Mishkin's Extra Shift: Lightning 2, Islanders 1 - OT

In many respects, this was a tale of two games. During the first period and a half, the Lightning dominated play. They owned the vast majority of the possession time and outshot the Islanders, 24-6. They also generated a high volume of terrific scoring chances. But due in large part to the goaltending of Semyon Varlamov, the score was tied at one at the halfway point of the second period.

Then, from the midpoint of the second period until Anthony Cirelli's overtime winner at 13:18, the game was much more evenly-played. Possession time was split. Shots for the rest of the night were 24-21 (in favor of Tampa Bay). The Lightning were not able to produce as many scoring chances as they had earlier in the game. At the same time, the Islanders were more effective at generating looks than they had been in the opening 30 minutes. So over the final 43 minutes and 18 seconds, it was anyone's game. Fortunately for the Lightning, they were the ones to make the key play in OT that won them the series.
As strongly as the Lightning played in the first period and a half, they did endure a rough shift early in the game. Following a defensive zone turnover, they allowed a goal to defenseman Devon Toews, who stepped in from the left point, accepted a pass at left circle, curled behind the net, and beat Andrei Vasilevskiy to the other side with a wraparound goal. But just over two minutes later, the Lightning tied it. The line of the Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, and Ondrej Palat put together an extended offensive zone shift. They held the puck in the Islanders end for about a minute. Victor Hedman passed the puck to Erik Cernak at the center point and headed towards the front of the net. Varlamov stopped Cernak's shot, but the rebound came directly to an unguarded Hedman in the slot. He buried the rebound.
Following Hedman's tally, the Lightning surged. But despite accumulating numerous chances, they couldn't break the tie. Some missed the net. Some were blocked. Others Varlamov stopped. And he was the biggest reason why the Lightning didn't build a big lead during the first period and a half. Instead, Varlamov kept the game tied at one. And after the Lightning failed to convert on two power play chances in the first half of the second period, the Islanders began pushing back.
While the Islanders didn't dominate play like the Lightning did in the first 30 minutes, they were able to put together several very effective offensive zone shifts during the second half of the second period and throughout the third. The Islanders did get some decent looks during those sequences - particularly Brock Nelson, who was the most consistently dangerous offensive player for New York in the series - but the Lightning also blocked a lot of shots and generally protected the front of their net well.
In the Islanders end, it became more difficult for the Lightning to produce high-quality chances. And they couldn't capitalize on the ones they did generate.
Both teams had chances to take the lead - or, in overtime, win the game - with power play opportunities. The Isles received a power play chance in the latter part of the second period. The Lightning received what was their third PP opportunity with about six minutes left in the third. Then, Andy Greene was whistled for a four-minute high stick in the final minute of the third. It was an identical call to the one against Anthony Beauvillier late in the third period of Game Five. And finally, the Isles got a power play at 8:49 of overtime when the Lightning were caught with too many men on the ice. On all of those power plays, the penalty kill units did a magnificent job. Early in OT, Nelson had a chance to end it when he made a steal and countered on a shorthanded breakaway. Vasilevskiy stopped the attempt. And on the New York PP in overtime, Barclay Goodrow provided the Lightning with multiple steals and clears to alleviate pressure.
And it was Goodrow who teamed up with Cirelli to end the game and the series. Cirelli dumped the puck into the Islanders end from center ice. While his linemates went to the bench for a change, Cirelli stayed out to pursue the puck. He won a board battle from two New York defenders and worked the puck free to Goodrow, who had just come on the ice. Goodrow took the puck behind the net while Cirelli went to the front of the cage. The Islanders also had to worry about Blake Coleman, who positioned himself at the other side of the crease from Cirelli. Goodrow delivered the puck to Cirelli, who shot it off the inside of the far post. The puck slid back across the goal line before it hit Varlamov and caromed into the net. Cirelli, who had left the game late in the second period after a collision with Anders Lee, returned for the start of the third and ended up scoring the series-clinching goal.
With the Stanley Cup Final beginning tomorrow, I'll have a full series recap of the Eastern Conference Final later today.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito, who picked three First Stars):
1. Anthony Cirelli, Barclay Goodrow, and Victor Hedman - Lightning. 2. Semyon Varlamov - Islanders. 3. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Lightning.