The Islanders have been here before. That’s the good news. The Islanders lost Game 3 at home to the Penguins (5-4) and the Bruins (2-1 in overtime) in the first and second rounds to fall behind 2-1 in those playoff series before peeling off three straight wins to advance.
The bad news is they haven’t faced a team nearly as strong as the Lightning yet. The defending champs played a very Islanders-like Game 3, blocking 21 shots and packing the middle of the defensive zone often enough to keep the Isles at bay.
Some food for thought in the wake of the Islanders’ 2-1 loss Thursday at Nassau Coliseum:
Wally time?
Oliver Wahlstrom is ready to return after missing the past 10 games — one might suspect the 21-year-old wing has been ready for a few days now.
