Icelanders sharpen Lightning in OT for the seventh consecutive victory despite the loss of another defender

Tampa, Florida – Another island defender was injured. Another island defender (different) made solid beginnings. And the Islanders won a seventh consecutive game to move less than three points in a place in the playoffs.

Ho-Hum, right?

The Icelanders are injured on foot, Scott Mayfield and Mat Barzal joining the injured list on Saturday evening.

The Icelanders are the hottest team in the League, having won seven in a row after Tony Deangelo winner in overtime sealed a 3-2 victory against Lightning for his first victory in Amalie Arena since December 2019.

In one way or another, these two facts coexist.

“We cannot take a break at the moment, of course, with injuries and stuff,” said Bo Horvat after his exit pass became Deangelo for the winner of the 32 -second match after the additional period.

“We have great vibrations right now, as you can imagine,” said Deangelo.

Yeah, it’s a bit strange in Icelanders-Land at the moment.

“First of all, I have never been part of a team that has suffered as many injuries, and not just minors,” said coach Patrick Roy. “The guys lacked for a long time since the start of the year, it’s incredible. But the group’s resilient and the group is not looking for excuses. »»

Since the start of this victory sequence, the three of Mayfield, Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock have now been injured – with Isaiah George, a left -hander, also sent on Friday. Even before Mayfield’s injury, the defense of the Islanders included Deangelo, Adam Boqvist and Scott Perunovich on Saturday, none of whom was with the club seven days earlier.

So, of course, it was Boqvist – in his first match with the club – who put the Islanders on the dashboard, after Barzal’s Breakaway fired by hitting a rebound to equalize the match with a little less Two minutes to do in the second period.

They came empty during their first power game at night early in the third, but only converted a few seconds after the return of the match to the Force, with only time from Kyle Palmeri, taking the Islanders to an advance of 2-1 offshore that the flow of Max Tsyplakov from behind behind behind behind behind behind behind behind the net.

This goal 6:41 in the third did not spell the end of lightning.

Tampa Bay exerted constant pressure in the net of the Icelanders throughout the third, at a given moment being stolen from a goal from Nikita Kucherov by the extended ankle of Alexander Romanov, who achieved another performance with his team at five defenders in the third.

It was the second time that the Icelanders had saved what looked like a safe goal by blocking a shot, the first coming to the killing penalty at the end of the second when JG Pageau entered the gaze of Taylor Radadys on an open net.

“Even at the end, I know they put one, but the guys are in tracks,” Anders Lee told post. “Barzy blocks one. The guys were solid defensively. You have to play with very good sticks and a structure with (Nikita) Kucherov managing this washer. I thought we really did a great job with him tonight.

Barzal was injured in this block, rising slowly before receiving the attention of a coach shortly before Kucherov finally put one with 47 seconds to go into regulations to equalize the match for two.

The Icelanders, who could have used this as an opportunity to melt earlier in the season, were not affected, Deangelo quickly allowed the prolonger winner.

“Everyone was crying behind me, so I threw a quick kick, I pulled it as hard as possible,” said Horvat. “Tony did the rest.”

“I don’t know if he could hear me call,” said Deangelo. “I don’t know if I am so strong, Jesus. But he turned around and … established a visual contact.

The impact of the classification was blurred by Tampa obtaining the losing point, but the Icelanders drag lightning and the Bruins – which are equally on 58 points, with Tampa coming in the ranking with fewer games played – by only three points .

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Three weeks ago, they died in the water. Now, the Islanders are lengthwise of the arm of a place of qualifying series.

It’s as weird as any sequence of victories in the history of sport. But it doesn’t matter with the online season.

“To succeed, the right teams find ways to win, no matter who is in alignment,” said Horvat.

It has rarely been more true.