Lightning vs. Islanders: Keys to Victory for Both Teams in NHL Playoff Series

They are standing a little taller in Brooklyn these days after the New York Islanders eliminated the Florida Panthers in six games in the first round of the playoffs.

John Tavares helped the Islanders survive and advance after he scored a brilliant backhand wraparound goal in the second overtime to punch his team's ticket to a meeting with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been sitting back and waiting since defeating the Detroit Red Wings in five games. The Lightning got to the Stanley Cup Final a year ago, and head coach Jon Cooper is depending on goalie Ben Bishop to help his team get back to that level again this year.

One of the keys will be slowing down Tavares, who has scored big goals for the Islanders all season.

New York Islanders: Can the Islanders Find Enough Offense?

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Kyle Okposo needs to support John Tavares by scoring a few key goals.

You know all about John Tavares, who willed the Islanders to victory in the first round. He was at his best in Game 6, when he scored the tying goal in the final minute of regulation and scored the winning goal in double overtime.

Tavares had a huge series against the Florida Panthers, scoring five goals and four assists. He was joined by winger Kyle Okposo, who had a productive series with one goal and five assists. Okposo can be more of a sniper against the Lightning, and head coach Jack Capuano needs him to find the back of the net more often than he did against Florida.

The Islanders need more productivity. Outside of Tavares, Okoposo and Frans Nielsen (four points), New York is having a difficult time finding scoring in the postseason. They need more from Brock Nelson (three points), Ryan Strome (two points) and Nikolay Kulemin (one point).

The Lightning are a tough, smart defensive team. If they can slow down Tavares, the Islanders will be in trouble if they don't get the secondary scoring.

New York Islanders: Special Teams Success

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The Islanders won the special teams battle in the first round. They connected on 23.8 percent of their power- play attempts, and their success with the man advantage put significant pressure on the Panthers that they could not overcome.

Nielsen had two of the power-play goals, and they also got man-advantage goals from Tavares, defenseman Ryan Pulock and center Alan Quine. Fans may not be familiar with Quine, but his man-advantage goal in Game 5 came in double overtime and gave the Islanders a pivotal victory.

While the power play was effective, the penalty kill was just as good. They gave up just two power-play goals to the Panthers, and that's been an area of strength for the Islanders all season. New York killed off 84.48 percent of their opponents power plays during the season, ranking fourth in the league.

If the Islanders can win both ends of the special teams battle, they have an excellent chance of surviving and advancing.

New York Islanders: The Greiss Is Right

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Many thought the Islanders were in trouble during the late stages of the regular season when No. 1 goalie Jaroslav Halak was sidelined by a lower-body injury. 

Thomas Greiss appeared to be an adequate backup, but asking him to clinch a playoff spot and then win a playoff series seemed a bit much to ask of the 30-year-old goaltender.

While Greiss did not have much of a pedigree, he performed like an All-Star in the first round. He had a 1.79 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.

The Islanders were successful in all three of the overtime games in the series, and that speaks well of Greiss's ability to handle pressure. 

The Lightning have the speed and quickness to launch an array of shots at Greiss, and he appears to be ready to handle the assignment.

"It's been great," Greiss told Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com. "You don't get those opportunities too often, and when you have the chance, you have to just grab them and play your best and do your best."

Tampa Bay Lightning: Big-Time Production from the Tyler Johnson Line

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While the Lightning eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in five games, it's not like they overwhelmed their opponents with a slew of goals.

Tampa Bay scored 12 goals in the five games, but Tyler Johnson's line scored 10 of those goals. Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn were simply too quick and decisive for the Red Wings, and there is little doubt head coach Jon Cooper will look to this line to set the tone against the Islanders.

Kucherov was the most explosive of the group with five goals and three assists, while Johnson had an excellent series with two goals and five assists. Killorn had three goals and two assists, and two of his goals were game-winners.

A hot line can carry a team a long way in the postseason.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Overcoming Adversity

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Where would the New York Islanders be if John Tavares couldn't play because of an injury? Before you answer that question, throw in a missing Johnny Boychuk into the equation.

The answer is they wouldn't have made the playoffs, and if they had managed to sneak in prior to those injuries hitting, they would have been lucky to win one game.

Now take a look at the Lightning. They have been without explosive scorer Steven Stamkos and stellar defenseman Anton Stralman.

Stamkos is out with a blood clot while Stralman is recovering from a broken leg. The Lightning miss both players quite a bit, but they found a way to win without them in the first round.

Forward Jonathan Drouin stepped up for the Lightning with four points, while defenseman Matthew Carle came up big on the blue line. Drouin had requested a trade from the Lightning earlier in the year, while Carle had been scratched from the lineup on a regular basis. He averaged just under 19 minutes per game against Detroit, and both players provided quality depth performances.

Tampa Bay needs continued production from its depth players against the Islanders.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Bishop Is the Difference-Maker

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A superior goaltender can make an average team good and a good team great. Ben Bishop has consistently raised Tampa Bay's level of play since coming to the Lightning in the 2012-13 season.

Bishop was huge for the Lightning last year when they made it to the Stanley Cup Final before succumbing to the Chicago Blackhawks.

He had a 2.18 goals-against average with a .918 save percentage last year, and that opened eyes throughout the hockey world. 

He was significantly better than that in the first round. He had a 1.61 GAA and a .950 save percentage against the Red Wings, as he allowed just eight goals in the series. 

Bishop has shown he can be a difference maker between the pipes, and he has the ability to frustrate the Islander with his 6'7" frame and superior skills.