ANDREI VASILEVSKIY

There will be a Presidents’ Trophy banner hanging over the Florida Panthers’ home ice next season.

Up next is Tampa Bay's sixth trip to the East finals in eight years, where they'll face either the Carolina Hurricanes or New York Rangers. “It’s the most fun and gut-wrenching and nerve-wracking time of the year, but that’s just an amazing feeling,” Stamkos added. The Lightning joined the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens as the only franchises to win at least 10 consecutive playoff series. Maroon, who won with St. Louis in 2019 before signing with Tampa Bay two years ago, has been a part of 14 consecutive series wins. Two more series wins, and the Lightning will become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cup titles since the Islanders claimed four in a row from 1980-83.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth time in eight years after sweeping the Florida Panthers in four games.

Vasilevskiy won his sixth straight game, a streak that began with the Lightning facing a 3-2 series deficit in the opening round. The Lightning joined the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens as the only franchises to win at least 10 consecutive playoff series. NOTES: The Panthers outshot the Lightning 17-3 in the first period and 34-15 through the second. It was the 42-year-old, six-time All-Star’s 187th career playoff game — second-most among active NHL players. He hasn’t played since being injured during the Lightning’s opening-round Game 7 victory over Toronto.

Andrei Vasilevskiy had 49 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning completed a four-game sweep of the Florida Panthers with a 2-0 victory that sends the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions back to the Eastern Conference final for the sixth time in eight years.

The Florida Panthers are on the brink of getting swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Panthers Lightning Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) watches his shot get past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for a goal during the second period in Game 3 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. Game 4 is Monday night at Amalie Arena, where the Lightning have won three of four games this postseason. Sam Reinhart scored Florida’s lone goal in Game 3, snapping a puzzling 0-for-25 start to the playoffs for the Panthers’ power play. Kucherov and Stamkos added empty-net goals in the final four minutes after the Panthers removed Bobrovsky in favor of an extra attacker. NOTES: With his 50th career playoff goal, Perry moved ahead of Brad Marchant and Patrick Bergeron into sole possession of sixth place among active career playoff goal leaders.

Steven Stamkos scored two goals and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 to move to the brink of another trip to the Eastern Conference final.

Ross Colton scored with just under four seconds remaining, giving the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Florida went 0 for 18 on the power play in the series win against the Capitals and was scoreless on three more tries Tuesday. But Tampa Bay cashed in three of its six chances. Bellemare’s goal came 3:35 into the third period, giving Tampa Bay its first lead of the game — and the Lightning kept it the rest of the way. Tampa Bay left no doubt late, with Kucherov and Colton each getting power-play tallies in the final 4:06 to put the game away. ... Tampa Bay improved to 15-19 in Game 1s.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, Andrei Vasilevskiy remained red-hot with 34 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning topped the Florida Panthers 4-1 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Lightning Maple Leafs Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nicholas Paul celebrates his second goal of the night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, during the second period in Game 7 of a first-round series in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Toronto. The Maple Leafs were once again unable to push through and finally flip a long, ugly narrative of playoff failures for a franchise that has now lost its last seven series, including six straight dating back to 2017. William Nylander then missed high on a breakaway and the Tampa goaltender robbed Matthews with the Maple Leafs buzzing. The Maple Leafs, however, just couldn’t find a way through with Campbell on the bench for an extra skater to complete another chapter of playoff disappointment. The forward — in agony as he headed down the tunnel to the locker room — tried to return for the second period, but shut it down after a brief shift.

Jack Campbell stopped 32 of 36 shots for the Maple Leafs, who are chasing their first playoff series win in 18 years. The Maple Leafs, who've been eliminated in the first round each of the past five seasons, are 0-for-their-last-8 in close-out games. The Maple Leafs rallied to win Game 5 at home, overcoming an early two-goal deficit and scoring three times in the third period to win 4-3 and take a 3-2 series lead. It looked like one goal might stand through the end of the period until the Maple Leafs mounted a another charge in the final minute. His second goal gave the Maple Leafs the lead with just eight seconds left before the second intermission.

Brayden Point scored on a rebound with 1:56 remaining in overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs and force a Game 7 in the first round playoff series between the Atlantic Division rivals.

APTOPIX Lightning Maple Leafs Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during the second period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) (Nathan Denette)TORONTO — (AP) — Auston Matthews scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:06 left in the third period and the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from an early two-goal deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Tuesday night and take a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series. The Leafs took their first lead when Nylander scored his third goal in the last two games on Vasilevskiy. The Maple Leafs were coming off a 7-3 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 4. The Leafs continued to push as the period wore on, with Vasilevskiy forced to make a number of huge saves.

