5 Takeaways: Isles Pushed to Brink After Game 5 Loss to Lightning

Barry Trotz called Game 5 "one of those nights" and unfortunately, not the good kind.
The Islanders fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-0 in Game 5, marking both the first time the Islanders were shut out in the playoffs, as well as the most goals they'd allowed in the postseason.
"It was one of those nights where we couldn't do anything right," Trotz said. "It didn't go our way and it was tough one."

Instead of being able to withstand Game 5 barrages like they had in Pittsburgh and Boston, Tampa struck early and often, with three power-play goals and an explosive night from their big guns. Steven Stamkos (2G, 1A), Alex Killorn (2G, 1A) and Nikita Kucherov (3A) each had three-point games, while Brayden Point (1G, 1A) and Victor Hedman (2A) each had two. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves for the shutout.
While the Lightning netted eight, the Islanders had a hard time getting their offense going, recording 21 shots on the night, compared to Tampa's 42. The loss pushed the Islanders to the brink of elimination for the first time this postseason with a do-or-die game coming up on Wednesday night.
"We'll just have to park it," Trotz said. "At the end of the day, we're going back home. It's 3-2. We've just got to focus on earning the right to keep playing. We could have lost 1-0 tonight in double or triple overtime and it feels like it's the same result. We can fix a lot of the things that we put ourselves into today. We're going to have to have our best game. They've been here before. We've been here before. We're going to have to have our best effort from every player on our team. If we do that, we'll be back here for Game 7."
Here are five takeaways from a tough night in Tampa.

BOLTS STRIKE EARLY:

After holding Tampa to two or fewer goals in three of the first four games, the Lightning's potent attack broke out on Monday night.
The Lightning struck early, with Stamkos scoring the first of his two goals 45 seconds into the contest. Stamkos dished a pass over to Killorn, whose shot attempt deflected over to the Lightning captain for an easy tap-in.
That set the tone for a tilted period that saw Tampa's transition game thrive, the Bolts go up 3-0 and outshoot the Islanders 19-5 in the process. Tampa went up 2-0 at the 11:04 mark, as Yanni Gourde took advantage of a failed Islanders clear at the blue line, skating down main street, faking a shot and having his centering feed bank off a sliding Andy Greene and in.
The Lightning kept swarming and Killorn eventually made it 3-0 at 15:27, crashing the net and poking in a David Savard (2A) rebound. Killorn's goal, which came on Tampa's 16th shot of the period, ended Semyon Varlamov's night.
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"We weren't managing the puck very well, whether it was at our blueline, in the neutral zone or at our blueline," Greene said. "We turned a lot of pucks over and they're a great transition team. You start give them chances like that, they're going to make you pay."

BAD BOUNCES HAMPER ISLES CHANCE OF GETTING BACK IN THE GAME:

While a pair of bad bounces wound up in the Islanders net in the first period, a pair of bad bounces hampered the Isles in offensive zone to start the second.
New York seemingly had a chance to get back in the game early in the middle frame, with Brock Nelson narrowly missing a cross-crease feed from Anthony Beauvillier. The line continued to press, but Josh Bailey hit the post, with Nelson unable to deposit the follow-up.
That window to get back in the game closed shortly after, as Stamkos netted his second of the game at the 5:24 mark of the period and the Islanders didn't generate too many threatening looks the rest of the way, save for a power play late in the second.
The Islanders 21 shots were their second fewest of the postseason and fewest since recording 19 in a 5-4 win in Game 5 vs Boston.
"We dug our own grave in the first period, but I thought in the second period we came out real well," Trotz said. "We had three or four really good chances early. If we get to 3-1 maybe, we can stabilize the game. A few minutes later, we take a penalty, and they make it 4-0."

DISCIPLINE SLIPS AS ISLES GET FRUSTRATED:

Discipline was key to the Islanders wins in Games 1 and 4 and was a focal point entering the series, but down 3-0 in the second period, frustrations got the better of the team.
The Isles took four-straight penalties in the second period, allowing two power-play goals in the process to deepen an already deep hole.
Stamkos' second goal came at the tail end of Tampa's first power play, as the Bolts captain beat Ilya Sorokin with a one-timer from the left dot. Killorn's second goal also came via the power play, as he deflected a Hedman point shot past Sorokin at 17:53 to make it 6-0. The pair of power-play goals sandwiched Ondrej Palat's 5-0 marker, as the Bolts winger tipped a Savard wrister at 15:43.
"We got a little frustrated, that's what happens," Greene said. "At that point we just got to make sure we're trying to find our game there an build something there."
Matt Martin's fight with Luke Schenn didn't alleviate the tension, with a flashpoint coming at the end of the second period. Mathew Barzal was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for cross-checking Jan Rutta up high, which led to JG Pageau and Anthony Cirelli taking offsetting roughing minors.
Point put an exclamation mark on the Lightning's power play, scoring his playoff-leading 13th goal of the season during Barzal's major. Tampa's power play finished the night 3-for-6.
The rough stuff continued late in the third period, with Barclay Goodrow cross-checking Casey Cizikas, setting off a few more scrums and misconducts as the dislike between the teams deepened. In total, the Islanders finished the game with 57 PIMs to 28 for the Lightning.
"You're not going to win any games when you give up three power-play goals," Trotz said. "It took all the rhythm out of our bench. We were battling through it all night."

SOROKIN RELIEVES VARLAMOV:

It was hard to blame Varlamov (13 saves) on the Lightning's first three tallies, but Trotz needed to make a goaltending change to hopefully spark his team.
In came Sorokin, who made his second relief appearance of the series and first action since Game 1. The Isles rookie stopped 21-of-26, allowing three power-play goals, two of them coming via deflection. It wasn't an easy night for Sorokin, who played out the final 44:33. Tampa's eighth goal, from Luke Schenn, was another tough bounce, as the defenseman's wrister deflected off Ryan Pulock's leg and in.

TIME TO DIG DEEP:

The Islanders have had short memories after losses in the postseason and will have no choice, but to turn the page after Monday's humbling defeat. A one-goal loss counts just as much as a eight-goal loss and while there weren't positives to pull out of the game, the Isles will need to channel that Game 5 frustration when the puck drops on Wednesday's Game 6.
"A loss is a loss this time of year," Kyle Palmieri said. "Whether it was double OT, or the way it went tonight, we'll wake up tomorrow down 3-2, headed home with our backs against the wall. We have a chance to win a game at home and that's all we're focused on."
"This group played for one another for a long time," Nelson said. "A high-character group, we'll leave this one here, learn from it, but come out at the Coli and play a better game."

NEXT GAME:

Wednesday night. Nassau Coliseum. The stakes will be high, as the Islanders will be facing down elimination for the first time in the playoffs, as well as the closing of Coliseum. Puck drop is at 8 p.m.