NEW YORK _ The Islanders keep passing tests. So now they have a chance to match a franchise record winning streak.
Their latest measuring-stick game came against the offensively-potent Lightning, who tied an NHL record with 62 wins last season before being swept out of the first round of the playoffs and who were coming off an overtime win at New Jersey.
But the Islanders limited the Lightning's dangerous chances and broke open a one-goal game with three third-period goals to win their eighth straight, 5-2, on Friday night at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum.
The Islanders conclude their third back-to-back set of the season on Saturday night at Buffalo and can match the franchise-best, nine-game single-season winning streak set Dec. 31, 1989-Jan. 19, 1990.
Thomas Greiss made 33 saves for the Islanders (9-3-0) as he won his fourth straight start. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots for the Lightning (6-5-2), who were missing top defenseman Victor Hedman and have won consecutive games just once this season.
Coach Barry Trotz has liked how his Islanders, who had not played since Sunday's 5-3 win over the visiting Flyers, have handled the winning.
"We've practiced really well," Trotz said. "That's always the first indicator. If a team is getting full of themselves, they don't practice very well. They start cheating. They start not executing. This group hasn't done that."
Josh Bailey, getting the puck back from Mathew Barzal for a one-timer on the right, gave the Islanders a 3-1 lead at 12:41 of the third period. Captain Anders Lee made it 4-1 at 14:27 with a sharp angle backhander that Lightning coach Jon Cooper unsuccessfully challenged for a high stick.
The Islanders took a 1-0 lead at 4:58 of the second period as Vasilevskiy could not hold onto Barzal's initial shot and Barzal rushed to the crease to poke the puck free and knock it into the net.
The Islanders then killed off the Lightning's second power play but, four seconds after it expired, ex-Rangers defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk fed Yanni Gourde, who beat Greiss past his glove with a backhander from the right at 7:49 of the second period.
Defenseman Ryan Pulock regained a 2-1 lead for the Islanders at 11:33 of the second period with a blast from the right point through traffic. It was the second straight game with a goal by Pulock and the fourth straight game in which an Islanders' defenseman has scored at least once. The Islanders have gotten at least one point from a defenseman in all 12 games.
The Islanders preserved that one-goal lead with their third successful penalty kill after defenseman Scott Mayfield was called for delay of game at 7:21 of the third period. Greiss stopped three shots while Casey Cizikas blocked two others.
Their second four-day layoff in the last two weeks again did not leave the Islanders with too much rust in their game at the start, though the first period ended without a goal thanks to Greiss.
He bailed out Anthony Beauvillier after the left wing _ who missed Thursday's practice because of illness _ turned the puck over to Ondrej Palat with an errant back pass in the Islanders' zone at 14:26. Greiss turned aside Palat's wide-open, close-range opportunity.
"It always feels a little weird getting back into the game," said Greiss, who had not played since a 30-save performance in a 4-2 win at Ottawa on Oct. 25. "It's always faster than practice."
Ex-Ranger Ryan McDonagh made it 4-2 at 18:03 of the third period with Vasilevskiy off for an extra skater. Derick Brassard concluded the scoring with an empty-netter with 35.4 seconds to go.
