Overview
- Brandon Hagel scored three goals, including a go-ahead finish at 18:16 of the third period and an empty-net goal 21 seconds later to complete the 5-3 win.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy made timely saves that kept the Lightning in the game and helped preserve leads during New York's pushes.
- The Islanders rallied twice from two-goal deficits as Matthew Schaefer scored his first goal of the season and Brayden Schenn tied the game on a power-play tip with fewer than seven seconds left in the second period.
- Coach Jon Cooper inserted Scott Sabourin for his season debut and the victory moved Tampa Bay to 4-1 as they head next to Madison Square Garden.
- Pete DeBoer praised his team's resilience but blamed a slow start and repeated penalties for the loss, a result that underlines the impact of special teams and shows Schaefer's continued development as a young standout.