Third line gets Isles first win in Tampa

Prince Scores Twice as New York Gains Early Edge on Lightning

April 28, 2016 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Shane Prince and his linemates provided two goals and four assists during Wednesday night’s Game 1 victory in Tampa Bay, giving the Islanders an early series edge on the defending Eastern Conference champion Lightning. AP Photo

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How about we call them the “Prince and the Revolution” line.

Making their debut as a unit, Shane Prince, Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson combined for six points Wednesday night as the New York Islanders posted a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series in front of 19,092 fans at Amalie Arena.

With the first line of John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen providing virtually all off the offense during the Islanders’ thrilling first-round series win over the Panthers, head coach Jack Capuano looked to shake things up to provide more scoring depth against the defending Eastern Conference champions.

Prince, an unheralded 23-year-old late-season call-up, did just that, scoring two critical goals at the end of the first period to pace the Islanders’ third-line production.

Strome and Nelson added two assists apiece as New York stole home-ice advantage from the Lightning by chasing Vezina Trophy finalist Ben Bishop with four goals on just 13 shots.

“He brings a lot of energy,” Strome said of Prince, who snapped a 1-1 deadlock with 2 1/2 minutes left in the opening period by deflecting a shot from his linemate before beating Bishop with a nifty wrister just before time expired in the stanza.

“[Prince] gets everyone inspired with his speed and his work ethic,” Strome added. “It’s good to play with a guy like that, and to put a couple in and help the team out was a good feeling.”

Tavares, emerging as the early front-runner for Conn Smyth Award honors as the playoffs’ MVP, potted his postseason-leading sixth goal to go with an assist as the Islanders gave themselves an opportunity to take a commanding 2-0 series lead on hostile ice Saturday in Game 2.

“I think our group’s got a great mindset,” said Tavares, who picked up a helper on defenseman Travis Hamonic’s goal in the first, negating an early 1-0 lead for the Lightning.

“A lot of confidence, obviously. We’re all very familiar with one another and just want to keep rolling.”

It’s easy to keep rolling when your goaltender stands tall in net.

Thomas Greiss, who had never started a playoff game prior to getting the nod in goal against the Panthers, was under heavy duress over the final two periods Wednesday as Tampa Bay tried to get back in the game.

The Lightning outshot the Isles by a staggering 28-10 over the final 40 minutes, but Greiss denied several late attempts to even the contest before Cal Clutterbuck’s empty-netter with under a minute to go sealed Game 1.

“There’s not much you can say, he’s been unbelievable,” Strome said of Greiss, who yielded goals to Ondrej Palat, Nikita Kucherov and Valterri Filpulla before closing up shop.

“You don’t want to rely on him as much as we had to, but he’s been fantastic.”

Greiss finished with 33 saves for his third consecutive playoff win, the previous two coming in double-overtime, as the Islanders set their focus on building on this early momentum in the series.

“It’s just one game,” insisted Capuano, who took a stray puck to the face on the bench that forced him to head into the locker room for approximately 10 minutes of the third period.

Bishop, who had surrendered two goals or fewer in eight consecutive playoff games dating back to last year’s Stanley Cup Finals, tried to shake off the rough night and early benching by head Lightning coach Jon Cooper.

“One of those nights where nothing goes your way,” Bishop lamented. “You just have to move on from it. It’s not about the last game, it’s about the next one, so I need to focus on that.”

New York, fresh off its first postseason series victory in 23 years, will host Games 3 and 4 at Downtown’s Barclays Center next Tuesday and Friday night, respectively.

But first, the Isles will try to put an early stranglehold on the series Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.

“Whatever guy’s in there, we’ve just got to continue to do what we need to do and get pucks and bodies to the net,” Capuano said. “Some of our shots had eyes. Again, you need some puck luck in this game if you’re going to win, and we had that tonight.”

They also had an unexpected contribution from a brand new line combination, one that may just help propel them back to the Eastern Conference finals, and make Brooklyn party like its 1993.

Isle Have Another: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Prince became the first Islander to score two goals in the first period of a playoff game since Duane Sutter in 1983. He also has matched the three goals he scored for New York during the regular season … Hamonic’s goal was his first-ever in the playoffs … Tampa Bay did not allow a single first-period goal during its five-game series win over Detroit in the opening round … Though there was blood pouring out of his face on the bench, Capuano insisted that he was fine after a few moments following his unexpected run-in with a deflected puck Wednesday night. “I’ve been hit more times, I think, than when I played,” Capuano said. “Fortunately, it just caught me at the tip of the nose and nothing real serious.”