Islanders 5, Lightning 2
NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders responded to a rare public scolding from head coach Jack Capuano -- and moved closer to clinching a playoff spot -- Monday night, as Matt Martin, Brock Nelson and John Tavares scored in a span of less than six minutes in the second period of a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Barclays Center.
Nelson was one of three Islanders -- along with Josh Bailey and Ryan Strome -- singled out Monday morning by Capuano as players who " ... need to pick their (expletive) up and start playing." The rebuke by the usually protective Capuano came two days after a 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, a defeat that dropped the Islanders to 5-6-2 since March 9 and left a playoff spot in peril.
But Monday's win all but locked up a postseason berth for the Islanders (43-26-9), whose magic number for clinching at least an Eastern Conference wild-card spot is two points, to finish ahead of ninth-place Boston Bruins. New York, which tied the New York Rangers for third place in the Metropolitan Division on Monday, can secure a spot with a win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
Ryan Pulock scored in the first period for the Islanders while Johnny Boychuk's goal 4:28 into the third period chased Lightning goalie Ben Bishop.
Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss made 32 saves.
The loss cost the Lightning (45-29-5) a chance to clinch a playoff berth and damaged their chances of winning the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay is two points behind the Florida Panthers, pending the Panthers' game on Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both the Lightning and Panthers have three games remaining after Monday.
Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, who played their first game since star center Steven Stamkos underwent surgery to repair a blood clot near his shoulder on Monday.
Bishop made 13 saves before being pulled. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 13 shots he faced in relief.
Pulock started and ended a rally that gave the Islanders the lead with 6:42 left in the first period. Pulock picked up a loose puck near center ice and passed to John Tavares, who delivered a no-look pass to Kyle Okposo as Pulock raced to the net. Okposo's shot ticked off Pulock, who was surrounded by three Lightning players, and past Bishop.
The Lightning tied it on an end-to-end rush 2:08 into the second period. Matthew Carle sent a clearing pass to Nikita Kucherov, and Kucherov passed to Killorn, who descended upon Greiss and waited until the Islanders' goalie went to the ice for the save before firing it into the right corner of the net
The Islanders went ahead again on their own end-to-end rush just under nine minutes later. Casey Cizikas won a faceoff deep in the New York zone and Cal Clutterbuck reached the puck and poked it to Martin, who raced down the right side of the ice. With Carle and Hedman converging on him, Martin fired a shot that bounced off Bishop's pads and squirted into the net.
New York doubled the lead following a chaotic sequence that began with Greiss making a sprawling save of a shot by Lightning center Cedric Paquette. Nikolay Kulemin picked up the loose puck and passed to Nelson. Nikita Nesterov dove from behind and tried to knock the puck free, but Nelson beat Bishop with a backhand.
The Islanders went ahead 4-1 just 52 seconds later after yet another end-to-end rush -- this one started by Nick Leddy and finished by Tavares, who took a nifty no-look pass from Frans Nielsen and fired a sizzling shot under Bishop's glove.
Hedman scored with just under seven seconds left in the period to pull the Lightning within 4-2.
NOTES: In addition to C Steven Stamkos, the Lightning scratched D Slater Koekkoek (fractured fibula) as well as C Jonathan Marchessault and D Anton Stralman. ... The Lightning became the last team to make its first visit to Barclays Center. ... Lightning head coach Jon Cooper graduated from Hofstra University, located across the street from the Islanders' former home at Nassau Coliseum. ... The Islanders scratched G Jean-Francois Berube (undisclosed), C Mikhail Grabovski (concussion), G Jaroslav Halak (lower body) and RW Travis Hamonic (knee) as well as RW Steve Bernier, LW Eric Boulton and D Brian Strait. Rookie D Ryan Pulock skated in place of Strait in his first game since March 25. ... To replace Berube, the Islanders recalled G Christopher Gibson from Bridgeport of the AHL on an emergency basis. ... Islanders D Adam Pelech, who hasn't played since Jan. 14 due to an upper body injury, began a conditioning stint Monday at Bridgeport.