We are living in hell.
The Rangers, inexperienced though they may be, have a 2-0 series lead on the Lightning, scoring wins over Tampa Bay in consecutive playoff games for the first time in Tampa’s last eighteen tries, including five times over two series against the Islanders.
It is far from over, but the Rangers look poised to beat the team we couldn’t—albeit a critically different iteration of the team we couldn’t beat because this team misses Goodrow-Gourde-Coleman AND is and likely will be without Brayden Point for the duration of the series, but here I go again, trying to minimize it—to play in the Stanley Cup Final.