Uniondale, NY -- For the first time in franchise history, the New York Islanders are off to the Conference Finals. The Islanders beat the Panthers 4-3 in Game 6 to capture the series in six games, despite only outscoring the Panthers by 1 goal in the series. Tonight, Trevor Linden, a player who is rumoured to be retiring at the end of the season, scored his second goal of the playoffs to help complete a comeback and take the series. "We are happy to win the series, but we are by no means satisfied with just getting to the Conference Finals," said Linden after the game. "This is probably my last shot at a championship, and I do not want to let it get away after getting this close. We have the youth, and more importantly, the veterans, to compete. We are only 8 wins away, and we will not rest until the championship is ours."
On the negative side, both Viktor Kozlov and Pavel Datsyuk were injured on Thursday. Kozlov is day to day with a gun shot wound to the chest, as he was shot by a fan. On the other hand, Pavel Datsyuk is day to day after suffering two broken legs in what has been called a freak accident. "It is no big deal," said Datsyuk. "We will bandage this up, I will take the pregame skate in Game 1, and then decide if I can go. If I had to guess, I'd say that I will be in the lineup, as I will have several days to rest this minor injury."
The Islanders will now await their opponent. The Tampa Bay Lightning have climbed out of a seemingly impossible 0-3 hole to tie their series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The series will conclude in Pittsburgh, in what should be a tenacious final game.