Expect an update on Condra’s status if and when he’s ready to slot back into Tampa Bay’s lineup.
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The Islanders dealt with a packed schedule down the stretch with six games in the final nine days of the regular season, then beat Florida in the first round in six games over an 11-day stretch.
“We always feel like we’re in the game”, Lightning goalie Ben Bishop said.
NEW YORK (AP) – Despite a disappointing overtime loss in their last game, the New York Islanders were pleased with their improved play.
“They’re the kind of team that can create a scoring chance out of nearly nothing”, Islanders center Frans Nielsen said Friday.
After a bad loss in Game 2 in Tampa, the Islanders came out with the increased aggressive play coach Jack Capuano was looking for back in front of the raucous home crowd in Brooklyn.
The Islanders meanwhile face a virtual must win in this game as they can ill afford going back to Tampa facing a 3-1 series deficit and be forced to win three games in a row against a solid Lightning side.
That gave the Lightning the series lead with Game 4 on Friday (7 p.m. EDT, NBCSN) back at Barclays Center before shifting to Tampa for Game 5 on Sunday. But Capuano said the games could be close and the series still could end in five games. We finally got our D activating more than we want in the offense…. If there is anything we can tell you with one hundred percent certainty is things haven’t finished heating up just yet. “We played to our identity and that’s the way we’re going to have to play if we’re going to have success in the series”. We’re sure there is going to be plenty more physical play between these two teams and many nice, warm seats in the sin bin over the next 40 minutes of play. The Lightning have been successful getting top defenseman Victor Hedman (six points, plus-3 in series) out against Okposo and Tavares as much as possible.
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The Islanders also were more physical with 44 hits, compared to 34 for the Lightning. Tampa’s Brian Boyle, 31, delivered a high hit on New York’s Thomas Hickey, 27, during overtime in Game 3, according to ESPN. The delay took so long, however, that Greiss was sent off the ice to the locker room to get it fixed, leaving the Islanders without their starting netminder right before a Lightning power play! “We’ve given ourselves an opportunity to go into this Game 4 and try to take the lead and go home with it. The series is a long way from over, but this next game’s a big one”. “We’ll move on. I think the statement [Capuano] made, we’ll go with that”.
