NHL

Islanders hold off Lightning after nearly blowing 4-0 lead

There will be indelible marks left from the strange and unpredictable start of this lockout-shortened season.

And when the dust settles and things begin to regulate, the Islanders will be happy for games like Monday afternoon at the Coliseum, when they managed to barely hold on to a four-goal lead and beat the Lightning, 4-3.

“We have to grind teams down to have success,” said coach Jack Capuano, now undefeated behind the bench after missing Saturday’s 2-1 season-opening loss to the Devils. “I think we did that.”

Capuano got out of the hospital Sunday after he had surgery to remove a large kidney stone. Although he said he was feeling dehydrated behind the bench, what he got to see was his team perform like world-beaters for 40 minutes – and then nearly give it all away in less than 10.

“This is the National Hockey League, there’s good players in this league,” Capuano said. “No lead is safe.”

Within the first 41:31, the Islanders got breakaway goals from Michael Grabner and Matt Martin, a Kyle Okposo wrist-shot goal on an odd-man rush, and a nice give-and-go roofed by 23-year-old David Ullstrom. It was all cheers and chants from the 15,322 that made it out for the Martin Luther King, Jr. day festivities, with grown men dressed up at Marvel superheros parading around to fuel the high-pitched fire.

“This was a big game for us, we needed to win it,” said Martin, who started the contest by fighting B.J. Crombeen one second into the game while Isles’ defenseman Joe Finely simultaneously squared off with Pierre-Cedric Labrie.

“The Coliseum,” Martin added, “when it’s loud, it’s rocking.”

It can also turn ugly very quick, as it almost did when Martin St. Louis, Benoit Pouliot and Steven Stamkos all netted goals within a six-minute time frame early in the third period. That prompted Capuano to call a timeout, doing everything he could to stem what would have been a devastating collapse.

“We contained them through 40 minutes,” Capuano said. “We’re not going to contain them for 60. We know at some point they’re going to get an opportunity, and when they get it, it’s usually in the back of your net.”

Doing as good a job as he can in the Islanders’ nets was Evgeni Nabokov, making 23 saves in his second straight start. The three goals he did give up were quick plays that he had little chance on, resulting from what the coached dubbed “lost battles” rather than structural breakdowns.

So as the Islanders embark on a five-game road trip starting Thursday in Toronto, the condensed 48-game season seems as volatile as ever, ready to turn momentum in a matter of moments.

“Most of it is just getting some consistency in your game and carrying that momentum when things aren’t going your way,” said John Tavares, who had his first two points of the season with two assists. “We’re a team that can’t take a night off. We have to go out there and earn all our victories and all our points.”

bcyrgalis@nypost.com