Overview
- Brandon Hagel scored three goals late Saturday night to break a 3-3 tie and add an empty-netter that sealed Tampa Bay’s 5-3 victory.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy made several timely saves that kept the Lightning in the game during New York’s comeback stretches.
- The Islanders rallied twice after falling behind by two goals, with Matthew Schaefer scoring his first goal of the season and Brayden Schenn tying it on a late second-period power-play tip.
- Tactical moves shaped the finish as Scott Sabourin made his season debut for Tampa Bay and coach Pete DeBoer pulled goalie Ilya Sorokin shortly after Hagel’s go-ahead goal.
- The result left the Lightning 4-1 with four straight wins and reinforced questions for the Islanders about slow starts, penalty trouble, and the need for more consistent 60-minute play.