There's no phrase in playoff hockey more self-explanatory than "it's a series now."
And in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday afternoon in Edmonton, the New York Islanders will try to turn their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning into a best-of-three.
The Islanders earned their first conference finals victory in more than 27 years Friday night, when Brock Nelson scored the tie-breaking goal with 3:25 left in Game 3 to catapult New York to a 5-3 victory.
An empty-netter by Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the final minute not only ensured the Islanders wouldn't get swept, it confirmed all elements of a competitive and entertaining playoff series were in place.