Barzal, Islanders eager to rebound against Lightning in East Final Game 2

The New York Islanders trail in a series for the first time this postseason and know a better effort is vital against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS).

New York, the No. 6 seed in the East, lost Game 1 8-2 on Monday. The Islanders never trailed in their previous three series against the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers.
"Personally, I liked our attitude after the game last night," New York center Mathew Barzal said Tuesday. "We knew it wasn't acceptable, but at the same time we knew it's a seven-game series and it's the first to four [wins]. We get tomorrow's game, and it's a completely different series."
Tampa Bay defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said the Lightning are expecting a much tougher game Wednesday in Edmonton, the hub city for the conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final.
"I think we felt like we did our job and we did what we set out to do yesterday in the game," Shattenkirk said. "We knew that we could try to use that to our advantage being rested up for a week. But now, I think, obviously, they get a day to reset, probably clear their heads, and some of those games kind of get easier to brush off your shoulders when you lose by a big margin like that.
"So we're certainly going to be ready for a much better team. We know the type of style they play and, obviously, the type of energy they can bring. We're happy with the game and the win, but we certainly don't feel like we've accomplished anything yet."
It was the second time the Islanders allowed eight goals in a game since Barry Trotz became coach last season; New York lost 8-3 to the Nashville Predators on Dec. 17, 2019. Entering Game 1, the Islanders allowed more than four goals in a game once this postseason, a 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Flyers in Game 6 of the second round at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto last Thursday.
Prior to Monday, New York last allowed eight goals in a playoff game in an 8-3 loss to the Flyers in Game 2 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Final, which the Islanders won in six games.
"This team is much better, and I know they'll respond," Trotz said. "It was really hard. I'll be honest, after the game, to try to, we sort of do our evaluations on our team and our individual players, and it was hard because it was such a strange game for everybody involved."

Tampa Bay, the No. 2 seed, looked fresh in its first game since Aug. 31 and received five points each from forwards Brayden Point (two goals, three assists) and Nikita Kucherov (one goal, four assists). The Lightning were 3-for-6 on the power play.
The eight goals tied the most the Lightning have scored in a playoff game. They defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 8-2 in Game 5 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Teams with a 2-0 lead are 329-51 (86.6 percent) winning a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series, including 5-0 in the first two rounds this postseason.
"I would say out of the, what was that, our ninth win in the playoffs, [that was] probably the quietest it has been in a room out of our wins," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said Tuesday. "That's a pretty exciting time to win a game in the playoffs, let alone where we are right now. I think it was a combination of we know the Islanders are going to be better and a combination of I know we can be better, and they know we can be better.
"So, you don't win a series in Game 1, but if you get it, it sure helps you get on your way. We know that, but we're just a quarter of the way there, and I think all the guys in the room know that as well."
The Islanders lost Games 5 and 6 in overtime to the Flyers trying to end that series. New York advanced to the conference final for the first time since 1993 with a 4-0 win in Game 7 on Saturday.
In what has been customary, the Islanders did not announce their starting goalie for Game 2 ahead of time. Thomas Greiss was pulled at 10:46 of the first period in Game 1 after he allowed three goals on nine shots. Semyon Varlamov allowed five goals on 20 shots.

Greiss made 16 saves for the shutout against the Flyers in Game 7 and has a 2.02 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in four games (three starts) this postseason. Varlamov has started 14 of New York's 17 postseason games and is 9-4 with a 2.22 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and two shutouts.
Trotz said it's possible forward Cal Clutterbuck could play Wednesday. He left Game 1 at 11:36 of the second period after blocking a shot and briefly returned to the bench at the start of the third period before going back to the locker room.
NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report