The Blues were outscored 12-3 in the second period in their first nine playoff games before Tuesday’s game, but they got two goals in a span of 1:16 early in the second this time to turn a 2-1 lead into a 4-1 advantage.
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Tampa Bay took a 2-1 series lead in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal heading into Friday’s Game 4. Both teams would once again end the period in a tie after Leddy beat Ben Bishop with a slapshot through the five-hole.
Fans expected a nail-biter as the The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders faced off in Game 3 of their second-round series, each with a win so far. However, the Lightning were able to even the game in the final seconds of the first on a Ryan Callahan goal on the Power Play. Boyle took a missed shot by Victor Hedman bounding off the backboard. The rebound came off the boards and right to Boyle in front at the right side of the goal and he tapped it in for the win.
“I just thought our guys played one of the best games that we played all year, especially after we played a measured game in Game 2”.
Boyle added: “It was a fortunate bounce”. Drouin returned in the third period and assisted on the late tying goal that forced overtime.
As the crowd was still gathering at Barclays Center, Hamonic shouldered Boyle at the red line during warmups and Boyle immediately turned and got in the Islander defenseman’s face.
“It’s a direct shot to the head”.
“We all knew what kind of a game it was going to be”, Boyle said.
Eliminate hits like Hickey’s and Boyle’s, and the game becomes two-hand touch.
“It’s frustrating, the play is right there, he [the linesman] is looking right at it”, Capuano said.
“We took some lumps tonight but we kept coming and coming”, Boyle told the Tampa Bay Times after the game.
The hits and the relentless physical nature of the game have created a Bad Blood Series where no history or rivalry previously existed between the clubs. “Eighty? There were 15 that were bigger than that hit”.
Yeah, this hockey game had it all. Some 13 seconds later, it was Boyle grabbing a loose puck at the side of the Isles net and depositing it past goalie Thomas Greiss for the only KO shot that mattered on this night.
Troy Brouwer skated around defenseman Kris Russell and beat goalie Antti Niemi 2:34 into the period with his third goal of the playoffs and second in the series.
“The problem is with Boyle, he’s 6-foot-7, so when he goes up against guys – I’m not sure how tall Hickey (is), he’s definitely not six foot – those are tough situations”, Cooper said. Afterward, Drouin called the hit clean.
Islanders left winger Nikolay Kulemin won a battle for the puck along the boards with Andrej Sustr to set up Bailey’s goal 7:55 into the game to make it 1-0.
The Lightning tied it almost a minute later when Valtteri Filppula found Namestnikov in front and he snapped it past Greiss at 3:25.
Hedman gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead at 8:10 of the second period. The Lightning scratched 17 players, including RW J.T. Brown (upper body), D Matthew Carle (undisclosed), RW Erik Condra (upper body), C Steven Stamkos (blood clot), D Anton Stralman (broken leg) as well as LW Jonathan Marchessault and D Matt Taorminia.
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Boyle almost scored several minutes later, but was called for high-sticking as he deflected the puck out of the air and in.
