MattMartin
Killer Instinct™
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS
GAME 6: ISLANDERS VS LIGHTNING
8 PM | NASSAU COLISEUM
TAMPA LEADS SERIES 3-2
WATCH: NBCSN | CBC | SN | TVAS | NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 98.7FM
Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning came out and put on a show for a 78% capacity home crowd in Game 5 at Amalie Arena, emphatically dominating the Islanders on route to an 8-0 final. The Lightning now sit one game away from a return to the Stanley Cup Final and an opportunity to be just the second repeat Cup champion since 1999.
Game 4’s ending could certainly be seen as a tough break for the Bolts, as Isles defender Ryan Pulock made a stunning goal-line save on Ryan Mcdonagh’s spectacular play with just a couple seconds left on the clock.
Well, Tampa got that tough break back and then some in the first period of Game 5, as all 3 first-period goals came on very favorable redirections in a game that saw everything find the back of the Islanders’ net.
The Isles appeared to regroup after the first period and came out pushing feverishly in the second, but after some almost comical flurries stayed out of Tampa’s net, New York gave up the 4-0 goal before collapsing entirely on route to an 8-0 defeat.
Trotz Has Done This Before
The Islanders will need to hold a short memory and get back to their game in order to avoid falling exactly five wins short of hoisting the cup, as they did last season, falling at the hands of this very same Tampa group.
Barry Trotz has again led this New York group deeper into the playoffs than many have expected, with his Islanders now holding five playoff series victories over his three-year tenure.
The Islanders now need to accomplish the same feat that Trotz’s 2018 championship Washington Capitals team did in order to attain a berth in the Stanley Cup Final: win back-to-back games against a Tampa Bay team that is realistically has to be viewed the best roster in hockey, regardless of whether you want to complain that its $98 million salary is fair.
With Trotz behind the bench the 2018 Capitals finished the Lightning off with 3-0 and 4-0 victories in Games 6 and 7, behind two spectacular team efforts defensively. That certainly holds no indication on this series, but I’m sure Trotz would love to suppress Tampa’s offense similarly and at least steal Game 6 to start.
Tampa Bay’s Attack Is On Fire
It comes as no surprise that Tampa Bay has cranked things up a notch this postseason, especially after seeing Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos return from injury in excellent form.
The top line of Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Kucherov continues to build on last season’s playoff success with even more absurd numbers this postseason. Behind them the trio of Steven Stamkos, Anthony Cirelli, and Alex Killorn is about as good a second line as this league has to offer.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been superb between the pipes, and the Bolts’ power play has been out of this world so far.
There aren’t many flaws if any to nitpick with this Lightning team but if there’s a group that can maybe shock them, this Islanders bunch and their sweltering defensive play certainly are a viable option given the nature of playoff hockey.
New York has given the Lightning another tough series this year, likely more so than last year. But can the Islanders come up with a massive home win to avoid the same fate they saw in last season’s playoff bubble and force a game 7?
Analysis
Tampa were obviously the better team and rightfully won Game 5, but ultimately that result is only one game be it an 8-0 win or a 2-1 win. New York fell behind the 8-ball early, started chasing the game and cheating defensively against a team you simply cannot do that against.
To think that this Islanders team can regroup and find a way to play a much more disciplined and structured game defensively is very reasonable. If the Isles play to their strengths, I just can’t see much reason to back Tampa as such a large favourite given the way the series has gone and the way Game 6 will likely be contested.
People love to forget and pretend playoff hockey isn’t as much of a coin flip as it is, but the facts are when both teams play the game at such a high level, the margin between winning and losing becomes razor thin.
Playoff Series History
.GAME 6: ISLANDERS VS LIGHTNING
8 PM | NASSAU COLISEUM
TAMPA LEADS SERIES 3-2
WATCH: NBCSN | CBC | SN | TVAS | NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 98.7FM
Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning came out and put on a show for a 78% capacity home crowd in Game 5 at Amalie Arena, emphatically dominating the Islanders on route to an 8-0 final. The Lightning now sit one game away from a return to the Stanley Cup Final and an opportunity to be just the second repeat Cup champion since 1999.
Game 4’s ending could certainly be seen as a tough break for the Bolts, as Isles defender Ryan Pulock made a stunning goal-line save on Ryan Mcdonagh’s spectacular play with just a couple seconds left on the clock.
