This is an 8* on TAMPA BAY

The Lightning are up 2-0 on the Islanders and can take a commanding 3-0 series lead with a win tonight. The Game 1 win was as easy as it gets as the Lightning scored eight goals. Keep in mind the strength of this Islanders team is its defense as they’d allowed a league low 1.94 goals/game in the playoffs before this series started. Game 2 was tighter, as well as a lot lower-scoring, but the Lightning still won 2-1. That seems like bad news for the Islanders as the low-scoring games are the ones they probably need to “steal” to have any shot in this series. It’s unlikely that they’ll contain the TB offensive onslaught again. Quietly, the Lightning are very hot. They have lost just three times in the bubble. They’ve won six in a row and 9 of 10. You have to remember that the Islanders were originally seeded 7th in the East for this Tournament. They had a negative scoring differential when play was paused back in March. While they looked great against the Capitals and Flyers, this mountain may simply be too tall to climb. Tampa Bay is 44-8 its last 52 tries after scoring two goals or less the previous game. Play on TAMPA BAY

AAA