TAMPA — Brayden Level scored twice and Nikita Kucherov had a aim and an help because the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 5-3 on Saturday.
Nick Perbix and Jake Guentzel additionally scored for the Lightning. Jonas Johansson made 35 stops.
Marc Gatcomb, Anthony DeAngelo and Ryan Pulock scored for the Islanders, who misplaced their fourth straight sport. Ilya Sorokin made 19 saves.
The Lightning received their third straight and matched the idle Florida Panthers’ 91 factors atop the tight Atlantic Division, the place the Toronto Maple Leafs entered Saturday night time’s sport in opposition to the Los Angeles Kings only a level again.
TAKEAWAYS
Islanders: At 32-20-10, New York is in fifth place within the Japanese Convention wild-card race with 74 factors. The Islanders path Ottawa (81), Columbus (75), Montreal (75) and the New York Rangers (75) with Saturday’s slate of video games remaining.
Lightning: After a rematch with the Islanders on Monday within the opener of a four-game journey, Tampa Bay is at Ottawa, Buffalo and the Rangers, via per week from Monday.
KEY MOMENT
Kucherov and Perbix scored within the first 7:31 of the sport to offer the Lightning an early benefit. Level scored late within the first and second durations to increase the benefit to 4 targets earlier than the Islanders clawed again with three unanswered targets within the first 9 minutes of the third, making it 4-3. Guentzel’s empty-netter sealed the win
KEY STAT
Kucherov scored on the Islanders’ first shot, at 2:02 of the primary to gas the quick begin.
UP NEXT
The Lightning play on the Islanders on Tuesday. New York is on the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday
