The Islanders took Game 6 at Nassau Coliseum which could be their last game there if they don’t win in Game 7. They came back from a 2 nothing hole to win 3-2, 1 minute and 8 seconds into Overtime. The Barn erupted and showed their happiness by throwing beer cans and other things onto the ice. I have no clue why. It was a huge win for them and Barry Trotz faces Tampa Bay at Amalie Arena in Game 7 again. They fought hard and made an exceptional comeback.
A bigger concern for the Lightning is whether Nikita Kucherov will be fit for Game 7. He got injured on his 1st shift of the game and it might have been due to the cross check that Scott Mayfield gave him or when he was trying to hit Mathew Barzal. Either way, he got injured and if he can’t play for Game 7, that is a real blow and they have more of a chance of losing. He missed the rest of Game 6 and there was a hole in that top unit. Some 2nd line players will have to step up if he is not available.
I believe the New York Islanders will win this game by the score of 4-3. It will be a tight game but the Isles will be jacked up after that thrilling victory while Tampa will be pretty discouraged that they gave up a 2 nothing advantage. Barry Trotz has been in this situation before with the Washington Capitals against the Bolts and he probably knows how to handle the crowd and get the job done on the road. Their players will have a lot of confidence going into this one and they will be really fresh. They will put everything into this game as they are trying to play at the Barn again for the Final.
It will be a high energy game as both teams are trying to make it to the Final. Will the Tampa Bay Lightning get one step closer to a Stanley Cup repeat or will the New York Islanders show their resiliency and live another day? We will find out on Friday at 8:00 PM EST on NBCSN from Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.
THE END