Bolts playoff chase. With games against the Isles (two of them), Bruins and Rangers upcoming, the Bolts are in must-win or must-compete situations against other teams trying to establish a sound playoff foothold. The test before the Olympic Break is to stay there, though. The Bolts are indeed on the inside after their 2-1 victory over the Thrashers. Tonight's match-up between the Lightning and the New York Islanders doesn't just begin the Lightning's last homestand before the Olympic break, but also a span of four of the next six games where the Bolts can either solidify their newfound position of seeded for the playoffs, or they can fall back into the mire of the Eastern Conference bottom dwellers. OPPONENT COVERAGE: Lighthouse Hockey, NYI Point Blank MEDIA: Sun Sports TV (cable), 620 WDAE (radio)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |