There are only a handful of players as talented as John Tavares, just a few people in the world who could transform trash to art as often as he does. There are only so many others who could be assigned the savior of a downtrodden franchise and actually succeed in bringing that team back to relevance and respectability, to set the bar higher than it had been in decades.
But even he needs help to take the next step.
With a chance to place their skate on the Panthers’ throats at home in Game 4, the Islanders put on a performance evoking the uninspired play of playoff disappointments past, with Tavares scoring the lone goal in a 2-1 loss Wednesday night at a sold-out Barclays Center, sending the first-round series back to Florida tied 2-2 heading into Friday’s Game 5.
It was the second game of the series Tavares scored the team’s only goal, both times in losses.
For the second straight year, the Islanders missed an opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead on their own ice and inch closer to their first playoff series win in 23 years, extending a stretch of futility — dating back to 2002 — in which the Islanders have now failed to win back-to-back playoff games for the 12th straight time.
“You won’t win too many games when you score one goal and the same guy scores,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. “We didn’t create much. We got one line creating all our offense. We got to find a way [to get] secondary scoring. … If not, it’s gonna be tough.”
Despite struggling to match the Panthers’ energy, as well as the consistency and quality of the latter’s scoring chances, the Islanders rode another outstanding effort by goaltender Thomas Greiss (27 saves) to a draw midway through the third period.
Then, with no hint of an impending series-swinging shot, defenseman Alex Petrovic — who had two career goals in 112 regular-season games — ripped a wrist shot low in the left corner of the net with 10:35 remaining.
“Just saw it too late,” Greiss said.
All night, the Islanders were late. All series, that theme has sustained.
For a team which did everything short of promising a better start in its own building, the Islanders again came out flat, playing a first period that Capuano called “probably the worst we’ve played all year,” highlighted by a slew of turnovers and just three shots through 18 minutes.
“We just didn’t make it hard enough on them,” Tavares said. “It wasn’t for a lack of effort, but I just think we were half a step slow. … We just have to execute better.”
Greiss kept the Panthers from being rewarded for better play for more than 30 minutes — the Islanders also benefited from a review midway through the second period which ruled a Jonathan Huberdeau breakaway was not a goal, after he had crashed into Greiss — but Jaromir Jagr ended the stalemate with his first point of the series.
With the Panthers on a power play, the 44-year-old got to the net, then collected his own rebound, took it around the other side of the net and found Teddy Purcell with 4:42 remaining in the second period.
The Islanders received their own power play minutes later, converting at the end of a 5-on-3 advantage as Tavares roofed a wrist shot past Roberto Luongo (26 saves) with 15.2 seconds left to tie the game. It was Tavares’ third goal of the series — eighth of his postseason career — giving him seven points through four games.
“Those are big opportunities,” Tavares said. “Almost had another one late.”
But the Islanders’ power play in the game’s final minutes came up empty. The buzzer sounded soon after and the series was tied.
The goal was no closer. In fact, the goal seemed a little farther away.
“It was gonna be a fight,” Matt Martin said. “I think we knew it wasn’t gonna be an easy series. We’ll regroup, but the opportunity definitely slipped away.”