Corey Perry and Ondrej Palat also scored, and Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov each had two assists for the Lightning. William Nylander scored twice and Jake Muzzin also had a goal for the Maple Leafs. Tampa Bay put the finishing touches on a dominant performance with empty-net goals by Palat and Colton in the final 5:20. They were all over the Maple Leafs from the start Sunday night, with Stamkos beating Campbell from just inside the blue line exactly one minute into the game. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, were 0 for 2 in man-advantage situations before finally breaking through against Vasilevskiy with the first of Nylander’s two goals at 2:27 of the third.

Ross Colton scored twice, Andrei Vasilevskiy had 22 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning got off to a fast start and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 in Game 4 to even their first-round playoff series.

Jack Campbell had 32 saves — including three to protect the lead on a late power play — and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

So much for the notion that goals are hard to come by in the playoffs.

Lightning Maple Leafs Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) try to defend against Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Monday, May 2, 2022. Jake Muzzin scored and David Kampf added a goal on a short-handed breakaway for Toronto, which killed off five Lightning power plays, including an early five-minute major. The second game of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in Toronto. Teams that have won the series opener hold an all-time record of 499-228, including a 9-6 mark last season. The third and fourth games in the series are set for Friday and Sunday in Tampa.

The first-round matchups are set for the NHL playoffs that begin Monday.

President Joe Biden avoided politics in honoring the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the Stanley Cup in each of the past two seasons.

Victor Hedman scored twice, Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and two assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Sunday night. Hedman, Corey Perry and Sergachev scored Tampa Bay's last three goals in a 32-second span in the third. “We were shooting pucks, and good things happen,” Hedman said.

Among the 41 Russia-born players currently in the NHL, only Washington star Alex Ovechkin and Calgary defenseman Nikita Zadorov have weighed in about the war. “It’s difficult for all the Russian players in the league,” said Brian MacLellan, general manager of the Capitals, who have three other Russians on their roster in addition to Ovechkin. Milstein expressed appreciation for the efforts of the league, players' union, teams and police departments. “Hockey players have families at home. It doesn’t matter who is in the war, Russia, Ukraine, different countries.

Most Russian players in the National Hockey League have remained silent about their country's invasion of Ukraine.

Tanner Jeannot and Filip Forsberg each scored a power-play goal for Nashville, which dropped to 0-2 in outdoor games. This was the outdoor game the Predators, and Nashville, had wanted for years at Nissan Stadium, the home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans, across the Cumberland River from their own arena. Nine players remain from Nashville’s first outdoor game in the 2020 Winter Classic in Dallas. Andrei Vasilevskiy came in tied for the league-lead with 27 wins for Tampa Bay with Juuse Saros’ 25 victories tying him for fifth. DRESS FOR THE MOMENTBoth Tampa Bay and Nashville made to sure to coordinate their wardrobes before heading to this game.

Steven Stamkos had a goal and two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 to spoil the first outdoor game in Music City.

Washington star Alexander Ovechkin and high-scoring Edmonton teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl headline the rosters for the NHL All-Star Weekend announced Thursday.

Mika Zibanejad had his eighth career hat trick, Igor Shesterkin stopped 38 shots for his second shutout of the season and the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0.

A handful of NHL players are voicing frustration over the decision not to allow them to go to the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Ondrej Palat scored 36 seconds into overtime after Tampa Bay teammate Corey Perry tied it late in the third period, and the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in the first NHL game following an extended holiday break.

Baskow)The NHL is emerging from an extended holiday break with taxi squads and other roster revisions, a move made to guard against more disruptions to the season amid more players and coaches going into COVID-19 protocol Sunday. Taxi squads, which were used during the shortened 2021 season, are set to be in effect until at least the All-Star break in early February. Players on the taxi squad will count as being in the minors for cap purposes. The goal of the changes is to keep the NHL season going after 64 games already have been postponed for coronavirus-related reasons. Because of its seven teams based in Canada, the NHL cannot follow the lead of the NFL by not doing blanket testing of fully vaccinated, asymptomatic players.

Baskow)The NHL will emerge from an extended holiday break with taxi squads and other roster revisions to guard against more disruptions to the season. Taxi squads, which were used during the shortened 2021 season, are set to be in effect until at least the All-Star break in early February. Players on the taxi squad will count as being in the minors for cap purposes. The goal of the changes is to keep the NHL season going after 64 games already have been postponed for coronavirus-related reasons. The NHL began its annual Christmas break a day earlier than anticipated last week amid a rapid increase of positive COVID-19 test results among players.

