Islanders-Lightning Game 4 recap: Key stat, turning point, three stars, more
The New York Islanders celebrate after their 3-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning after Game Four of the Stanley Cup Semifinals during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nassau Coliseum on June 19, 2021. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
Winning goal: Matt Martin’s first of the playoffs made it 3-0 at 17:57 of the second period.
Key statistic: The Islanders are the fourth team in NHL history to face a 2-1 series deficit in at least three rounds within a postseason (also 1989 Flyers, 1993 Maple Leafs and 2010 Canadiens). They have won Game 4 each time, and will now aim to become the first team to overcome a 2-1 series deficit to win three rounds in one playoff year.
Turning point: Ryan Pulock’s sliding block on Ryan McDonagh’s spinning backhander with time running out was the biggest save of the game and preserved the win.
Did you notice? National anthem singer Nicole Raviv again lowered her microphone and allowed the Nassau Coliseum crowd to take over the vocal lead, as she did in Game 3, and in Game 6 of the Isles-Bruins series. She’s been doing that since Game 4 against the Bruins, when her microphone malfunctioned and the crowd took over…The Lightning’s Pat Maroon hit Brock Nelson on the head on a post-whistle skate-by in the first period. The Islanders’ Matt Martin gave Maroon a hard jolt after the first-period buzzer.
Other news: Islanders coach Barry Trotz kept his lineup intact despite acknowledging the day before Game 4 he was considering inserting Oliver Wahlstrom for the first time since the rookie RW suffered a lower-body injury in Game 5 of the first-round series against the Penguins…Carolina Hurricanes D Jaccob Slavin was announced as the Lady Byng Trophy winner as the NHL’s most gentlemanly player. Islanders D Ryan Pulock finished ninth in the balloting with 65 points and RW Josh Bailey was 17th with 28 points. Slavin garnered 827 points.
Three stars
1. Ryan Pulock (Islanders). Three blocked shots, but that last one saved the game for the Isles.
2. Matt Martin (Islanders). Of course he would score the winning goal on the night his brother-in-law got married.
3. Brayden Point (Tampa Bay). Goals in seven straight playoff games? His 12th of the postseason got the Lightning back in the game.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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