The Lightning entered this series as favorites and only further pushed that narrative with a Game One demolition of the Islanders (8-2). Game Two was closer (as expected) and became a game that could have ultimately gone either way. At the end of the day, the Lightning stepped up and the Islanders squandered the opportunity to tie the series at one apiece, leaving this series as a possible route as the Lightning look ready to not only play in the Stanley Cup Final but hoist the Cup as well.
This game was ultimately decided by Nikita Kucherov’s quality goal as time was expiring. The goal was a reminder that Kucherov is one of the best players in the NHL and a reminder that when it matters, the great players step up.
While the goal with 8 seconds left in the game was what sealed the fate of Game Two, a lot happened that brought us to that ending. A lot that doesn’t fare well for those that root for the Islanders.
It was quite a deception when Nick Leddy attacked the net and centered the puck from behind the red line to Matt Martin for the early Islanders’ goal (less than two minutes into the game). All the signs pointed to an aggressive game from the Islanders that would result in multiple goals and bring them back into the series. For the next 57 minutes, we saw none of that.
Later in the first period, we saw the Islanders gifted with a golden opportunity to put Game Two away and build on the one-goal lead. A five-Minute Major penalty was given for an Alex Killorn hit on Brock Nelson (which also disqualified Killorn for the rest of the game). The Islanders couldn’t score at any point on the five-minute power play which not only kept the Lightning in the game but was the swing in momentum that Tampa Bay needed.
Any doubt of the momentum turning to the Lightning side was erased with 1:35 left in the first period. A scoring defenseman is often overvalued in the NHL and teams that overpay one usually destroy the ability to create a winning formula. At the same time, when a team has a complete roster, with defensive players that can actually play defense, the scoring defenseman becomes immensely valuable. Victor Hedman is exactly that type of defenseman for Tampa Bay and is able to be so productive since the roster has little to no flaws. Victor Hedman proved this value of being a scoring defenseman as he fired a slapshot from the point that zipped by Semyon Varlomov’s right leg and into the corner of the net to tie the game.
As the game continued, we were reminded of the type of series this was intended to be. Hard-hitting, strong goaltending, star players disappearing as they constantly would be eliminated from scoring opportunities by defensemen that made sure to hit them along the boards. The shock to anyone that watched Tampa last night (and throughout the Playoffs) is how they couldn’t score. This can be one of the few bright spots on a dark night for the Islanders. Semyon Varlamov did play great, and after the first game of the series where he allowed 5 goals, this was as good as it gets for a bounce-back night.
The Islanders saw their next golden opportunity in the third period go to waste, which in all likelihood, doomed the Islanders for this game. The Islanders had a 5 on 3 advantage with just over ten minutes left in the game. The power play left the Islanders scoreless once again and while we have to credit Andre Vasilevskiy for saving 27 of the 28 shots he faced, the Islanders bungled the last opportunity they had in the game. The failure only made it a matter of time before the Lightning were going to score the game-winner (whether overtime or in the waning minutes).
The Ryan McDonough cross-ice pass that Nikita Kucherov fired in with only eight seconds left was only the dagger for an inevitable victory. It might have left many stunned but it showed us the execution that the Lightning possesses, the great players that the Lightning possesses that the Islanders are still searching for.
Any fan of hockey is probably wondering if this game was the one that sealed the fate of the Islanders. For all intents and purposes, the series looks like one that can be ended in four or five games with Tampa Bay doing everything right and likely won’t take their foot off the gas (they still remember what happened last year and are likely using that as fuel). I wouldn’t count the Islanders out yet. One of the great qualities I saw in the Islanders tonight was their ability to hit and hit hard, in a seven-game series, this will wear down the Lighting offensive players and can make the series one where the better defense wins (the St. Louis Blues were able to wear down the Sharks offense as the series elongated last year). The other quality to consider is the goaltending depth. This isn’t as much praise to the Islanders as it is a concern to the Lightning, Andre Vasilevskiy has played in every game of the playoffs thus far and if he starts to become fatigued, the Lightning can be in big trouble. Luckily for the Lightning, they haven’t played many games and a short series will be all the more ideal for Vasilevskiy.
