13
0
Dominant Game Two performance allows the Lightning to knot the series.
NYI-2
TB-4
Series Tied 1-1
Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed two goals 26 shots for the victory. Made the key situational saves when he had to, and eventually was rewarded in the Third Period by some sweet, sweet goal support.
First Period
8:58 TB Point (10), (Kucherov, Savard)
13:30 NYI Nelson (7), (unassisted)(PP)
Second Period
13:15 TB Palat (3), (Kucherov, Hedman)
Third Period
2:16 TB Rutta (1), (Goodrow, Coleman)
9:17 TB Hedman (1), (Kucherov, Stamkos)(PP)
16:44 NYI Barzal (5), (Eberle, Leddy)
Nikita Kucherov, Vasilevskiy, and Victor Hedman were the game’s three stars.
What I believe we learned tonight is that if the Lightning match New York’s intensity and focus, they’re very likely to come out on top in this series. After a sloppy Game One performance, the Lightning came out sharp and grumpy and played a pretty excellent 60 minutes of hockey. Some things will be said about the physicality of the game. Some things will be said about the officiating, with both teams having valid gripes one of their opponents’ goals probably shouldn’t have happened: Nelson’s off a farce of a PP when Brayden Point got shoved into Varlamov and called for goaltender interference and Palat’s goal coming when there were six Lightning players on the ice. At the end of the day, here’s what I know to be true though: the Islanders had no answer for the Lightning’s top line tonight after they sleep walked through G1. They didn’t have an answer for them last playoffs either. And, this year, the Lightning’s power play with Stamkos added in has another vector to their attack that makes them that much harder to hold in check over the long run. The Islanders are going to get a lot of energy in G3 and G4 from their home crowd and the Lightning need to be mentally prepared for that, but if they match it, it’s pretty clear who has the talent advantage and what should transpire.
And, btw, thank you NBCSN for doing the fervent New York Islanders pom pom shaking that nobody in America outside of Nassau County really wanted. I am so pleased you chose to spin G1 as a “dominant” 2-1 win for the Islanders and tried to Baghdad Bob G2 as some sort of moral victory for the Islanders even though it turned into a garbage time laugher. That’s the kind of first rate clownery the people expect from your soon-to-be-defunct network.
Ross Colton was -1 with 1 shot, 3 hits, and 1 blocked shot in 6:21.
Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.
