Islanders' Thomas Hickey Clobbers Lightning's Jonathan Drouin in the Open Ice

The quest for the Stanley Cup is heating up, and so is the second-round series between the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Not only was Game 3 in New York a tight one, it also featured some hits that won't soon be forgotten by the players—especially Tampa Bay's Jonathan Drouin.

Early in the second period, Drouin had to pick himself up off the ice after getting clobbered by the Islanders' Thomas Hickey. He was shaken up on the check, but he was able to return midway through the third period. 

As crushing as the hit was, it was clean. Drouin even said as much after the game.

"I just cut to the middle, and he read the play," Drouin said, per ESPN.com's Joe McDonald. "I looked at the hit after, and it appears it was a clean hit. He just got me. He read what I was doing, and I have nothing against him. It was a clean hit." 

The 21-year-old may be fine with the hit, but he won't forget it—because he'll probably be feeling it for a day or two.

Tampa Bay went on to pull out a 5-4 victory in overtime to grab a 2-1 series lead. Brian Boyle's game-winning goal came after a controversial hit, with Hickey on the receiving end:

New York was upset about the headshot, with Islanders coach Jack Capuano, per McDonald, calling for a suspension of Boyle.

With a trip to the Eastern Conference Final on the line, this series is sure to feature more big hits.

[YouTube, h/t For The Win]