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Islanders represent rude awakening for Lightning

If it is true that the Lightning represent a step up in class for the Islanders, the inverse is equally true, if not quite equally apparent.

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If it is true that the Lightning represent a step up in class for the Islanders, the inverse is equally true, if not quite equally apparent. Yes, folks, the Islanders represent a step up in class for the Lightning just as well.

And it was the Islanders who elevated in Sunday’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals in Tampa, playing their most stingy, disciplined and controlled match of the postseason in recording a 2-1 victory to get a head start on a trip to the final.

There is not much separating these two teams, which are engaging in the first Eastern final four rematch since the Penguins knocked off the Bruins in both 1991 and 1992. Tracking back to last year’s encounter under the Edmonton bubble, the teams have split their past six playoff meetings, with Tampa Bay holding an aggregate 13-12 edge in goals.

They might go about it a little differently, there is a little more flash and dash in the champs’ lineup, but that doesn’t faze the Islanders a bit. Indeed, the Lightning’s 38 attempted shots at five-on-five represented the fewest the Islanders have allowed in their 13 tournament matches.

“No. 1, was managing the puck, No. 2, we were disciplined, No. 3, we didn’t unnecessary risk,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said after the earned result was threatened only by the Lightning’s frantic push over the final minute that included a 6-on-4 manpower power-play goal. “I thought we managed the game pretty well.”

Everywhere the Lightning’s talent turned, the Islanders were right there with them, getting into lanes, having great sticks, cutting down angles and limiting time and space. The Islanders’ relentless tracking of the puck helped limit the splendid top line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov to a sum of four shots and nine attempts, three of which were blocked.

The Islanders, 51-percent at the dots coming into the match, dominated on faceoffs, winning 28 of 46 (60.8 percent), with Jean-Gabriel Pageau taking 14 of 21. Winger Leo Komarov beat Point on a right-wing draw that led to Ryan Pulock’s 2-0 goal at 5:36 of the third period that ultimately became the winner.

The Islanders were all over the Lightning in Game 1.
AP

Details and discipline are what the Islanders feast on. They took care of the details and they were disciplined enough to limit the Lightning — a mighty 41.7 percentage with the man-advantage — to just two power plays, with both of them actually appearing somewhat sketchy after the Islanders had drawn the first three power-play opportunities of the match.

“We were focusing on our game and I thought that’s why we had success,” said Semyon Varlamov, one save better than Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was a teammate on Team Russia for the 2016 World Cup. “We played hard, we played physical, we didn’t give up stupid penalties. Only two power plays, which is just great.”

Everyone knows the Lightning bulked up as a predicate to winning last season after having been kayoed in a sweep in the previous year’s first round by the more physical Blue Jackets. Everyone knows they became tougher in the one-on-one’s, harder to play against.

But in this one, the Islanders came away with the puck in those 50-50 instances far more often than not. Indeed, it was Jordan Eberle coming away with the puck on a 2-on-2 battle that featured Komarov, Point and Palat preceding the Pulock goal. Eberle did not earn his five-year, $27 million contract extension during the summer of 2019 because of his ability to win battles. But here he is and here he was, winning this one throughout an afternoon in which the Islanders had the upper hand on the walls and harried their foes into turnovers.

Such as the one into which they forced Steven Stamkos — who did not have much a game at all — that served as a prelude to Josh Bailey’s headman pass that sprung Mat Barzal for the game-opening goal at 12:32 of the first period.

Boston generally likes to create off cycle plays and through grinding shifts of down-low possession. Tampa Bay is a team that flourishes off the rush. Not in this one. Not at all.

“They’ve got a lot of skill and forwards who like to make plays off the rush and I think you have to give a lot of credit to our forwards to keeping that high guy and tracking back to allow us to keep out gaps,” said Pulock, who drew the primary match against the Point line with partner Adam Pelech. “We didn’t give them much time and space.”

This was one game, only one. The Lightning can be expected to amp it up Tuesday for Game 2. They will have to, facing their best and most dangerous opponent yet.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Larry Brooks

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