John Tavares is trying to apologize to the Islanders for the so-so regular season. I think they’re ready to accept that apology.

When the time comes for Lightning fans to remember this game, there will be one positive – the Lightning scored first. In that brief time, the Lightning had some hope. And then it started. The Islanders is a good name for a team that broke over the other like a surfing wave, the scoring streak from New York (or Brooklyn) devastating their opponent.

Tavares’s goal became the winning one, but that came as the only goal in the second period. After Palat scored a few minutes into the game for the Lightning, Travis Hamonic scored a few minutes after as an answer. After that, the game became a battle, before the same guy, assisted by the same guys, scored twice in two minutes. That guy was Shane Prince, a deadline acquisition for the Islanders. Those guys? Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson. The depth of the Islanders continues to show through, and if there’s a natural challenger to the Capitals arm race this year that team is this one out of New York. Cal Clutterbuck scored his first goal of the playoffs in this game as well, his puck finding its way into the empty net.

The Lightning attempted a late surge in the third period, but like the Ducks, it was too little too late last night and Tampa lost the first game of their home stand. The problem for the team lies solely at Ben Bishop’s feet – a few hours after getting a Vezina nom, he was chased off the ice by the Islanders after only 13 shots. Andrei Vasilevskiy did much better in getting past the Islanders selective shooting  – he saved nine in half a game.

The defense for the Lightning was there. They have super stars, players they can rely on, and for the most part they did their jobs. The Islanders only got 22 shots through. The Lightning blocked 10. But the Islanders understand how to choose their shots and they did it well last night.

This may be a different series when Steven Stamkos shows, but for now, the Lightning have to clear their heads and forget about this game, starting anew in the next. It’s not good to linger in the playoffs.  There’s also not much the Lightning could have done better – they had 36  shots in answer to the Islanders. They need to win faceoffs and stop giving away the puck, but that’s the only major faults. We will see if the Lightning’s puck luck improves as well.

For the Islanders, they should hope that Tomas Greiss continues to play as impressively as he has to this point. He held them in the game, defended a late surge, and survived a Lightning team that even without its captain is not one teams would willingly enter a playoff series with.