They lost and lost badly. But all is not lost for the Islanders, who were clearly fatigued after concluding a seven-game series less than 48 hours earlier and then flying across Canada.
After all, Monday night’s 8-2 debacle at Rogers Place in Edmonton against the well-rested, dangerous Lightning, is only one loss in a best-of-seven series.
But there’s no doubt the Islanders will be in trouble if they can’t slow down the Lightning with better defense and goaltending.
In all, it spoiled the Islanders’ first game in an Eastern Conference finals since 1993. And the score of Game 1 might not have fairly represented the disparity between the teams’ performances.