Hark, the emotional swings of the playoffs.
They don’t swing much harder or with much higher stakes than the Islanders’ brutal 8-0 Game 5 loss in Tampa, two nights after Ryan Pulock’s goal-line save to top the Lightning in Game 4.
The first watch party at Nassau Coliseum meant a huge crowd arrived to watch a no-show. Winning both of the next games, which was always going to be difficult if the Isles couldn’t steal another in Tampa, now feels even more daunting considering the degree to which they were punished in Game 5.
But they must regroup, take it step by step: Focus on keeping what could be the Coliseum’s last playoff game from being a loss.