ELMONT, N.Y. (Interstat) — The New York Islanders defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in a shootout Saturday at UBS Arena, completing a three-game season sweep. Calum Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer staked the Islanders to a 2-0 first-period lead before 17,255 fans. Tampa Bay rallied with second- and third-period goals from Darren Raddysh and Janis Moser, both assisted by Nikita Kucherov, to force overtime and ultimately a shootout. New York secured the extra point in the tiebreaker. The Islanders improved to 19-14, while the Lightning fell to 18-14. Tampa Bay had entered as a -1.5 favorite, but the total goals fell under the 5.5 over/under line.

BELMONT PARK, N.Y. (Interstat) — In a tightly contested divisional clash that required a shootout to decide, the New York Islanders edged the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena. The Islanders, who swept the three-game season series from Tampa Bay, improved to 19-14 overall. The Lightning fell to 18-14. New York built a two-goal lead in the first period and then held off a persistent Tampa Bay rally. Calum Ritchie opened the scoring for the Islanders at 10:16 of the first, finishing a setup from Anthony Duclair for his fourth goal of the season. Just over five minutes later, Matthew Schaefer doubled the advantage, converting on the power play with assists from Duclair and Mathew Barzal at the 15:05 mark. Tampa Bay halved the deficit late in the second period on a power-play goal of its own. With Casey Cizikas in the box for tripping, Darren Raddysh unleashed a slap shot that beat Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin at 20:13. Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel recorded the assists. The Lightning completed the comeback at 9:20 of the third period. Janis Moser took a pass from Kucherov and snapped a wrist shot past Sorokin for his second goal, tying the game 2-2. Brayden Point earned the secondary assist. Neither team could break the deadlock through a scoreless overtime, sending the game to a shootout. After Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point and New York’s Mathew Barzal traded goals in the first round, Islanders forward Emil Heineman beat Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson in the third round to secure the extra point for New York. Sorokin stopped Nikita Kucherov’s attempt to end the game. Sorokin made 44 saves through overtime and was perfect on two of three shootout attempts to earn the win. Johansson stopped 32 shots for Tampa Bay. The game was a physical affair from the outset, with Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde and Zemgus Girgensons delivering several early hits. The Islanders were credited with 21 hits to the Lightning’s 20. Both teams struggled with puck management at times, combining for 21 giveaways. Special teams played a pivotal role, with each side scoring once on the power play. Tampa Bay went 1 for 5, while New York finished 1 for 4. The Lightning’s penalty kill was tested early, successfully killing off a double-minor for abuse of officials assessed to Brandon Hagel in the first period. Kucherov was a central figure for Tampa Bay, registering two assists, four shots on goal and a hit. His linemate, Guentzel, added an assist and led all skaters with six shots on goal. For New York, Duclair’s two assists paced the Islanders’ offense, while Marc Gatcomb was a disruptive force, recording a hit and a key shot block. The announced attendance was 17,255. The Islanders continue their homestand with a game against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. The Lightning return home to face the Florida Panthers on Monday. Statistical note: The total goals of five surpassed the sportsbook over/under line of 5.5. Tampa Bay entered the game as a 1.5-goal favorite. A pregame projection by National Statistical gave the Lightning a 55% probability of victory with a predicted score of 4-3 for the Islanders.

Preview: Lightning Look to Avenge Recent Losses as They Visit Islanders BELMONT PARK, N.Y. (Interstat) — A tight Atlantic Division clash with a recent history of defensive struggles is set for Saturday when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. The Lightning (18-13-0) arrive looking to snap a two-game skid against the Islanders (18-14-0), who have won both meetings this month by identical 2-1 and 2-0 scores on Dec. 2 and Dec. 6, respectively. Tampa Bay enters with momentum from an 8-4 road rout of New Jersey on Thursday, while New York is coming off a 5-2 home win over Anaheim the same night. All eyes will be on Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, who is in elite form. The star forward is riding a seven-game point streak, tallying 18 points (4 goals, 14 assists) in that span. He was dominant against the Devils, recording four assists. His playmaking will be central to solving an Islanders team that has stifled the Lightning recently. For New York, captain Anders Lee is providing a scoring surge. He had a four-point afternoon (two goals, two assists) in the win over Anaheim and has points in three of his last four games. His physical presence and net-front prowess will challenge Tampa Bay’s defense. Both teams are separated by just one point in the standings, making this a critical early-season matchup. The Islanders have found success at UBS Arena, winning three of their last four there. Tampa Bay’s high-powered offense, which exploded for eight goals last outing, will test a New York squad that has allowed just three goals total in its two victories over the Lightning this month. The season series shifts to Long Island for this third of four meetings, with the Lightning seeking to avoid a sweep of the December set and the Islanders aiming to solidify their playoff positioning with another head-to-head win.