After dropping a 5-3 decision in Game Three to let the New York Islanders back into the Eastern Conference Final, the Tampa Bay Lightning were looking for a response on Sunday afternoon. They got it in the form of a clean 4-1 victory, which gives them a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Unlike the previous two games, the Lightning started rolling almost right off the bat in Game Four. They held New York to very little in the form of offence during the first period, and generated enough chances of their own. Unfortunately, that hard work to start the game failed to come with results on the scoreboard, as the first period concluded in a scoreless draw.
The trouble with failing to capitalize on a well-played period is that it often gives the opposing team a perceived opening. That seemed to happen in this game, as New York played a fairly sound period in the middle frame. Contrasted with the Lightning, the Islanders were able to capitalize on their chances when Brock Nelson scored his ninth of the postseason to give his team a 1-0 lead. He danced around all five Lightning skaters in the offensive zone, in what looked like a mirror image of Tampa’s own o-zone dominance from Game One.
Down 1-0, the Lightning desperately needed a response to prevent New York from seizing the opportunity that had been presented to them. It didn’t take long. Just 15 seconds after Nelson opened the scoring, Blake Coleman notched his fourth of the playoffs to knot the game at one. Coleman got credit for the goal after dragging the puck past Semyon Varlamov’s missed poke-check, but the magic wouldn’t have happened without Yanni Gourde’s spectacular breakaway pass. Considering the immense impact that the Gourde line has had throughout this return-to-play postseason, it was fantastic to see them rewarded with such a big goal.
The fun didn’t stop there.
Only 12 seconds after Coleman’s game-tying tally, Tampa’s best players went to work. Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov combined to feed Ondrej Palat on a penetrating zone entry, with Palat finishing off the rush with his eighth of the playoffs. Beyond the beauty of the goal, how great was it to see Brayden Point do his thing after missing Game Three? The Lightning are a different team when he’s in the lineup; the Islanders just don’t seem to have an answer for him.
Despite playing well throughout the second and third periods, New York just couldn’t get anything by Andrei Vasilevskiy. That opened the door for Point, Palat, and Kucherov to team up again to extend the lead to 3-1 early in the third period, which basically spelled the end for the Islanders. Pat Maroon’s empty net goal, his first postseason marker, capped the afternoon and a 4-1 victory for Tampa Bay.
Before concluding, it’s important to take a quick moment to marvel at just how good the Lightning’s top line can be and was in this game. Not only did they contribute offensively, as noted above, but they confounded the Islanders on nearly every shift. Per Natural Stat Trick, that trio led the Lightning and dominated the Islanders in shot attempt share, expected goal share, and scoring chance share at five-on-five this afternoon. Winning in the playoffs often means needing your best players to be your best players; Point, Kucherov, and Palat did that and more for the Lightning today.
For the Islanders, it has to be disappointing to hold Tampa scoreless during the first period (Tampa’s best) and then lose the game in the second and third while playing good, competitive hockey. Even though it only set them behind a single goal, Tampa's quick response and Varlamov's inability to provide a save immediately after Nelson's goal looked deflating. The strength of a deep team like the Lightning is that they can get away with having an off period or two, and still walk out of the arena with a momentous win. As mentioned in the last blog, a 2-2 series would have felt a lot different than this 3-1 series currently feels.
The Lightning will now have an opportunity to book their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday. There’s no doubt that they have the capability to get the job done, though the road to get there may not be all that easy. Even as he contributed a goal, an assist, and nearly 20 minutes of play-driving ice time, Brayden Point sat out the latter half of the third period. Given that he missed Game Three, it’s fair to wonder about his health status moving forward in these playoffs. Head Coach Jon Cooper mentioned in his postgame comments that this is something that will have to be managed moving forward, but didn’t give any hints as to Point’s status for Game Five. Let’s hope that he’s ready to go on Tuesday, as this group’s chances are a lot better when he’s in the lineup.
As always, thanks for reading.