Lightning Look To Build Momentum As Semifinal Series Moves To NY

TAMPA, FLA. — Time and time again, the Tampa Bay Lightning have proven that they know how to respond to playoff losses with performances that allow them to put potential setbacks in the rear-view mirror.

Now, after improving to 12-0 in games following a loss dating back to the 2019 postseason, the Bolts will attempt to gain a competitive edge in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series against the New York Islanders Thursday night on Long Island.

In a 4-2 victory Tuesday night that represented a return to form for the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Lightning head to Nassau Coliseum hoping to build on a victory that allowed them to draw even in the best-of-seven series. Showcasing a more aggressive style from the start, the Bolts looked more like normal, defenseman Victor Hedman told reporters after the victory at Amalie Arena.

With multiple goals coming from defenseman and their best players rising to the occasion after a lackluster Game 1 showing, the Lightning head to New York for the next two games confident but knowing they can’t afford to rest on their laurels.

"But we can't sit here and say, 'OK, we got them in Game 2, we're going to get them in Game 3,' Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters. "Not a chance. Now we've got to go do this on the road and you have to take another step forward, as hard as it is. You can't be content on this."

To replicate Tuesday night’s showing, the Lightning must rely on the same ingredients on Thursday. The Bolts were much better with the puck in the victory than they were in the series opener and forced the Islanders to keep pace with them after allowing New York to dictate how things would play out in a 2-1 Game 1 victory.

Hedman characterized the gritty performance as one that came from a team that was hungry and that was ready to battle on a night when the Bolts could have fallen into an undesirable 0-2 series hole. The Lightning used their aggressiveness to earn five power-play opportunities, one of which resulted in a Hedman goal that provided the Bolts with a 4-1 third-period lead.

It’s a style that the Lightning will need to continue at on Long Island, where the Islanders compiled a 21-4-3 record this season.

"The series is 1-1 and it probably should be," Cooper told reporters. "To get this far in the playoffs and beat a quality team like the Islanders, you can't slip up. You have to be in it both mentally and physically, and (Tuesday night) I thought we were. I thought the Islanders were in Game 1 a little bit better than us. But our guys, these past two playoff runs, they really dig their heels in after a loss and they did that again tonight. Now we have to keep building on this momentum that we have."

And as accustomed to the Lightning have become in responding well to losses, the Bolts don’t want to put themselves in that position again as they hit the road.

"We've got good leadership in our room, and they keep our team from getting too high or too low," center Brayden Point told reporters Tuesday night. " … I don't know, it's tough to put a finger on it really. It's gone good so far, but we can't be happy with just this one. It's going to be a hard, long series. We've got to look at the next one."

NBC Sports Group in the U.S. is providing exclusive national television coverage of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals.

Here are the dates of the upcoming games:

Game 3: Thursday, June 17 at 8 p.m.

Game 4: Saturday, June 19 at 8 p.m.

*Game 5: Monday, June 21 at 8 p.m.

*Game 6: Wednesday, June 23 at 8 p.m.

*Game 7: Friday, June 25 at 8 p.m.

This is the second straight year the Lightning has battled the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Semifinals.

The Lightning defeated the Islanders in six games in the Eastern Conference Final last season before winning the Stanley Cup against the Dallas Stars.

A strong performance in net from Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov, as well as goals from Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock, sent the Lightning to a 2-1 loss in Game 1 of the Lightning's bid to hang on to the Stanley Cup, according to Lightning sports reporter Jacob Lynn.

The Bolts tried to rally late in the third, getting on the board in the final minute of regulation, but New York hung on down the stretch to take Sunday's series opener.

In Game 2, the Lightning rebounded with a solid team effort that saw contributions come throughout the lineup in a 4-2 victory. The Bolts scored three straight goals after Ondrej Palat snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period to put the Bolts up to stay.

Jan Rutta’s goal just more than 2 minutes in the third period extended the lead before Victor Hedman added a power play goal to give Tampa Bay a commanding 4-1 lead. The Islanders tallied a late goal to get to within 4-2, but Andrei Vasileveskiy was impressive in net and finished the win with 24 saves.

Official Lightning Watch Parties

For away games during the Stanley Cup Semifinals, fans are invited to Amalie Arena for socially distanced, official Tampa Bay Lightning Watch Parties presented by Bud Light, featuring live entertainment, appearances by Lightning mascot ThunderBug and other Lightning personalities, giveaways and concession specials.

Tickets are $10 with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Lightning Foundation Charities. Pods of one to six people are available. Doors will open 75 minutes before the scheduled puck drop.

Patch Editor D'Ann Lawrence White contributed to this story