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Islanders News: “We’ve got one life left”

The words of the wise Barry Trotz. Sounds like a good omen, I think.

By Steven E. Smith

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Tampa Bay Lightning v New York Islanders - Game Four
Point had a bit too much time to work with here.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Folks, it ain’t over yet. The Lightning still need to get that fourth win, and as Jenny noted in her recap, they say the fourth one is the hardest to win. Maybe the Islanders can’t win the series. But they certainly won’t go down without a fight.

On the whole, I am still thrilled by the run this team is on, even if this is it. They made it to the Eastern Conference Final, deeper than I’ve ever been alive to see them go. And given how the regular season was shaping up before the pause, I wasn’t even sure the playoffs were going to be in the cards.

It’s been thrilling thus far, and I’m hopeful there will be some more thrills to come this season. But if there aren’t, well, I say thank you, New York Islanders.

Islanders News

Recaps from Game 4: LHH | Islanders | Newsday | NHL | NY Post | NYI Skinny

  • Just before puck drop, the Islanders announced that Casey Cizikas and Tom Kuhnhackl left the bubble with injuries and are done for the playoffs. Losing Cizikas is a huge blow. [Islanders]
  • Meanwhile, top Tampa center Brayden Point, who missed Game 3, was in for Game 4 and had a huge impact. He might have gotten hurt again, though. [NHL]
  • But the Isles’ top line hasn’t been able to come close to what the Lightning’s top line has done this series and that’s been the biggest difference. [Newsday]
  • And New York’s power play, despite ample opportunity, can’t seem to do anything right unless they win the opening face-off so they don’t have to enter the zone. [Newsday]
  • LISTEN: The whole game was a bit of a downer, to be honest. The elation of scoring first dissipated quickly. [Island Ice Podcast]
  • But they’ve come too far to not put up a fight the rest of the way. Barry Trotz knows this and believes in his club. [The Athletic]
  • Because The Hockey News has always been an extremely in-touch organization and not at all an internet rag, they wisely started the salary cap discussions for the Islanders.

A couple of long-tenured Islanders in Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson sat at the podium:

A couple of defensemen who have been in the organization a while, Nick Leddy and Scott Mayfield, also sat at the podium:

And of course, Barry Trotz:

Elsewhere

  • Both the Stars and the Golden Knights could be down multiple forwards for tonight’s Game 5. It’s that time of the year. [NHL]
  • ESPN lays out four reasons Vegas is in trouble against Dallas through the rest of the series. Surprisingly, not all of them are Anton Khudobin. [ESPN]
  • Flames captain Mark Giordano was announced as the winner of the Mark Messier Leadership Award. [Sportsnet]

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