Here are some takeaways from Day 37 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
Lightning carried momentum into Game 5
Oftentimes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs you'll hear coaches and players say momentum doesn't carry from game to game or series to series. The Tampa Bay Lightning will dispute that notion now. Their third-period comeback attempt in Game 4 on Saturday fell a goal short, but they are convinced it was good enough to spark them into arguably their best performance of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, an 8-0 win in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the New York Islanders at home Monday. The Lightning players and coaches were disgusted with how they played in the second period of Game 4, when they allowed three goals to fall behind 3-0. They gave the puck away. They weren't hard to play against. "Probably one of the worst periods we've had in the playoffs," forward Yanni Gourde said. They responded quickly with two goals in the third period, when they started to again play with speed and took care of the puck. It got them on the track they stayed on from the drop of the puck in Game 5. They were leading 3-0 and outshooting the Islanders 19-5 after 20 minutes. "The boys just built off the momentum," coach Jon Cooper said. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Islanders need a better start
The Islanders' problems didn't end after the first period in their 8-0 loss to the Lightning in Game 5. But if the Islanders are going to win Game 6 at home Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS) and force a Game 7 at Tampa Bay on Friday, they can't afford another start like they had Monday. New York allowed a goal 45 seconds into the game and was outshot 19-5 in the first period on its way to falling behind 3-0 after 20 minutes. The Islanders have been outscored 17-8 in first periods in 17 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including 5-1 against the Lightning, and have been outshot 217-151 in first periods during the playoffs, including 69-40 in this series. The Islanders have yet to lead after the first period in the playoffs and have allowed the first goal in 11 of their 17 games. New York is 5-6 when giving up the first goal, but 0-3 against Tampa Bay, so scoring first or at least playing a strong first period will be imperative for the Islanders on Wednesday. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer