Islanders withstand furious Lightning rally to even series

[June 21, 2021]  Josh Bailey, Mathew Barzal and Matt Martin all scored in the second period Saturday night for the host New York Islanders, who survived a third-period rally by the Tampa Bay Lightning to earn a 3-2 win in Game 4 of an NHL semifinal series in Uniondale, N.Y.

The win evened the best-of-seven series at two games apiece. Game 5 is scheduled for Monday night in Tampa.

Goalie Semyon Varlamov made 28 saves for the Islanders, though defenseman Ryan Pulock made the save of the game as time expired by sprawling across the net to block Ryan McDonagh's shot.

Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson scored in the third for the Lightning. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded 27 saves.

The Lightning outshot the Islanders 11-4 in the first and had the first six shots of the second before New York took control.

Brock Nelson set up Bailey's goal by coming to a complete stop, doing a 360 and passing across the ice to Bailey, who deked McDonagh before firing a shot through McDonagh's legs and beyond Vasilevskiy's glove at the 5:30 mark.

The Islanders took advantage of Lightning star Point losing his stick to double the lead with 6:14 left. Cal Clutterbuck fired a shot from just inside the blue line that ricocheted off a leaning Vasilevskiy and to Barzal, who would normally be covered by Point. Instead, Barzal pounced on the rebound and fired the puck into the open net.

Martin, who missed the wedding of his brother-in-law Gunnar Esiason -- son of former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason -- Saturday, backhanded home a rebound of a shot by Adam Pelech with 2:03 remaining.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a save against New York Islanders right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) during the first period of game four of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Point began the Lightning's comeback by racing up the right side of the ice and deking Andy Greene before firing a shot past Varlamov 3:45 into the third. It was the seventh straight game in which Point has scored a goal.

Johnson pulled the Lightning within a goal 2:58 later, when he was stuffed twice by Varlamov before he skated around the ice with the puck and fired a shot past the screened keeper.

The Lightning almost tied the game as time expired, when McDonagh did his own 360 at the doorstep and got the puck past Varlamov, who was out of the crease. But Pulock slid across and blocked the puck as the crowd of 12,978 erupted.

--Field Level Media

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.