The Islanders are out of this series. After handily taking care of the Florida Panthers, they have lost themselves amidst the swift brutality that is the Tampa Bay Lightning, even without Steven Stamkos (who I have talked about and will continue to. He’s my favorite non-Blackhawk). It’s hard to blame the Islanders for this, if you have any knowledge of the roster the Lightning are packing. There is a reason this team made the Finals last year, and if the Capitals don’t make it out of this round I can see the Lightning repeating that feat.

Ben Bishop is a helluva goaltender who owes his posts some Christmas cards. The one goal he allowed, he allowed early and it came on a shot that he just couldn’t manage to find all of. The fact that he got a piece of it should tell you how good he was in net, and this was a battle of who made better saves. In the end, though, Greiss had the misfortune of meeting with the best remaining line in the playoffs in Kucherov-Johnson-Killorn, and he gave up the tying goal on a great play made by Tyler Johnson and a shot by Kucherov.

The Lightning defense continues to be impressive. Especially offensively, especially in overtime. The two GWGs that have come in OT for the Lightning have come on big, booming shots off the sticks of their big defensemen – first Brian Boyle, and now Jason Garrison. The point has been a point of pride for the team so far this series, and with the loaded defense the Lightning has, and when Stralman returns that defense will just get better.

The Islanders will need to find themselves, and find their point players, if they want to get back in this series. Jonathon Tavares has disappeared from the scoreboard. Same with the depth of the Islanders that was so key in their win of this series and in the Panthers series. If the Islanders aren’t able to find these players, and those critical moments, it would not surprise me to see the Lightning advance very soon.