The Lightning absolutely pummeled the New York Islanders tonight and oh boy does that sting like a mother. An 8-0 final in Game 5 is tough, especially when the winners now have a 3-2 lead in the series. Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn has 2 each; Yanni Gourde, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, and Luke Schenn all put up one goal of their own to push the total to 8. Switching out the goalies didn’t help the Islanders, getting scrappy really didn’t help them. They were out-shot double by the end of the game; Tampa had 42 shots and the Islanders had 21.
I’ve said it a time or two throughout these playoffs but this game specifically is one you have to just let roll off your back. You’re heading into Game 6, lose and go home — scrub your brain free of this game.
Regardless Game 6 is going to be a bloodbath after all the PIMs handed out in the second and third periods. There were a couple misconducts on both sides; Matt Martin was getting in the mix, same with Barclay Goodrow, Scott Mayfield, Yanni Gourde, and Adam Pelech. All known tough guys. I bet next game they’ll definitely have some words for each other across the ice, rare that this kind of stuff ends here. The Islanders finished the game with 57 PIMs and the Lightning had 28. Tighten that up, wipe this game from memory, and force a Game 7. It’s a tough loss but the Islanders have to pick themselves up. They’ve come this far, add to the drama and force that Game 7. This is just a game to wash and move on from. No lessons to learn, they know who they are at this point in the playoffs. Just, for the love of God, win Wednesday and live to see Friday night.
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Featured Image: New York Islanders Twitter
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