No words. #CaptainClutchhttps://t.co/1ETJR52WdB
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 25, 2016
John Tavares is officially a New York Islanders legend.
The captain sent his club to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1993 with a series-clinching goal against the Florida Panthers in double overtime on Sunday night. New York wins the series 4-2, and will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Tavares was a man possessed in Game 6. He tied the game at 1-1 with 53 seconds left in regulation time, before the overtime theatrics. It's the Islanders' first series-clinching overtime goal at home since 1980, when Bob Nystrom accomplished the feat in the Stanley Cup Final, according to Sportsnet Stats.
The goals were Tavares' fourth and fifth of the series, and he finishes with nine points in six games. That's why he's the franchise.
In goal, the unheralded Thomas Greiss was again a beast for New York, stopping 41 of 42 shots. His counterpart Roberto Luongo did all he could for the Panthers, stopping 49 of 51 shots.
In the end, though, Tavares would not be denied.
