This most unpredictable, streaky, interrupted season will continue for the Islanders. And they are in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1993 because they played with such predictability in their game at the most important time.
The Islanders defeated the Flyers, 4-0, in Game 7 of their second-round series on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. They will next face the Lightning – Game 1 is Monday at 8 p.m. in Edmonton – with a chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1984.
The Flyers had battled back from a 3-1 series deficit to force Game 7 with back-to-back overtime wins, including a 5-4 double-overtime victory in Thursday night’s Game 6.