This Islanders’ longest postseason run since 1993 has been a win for the organization, both for the experience and the exposure.
Tuesday night brought a win-or-else Game 5 against the Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals after the Islanders’ season was pushed to the brink with a 4-1 loss in Sunday afternoon’s Game 4 at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
But Tuesday also marked six weeks that the Islanders have had the hockey market spotlight in New York to themselves after the Hurricanes completed their three-game sweep of the Rangers in the qualifying series on Aug. 4.
And, for 23 of the 30 players on the Islanders’ active postseason roster, it marked their first trip to a conference finals.