Recap: Islanders Strike Lightning with 5-1 Win

The New York Islanders felt they could hang with the NHL's top team and they proved it on Sunday night, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 at Barclays Center.
The Islanders used three quick strikes in the first period to build a 3-0 lead, while Thomas Greiss made 38 saves to protect it the rest of the way. The regulation loss was the Lightning's second in the last 21 games, so it was not overzealous to call Sunday a statement win by the Isles.
"I think there's certain games, or certain times during the year where you get an opponent that makes you believe, or cements what you're trying to do as a team and it sort of galvanizes you," Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "Or it gives you a more solid foundation. I think we've had a couple of those."

ISLES SCORE THREE IN 4:43:

The Islanders, who improved to 6-0-0 on the second night of a back-to-back set, didn't need long to settle in on Sunday, going up 3-0 in the opening 4:43 of the game.
Brock Nelson, Cal Clutterbuck and Devon Toews did the damage, scoring three goals on the Islanders first five shots on Andrei Vasilevskiy.
It started early, as Nelson scored on the Isles first power-play opportunity at 1:21, quickly erasing the taste of Saturday's 0-for-6 showing with the man advantage.
That set the Isles up to seize control of the game and they did so with two goals 16 seconds apart. The Islanders fourth line made the game 2-0, as Casey Cizikas forced a turnover along the wall, while Matt Martin - the game's first star - corralled the puck and dished to Clutterbuck, who deposited his third goal of the season at 4:27.
Toews rounded out the first period flash 16 seconds later, beating Vasilevskiy with a point shot for his third goal of the season, tying Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield for most among the Isles defensemen. It's not uncommon for the Isles to show quick-strike efficiency, as Sunday marked the third time this season the Isles scored three goals in the first period.
"We believe we're a playoff team," Martin said. "This was a good test for us. We haven't been playing our best hockey over the last four games even though we've been able to sneak away a couple of wins. Overall, we were pretty good tonight."

ISLES HOLD OFF LIGHTNING SURGE:

Three goals was hardly a safe lead against the Lightning, who entered the game averaging a league-high 4.11 goals-per-game. Tampa Bay outshot the Islanders 33-18 in the final two periods, but Greiss was superb in earning his first win since Dec. 17.
Trotz said the Isles have been able to bottle up some of the league's most offensive teams, citing the Isles 4-0 win over Toronto on Dec. 29. The Islanders penalty kill was also a perfect 3-for-3 against the league's top power play.
"Going up against the number one team in the league and keep them to one goal, it's definitely big and definitely speaks volumes," said Cizikas, who finished with a goal and an assist. "It's definitely a huge win and something we have to build momentum [off] going into the next one.
Ryan McDonagh's five-hole wrister was Tampa's lone goal, cutting the Isles lead to 4-1 late in the second period. That was as close as Tampa would get, despite Jon Cooper pulling Vasilevskiy three times in the third period - including with 10 mintues to play - to give the Lightning a 6-on-5 advantage.
Josh Bailey iced the game with an empty-netter with 52 seconds to play.

GREISS GREAT IN FIRST WIN SINCE DEC. 17:

Thomas Greiss was sharp on Sunday night, making 38 saves for his first win since Dec. 17. Greiss was especially good in the second period, stopping 21-of-22 shots as the Lightning mounted a push. Greiss was sharp in the third period, too, robbing Steven Stamkos on a one-timer with the Lightning net empty.

DAL COLLE, PELECH RETURN TO LINEUP:

Michael Dal Colle returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two games, replacing Ross Johnston. Adam Pelech returned after a one-game absence, replacing Luca Sbisa.

NOTES:

Matt Martin recorded two assists… Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman left the game in the second period after colliding with a referee and did not return… The Islanders improved to 6-0-0 on the second night of back-to-backs... The Islanders picked up their first win over the Lightning since Nov. 18, 2017 and first home win over the Bolts since April 4, 2016.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders take on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night at Barclays Center. Puck drop is 7 p.m.