The type of game played in yesterday’s 2-1 loss was to be expected: a tight-checking, low-scoring, grinding game that doesn’t see any game-breaking moments unless unforced errors occur. The New York Islanders managed to avoid those kinds of errors yesterday afternoon. The Tampa Bay Lightning failed to do so. Now, the defending champs face their first series deficit since Game 1 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.
“We dropped a few last year in the playoffs as well, including in the final,” Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said. “We’re fine in this position. It’s not ideal. They did what we’ve done to teams so far and get one on the road for them, so we’ve got to respond with another game at home in front of our fans, and then we’ll take it from there.