TAMPA, Fla. — The end came quickly, and somewhat mercifully, Sunday for the Islanders, who acquitted themselves well against the Tampa Bay Lightning but will surely lament two crushing overtime home losses in this Eastern Conference semifinal series.
But the facts are these: After winning Game 1 here at Amalie Arena, the Islanders lost the next four, knocked out of the N.H.L. playoffs by a combination of superior Tampa Bay talent and tough luck. It culminated in a 4-0 shutout that ended the Islanders’ longest playoff run in 23 years and lifted the Lightning to their second consecutive appearance in the conference finals.