Islanders Winning Game 6 Was An Iconic Moment
After losing 8-0 to the Lightning in a pivotal Game 5, the Islanders headed back to Long Island looking to keep their season alive. For the Islanders, the message was simple: Do or die. Win or go home. The New York Islanders needed to keep up their winning ways to force a Game 7 in Tampa.
One year after losing in Game 6 to the Lightning, the Islanders looked to avoid history repeating. With the fate of the Nassau Coliseum in the Islanders’ hands, the Islanders needed a win. A win to keep their season alive. And, a win to keep the old building on Hempstead Turnpike open.
Despite putting pressure on the Lightning early, Brayden Point put the Lightning up 1-0, extending his goal-scoring streak to nine games. Then in the second period, Anthony Cirelli beat Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy wide and scored to put the Lightning up two.
However, Islanders forward Jordan Eberle responded with a nifty backhand putting the Islanders on the scoreboard. Going into Game 6, Eberle had zero goals in his last six games and only one goal in his previous 12 games. The Islanders desperately needed a big performance from their top-winger, which is exactly what they got.
In the third period, it was all Islanders. The Islanders threw everything they had at the Lightning. Finally, about halfway through the third period, Mat Barzal found defenseman Scott Mayfield along the sidewall, where he perfectly placed a shot over Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, tying the game at two. Despite controlling the play for much of the third period, the Islanders were only able to find the back of the net once.
With around six minutes left in the third the Islanders went to the penalty kill. The Lightning’s power-play has been absolutely lethal this postseason. The Islanders needed a huge kill. After a huge penalty kill from the Islanders, the game was sent to overtime. A sudden death overtime, where if the Lightning won, the Islanders’ season was over.
The Islanders only needed one shot to seal the deal. Forward Anthony Beauvillier picked off a pass from Blake Coleman. Beauvillier got the puck and buried a shot high glove side on Vasilevskiy. Thanks to Beauvillier’s overtime heroics, the Islanders forced a Game 7 against the Lightning. The Nassau Coliseum was sent into a frenzy.
While the Islanders lost in Game 7, this was still one of the best games in franchise history.
Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.
