3 Takeaways: Islanders Season Ends with 6-4 Loss to Lightning

For a third straight year, the New York Islanders season ended with a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In the past two seasons, that game came in the third round of the postseason, whereas Friday's 6-4 loss came in the final game of the regular season. Both the result and time of year were unsatisfactory for the Islanders.

JG Pageau, Kieffer Bellows, Josh Bailey (PPG) and Zdeno Chara scored for the Islanders, but a Steven Stamkos hat trick and five-goal third period for the Lightning powered the Tampa win.
With the loss, the Islanders finish the season with a 37-35-10 record, as well as a 20-16-5 record at UBS Arena. This marks the first time since the 2017-18 season the Islanders did not qualify for the postseason.
"There's no excuses. We didn't get it done. And we'll get dissected and analyzed and try to track it right back where we need to be," Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "There's a really good core here. Of I think I answered it tried to answer yesterday. I know what we feel there is a really good core here, a lot of good pieces. But it's hard to evaluate ours ourselves [today]."

CHARA GETS SERENADED BY ISLES FANS:

Zdeno Chara ended his season on a high note.
The 45-year-old defenseman scored his second goal of the season on Friday, briefly giving the Islanders some hope in the final minute of play. While the goal didn't change the result in the game, it gave the crowd at UBS Arena ample opportunity to serenade the future Hall of Famer. Chants of "Char-a! Char-a!" broke out and the usually stone-faced defenseman couldn't help but crack a big smile.
"It just completely unexpected and it was just amazing feeling obviously to have that support from the fans," Chara said. "I can't really describe it. I was getting chills, it was a spectacular moment and I'll cherish that for the rest of my life. You know, very classy. Amazing."
While it's unclear if Friday was Chara's last game, the Lightning stayed on the ice to shake his hand. The Islanders also made a point of sending Chara through a handshake line after tapping Ilya Sorokin. Trotz said it was something he hadn't seen in his over 20 years in the league.
"That just tells me that how much respect this player has garnered through the league through players who have played against them, players who have an interaction with them. All that says volumes of what he's accomplished as a human being in this game. And he's, if he if he continues to play, which he can, we'll be better for it. And if he decides he's going to spend time with his family, he's left the game in a great spot."
The goal was Chara's first home goal as an Islander since March 27, 1999, as the defenseman started his career with the Islanders. Chara's first-ever goal was Jan. 29, 1999 at home vs Phoenix, so if he does hang up his skates, there would be some poetry in his first and last goals coming as an Islander on Islanders ice.
The crowd at UBS Arena wanted it all night, urging Chara to shoot every time he touched the puck in the offensive zone. He said he wanted it badly, so it was a little ironic that while he had some good opportunities early in the game, it was a floater looking for a rebound that found the back of the net.
"I guess it was meant to be," Chara said.

ISLES FALL TO LIGHTNING:

Pageau opened the scoring early on Friday, scoring 32 seconds into the contest, sweeping a Noah Dobson rebound past Andrei Vasilevskiy. The goal was Pageau's 18th of the season, third goal in his last four games and his eighth goal in his last 12 games to finish out the season.
The Lightning tied the score 1-1 midway through the first period, as Lightning captain Steven Stamkos deflected Erik Cernak's shot past Ilya Sorokin at the side of the net at 11:57.
LIGHTNING 6, ISLANDERS 4
ISLANDERS ARTICLES
Gamecenter
Rapid Recap
Socios.com Postgame Photos
ISLANDERS-LIGHTNING VIDEO
Full Highlights
Postgame: Trotz
Postgame: Chara and Dobson
Postgame: Bellows and Lee
KINGER'S CALLS
Pageau Opens Scoring
Bellows Banks Puck In
Bailey's Power-Play Goal
Chara's Late Goal
Bellows gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead halfway through the second period, barreling to the net and having his shot deflect off Vasilevskiy's pad, Cal Foote's skate and in at 9:35. The goal also meant that Bellows season ended on a streaking note, as the 23-year-old forward has four points (2G, 2A) in his last five games.
The Islanders suddenly-scoring power play made it 3-1 before the end of the period, as Bailey's shot caromed off Mikhail Sergachev and in at 18:48. Bailey's goal marked the fourth-straight game the Islanders scored with the man advantage, which is now 7-for-11 over that stretch.
While the Islanders seemed to be in control of the game, Tampa took over in the third period, scoring five goals en route to the win. Corey Perry made it 3-2 with a power-play goal at 1:21, but a pair of quick strikes midway through the frame changed the complexion of the game. Ryan McDonagh netted a Pat Maroon rebound at 10:10 to tie the score.
After Vasilevskiy denied Bailey in tight, Bailey and Noah Dobson collided at the Islanders blueline sending the Lightning in on an odd-man rush. The result was Stamkos' second goal of the game, as he sniped high glove on Sorokin to make it 4-3 at 11:13. Stamkos completed the trick at 17:50, giving Tampa a 5-3 lead. After Chara briefly made it 5-4, Brandon Hagel iced it with 25 seconds to play.
"Third period once they got the power play and made it 3-2, we sort of got on our heels and stopped moving the puck," Trotz said. "They taped it up… they're a high execution team."

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ALONG:

A big thank you to everyone for reading, listening, watching and following along this season. It was a year unlike any other, in good ways and bad, and we appreciate your support through it all. We wouldn't be here doing what we do without all of you.
A special thanks to Sasha Kandrach, who we'll be rooting for in the playoffs, Anthony Costanza, for the back-end work that no one sees, Rachel Luscher, for jumping onto a moving train, Tyler Brosious and Kathryn Howell for all of the graphics/edits/laughs, to Greg Picker for pregame shows, intermission reports and podcasts and to Alex Leafer, George Giosi, Danny Baxter, TJ DeFeo and Dennis DaSilva for capturing it all on camera.
Shoutout to the Isles marketing, game pres, radio, PR, creative and community teams for everything they do, both for NewYorkIslanders.com and the fanbase at large.
Looking forward to the draft, the summer and riding the roller coaster again already. Talk soon.