The NHL will emerge from an extended holiday break with taxi squads and other roster revisions to guard against more disruptions to the season.

Lightning Golden Knights Hockey Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) falls after his shot was turned away by Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Las Vegas. Baskow)LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored the tiebreaking goal on a third-period power play and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on Tuesday night in the final NHL game before an extended holiday break. Mark Stone scored twice and Nicolas Roy also had a goal for the Golden Knights. It was the only NHL game played Tuesday night after nine others were postponed because of coronavirus concerns. But it didn't take long for the Lightning to strike back, as they needed only 43 seconds late in the second to get back-to-back goals.

Steven Stamkos scored the tiebreaking goal on a third-period power play and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in the final NHL game before an extended holiday break.

Tampa Bay also got goals from Alex Killorn and Brayden Point. Taylor Raddysh picked up his first NHL point, coming in his eighth game, by assisting on Point's goalBrett Leason got his first NHL goal and Conor Sheary also scored for the the Capitals, who came in 5-0-3. Washington star Alex Ovechkin had his season-opening eight-game point streak (nine goals, six assists) end. Killorn and Cirelli had second-period goals as Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead. Leason scored 1:13 into the game when his shot from the right wing boards was redirected past Vasilevskiy off Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman’s stick.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves, Anthony Cirelli had a goal and two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Washington 3-2 to end the Capitals’ eight-game season-opening point streak.

Ondrej Palat scored with 2:17 left in overtime, lifting the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 7-6 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

The NHL returned to ESPN with a doubleheader that averaged 884,000 viewers, and TNT's coverage attracted more than 669,000 viewers.

The final three Pittsburgh goals were into an empty net. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance as Tampa Bay unveiled its 2020-21 Stanley Cup banner during a pregame ceremony. Lightning coach Jon Cooper pulled Vasilevskiy with 6 minutes left and it paid off when Cirelli scored at 14:23. Bowman (Detroit 1997-98), Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan (2016-17) are the last three NHL coaches to win back to back Stanley Cups. RECORD-TYING WINSullivan tied Dan Bylsma for the most regular-season wins by a Pittsburgh coach with 252.

Tristan Jarry had 26 saves, Danton Heinen and Brian Boyle scored early second-period goals, and the short-handed Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 in the regular-season opener.

(Gerry Broome/Associated Press )TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning became the first team since 2017 to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 of the Finals on Wednesday night. The Lightning became the first home team to raise the Stanley Cup since 2015, when they lost to the Blackhawks in Chicago. It was the third Stanley Cup in franchise history for Tampa Bay, and the first on home ice after winning last season’s in the “bubble” in Edmonton, ESPN reported. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had a series-ending shutout for an NHL-record fifth consecutive time dating to the 2020 Stanley Cup final. Tampa Bay is now 15-0 in the playoffs after a loss since the opening round of the 2020 tournament.

Six years later, he’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion at the peak of his career after backstopping the Tampa Bay Lightning to a second consecutive title. Continuing to validate the organization’s faith in him, Vasilevskiy had a shutout in all four series clinchers, never lost back-to-back games and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. “It’s all about experience and how the team is playing in front of you,” he said before the Game 5 clincher. “Night in, night out (the) backbone of this team.”That was Bishop’s role in 2015 before a torn groin derailed his Cup final. Vasilevskiy had started a total of 13 NHL games at that point and had the spotlight on him at age 20 on hockey’s biggest stage.

APTOPIX Stanley Cup Hockey The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate their series win over the Montreal Canadiens to clinch the Stanley Cup in Game 5 of the NHL hockey finals, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) (Gerry Broome)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — It only took scoring once for the Tampa Bay Lightning to strike twice and repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Winning a Stanley Cup is one thing. He finished with 29 saves — one too few to prevent a Cup celebration for Tampa Bay. The Lightning won the Cup for the third time in franchise history and denied Montreal a 25th league championship banner. The Tampa Bay Rays went to the World Series last fall.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after backstopping the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup for a second consecutive year.

