Many people think this will be Stamkos’s last opportunity for a cup in Tampa Bay, and the team is hoping to make a second-straight Stanley Cup Final appearance with Stamkos and Stralman in the lineup. But when it really mattered, the young players we have heard so much about for years could not make a difference.
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“We always believed in ourselves”, said Kucherov, who scored the tying goal in the third period of both Game 3 and Game 4. “You got to find a way to win the game and we just didn’t do it tonight”.
Garrison netted 1:34 into overtime at Barclays Center to establish a 3-1 series lead for the Lightning.
“Two words”, said Lightning coach Jon Cooper.
“It will sting for a long time, but you have to get over it”, said goalie Thomas Greiss, who stopped 21 of 25 shots. I’m really impressed with our drive. “I thought we played extremely well…We hopefully can get a break one way or the other and score some goals in the next game”. They need a win. Hedman also became the first defenseman on any team to score twice in a series-clinching win since fellow Swede Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) in Game 7 of the 2010 Western Conference Quarterfinals at Coyotes.
In a dominant effort Sunday afternoon at Amalie Arena, the Tampa Bay Lightning swatted aside the New York Islanders with a 4-0 win and efficiently easy 4-1 win in the best-of-seven conference semi-final. NY came out with little energy following the two deflating losses, and was down 2-0 by the first intermission.
Tavares led the Islanders to a thrilling six-game victory over the Florida Panthers in the opening round. Per Elias, Hedman’s four goals and eight points were the most in Lightning history by a defenseman in one playoff series.
Hedman scored an unassisted goal from the slot at 13:49 of the first, then beat Greiss again on a second-period power play that gave Tampa Bay a three-goal lead.
“Elimination games are the hardest ones to win and we knew coming in that it seems like Bish relishes those big games”, Lightning winger Ryan Callahan said of the towering goaltender, who registered 28 saves on Sunday. Tampa went on to the Stanley Cup Final in two of those series (2015 and 2004), winning the franchise’s only Stanley Cup in the 2004 run.
As great as the Lightning have been in the first two rounds, either team is going to be their toughest challenge yet.
Nothing special on Hedman’s second goal-just a lovely drop pass off the boards from Jonathan Drouin to set up his A-plus slapshot. Kucherov leads all players in playoff goals since 2015 and continues to lead the 2016 playoffs in goals with nine. “I feel good. It’s just the blood thinner stuff”.
“This time of year, it’s the intangible qualities that the team brings together”, Williams said Friday. “Just have to come out and try to be even better next game”.
“There were a lot of bright spots and we got a step closer, but what’s fresh in my mind right now is getting knocked out”.
Bishop didn’t have the best series this go around.
Lightning D Victor Hedman turned in a dominant performance in the series and capped it by scoring a pair of goals in the deciding game. Should be a penalty shot, but it’s not.
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Puck drop for the game is slated for 3 p.m. ET and is being nationally broadcast on NBC.
