Lightning steamrolling the East without Stamkos, but the Islanders present a familiar challenge in the conference final

Just imagine how good the Tampa Bay Lightning would be with Steve Stamkos. And, if you’re in one of those moods, imagine how good the New York Islanders would be with John Tavares.

The Lightning have more or less steamrolled through the Eastern Conference so far, beating Columbus and Boston in five games each. They’ve done it without their captain, Stamkos, who last played Feb. 25 and had core muscle surgery March 2. And they’ve been everything they promised to be: big, quick, skilled and hungry.

The Islanders have survived nicely since the departure of their former captain to the Maple Leafs more than two years ago, and are in the conference final for the first time since 1993. New York is the only team from the qualifying round to make it to a conference final, beating Florida in four games in the best-of-five playoff opener, Washington in five and Philadelphia in seven.

The Islanders are a more talented and more complete version of the Columbus Blue Jackets, so Tampa Bay could well be vulnerable. But the Lightning seem to be on a mission.

The Islanders get no rest, winning Saturday, travelling to Edmonton on Sunday, then playing Monday. The Lightning will have gone a week between games.

Fun fact: The Islanders drafted Mathew Barzal 16th overall in 2015 with one of the picks they got from Edmonton in the Griffin Reinhart trade. They drafted Anthony Beauvillier 28th the same year by trading the other pick they got from Edmonton, 33rd, in a package to move up the draft.

How have we done so far? Qualifying Round: 5-3. Conference quarterfinals: 5-3. Conference semifinals: 2-2. We picked Vegas to beat Dallas in the West final. Here’s a preview of the Eastern Conference final, which starts Monday:

Forwards

Tampa Bay: Brayden Point has filled in as Tampa’s go-to centre in Stamkos’s absence, while Nikita Kucherov remains a points machine. Yanni Gourde is as much fun to watch as say. Deadline moves to add Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman have worked out well, fleshing out the bottom two lines.

New York: The Isles’ top line, featuring Barzal between Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle, can razzle-dazzle with the best of them. The other three lines, with the likes of Cal Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas, Leo Komarov and Matt Martin, dump, chase and grind. The Islanders have 15 goals from their bottom two lines.

Fun fact: Lightning forward Pat Maroon is the only player left this year who has a chance to hoist the Cup two seasons in a row.

Defence

Tampa Bay: If Victor Hedman isn’t the best defenceman in the world at the moment, who is? Kevin Shattenkirk looks far better in a Lightning jersey than he ever did in a Rangers one, or a Capitals one. And Zach Bogosian has new life on the Tampa blue line after released by Buffalo.

New York: They don’t get the hype that other blue lines do, but Adam Pelech and Ryan Puloch are starting to open eyes. The Isles’ defenders have as many goals as the Tampa defence (seven). Scott Mayfield’s plus-11 is equal to that of Hedman, for tops among Eastern defencemen.

Fun fact: Isles Andy Greene (37 years, 311 days) became the third-oldest defenceman in NHL history to score a goal in a Game 7.

Goaltending

Tampa Bay: You probably can’t name the Lightning backup because they haven’t needed him. Andrei Vasilevskiy has played every playoff minute (911) to lead all goalies. Ah, but you can name him, because it’s ex-Leaf Curtis McElhinney. Or is it Scott Wedgewood?

New York: The Isles have a very successful two-goalie system. Semyon Varlamov has gotten the lion’s share of starts but Thomas Greiss got the win in Game 7 against Philadelphia. Trotz says he uses his gut instinct as much as analytics.

Fun fact: Both teams have the same number of ex-Leafs and ex-Leafs prospects. The Islanders have Leo Komarov and Matt Martin, and third string goalie Christopher Gibson, ex-of the Marlies. Tampa has McElhinney, Luke Schenn, and ex-Marlie Carter Verhaeghe.

Pick

Tampa Bay in seven.