The Lightning… Bolts Ahead!

Lightning 8 vs. Islanders 2 from Edmonton’s Rogers Place

Tampa Bay Lightning Post-Game Highlights:

Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts opened the Eastern Conference Final with a 8-2 victory over the New York Islanders in Game 1 Monday from Edmonton’s Rogers Place.   The eight goals scored by the Lightning matched a franchise record for most goals in a playoff contest (also: 8 goals in an 8-2 win at PIT in Game 5 of 2011 ECQF).- The eight goals were the most by a NHL team since the 2020 restart.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts improved to 4-2 all-time in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference Final.  The Lightning have won five straight and eight of their last nine playoff games! Five different Bolts – Brayden Point (2 goals, 3 assists), Nikita Kucherov (goal, 4 assists), Victor Hedman (goal, 2 assists), Kevin Shattenkirk (3 assists) and Yanni Gourde (2 goals) – had multiple points in Game 1.

Andrei Vasilevskiy (LEFT) stopped 23-of-25 shots in Game 1 to notch his league-leading 11th victory of the post season.  Vasilevskiy has allowed two or fewer goals in four-straight starts and nine of his 14 starts overall this post season.

Tampa Bay scored three goals in the opening period to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.   Brayden Point tallied 74 seconds into Game 1 to put the Lightning up 1-0 early.   Point netted his seventh goal of the playoffs and leads the Lightning for goals and scoring this postseason.  Point extended his point streak to a playoff career-long seven games. Point has a seven-game and a six-game point streak during the 2020 Playoffs and has recorded at least one point in 13 of 14 contests.

Tampa Bay Lightning players Blake Coleman and Luke Schenn provided the assists on Point’s game-opening goal.  Coleman has an assist in two-straight games and three of his last four games.- Schenn tallied his first point of these playoffs and his first playoff point since April 20, 2016 in Game 4 of a Western Conference Quarterfinal series against San Jose while with Los Angeles.

The Islanders tied the game 1-1 after Jordan Eberle sent home a rebound on a power play at 4:33 of the opening period. The Bolts have allowed a power-play goal in six-consecutive contests.  But, the Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts regained the lead on a power play of their own, Victor Hedman blasting a shot from the high slot that eluded Islanders starting netminder Thomas Greiss to make it 2-1 Bolts at 8:12 of the first period.

Hedman scored his sixth goal of the playoffs to add to his Lightning franchise record for most goals by a defenseman in a playoff season.  Hedman has scored five goals in his last six games.   Hedman is tied for the NHL lead for goals among defensemen in the 2020 Playoffs.  Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov provided the assists on Hedman’s power-play goal. Point now has five multi-point games in the 2020 Playoffs and three over the last four contests.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts extended their lead to 3-1 at 10:46 of the first period when Ryan McDonagh hammered a shot from the top of the left circle past Greiss for his first goal of the 2020 Playoffs.  Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev provided the assists on McDonagh’s goal. Kucherov tallied his second assist of Game 1 for his fifth multi-point game of the 2020 Playoffs.  Kucherov now has 23 career multi-point playoff games and needs one more multi-point game to tie Martin St. Louis for most multi-point games in the playoffs in Lightning history.

Tampa Bay’s third goal signaled the end of the night for New York netminder Thomas Greiss (6-of-9 saves), who gave way to Semyon Varlamov after the Islanders fell behind 3-1.  Yanni Gourde scored 4:03 into the second period to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-1, a goal that wasn’t initially spotted on the ice but was confirmed upon a stoppage of play and a review.

Pat Maroon (LEFT) and Kevin Shattenkirk supplied the assists on Gourde’s goal, Maroon picking up his third assist of the 2020 Playoffs. Brayden Point put the Lightning in front 5-1 at 13:18 of the second period after scoring on the power play by knocking Victor Hedman’s pass out of the air and past Varlamov (20-of-25 saves) at the side of the net. Point recorded his third point of the game (2 goals, assist) for his third three-point game of the 2020 Playoffs and fourth game with three or more points for his postseason career.  Point netted his second multi-goal game of his playoff career, both coming in the 2020 Playoffs (also: Game 1 vs. CBJ in 1st Rd.).

Victor Hedman earned the primary assist for his second point of the game. Nikita Kucherov also picked up an assist, his third helper of the contest.  Kucherov has three games this postseason with three or more points and 11 three-plus point games in the playoffs for his career.  Kucherov recorded two assists on the power play in Game 1 to give him 28 career playoff power-play points, tying Steven Stamkos as Tampa Bay’s all-time postseason power-play scoring leader.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts extended the lead to 6-1 at 5:51 of the third period, Nikita Kucherov scoring his fifth goal of the postseason to give the Bolts a bigger cushion. Brayden Point and Kevin Shattenkirk provided the assists. Point and Kucherov each tallied their fourth points of the game.

The Islanders got a goal back at 8:46 of the third, Nick Leddy beating Vasilevskiy from the slot to cut the Lightning advantage to 6-2.  Tampa Bay answered 45 seconds after Leddy’s goal, Ondrej Palat connecting for his sixth goal of the playoffs to make it 7-2 Bolts.  Palat extended his goal streak to five games, establishing a new Lightning record for most consecutive games with a goal in the postseason.  Palat has tallied points in a career playoff long six-straight games (6-2—8 pts.).  Palat recorded his 52nd career playoff point and tied Vincent Lecavalier for sixth place among Tampa Bay’s all-time playoff scoring leaders.  Palat netted his 27th career playoff goal to pull into a tie with Tyler Johnson for third place among Tampa Bay’s all-time playoff goal leaders.  

Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov supplied the assists on Palat’s goal, giving each five points on the night to share a new Lightning record for most points in a playoff game by a player.  Kucherov now has 16 assists for the 2020 Playoffs, establishing a Lightning franchise record for most in a playoff season previously held by Martin St. Louis (15 assists in 2004).  Yanni Gourde tallied the final goal for the Lightning, his power-play goal at 13:15 of the third period putting the Bolts in front 8-2. Gourde recorded his first career multi-goal game in the playoffs.  Kevin Shattenkirk and Victor Hedman earned the assists on Gourde’s second goal and the Lightning’s eighth. Each finished with three points on the night.  Shattenkirk recorded the third three-point game of his playoff career and first since Game 4 of a 2015 Western Conference Quarterfinal series against MIN while with St. Louis (0-3—3 pts.). Shattenkirk has five assists over the last two games.

The Lightning scored three power-play goals in a game for the second time this postseason (also: Game 3 at BOS in 2nd Rd.). Tampa Bay has netted nine power-play goals total in the 2020 Playoffs. Tampa Bay outshot New York 35-24. Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov each took four shots to pace the Bolts.  The Lightning and the Islanders will play Game 2 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final series Wednesday at Edmonton’s Rogers Place (8 p.m. puck drop).

Game Recap by Quarter:

                        1ST       2ND       3RD       FINAL       PP
Tampa Bay      3            2            3              8           3-6
New York         1            0            1              2           1-5

We are getting closer to winning the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Go Tampa Bay Bolts!

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The club has won one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04, and are the southernmost team ever to win it. The team is often referred to as the Bolts, and the nickname was used on the former third jerseys. The Lightning plays home games in Amalie Arena in Tampa. Consider getting some Tampa Bay Lightning gear here. Get 20% off with code: TREAT20

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