Game 4 of the series between the Islanders and the Lightning took place tonight. With a win, the Lightning are looking to take a commanding lead in the series. While the Islanders are looking to tie the series as it heads back to Tampa. Here is how the two teams would line up:
There would be no scoring in the first period as defense was the name of the game for both teams. Both goalies coming up with big saves, and shot blocks a plenty. It would take until the second period before we had our first breakthrough in the game. The Islanders would strike early in the second, the goal coming from Josh Bailey, his sixth goal of the playoffs. The assists on the play would come from Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier.
The Islanders would then double their lead seven minutes later. A weird deflection in front of the net would find the stick of Mathew Barzal, who would deposit it into the empty net. It would be Barzal’s sixth goal of the playoffs, with the assists on the play coming from Cal Clutterbuck and Adam Pelech.
Before the end of the period, the Islanders would add another goal, their third unanswered goal of the period. A beautiful back hand shot from Matt Martin that would beat Vasilevskiy over the glove hand. It is Martin’s first goal of the playoffs, with the assists on the play coming from Cal Clutterbuck, his second point of the game, and Adam Pelech, his second point of the game.
In the third, the Lightning comeback campaign would begin with a goal early on in the frame. The goal would be scored by Brayden Point, his incredible twelfth goal of the playoffs. Point was 1 on 5 heading into the offensive zone, when he rifles a shot over Varlamov’s blocker side. The assists on the play would come from Ondrej Palat and Erik Cernak.
3 minutes later, the Lightning would get another one to pull themselves within 1 of tying the game. Tyler Johnson would skate to the middle of the ice and rifle a shot over Varlamov’s glove. It is Johnson’s second goal of the playoffs, with the assists coming from Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh.
That would be the closest that the Lightning would get in their comeback attempt, as the Islander defense played lights out and stopped all of the offensive rushes the Lightning would come up with. There was a hairy incident at the end, with McDonagh wide open in the offensive zone and hitting the spin-o-rama, and seemingly had an empty net; however, Ryan Pulock would make the save off the line. The Islanders would hang on to a 3-2 victory, with the series shifting back to Tampa.
Three Stars:
Matt Martin
Josh Bailey
Semyon Varlamov
Box Score:
Next Game:
Mon. June 21st at 8p on NBCSN
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