EDMONTON, Alberta — The Tampa Bay Lightning bounced back against the New York Islanders in a 4-1 win after losing Game 3.
Lightning forwards Brayden Point (out) and Alex Killorn (suspension) both returned to the lineup for Game 4 after missing Friday's game, which ended in a 5-3 loss.
Tampa Bay fell in a 1-0 hole in the middle of the second period after New York's Brock Nelson found the back of the net.
The Lightning immediately responded with goals from Blake Coleman and Ondrej Palat just seconds after the Islanders drew first blood.
Palat remains scorching hot in the bubble, as his second-period goal was his eighth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Point tapped in an assist from Palat and Nikita Kucherov to extend the Lightning's lead to 3-1 a little over three minutes into the third period. Pat Maroon later scored on an empty net to extend Tampa Bay's lead to 4-1.
The Lightning once again have to play out the series without captain Steven Stamkos. Stamkos remains out with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
SERIES SCHEDULE
- Game 1: Lightning 8, Islanders 2 Final
- Game 2: Lightning 2, Islanders 1 Final
- Game 3: Islanders 5, Lightning 3 Final
- Game 4: Lightning 4, Islanders 1 Final
- Game 5: Tuesday, September 15, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 6*: Thursday, September 17, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 7*: Saturday, September 19, 7:30 p.m. ET
* = if necessary
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Lightning secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference bracket after finishing second to the Philadelphia Flyers in round-robin play. Tampa Bay beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team the Lightning got swept by in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, in five hard-fought games.
After exorcising their playoff demons against the Blue Jackets, the Lightning rode Ondrej Palat's hot hand and a game-winning goal in double overtime from Victor Hedman to take down the Boston Bruins in five games.
Palat enters the Eastern Conference Final with a four-game goal streak, dating back to Game 2 against Boston.
The New York Islanders locked down the sixth seed in the conference after taking down the Florida Panthers in four games in the qualifying round. New York went onto beat the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round and then took down the first-seed Philadelphia Flyers in seven games to advance to the conference final.
