from Arthur Staple of Newsday,

They may not have a wealth of playoff experience, but this group of Islanders certainly knows what it takes to stay alive in a series.

“We just want to keep playing, we want to win the Stanley Cup. We have to just get a win [Sunday],’’ John Tavares said. “Don’t want to make it much bigger than that.”

They’re down 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Islanders’ situation is clear: Win Game 5 this afternoon against the defending Eastern Conference champs or see their deepest playoff run in 23 years end.

And that’s not all that would end with a loss Sunday. Kyle Okposo, Tavares’ longtime linemate, will become an unrestricted free agent July 1, so this season’s last game could be Okposo’s last game as an Islander after nine seasons and 529 games in the orange and blue.

The same is true for Frans Nielsen and Matt Martin, two other long-serving Islanders.

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