ISLES SHOVED TO BRINK

Isles zapped by Lightning, give up team-worst 8 goals

TAMPA — The Islanders’ trip back to Florida for Game 5 was always going to be brief, but that didn’t mean they had to travel as lightly as they did.

It was clear from the moment the teams hit the ice Monday night at Amalie Arena, the Isles didn’t bring their usual aggressive play in the neutral zone, they forgot their defensive structure and must have accidentally left their energy back on Long Island.

So Tampa Bay handed the Islanders their largest margin of defeat in the franchise’s playoff history and their first shutout loss of the postseason with an 8-0 victory.

The Lightning, now leading the Stanley Cup semifinal series 3-2 after scoring 10 unanswered goals dating back to Game 4, have an opportunity to zap the Islanders out of the playoffs in Game 6 at Nassau Coliseum for potentially the last time Wednesday night.

“The game, this result, how we played, if this doesn’t motivate

, will,” head coach Barry Trotz said. “There’s nothing I can say that will motivate us. We just have to man up.”

There was no question it just wasn’t the Isles’ night. To further confirm it, the Islanders clanked two shots off the post and one off the side of the net in a single shift to start the second period after tripping over themselves and into a 3-0 hole through the opening 20 minutes.

That’s when the Islanders’ frustrations became too overwhelming to play through. After managing to stay out of the box in the first period, the Islanders racked up 13 penalty minutes during play in the middle frame.

The Lightning capitalized on two of their four power-play opportunities, which sandwiched an Ondrej Palat tip-in at 15:43 of the second to make it a 6-0 game heading into the third. But the Islanders had to take on the final frame without star center Mathew Barzal, who cross-checked Tampa Bay defenseman Jan Rutta in the head at the conclusion of the second and got tossed

from the game — which could possibly result in a suspension for Game 6.

In response to Barzal’s cross-check, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper expressed his displeasure by deploying his top unit twice during the duration of the five-minute power play in the third despite the game already being out of hand.

So Brayden Point extended his scoring streak to eight games on that man-advantage opportunity before Luke Schenn flung a long shot from the top of the zone that ricocheted in off Ryan Pulock’s skate later in the third period. It was just that kind of night.

But the Islanders have been a team that can “park” these kinds of devastating losses all postseason long. They put the 5-4 loss to the Penguins in Game 3 of the first round behind them and went on to win three straight. It happened again after their heartbreaking overtime loss to the

Bruins in Game 3 of the second round.

A loss is a loss, Kyle Palmieri pointed out, no matter how it plays out. But like they’ve done after each defeat this postseason, the Islanders immediately set their sights on what they can do better in the next contest.

Just about anything would be better than this one.

“This wasn’t our best game and we’re going to need our best game and we’re going to have to earn our right to keep playing,” Trotz said. “I’ve been with this group for a long time. I know the character of this group, and we’ll be ready.”

The Islanders were doomed from the start of Game 5, an 8-0 loss to the Lightning.

It started moments after puck drop. Adam Pelech frequently pinches — a staple of his notoriously aggressive game — but it cost him on his first shift. He threw the puck right to Anthony Cirelli, who directed a quick backhand pass to captain Steven Stamkos. The hockey gods chose to help him out, as Stamkos then corralled an Alex Killorn blocked shot and deposited the loose puck into an empty net.

Eleven minutes later, another bounce haunted the Islanders. Leo Komarov and Jean-Gabriel Pageau both had brain lapses, failing to clear the puck on multiple occasions. Pageau bounced the puck right off Blake Coleman’s skate, where it ricocheted to Yanni Gourde. He attempted a cross-crease pass, but the puck went right off a diving Andy Greene and into the net.

Third time’s the charm, right? Well, not for the Islanders. Following another turnover — this time by Ryan Pulock — the Lightning rushed forward once again. Semyon Varlamov fumbled the puck in his crease, leading to a high-danger chance for David Savard. It deflected in off Killorn and dug the Islanders into a hole they could not escape from.

At that point, the Islanders had allowed eight odd-man rushes. When the period concluded, they were outshot, 19-5. It was a cesspool. A bludgeoning. A massacre.

“I have no theories. I wish I did.

If I did, I would use it,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said after the worst postseason loss in franchise history. “It is on our group. We have to come out. We knew that we would have to get through the first period in [Amalie Arena].

“To me, this is about each player looking inside and knowing they have to be ready. I think they were, but our decisions and our puck management bit us right, you know where. So, we will be better at that. We understand that part of the game usually. But tonight, for whatever reason, we didn’t.”

The Islanders announced that season tickets are sold out for their inaugural season at UBS Arena in 2021-22, with more than 12,000 season tickets were purchased amid the team’s run to the Stanley Cup semifinals.

“Selling out season tickets is a true testament to this loyal fan base,” said CEO of Oak View Group Tim Leiweke. “This arena will bring the very best in both hockey and entertainment to fans across the region and we’re excited to open up the doors to the public this fall.”