Islanders vow to be ‘much different team’ in Game 6

To the Islanders, Monday night’s 8-0 thrashing at the hands of the Lightning was just another loss they have to overcome, no matter the fashion it came in.

The Isles looked like a shell of themselves in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup semifinal series, borderline a different team than they’ve been throughout the entire playoffs. There was no structure, minimal discipline and zero offensive drive, which resulted in the Islanders’ most lopsided loss in franchise playoff history — and easily the worst defeat of the Barry Trotz era. But Trotz has been preaching to his players that the journey to something as rewarding as a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup doesn’t always happen the way you envision it. It’s how the team reacts to facing elimination in Game 6 on Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum that counts.