Introduction
On June 23rd, 2021, the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders in a thrilling Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Semifinals to advance to the Finals. The game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams playing their hearts out. In the end, it was the Lightning who prevailed, thanks to a clutch goal from Yanni Gourde in the third period.
The Lightning's Journey to the Semifinals
The Lightning had a strong regular season, finishing with a 36-17-3 record and earning the third seed in the Central Division. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced off against the Florida Panthers and won the series in six games. In the second round, they took on the Carolina Hurricanes and swept them in four games. Their next opponent would be the New York Islanders, who had just upset the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round and then beat the Boston Bruins in six games in the second round.
The Islanders Strike First
The Islanders came out strong in Game 1 of the Semifinals, scoring the first goal of the game just over five minutes into the first period. The Lightning responded with a goal of their own late in the period, but the Islanders regained the lead early in the second period. The Lightning tied it up again, but the Islanders scored two more goals to take a 4-2 lead into the third period. The Lightning made a valiant effort to come back, but they ultimately fell short and lost the game 2-4.
The Lightning Bounce Back
The Lightning weren't deterred by their Game 1 loss, and they came out firing in Game 2. They scored two quick goals in the first period and never looked back, winning the game 4-2. Game 3 was another close one, with the score tied 1-1 heading into the third period. The Lightning scored two goals in the final frame to win the game 3-1.
Brayden Point's Heroics
Game 4 was a wild one, with both teams trading goals back and forth. The game was tied 2-2 heading into the third period, but the Islanders took the lead early in the period. The Lightning responded with a goal from Brayden Point to tie it up again, and then Point scored again a few minutes later to give the Lightning the lead. The Islanders tied it up with just over a minute left in the game, but Anthony Beauvillier scored in overtime to give the Islanders the win and tie the series at 2-2.
The Series Takes a Turn
Game 5 was another close one, with the score tied 1-1 heading into the third period. The Lightning scored two goals in the final frame to win the game 3-2 and take a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 was a must-win for the Islanders, and they came out strong, scoring two goals in the first period. The Lightning cut the lead to 2-1 in the second period, but the Islanders held on for a 3-2 win to force a Game 7.
Game 7
Game 7 was everything you could want in a hockey game. Both teams played their hearts out, and the game was tied 0-0 heading into the second period. The Islanders scored the first goal of the game midway through the second period, but the Lightning responded with a goal from Yanni Gourde just a few minutes later to tie it up. The game remained tied heading into the third period, but Gourde scored again early in the period to give the Lightning the lead. The Islanders had plenty of chances to tie it up, but Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stood tall and made some incredible saves to preserve the lead. The Lightning held on for a 2-1 win and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Conclusion
The Lightning's victory over the Islanders was a hard-fought battle, but they showed why they are the defending Stanley Cup champions. They will now face off against the Montreal Canadiens in the Finals, which should be another exciting series. The Lightning will look to win their second straight Stanley Cup, while the Canadiens will be looking to add to their record 24 championships. It should be a great series, and hockey fans everywhere are looking forward to it.
