The Islanders return home to Brooklyn to resume their Eastern Conference Semi-Final matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. New York left the sunshine state with a much needed split however they turned in a total stinker in game two and I honestly don’t know what to expect for tonight. I know the crowd will be rocking and the Islanders really need to feed off of that. Scoring first would help as well. I just want to see this team come out and carry the play for once. You can only get by chasing the game for so long.
Thomas Greiss will be in goal tonight. Greiss wasn’t perfect in game two but the team did him zero favors. Ryan Pulock is still not ready to return to the lineup. Let’s hope he is good to go for game four because he was one of the difference makers in the series against the Panthers.
Josh Bailey is healthy and will return to the lineup tonight. He will play in place of Ryan Strome. I simply do not understand this. While Strome hasn’t been amazing, he still has four points in six games and is a plus player. His advanced stats are good as well and Strome is one of the only Islander forwards who have a positive CORSI. I just don’t understand why he is the scapegoat right now with other forwards such as Brock Nelson struggling even more. It seems that there is a clear disconnect between Strome and the staff.
The bigger question may be, what has Bailey done to be thrust right back into the lineup? Bailey has played to a negative clip and has one assist so far this postseason. I just don’t get it. I hope I am proved wrong. This subplot is also masking a bigger issue. Kyle Okposo has two goals in nine games this postseason. You can only get by with the hot hands of Alan Quine and Shane Prince for so long. You need your best players to be your best players.
I don’t know how to predict this game tonight. Win or lose I fully expect that the series will return to Tampa tied at two. Win or lose tonight I just want to see this team carry the play. I want to see puck going towards the net and I want to see this team get their collective nose dirty. For more on game three tonight give a listen to our preview in the latest edition of the Isles Buzz podcast.