On to Tampa for drought-killing Isles
Tavares and Crew Primed for Serious Run at Lord Stanley’s Cup
When it was all over late Sunday night, after nearly every one of the 15,795 witnesses to the Islanders’ historic feat at Downtown’s Barclays Center had poured out onto Atlantic and Flatbush avenues, Matt Martin could finally come clean.
“We’ve gone through some dark days together,” the six-year veteran revealed after team captain John Tavares scored the tying and game-winning goals in a scintillating 2-1, double-overtime Game 6 victory over the Florida Panthers that sent the Islanders into the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in 23 years.
“There’s a big group of us that have been a part of a 25-game losing streak, being the laughingstock of the league and having a lot of negative media around us,” Martin added.
“To go through all of this together, and we obviously had some key additions, but it feels good to do it together, especially after last season’s loss in Game 7. [General Manager Garth Snow], [head coach Jack] Capuano and the coaches stuck to their guns and believed in us and we couldn’t be happier right now.”