The Islanders’ overtime magic abandoned them again and now their season is on the brink.
Jason Garrison’s slap shot beat Thomas Greiss 1:34 into overtime for a 2-1 Lightning win Friday night and a 3-1 series hole for the Islanders, who gave up the tying goal to Nikita Kucherov in the third period for the second straight game. Kyle Okposo had scored a power-play for the Islanders in the first period.
For the second straight game, the Isles were unable to pull it out in OT. Calvin de Haan broke his stick and the Islanders were scrambling as Garrison unleashed a one-timer through screens to end the game quickly and painfully.
Game 5 is Sunday afternoon in Tampa.
It was overtime for the second time in as many games in Barclays Center this series and the fourth time in five postseason games in Brooklyn.
Kucherov got the Lightning to the extra period with a third-period goal, as he did in Game 3. This one came 7:49 into a final period that was delayed by 10 minutes as arena staff frantically worked to fix a dislodged piece of the boards.
The Islanders were playing as they had the first two periods, with some strong forays into the Lightning zone and a better ability to clog the slot in their own end. Tampa had only one shot on Greiss through that first seven minutes and change, but all it took was one quick strike to tie it.
Tyler Johnson got to a puck behind the Islanders net before Ryan Strome and Travis Hamonic could and sent it out above the right faceoff circle. Kucherov one-timed a slap shot that caught Greiss by surprise, beating the goaltender over his right pad on the short side to briefly silence the Barclays Center crowd.
The fans were in full, tense voice early in the second when Greiss’ right skate broke just as the Lightning was going on its first power play of the game. Equipment manager Scott Boggs tried a quick fix on the bench as the delay grew to several minutes, but Greiss had to head to the dressing room.
That meant J-F Berube, Greiss’ backup who hadn’t played a minute yet in the postseason, had to come off the bench and sub in.
The Islanders did well to kill off the power play and Berube handled both shots he saw, including a right-pad save on a point shot through heavy traffic. Greiss was waiting at the door leading off towards the Isles dressing room as play went on in the second, finally returning to the ice after a whistle at 6:14.
Berube got 4:47 of game time, made two saves and returned to his spot at the end of the bench.
The Islanders had a few hairy moments in the second, forced to kill two more Lightning power plays. Greiss was especially good in the closing minutes of the second, aggressively challenging Tampa shooters and pouncing on rebounds to keep them away from the Lightning and keep the Isles in front heading to the third.
The Isles converted their first power-play chance 4:20 into the game. Tampa plugger Mike Blunden got overly aggressive in a post-whistle scrum, drawing a roughing penalty.
Frans Nielsen and Nikolay Kulemin connected on short, fast passes to get the Lightning penalty killers moving, with Kulemin finding Okposo in the slot for a quick wrister that beat Ben Bishop up high for Okposo’s first goal since Game 1 of the Panthers series.
The Isles, as they did in Game 3, had opportunities to extend the lead in a strong first, including a four-minute power play late when Ryan Callahan was whistled for a pair of gloved swipes at Thomas Hickey’s head. But those power plays were ugly and the game settled into a tight pattern.
..... - Newsday