Redemption Game for Lightning facing Islanders in NY comes up short

Dan Herrejon
Dec 13, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Dec 14, 2025

After two losses against the New York Islanders last week, the Lightning face this foe for the third time in 11 days. In the final matchup of the season between these two teams, the Lightning can't win the season series but today is an opportunity for redemption for the visitors.

During the two previous wins, Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin has played lights out. He's given up one goal in two games. Can the Lightning break this spell Sorokin has on them and redeem at least one win of the season's three games between these two teams.

Need A Quick Start

In the last two games, both wins on the road, the Lightning jumped out to a quick lead. I'm sure today's game plan spelled that formula out. For whatever reason, this season the Islanders aren't going down easy. They are as fellow Thunderstruck writer Robert Hazou has said, the Lightning's kryptonite this year.

Three minutes into the game, rookie sensation Matt Schaefer scored a power play goal to open the scoring. A one goal deficit is usually nothing to worry about but the way Sorokin has played against Tampa this season it may be insurmountable.

To their credit, the Lightning didn't fold the tent. They pressed forward but they couldn't solve Sorokin. As the period went on, the Bolts had some good scoring chances but couldn't get one past Sorokin.

About halfway through the first period , the Islanders added a second goal. Another rookie, Calum Ritchie put one past Jonas Johansson to give New York a 2 - 0 lead. That's how the period ended. Like their earlier games with the Isles, the Lightning seemed to be the better team but still trailed.

Digging Out of The Hole

If the Lightning had thoughts of competing in this game, they needed to be the next team to score. If they fall behind the Islanders and Sorokin by three goals, it may be a done deal. The middle frame was played tough defensively by both teams.

Halfway through the second period, the Lightning found themselves on a two man advantage for a little over a minute. They moved the puck around and with about 8 seconds left on the 5 on 3 power play, red hot Darren Raddysh blasted a shot that Sorokin only heard as it whistled by him.

Raddysh is among the league leaders for defensemen in points. This goal sees him continuing with his monster breakthrough season. The goal put a little jump in the Bolts play the rest of the period. While they didn't add a goal, they outshot the home team by a 17 to 1 margin. They had to feel good going into the final frame.

Time to get those two points

As the momentum swung in the Lightning's favor through the second period, they had to keep that swag to get this game tied. Just after the three minute mark, J.J. Moser found the back of the net. This goal tied the game at two with a little more than 16 minutes remaining in regulation.

Moser snapped a twisted wrister top shelf that Sorokin flailed at but missed. Gut check time now for both teams. The intensity of the game grew and the crowd was into it loudly. Certainly, had the feel of a playoff game. Neither defense broke, neither offense could break the tie. The period ended in a 2 - 2 tie.

Extra Time

In the five minute overtime, much like the 3rd period, both teams had some good scoring chances. Also, like the third, both defenses and goalies held firm. Today's game was going to a shootout. It's a shame that a game like this has to be decided by this skills competition but off we go to a shootout.

The Islanders scored first as Matt Barzal scored on their first attempt. Brayden Point tied in in the second round. After Nikita Kucherov missed his attempt in the third round, the Islanders went with Emil Heineman who scored the game winner.

Yes, it was another loss to the Islanders but at least the Bolts earned one point for the regulation tie. The one point was the only redemption the Lightning found today.

Three Stars

Ilya Sorokin - 32 saves on 34 shots beating Tampa for the third time in three games
J.J. Moser - 1 goal and 4 blocked shots playing both ends of the ice
Nikita Kucherov - 2 assists