After defeating the Florida Panthers, they fell in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning after losing four consecutive times.
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The Islanders were on the back foot from the first play but the Lightning were unable to break through until the 13th minute of the first period when Hedman scored his first of the night.
Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov (86), of Russian Federation, and New York Islanders center Frans Nielsen (51), of Denmark, fight for control of the puck during the second period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Confer… The Lightning lead the best-of-7 series 3-1. That’s what the elite players do – they raise their game and play their best when their teams need them to the most.
“Absolutely”, Hedman said. “Two key guys obviously out, but we’ve tried to stay together and focus on the guys on the ice and get the job done”.
Bishop earned his fifth career playoff shutout, and his fourth in the deciding game of a series.
The Lightning celebrate a series win over the Islanders, clinching their second straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Stealing the show in the second round of the NHL Playoffs was Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. “He’s got the size, but he keeps a really good gap, he knows where to be when he doesn’t have the puck”.
It seemed like every time Tampa beat the Islanders defense, Ben Bishop – who had 27 saves, many of them spectacular, had an answer. He scored two goals and now has four this postseason and a total of nine points in 10 games. It’s very tight and we’ve just got to make the plays when they’re there.
“I said it last series (against the Red Wings)”.
“You don’t want to go dry at this time of the year”, said Islanders head coach Jack Capuano, as per the club’s website.
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“(The Lightning) took advantage of their opportunities. Tavares and Hedman, who set a Lightning record for points for a defenseman in a playoff series with eight, were the first two picks in the 2009 National Hockey League draft…. Tavares had a goal and assist in Game 1 but was held scoreless the last four. But Bishop scrambled from one side of the net to the other and was able to get his right pad in the way of the shot.