Well, Tampa got that tough break back and then some in the first period of Game 5, as all 3 first-period goals came on very favorable redirections in a game that saw everything find the back of the Islanders’ net.
The Isles appeared to regroup after the first period and came out pushing feverishly in the second, but after some almost comical flurries stayed out of Tampa’s net, New York gave up the 4-0 goal before collapsing entirely on route to an 8-0 defeat.
Trotz Has Done This Before
The Islanders will need to hold a short memory and get back to their game in order to avoid falling exactly five wins short of hoisting the cup, as they did last season, falling at the hands of this very same Tampa group.
Barry Trotz has again led this New York group deeper into the playoffs than many have expected, with his Islanders now holding five playoff series victories over his three-year tenure.
The Islanders now need to accomplish the same feat that Trotz’s 2018 championship Washington Capitals team did in order to attain a berth in the Stanley Cup Final: win back-to-back games against a Tampa Bay team that is realistically has to be viewed the best roster in hockey, regardless of whether you want to complain that its $98 million salary is fair.
With Trotz behind the bench the 2018 Capitals finished the Lightning off with 3-0 and 4-0 victories in Games 6 and 7, behind two spectacular team efforts defensively. That certainly holds no indication on this series, but I’m sure Trotz would love to suppress Tampa’s offense similarly and at least steal Game 6 to start.
Tampa Bay’s Attack Is On Fire
It comes as no surprise that Tampa Bay has cranked things up a notch this postseason, especially after seeing Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos return from injury in excellent form.
The top line of Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Kucherov continues to build on last season’s playoff success with even more absurd numbers this postseason. Behind them the trio of Steven Stamkos, Anthony Cirelli, and Alex Killorn is about as good a second line as this league has to offer.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been superb between the pipes, and the Bolts’ power play has been out of this world so far.
There aren’t many flaws if any to nitpick with this Lightning team but if there’s a group that can maybe shock them, this Islanders bunch and their sweltering defensive play certainly are a viable option given the nature of playoff hockey.
New York has given the Lightning another tough series this year, likely more so than last year. But can the Islanders come up with a massive home win to avoid the same fate they saw in last season’s playoff bubble and force a game 7?
Analysis
Tampa were obviously the better team and rightfully won Game 5, but ultimately that result is only one game be it an 8-0 win or a 2-1 win. New York fell behind the 8-ball early, started chasing the game and cheating defensively against a team you simply cannot do that against.
To think that this Islanders team can regroup and find a way to play a much more disciplined and structured game defensively is very reasonable. If the Isles play to their strengths, I just can’t see much reason to back Tampa as such a large favourite given the way the series has gone and the way Game 6 will likely be contested.
People love to forget and pretend playoff hockey isn’t as much of a coin flip as it is, but the facts are when both teams play the game at such a high level, the margin between winning and losing becomes razor thin.
Playoff Series History
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2003-2004
2004 NHL Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals: NYI vs. TBL | Hockey-Reference.com
2015-2016
2016 NHL Eastern Second Round: NYI vs. TBL | Hockey-Reference.com
2019-2020
2020 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: NYI vs. TBL | Hockey-Reference.com
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All Time Record VS Lightning
| .....................ALL GAMES......................... | .............................HOME............................. | ..............................AWAY.............................. | .......................PLAYOFFS.................... |
| W-L-T | WIN% | GFPG | GAPG | W-L-T | WIN% | GFPG | GAPG | W-L-T | WIN% | GFPG | GAPG | W-L | WIN% | GFPG | GAPG |
| 56-65-3 | 45.6 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 30-29-1 | 50.8 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 25-37-2 | 40.6 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 6-15 | 28.6 | 1.7 | 3.2 |
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Possible Starting Goalies:
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Possible Lineups:
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Team Leaders:
Game 1 Recap
Islanders vs. Lightning - Game Recap - June 13, 2021 - ESPN
Game 2 Recap
Islanders vs. Lightning - Game Recap - June 15, 2021 - ESPN
Game 3 Recap
Lightning vs. Islanders - Game Recap - June 17, 2021 - ESPN
Game 4 Recap
Lightning vs. Islanders - Game Recap - June 19, 2021 - ESPN
Game 5 Recap/Highlights
Islanders vs. Lightning - Game Recap - June 21, 2021 - ESPN
