Mathew Barzal #13 of the Islanders warms up prior to Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Semifinals against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on June 25, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. Credit: Getty Images/Mike Carlson
The tears in Mathew Barzal’s eyes told part of the story, and the words that came out of his mouth told another.
Such was the double-whammy of the Islanders’ 1-0 loss to the Lightning on Friday night in Game 7 of a Stanley Cup semifinal in Tampa.
There was the obvious pain of coming so close to a Cup Final, doubly so because the Islanders lost to the same team in the same round the year before.