UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- In the playoffs, it's often the "dirty" goals that are difference-makers. Redirects. Tip-ins. Rebounds. Net-front scrambles.
When playing against a team as tight defensively as the Islanders, the importance of those dirty goals will be especially true —you're not going to get many good opportunities on the rush.
"They're a very good defensive team," Mike Sullivan said following Monday's practice at the Lemieux Complex in Cranberry. "They defend in numbers, they have numbers back a lot. They're the No. 1 team in the league in the least amount of odd-man rushes given up in the regular season. ... We understand what we're up against, we know that it's going to be a hard-fought battle, we know that we're going to have to fight for every inch of ice."
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