The Lightning are the first team to go back-to-back championships since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

The defending champion Lightning outshot the Canadiens 13-4 in a dominant start to their second opportunity to wrap up the series and win the Cup for the second time in 10 months. But they couldn't crack Price, who seems to have found his groove in the final after a rough first three games. Forward Blake Coleman, a pending free agent who's likely playing his final series with the Lightning, had a dominant first period on the forecheck, frazzling the Canadiens and drawing a penalty. At the other end of the ice, Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made four saves and sticked away the puck from a danger area with the Canadiens buzzing. ___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) (Paul Chiasson)MONTREAL — (AP) — Josh Anderson jumped back into the play, and the Montreal Canadiens killed Tampa Bay's chance for a Stanley Cup sweep. Anderson scored his second goal 3:57 into overtime, and the Canadiens avoided elimination by defeating the defending champion Lightning 3-2 in Game 4 on Monday night. The Canadiens appeared to be in big trouble after Shea Weber received a double minor for high-sticking late in regulation. But they killed off the penalty, and then became the first team to score in OT to avoid a sweep in the Stanley Cup Final since the Bruins did it in 1946 against the Canadiens, according to STATS.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) (Paul Chiasson)MONTREAL — (AP) — Josh Anderson jumped back into the play, and the Montreal Canadiens killed Tampa Bay's chance for a Stanley Cup sweep. Anderson scored his second goal 3:57 into overtime, and the Canadiens avoided elimination by defeating the defending champion Lightning 3-2 in Game 4 on Monday night. Carey Price stopped 32 shots for Montreal, and rookie defenseman Alexander Romanov also scored. Interim coach Dominique Ducharme’s lineup changes paid off as Romanov stepped up in just his third career playoff game.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. The Lightning lead the series 3-0. If necessary, Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at Tampa Bay. The goal came exactly 5 minutes after the Canadiens regained the lead on rookie Alexander Romanov’s shot from the right point. Barclay Goodrow also scored for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots in regulation.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) (Paul Chiasson)MONTREAL — (AP) — Ryan McDonagh’s no-look pass set up Barclay Goodrow, and the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning evened the score at 1 against the Montreal Canadiens after two periods of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry turned over the puck with a weak clearing attempt from deep in his own zone. The 33-year-old Price got a glove up to stop Nikita Kucherov’s snapshot from the right circle in the opening minute. Some 30 seconds later, Price held his ground at the right post to stop two shots from Blake Coleman.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) (Paul Chiasson)MONTREAL — (AP) — Josh Anderson scored and Carey Price stopped 12 shots, sending the Montreal Canadiens into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead over the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. Looking to avoid a four-game sweep, the Canadiens took their first lead of the series when Anderson converted Nick Suzuki’s pass into the slot at 15:39. Otherwise, Montreal had been thoroughly outplayed by the Lightning in being outshot 11-1 before Anderson’s goal. The 33-year-old Price got a glove up to stop Nikita Sergachev’s snapshot from the right circle in the opening minute of Game 4.

But the Lightning showed again why they're the champs and favorites to repeat by taking blow after blow and responding. Suzuki tied it for Montreal after Anthony Cirelli put the Lightning on the board a few minutes earlier. Carey!” at Price, and the Lightning improved to 13-2 this postseason when leading at the second intermission. JOSEPH INMathieu Joseph replaced Killorn in Tampa Bay's lineup, skating 6:23 in his first game since May 20. BATTERED CANADIENSThe Lightning were not the only team on the ice to have some attrition of injuries add up.

Price finished with six saves and Vasilevskiy 13 to go along with chants of “Va-sy! Vasilevskiy made an early stop when Montreal’s Nick Suzuki found space in tight and got his right shoulder on a shot by Cole Caufield a little later. Price was at his best on two successful penalty kills after the Canadiens streak ended at 32 late in Game 1. Tough forward Brendan Gallagher, whose forehead was bloodied on a takedown Monday night, blocked a shot at 5-on-5 for the Canadiens without a stick early in Game 2. ___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

The Tampa Bay Lightning lead the Stanley Cup Final two games to none after beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-1on Wednesday night.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid ran away in the voting to win his second Hart Trophy as NHL MVP after leading the league in points.

The defenseman playing in his 46th playoff game beat Price from the slot off a pass from Ondrej Palat at 6:19 of the opening period. Playoff goals leader Brayden Point also assisted Cernak's goal for Tampa Bay, which had never won Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final. Price made his Stanley Cup Final debut in his 14th season with the Canadiens. He's the first goaltender in league history to win more than 400 regular-season and playoff games combined before appearing in a Cup Final. The Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time since 2015.

He lost a bid for a fifth shutout this postseason when Ben Chiarot scored his first career playoff goal for the Canadiens. Cernak also scored his first career postseason goal for Tampa Bay. Playoff goals leader Brayden Point also assisted Cernak's goal for Tampa Bay, which has never won Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final. Price is making his Stanley Cup Final debut in his 14th season with the Canadiens. The Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time since 2015.

Playoff scoring leader Nikita Kucherov had two goals and an assist and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 18 saves to outplay Carey Price and lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Montreal Canadiens have finally earned respect during a remarkable playoff run that has them in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 28 years.

