Lightning To Play Game 7 Friday After Losing To Islanders 2-3

TAMPA, FL — It looked as if the Bolts would shut out the Islanders and move on to the Stanley Cup Playoffs when Tampa Bay led 2-0 in the second quarter of Wednesday night's Game 6 of the Semifinals.

But the Islanders rallied, evening up the score to 2-2 by the fourth quarter and sending the game into overtime at Nassau Coliseum.

The Bolts' hopes of avoiding Game 7 were crushed just 1 minute, 8 seconds into overtime when the Islanders' Anthony Beauvillier scored, giving New York the win, 3-2.

See Lightning Drop 3-2 OT Decision To Islanders, Look Ahead To Game 7

Now the two teams will face off in Tampa Friday for the best of seven series to determine which team will play for the Stanley Cup.

The Bolts' Steven Stamkos was visibly disappointed, hanging his head as he skated off the ice.

In a post-game interview, he said the die was cast when star winger Nikita Kucherov was injured in the first period and was out for the remainder of the game.

Kucherov took a cross-check from the Islanders' Scott Mayfield and doubled over in pain before exiting the ice to the Lightning dressing room. It's unclear if he'll be able to play in Friday's game.

"It sucks to lose Kuch early in the game and be forced to play short," said Stamkos, who ended up with a bloody nose after getting into a dust-up with the Islanders' Blake Coleman.

Bolts defenseman Victor Hedman was a bit more optimistic.

"We've been down this road before," he said. "It's nothing new for us. We just have to turn it around Friday."

For the Bolts' Brayden Point, the game was a career maker. Point scored the first goal of the game at the end of the first period, giving him his ninth consecutive game goal, one shy of the NHL record that has stood since 1976.

Anthony Cirelli, assisted by Ondrej Palat, put the Lightning ahead 2-0 in the second quarter but the Islanders followed with star forward Matthew Barzal assisting first Jordan Eberle and then Scott Mayfield to even the score.

After defeating the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday night, the Canadiens will face the Knights in Game 6 on their home turf in Montreal Thursday night and, depending on the winner, will play Game 7 Saturday in Las Vegas, deciding which of those two teams will advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Friday night's game between the Lightning and the Islanders at Amalie Arena will begin at 8 p.m.