Islanders storm back at Coliseum to force Game 7 with Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov banged up

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UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The Islanders’ first Stanley Cup Final berth since 1984 is just one win away.

A thrilling Game 6 comeback culminated with Anthony Beauvillier’s game-winner 1:08 into overtime Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum for a 3-2 victory to force a winner-take-all Game 7 Friday night at Tampa’s Amalie Arena.

Add the fact that top Lightning scorer Nikita Kucherov is injured, leaving after just one shift on Wednesday, and the Isles suddenly have a real chance.

When the Lightning led 2-0 midway through the second period, it felt for sure like this would be the final Islanders game ever played at the Coliseum, with the Isles moving to brand new UBS Arena at Belmont Park this fall.

But Jordan Eberle scored on a backhand through a screen 14:22 into the second period to halve the deficit. Defenseman Scott Mayfield roofed a wrist shot at 11:16 of the third to tie it off a terrific feed from top center Mathew Barzal.

And Semyon Varlamov and the Isles killed off a late third period power play to force the extra frame.

The Lightning eliminated the Isles in overtime of Game 6 last season on their way to winning the Cup. But this time, a giveaway in the D-zone by Tampa forward Blake Coleman found its way to Beauvillier’s stick, and the Isles forward left no doubt, roofing a wrister over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s glove hand to send the Coliseum into complete chaos.