After two gut-wrenching losses to open up the Eastern Conference finals, the Islanders are on the board.

New York topped Tampa Bay in Game 3 Friday night 5-3 to cut the Lightning's series lead to 2-1. Brock Nelson's late goal stopped a potential Tampa comeback to give his team a much-needed victory.

Cal Clutterbuck started things off with a rebound score nearly 13 minutes into the opening period, his second of the postseason.

Tampa Bay's Mikhail Sergachev responded with a score less than four minutes later to knot things up at the first intermission.

But it was all Islanders in the second period. Adam Pelech scored his first playoff goal via a clean feed from Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

Exactly two minutes later it was a more familiar face as Anthony Beauvillier sent home his eighth playoff goal thanks in part to a behind-the-net pass from Brock Nelson to make it 3-1.

Tampa Bay kept New York on its toes for much of the third. Ondrej Palat scored a power play goal in the third period's opening moments. Ten game minutes later, Tyler Johnson tied things up.

Overtime wasn't a sight Isles fans or players wanted to see - but Brock Nelson made sure that wasn't needed. A spinning feed from Beauvillier gave him a great opportunity from short range to put the Isles permanently ahead. 

Pageau scored an empty-netter to bring the game to its final score, and some contact after the goal led to a scrum between both teams that started, stopped and then restarted a few times.

The Islanders will have the opportunity to tie up the series Sunday afternoon. Game 4 gets underway at 3 p.m. on NBC.