Islanders’ playoff run ends in heartbreaking Game 7 loss to Lightning

TAMPA — They say that Lightning isn’t supposed to strike in the same place twice, but the Islanders evidently are the exception.

For the second straight season, the Islanders fell just short of a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Lightning beat them 1-0 Friday night at Amalie Arena to close out the semifinal series and tee up a chance to defend their title against the Canadiens.

One win, and one goal, separated the Islanders from the franchise’s first championship series since 1984.

“This group believed that we could do this,” a somber head coach Barry Trotz said. “We still believe we could. It’s just a lot of pain because they gave their all. There’s some guys that are playing that are beat up, worn out, hurt and they just keep going.

“There’s a bond between all of the players that is really strong and the disappointing thing is we didn’t get this game, and that group in that room won’t be together again. That’s just the lay of the land in the National Hockey League.”

Tampa Bay fed off its noisemaker-bearing crowd and dictated the pace of play for a majority of a scoreless first period, outshooting the Islanders 15-5. But when the Islanders were supposed to be the ones in control of the game, on the lone power play of the night in the second period, that was the beginning of the end for their season.

The power play has been a weak spot for the Islanders all season long, but it was disastrous in Friday’s loss.

When Barclay Goodrow was penalized for cross-checking Adam Pelech 50 seconds into the second period, with the game scoreless, the Islanders actually started off strong. Once the Lightning cleared their zone and Anthony Cirelli carried the puck to the other end, however, three Islanders skaters came to challenge Tampa Bay’s second-line center — but they lost sight of the rest of the ice.

Yanni Gourde then hopped off the Lightning bench, skated in uncontested and buried a shorthanded goal — the only one of the game — at 1:49 of the middle frame. It was the first Game 7 in the history of the NHL to end in a 1-0 score off a shorthanded tally.

“It hurts no matter what,” Josh Bailey said of the Gourde goal, his voice quivering. “That’s a situation we certainly would like to have back. At the end of the day, it stings to lose. So hard to just get to this point.”

Still, the Islanders made the franchise’s longest playoff run since 1993, when they lost in five games in the conference finals to the Canadiens.

With Friday’s loss, not only did the Islanders’ season come to an end, but also Nassau Coliseum’s run as the team’s home officially expired.

Sometimes, Trotz pointed out, teams need to suffer some heartache before being able to win a Stanley Cup. After two agonizing semifinal losses to the Lightning, the Islanders have certainly had their fill of playoff pain.

“You’re down one goal going into the third period of Game 7 in the conference final, you’ll take that,” a choked up Mathew Barzal said. “Credit to them, they locked us up pretty good in the third period. Couldn’t find one, couple good chances.

“It’s not our time. It was right there. Hopefully, back next year.”