After the elation of an overtime win in game six at Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders must now deal with the excruciating heartbreak of coming up just short in game seven.
"It's a lot of pain for this group," head coach Barry Trotz said. "This group has so much character. It's undeniable for me. They're feeling the pain right now."
On the road against the defending champs, New York trailed by just one in the third period but couldn't generate enough offense, managing just 18 shots on goal to fall to the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
"At the end of the day, it stings to lose," Brock Nelson said. "It's just so hard to get to this point, but I'm proud to be a party of this time. But it hurts right now…It takes so much commitment and effort to get to this point, and everyone on board, and we have that. It's tough."
An emotional Mathew Barzal pointed to the veterans of New York's group, like Josh Bailey and Andy Greene, who may not get another chance to get over the hump, as a main factor behind the team's current heartache.
"It sucks getting back to this point and falling short again," Barzal said. "You got…veteran guys, I got a few more years but you want to win for those guys. It hurts seeing those guys in the locker room afterwards, knowing how close we were."
Trotz tried to ensure his group didn't lose sight of what the team accomplished after the loss, as the Islanders came oh-so-close to their first Stanley Cup appearance since 1984, and once again put together a deep playoff run.
"I said to them, this group is special," Trotz said. "Their character, their work ethic, their will, their commitment, it's undeniable. It's so strong. This group believed that we could do this, they still believe we could. It's just a lot of pain because they gave their all.
"They're not gonna be defined by this game, win or lose. They're gonna be defined by all the games. I think we were the underdog in the first series, trailed, came back, were the underdog in the second series, did the same thing, underdog in the third series, and we almost got it done."
Trotz has experienced the thrill of winning it all, and that only enhanced his desire for his current group to experience the same. But that will have to wait another season as the Islanders will try to make their way back in 2022, but finish the job next time.
"There's a real bond between all the players that is really strong," Trotz said. "The disappointing thing is that we didn't get this game and that this group won't be together again. That's just the lay of the land in the National Hockey League.
"I wish I could take their pain away. I've had the opportunity to have won a Cup and know how it feels, and I just really wanted this group to feel that as well."
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