The Tampa Bay Lightning are once again the team to beat. The two-time defending champs are in the midst of another deep run, knocking off the Toronto Maple Leafs in a thrilling, seven game first round series and sweeping aside the Florida Panthers. Now, they await the winner of the New York Rangers-Carolina Hurricanes series in the Eastern Conference Final in a bid for a third Stanley Cup Finals appearance. However, despite the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning, when the Islanders were their opponent, they were pushed to the limit.

The Islanders and Bolts both met in the final four of the two prior Stanley Cup Playoffs, both of which were thrilling matchups. In 2020, despite the Islanders falling down 2-0. the Islanders took the Lightning to six games after a very tight final four games. The next year, the series was more cutthroat than the prior series, as a Game 7 1-0 shutout for Tampa to put the Islanders away. While the Islanders have played some tight series’ with the Lightning, when looking back on Tampa’s success, the Islanders have worked the Lightning harder than any other opponent, to the point where history could have been completely changed.

2020 Playoffs:

The Lightning finished the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifier as the number two-seed in the East, kicking off their quest for the Cup with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a surprise from that season. Although Columbus was an inexperienced team with injuries and a plethora of youth, Head Coach John Tortorella helped coach them back to the postseason and defeat the Maple Leafs in the Qualifier. While the Jackets gave a valiant effort early on, forcing a 5OT Game 1 and winning Game 2, Columbus couldn’t keep Tampa in check for long. Three straight wins earned them their revenge for their defeat in 2019, sending them to face the Boston Bruins. While Boston took the first game, the Presidents’ Trophy winner couldn’t keep their momentum from the regular season, bowing out in five games. Their opponent in the third round was the Islanders, and the Lightning were in for a difficult task.

After knocking off the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games a few days prior, the Islanders were clearly exhausted in Game 1 in an 8-2 loss. However, the game was a one-off, and the rest of the series was a near dead-heat. It took until five seconds left in Game 2 to decide a winner, as a Nikita Kucherov goal propelled the Lightning to a 2-1 regulation win. Although the Islanders found a way to win Game 3 on a late goal by Brock Nelson, another few seconds proved to make a difference in Game 4. After another Nelson tally to open the scoring, Tampa responded on a Blake Coleman goal 15 seconds later, followed by Ondrej Palat 12 seconds later. Tampa held off New York in a 4-1 win, but New York didn’t go down quietly. Semyon Varlamov brought his A-game the last two games, helping the Islanders steal Game 5. However, the Lightning defeated the Islanders in Game 6 and eventually won their first of two Stanley Cups.

2021 Playoffs:

The Lightning began the 2021 postseason as the number three seed in that year’s Central Division, and their quest for the Cup began against the Florida Panthers in the first round. With Florida enjoying a breakout season after years of frustration, the team was eager to upend their in-state rival in an historic first matchup. The beginning of the series was thrilling, as Tampa took the first two games, including a thrilling 5-4 opener that came down to the final minutes. Florida responded to take Game 3 in overtime, but Tampa responded by winning two of the next three to advance to face Carolina.

Although Carolina was the Central Division winner and boasted another high-flying offense, Tampa weathered the storm and set that offense in neutral. After a Game 4 win, Tampa put the series away on the road in Game 5, and the Lightning once again had the Islanders as their opponent in the semifinals.

The Islanders entered the series fresh off of a six-game victory over the Boston Bruins, and the hope was there for New York to avenge their defeat last season. The Islanders shut down the Lightning offense in a Game 1 matinee, but Tampa stormed back to win Game 2. Game 3 was a tight affair, but despite a tying-goal late in the second by Cal Clutterbuck, Point continued his postseason heroics, scoring in the final minute of the frame. Tampa played a shut-down third, putting the Bolts up 2-1 in the series. While the Islanders seemingly had the Lightning in the palm of their hand in Game 4, despite a 3-0 lead, Tampa scored two to make it a game in the third. With time running down on the clock, Ryan McDonagh had the game on his stick, but a dramatic Ryan Pulock block helped even the series at two.

Tampa ran the Isles out of the building in Game 5, scoring an 8-0 blowout win. They led 2-0 in Game 6 — however, the Islanders once again showed their resolve, rallying to the tie the game and forcing overtime in the elimination game. However, unlike last year’s Game 6, the Islanders came away victorious, as Anthony Beauvillier sent the Islanders back to Tampa for a do-or-die Game 7. However, one mistake bit the Islanders, as a busted coverage led to a shorthanded tally, working as the only offense to help Tampa beat the Islanders in the playoffs once again. Tampa advanced to the Cup Final once again and defeated the Montreal Canadiens in five games to successfully defend their title.

2022 Playoffs:

After recapping the last two postseasons, that brings us to today. The Lightning are once again in the midst of a deep playoff run, waiting to begin their third straight semifinal appearance. Once again, it was a combination of grit and skill that got Tampa to where it is now. Their first round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs was very tight, as the teams exchanged wins for the first six games. However, despite falling down 3-2 in the series, Tampa pulled out Game 6 in overtime, and Nick Paul’s heroics in Game 7 sent the Bolts back to the the second round. While the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers sat on the other side, Tampa made quick work of their in-state rival, sweeping them aside to go back to the Eastern Conference Final. However, this time it won’t be the Islanders waiting for them in that series, but instead, one of their in-division rivals.

While looking back on the past can’t change the outcomes of the last two seasons, it shows how tough the Islanders are as a Lightning opponent. The majority of their games in the postseason have been down to the wire, and some of them even came down to a few seconds of play that did the Islanders in. However, the Islanders won many emotional games as well, including the final game in Nassau Coliseum’s history. While for the Islanders, all of these moments are hollow for the pain of defeat, it verifies the Islanders’ legitimacy, as they came so close to changing NHL history as we know it.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.