The Tampa Bay Lightning (16-7-2) invade Long Island looking to extend their scorching form into December, facing a New York Islanders (13-10-3) team desperate to halt a three-game skid and salvage a frustrating homestand at UBS Arena. Tampa’s high-octane attack, led by Nikita Kucherov’s wizardry, has them atop the Atlantic Division, but the Islanders’ stingy blue line and Ilya Sorokin’s wall-like goaltending could force a low-event trap game. With the Bolts riding a five-game win streak and New York’s penalty kill ranking 13th league-wide, this inter-conference clash evokes playoff ghosts from 2020-21—expect Andrei Vasilevskiy’s poise to test Bo Horvat’s line early, in a matchup where special teams could swing the script toward a gritty Bolts road W.
Venue
Venue: UBS Arena, 2150 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY 11003. Capacity: 17,250. This state-of-the-art Belmont Park gem, the Islanders’ home since 2021, features a hockey-centric design with premium sightlines and a raucous “Caufield’s Army” fanbase that turns every tilt into a fortress—especially against Lightning squads haunted by past playoff battles here.
Puckdrop: 7:00 PM ET (4:00 PM PT). Broadcast: ESPN+ (national streaming), MSG+ (Islanders local), Bally Sports Sun (Lightning local), NHL Network (highlights). The primetime slot draws East Coast eyes, with pre-game buzz on NHL Tonight dissecting Tampa’s road resilience.
Team Records
| Team | Overall Record | Home/Away Split | Atlantic/Metropolitan Division Standings | Key Stats (GF / GA / Power Play %) |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 16-7-2 | 8-5-0 Home / 8-2-2 Away | 1st (5-2-0 div.) | 3.4 / 2.6 / 24.0% |
| New York Islanders | 13-10-3 | 5-6-2 Home / 8-4-1 Away | 6th (3-4-1 div.) | 2.7 / 2.8 / 19.8% |
Tampa ranks 7th in goals for (84 total) and 3rd in goals against (65), fueling their Eastern Conference lead, while New York’s middling offense (20th in GF/GP) and solid PK (13th) mask home struggles (5-6-2).
Recent Team Forms
Tampa’s heater contrasts New York’s mini-slump, setting up a bounce-back spot for the hosts.
Lightning (5-0-0 in last 5): Tampa is locked in, capped by a 4-1 road dismantling of the Rangers on November 29 (Hagel’s two goals). Prior: W at Calgary (5-1, Nov. 27), W vs. Detroit (6-3, Nov. 25), W vs. Washington (5-3, Nov. 22), and W vs. Vegas (4-3 SO, Nov. 20). Averaging 4.6 GF while allowing 2.2 GA, with Vasilevskiy’s .917 SV% (six straight wins) anchoring. Road dominance shines (8-2-2, +1.8 diff.), but penalties (12.8 PIM/GP last 10) invite chaos—ATS 4-1.
Islanders (1-3-1 in last 5): New York’s woes deepened with a 4-1 home loss to Washington on November 30, extending their skid. Prior: L vs. Philadelphia (4-3 SO, Nov. 28), L vs. Boston (3-1, Nov. 26), W vs. San Jose (4-2, Nov. 24), and L at Toronto (3-2, Nov. 22). GF/GA at 2.0/3.0 lately, with Sorokin’s .905 SV% strained by low support (one goal in two straight). Home form falters (5-6-2, -0.2 diff.), but November’s 8-5-2 offers faint hope—ATS 2-4.
Injury Report
Tampa’s depth takes hits up front, potentially easing pressure on New York’s D, but the Isles boast a clean bill. Updates as of December 1, 2025 (NHL official report, 6:00 PM ET).
| Team | Player | Status | Injury Details | Impact |
| Lightning | Zemgus Girgensons (LW) | OUT | Undisclosed (IR since Oct.; multi-week). | Bottom-six grinder (0.4 PTS/GP); forward depth thins (-3% faceoffs). |
| Lightning | Niko Huuhtanen (RW) | OUT | Upper-body (IR opener; re-eval mid-Dec.). | Rookie winger; scoring pop lost off third line. |
| Lightning | Nick Paul (RW) | OUT | Lower-body (IR since Sept.; out until Nov. end, lingering). | Middle-six scorer (0.5 PTS/GP); transitions suffer (-0.4 GF/60 sans him). |
| Lightning | Conor Sheary (LW) | OUT | Waivers/contract termination (pre-season; unavailable). | Depth forward; negligible, but adds to wing crunch. |
| Islanders | None listed | All available | Clean slate; full rotation intact. | Boosts confidence—Sorokin eyes 60+ starts if healthy. |
Bolts’ absences tilt even-strength toward Isles’ structure.
Series History
This East rivalry, sparked in 1992, sees Tampa holding a slight all-time regular-season edge: 60-51-3-1 (.535 win%). Playoff scars run deep, with the Lightning sweeping four straight series (most recently 2021 ECF).
Last 10 Meetings: Lightning 7-2-1, including a 4-1 W on April 1, 2025 (Kucherov hat trick), and 3-2 OT W on March 15, 2025. Isles’ last win: 4-3 on Jan. 7, 2025.
At UBS Arena: Islanders 4-3-1 since 2021 vs. Tampa; Bolts’ last W there: 2024 playoffs (G1, 5-1).
Trends: Unders in 6/10 (avg. 5.8 goals); Tampa 6-4 SU last 10 road vs. NYI. Games trend low-scoring (O/U under in 7/10 at UBS).
Lightning’s recent mastery (2-game streak) looms large.
Key Player Matchups
Tampa’s stars vs. Isles’ shutdown—netminders could steal it.
Nikita Kucherov (Lightning RW) vs. Noah Dobson (Islanders D): Kucherov’s artistry (28 P in 25 GP: 12G/16A) tests Dobson’s puck-moving (0.6 PTS/GP); power-play duel (Kuch 24% PP) eyes 2+ points—combined 3+ projected.
Brayden Point (Lightning C) vs. Bo Horvat (Islanders C): Point’s speed (22 P: 10G/12A) clashes with Horvat’s two-way grit (18 P: 8G/10A); faceoffs (Point 52% vs. Horvat 54%) control tempo.
Brandon Hagel (Lightning LW) vs. Ryan Pulock (Islanders D): Hagel’s surge (2G vs. NYR) bullies Pulock’s shutdown (top-pair + rating); transition battle favors TBL rush.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning G) vs. Ilya Sorokin (Islanders G): Vasilevskiy’s Vezina form (.917 SV%, 2.32 GAA) vs. Sorokin’s rebound (.905 SV%, 2.88 GAA); low-danger duel projects under.
Tampa’s health edges forwards.
Betting Trends
Moneyline: Tampa 11-6 as ML faves; NYI 9-6 as dogs (8-2 at +115+).
Puck Line: Bolts cover 5-5 last 10 road; Isles 7-4 PL home dogs.
Total (O/U): Unders 7-3 in Tampa’s last 10; NYI games under in 6/9 home (avg. 5.4 total).
Trends: Tampa 8-2 SU last 10; Isles 3-7 ATS post-loss.
Game Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning – 143
New York Islanders 6
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, December 1, 2025
