After the Lightning steamrolled his Islanders 8-0 in Game 5 of the semifinals, coach Barry Trotz had a simple message for his players in the locker room: They'll have to earn the right to keep playing because another effort like the one Monday night and their season is over.

"I just think the game, this result, how we played ... if that doesn't motivate us, then I'm not too sure what will," said Trotz, who watched the Lightning take a 3-2 series lead. "There's nothing I can say that will motivate them. We've just gotta man up. We have to understand all the things we need to do, and [that] this group does. We have to leave our best game out there now. Because obviously tonight wasn't our best game. We put ourselves in a real tough bind."