In Game 4, they blew a 1-0 lead, losing 2-1 in OT.
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The Lightning found different ways to win at the Barclays Center despite not playing their best in either contest.
The Islanders got on the board first with Kyle Okposo’s power-play goal 4:20 into the first period.
He’s the main reason NY was able to win its first playoff series since 1993, and his recent scoring drought is the top explanation as to why Tampa Bay leads this series 3-1.
Tampa Bay the reigning Eastern Conference champions, can move on to the Eastern Conference Final by winning Game 5, which is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
The Islanders had a 3-on-1 break near the midpoint of the period, but Bishop stopped Shane Prince;s wrist shot and John Tavares’ follow deflected off the goalpost.
Here is all the information you’ll need to enjoy Game 4 of the second-round series between the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning. But somehow, the Islanders are going to have to find a way to solve Bishop and do what the Lightning just finished – come up big in a hostile building.
“(It was) extremely fortunate (for us) to come out of (Brooklyn) with 2 wins”, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. We don’t have a whole lot of time to dwell on this one. “(Friday), it was a defenseman that bails us out”. In Games 3 and 4 of this series, they felt they gave their best performances of the playoffs.
Enter Garrison, who has a rocket of a shot and used it to one-time a puck from just inside the blue line through a pair of Islanders and past Greiss for a long-range game-winner.
“You got to tip your hat to Bish because he saved us in the first, especially when we had to kill three penalties, (one for) four minutes straight”, Cooper said.
No whining from Tavares, who was typically philosophical and optimistic: “It can be a little frustrating, but that’s playoff hockey”. We’ve just got to fight through it. We can’t be too frustrated. “To get yourself in a position to score goals, you have to do all those other things”. De Haan was eventually handed a stick by a teammate but the Lightning recognized that and worked the puck over to the Islanders’ weak side before it was passed to Canada’s Garrison for a wide open slap shot.
“It’s a nice feeling”, he said. “Any goal in the playoffs is big, obviously an overtime one is definitely a sigh of relief”.
But the goal wasn’t just about Garrison either; it was a collective effort from a Lightning squad that works as well as a team as any outfit in the league.
“I think we’re going to have to re-evaluate the health of our team first”, Capuano said, “and then later [Saturday], first thing in the morning, we’ll make those decisions”. The team isn’t concerned that Sutter might not return for a sixth season. The #Isles outshot the Lightning 16-6 in the 1st period.
The Lightning outshot the Islanders 17-11 over the next two periods and finally produced the equalizer on a broken play behind the NY net.
The Lightning’s chances to tie the game were few and far between.
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As the second period expired without a goal and time ticked off the third period clock, it looked like the Lightning might never score in Game 4.
