RTP Daily: Lightning Look To Close Out Isles Series

The end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is in sight, and I have to say, it’s already very weird not having games to watch every single night. This is always a thing with the playoffs, but it just feels different this year with the strange situation we’re in.

No NHL games were played last night, as the Dallas Stars had already closed out their series against the Vegas Golden Knights and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. If the Lightning win tonight’s game, they’ll move on as well. If the Islanders win, then we’ll all get to watch a game seven in the Eastern Conference Final.

Tonight’s Game

Tampa Bay Lightning @ New York Islanders (TBL leads 3-2) - 8:00 PM EST

For anyone who hasn’t been keeping up with the series, a brief rundown: Tampa Bay has been completely dominating play so far, with the Isles relying pretty heavily on luck and goaltending. Tampa took a 2-0 series lead early on, but New York managed to pull off a win in game 3. In game 4, the Lightning pushed them to the brink of elimination with a 4-1 win, but the Islanders eked out an overtime win in game 5 to force a game 6.

I’m sure you’re probably sick of hearing how much this year’s Islanders resemble the 2017 Ottawa Senators, but it really is uncanny. They’ve got Pageau, for one, and Pageau’s just the type of player who’s always going to influence team culture. Beyond that, though, they lost their captain recently (hate it when that happens), and have a few interesting off-ice stories, including Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello both getting redemption arcs. They’ve also exceeded expectations, and the media seems to hate them for being “boring.” Oh god, has anyone warned them about what’s going to happen as soon as this run is over? Somebody needs to tell them. Somebody needs to tell them right now.

Now, whether this makes Sens fans more or less likely to cheer for the Islanders is another question. Personally, I think the Islanders are very likable and I’d love to see them succeed where the Sens failed, even though I know it would be incredibly painful to watch.

My prediction? Islanders force a game seven, lose in overtime, then immediately implode.

How many chicken parms will Pageau eat before the game?