NHL Playoffs: 5 things we learned from Lightning beating Islanders

Here’s what we learned from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-1 Eastern Conference Semifinal win over the New York Islanders.

The Tampa Bay Lightning advanced to their fourth Conference Final in franchise history with a five-game Eastern Conference Semifinals series win over the New York Islanders.

Tampa Bay sealed the series victory with a 4-0 blowout win at Amalie Arena on Sunday afternoon. This marks the second consecutive year the Lightning have advanced to at least this stage of the playoffs, as they took down the New York Rangers in seven games last year to move on to the Stanley Cup Finals.

As lopsided as the Game 5 scoreline and overall 4-1 series win looks, it wasn’t always easy for the Lightning. New York chased Ben Bishop in an impressive Game 1 victory, and Games 3 and 4 at the Barclays Center required come-from-behind overtime victories.

Nikita Kucherov scored game-tying goals in the third period in both contests, including one with just 40 seconds remaining in Game 3. Tampa Bay won both games shortly into overtime on winners by Brian Boyle and Jason Garrison, respectively. Bishop was terrific once again for the most part , shaking off a tough Game 1 to turn in another excellent series.

Now, the Lightning will get a few days off before facing the winner of the semifinals series between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh currently leads the series 3-2, with Game 6 on Tuesday night and a potential Game 7 on Thursday.

Either team would be a more difficult challenge for Tampa Bay then the Islanders or Detroit Red Wings, but the Lightning have proven themselves to be Stanley Cup contenders with a few key takeaways from the series against New York.

Next: 5. Victor Hedman can take over a series