ELMONT–After defeating the Washington Capitals back on Tuesday, the New York Islanders put together one of their most impressive performances of the season as they defeated the Washington Capitals 5-1 in their second-to-last game of the regular season. The Islanders are now 20-15-5 on home ice, 37-34-10 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Jean-Gabriel Pageau got the New York Islanders on the board just 32 seconds into the contest as he redirected a Noah Dobson point-shot with his skate for his 18th of the season. Noah Dobson and Anders Lee were credited with the assists.

Steven Stamkos scored his 40th of the season as the Tampa Bay Lightning tied the contest at one at 11:57 of the first period. He redirected an Eric Cernak point shot top shelf. Eric Cernak and Ondrej Palat were credited with the assists.

Kieffer Bellows gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 9:35 of the second period as his backhand shot produced a rebound, which bounced in off for Lightning defenseman Cal Foote. Bellows’s sixth goal of the season was unassisted.

Josh Bailey scored his 14th goal of the season, on the power play, to give the Islanders a 3-1 lead at 18:48 of the second period. Anthony Beauvillier and Noah Dobson were credited with the assists.

Corey Perry cut the Islanders lead to 3-2, as after strong passing on the power play, he beat Ilya Sorokin over the glove for his 19th of the season. His goal at 1:21 of the third period was assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman.

Ryan McDonough tied the contest at three at 10:10 of the third period as he snuck one off Sorokin’s pad and in for his fourth of the season. Pat Maroon and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare were credited with the assists.

Steven Stamkos scored his second of the game to give the Lightning a 4-3 lead with 8:47 to play in the third as he capitalized on a on 3 on 1. Ondrej Palat was credited with the lone assist on Stamkos’s 41st of the season.

Quick Start

The New York Islanders wasted no time getting on the board against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hard work down low by Anders Lee got the puck up to Noah Dobson at the point. With zero hesitation, Dobson got the puck towards goal.

The puck did not make it as far, not before Jean-Gabriel Pageau deflected it from the slot with his skate.

 

Valient Effort by Bellows

With the score knotted at one a piece, Kieffer Bellows changed that with an impressive goal for his sixth of the season. After strong forechking by Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson found him inside the right circle.

In one quick motion, Bellows cut to the backhand, using just one hand to get the puck on goal.

Despite the puck not going cleanly in, Bellows got the credit as the shot carramed off netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy and then off defenseman Cal Foote.

That goal was Kieffer Bellows’s fourth point over his last five games, with two goals and two assists.

Putting the Power in Power Play

The New York Islanders power play only received one opportunity in their win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. But Josh Bailey, with the help of Lightning’s Mikhail Sergachev, came through.

Not only was that the Islanders fourth straight game with a power-play goal, but the Islanders are now seven for their last 11.

Dating back four games ago, the Islanders went one for three against the Carolina Hurricanes, two for two against the Washington Capitals in Washington, three for five against the Capitals at UBS Arena, and then went one for one against the Lightning.

Blew the Lead

The New York Islanders entered the third period with a 3-1 lead with one period to go to finish out their 2021-22 season. But it was all Tampa in the third as they scored four unanswered goals.

While Zach Parise was in the penalty box to start the third, the Lightning capitalized to cut the Islanders lead to one thanks to pretty passing.

Eight minutes or so later, the Lightning scored again to tie the contest as Ryan McDonough snuck one past Sorokin. Then just over a minute later, Steven Stamkos scored his second of the night to give the Lightning a 4-3 lead, followed by his hat-trick tally with under three minutes to play in the third.

The Islanders had been playing so strong in the game, but could not hold down the fort.

NOTES

Defenseman Ryan Pulock was back in the lineup after missing Thursday’s contest with a non-COVID-related illness. Defenseman Sebastian Aho missed the contest with an upper-body injury. Robin Salo played in his third-straight game.

Forward Ross Johnston missed his second-straight contest (illness).

Defenseman Zdeno Chara and Brock Nelson, who missed Tuesday’s contest with illness, were back in the lineup.

Forward Anthony Beauvillier returned after missing four games with an upper-body injury.

WHAT’S NEXT: The New York Islanders host the Tampa Bay Lightning, the final game of the 2021-22 regular season, Friday night at 7:30 PM

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