The defending champions advanced to a Stanley Cup Final matchup against the surprising Montreal Canadiens, who upset the Vegas Golden Knights in the other semifinal. Vasilevskiy turned away seven shots in the final period to post his fifth career playoff shutout — fourth this postseason. The Islanders, who were aiming for their first Stanley Cup Final berth in 37 years, forced a winner-take-all showdown by rallying to win Game 6 on Anthony Beauvillier’s overtime goal. GAME 7sThe Islanders fell to 4-6 all-time in Game 7s, 4-5 on the road. The Islanders were trying to earn their first Stanley Cup Final berth since 1984.

Andrei Vasilevskiy had 18 saves and Yanni Gourde scored a short-handed goal to help the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 1-0 in Game 7 of their NHL playoff semifinal series.

Lightning Islanders Hockey Fans cheer as Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) reacts after New York Islanders' Anthony Beauvillier scored a goal during the overtime period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey semifinals Wednesday, June 23, 2021, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) (Frank Franklin II)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t lost consecutive postseason games in over two years and haven’t faced a winner-take-all challenge since 2018. Neither streak will mean anything when the defending Stanley Cup champions face the New York Islanders in Game 7 of the NHL semifinals on Friday night. You play all year to get to this point,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “I can’t guarantee the result,” the Tampa Bay coach said.

The Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t lost consecutive postseason games in over two years and haven’t faced a winner-take-all challenge since 2018.

Lightning Islanders Hockey New York Islanders' Mathew Barzal (13) celebrates with Anthony Beauvillier (18) after Beauvillier scored a goal during the overtime period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey semifinals against the Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday, June 23, 2021, in Uniondale, N.Y. Jordan Eberle and Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders, who rallied from two goals down in the second period. Brayden Point scored for the ninth straight game and Anthony Cirelli had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. The Lightning scored twice in that period in a 3-2 loss and then won 8-0 in Game 5 on Monday night. The Islanders scored the last three in this one to even the series.

Anthony Beauvillier scored 1:08 into overtime and the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 to force a deciding Game 7 in their Stanley Cup semifinal series.

Stamkos ignited a three-goal opening period — the first against the Islanders all season — by scoring just 45 seconds into the game. Point has scored a goal in eight straight games, the second-longest stretch within a single postseason in NHL history. Vasilevskiy, meanwhile, stopped all 21 shots he faced for his third playoff shutout this year. It’s the longest such streak in NHL history, and Vasilevskiy has been the goaltender in each of the victories. QUICK STARTERSThe Lightning are 11-1 when scoring the first goal this postseason, 0-4 when they haven't.

Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist and Andrei Vasilevskiy notched his fourth career playoff shutout, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning rout the New York Islanders 8-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup semifinal series.

Semyon Varlamov finished with 28 saves to help the Islanders win a Game 4 to tie a series after dropping the previous game at home for the third time this postseason. Brayden Point had a goal for the seventh straight game, and Tyler Johnson also scored for the defending champion Lightning. Game 5 is Monday night in Tampa, Florida, with Game 6 back at Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday night. The rebound went to the right side, where Martin backhanded it into the top left corner to make it 3-0 with 2:03 left. POWER PLAYSThe Lightning went 0 for 1 on the power play — with no shots on goal — to fall to 2 for 9 in the series.

Matt Martin capped New York’s three-goal second period, Ryan Pulock made a diving stop in front of an open goal in the closing seconds and the Islanders held on to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 to even their Stanley Cup semifinal series at two games apiece.

The New York Islanders are facing a familiar scenario again, trailing 2-1 in a series after a narrow loss in Game 3 at home.

Lightning Islanders Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) brings the puck up the ice against the New York Islanders during the third period of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup semifinals, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Uniondale, N.Y. Tampa Bay won 2-1. Yanni Gourde also scored to help Tampa Bay improve to 6-1 on the road in the playoffs. The Islanders outshot the Lightning 8-5 in a tight third period, but couldn't tie it. GAME 3 FORTUNESThe Islanders have lost Game 3 at home in each of their three playoff series to fall into a 2-1 series deficit. However, those were at home after Tampa Bay won each of the first two games on the road.

Brayden Point kept up his scoring touch with a tiebreaking goal late in the second period, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 shots and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Thursday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup semifinals.

Semyon Varlamov made 30 saves and the New York Islanders got goals from Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock to beat the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Sunday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals.

Experience is an invaluable ally in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon have been named finalists for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.

RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy closed another postseason series by turning away every shot. And he’s getting even stingier in net as reigning Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay advances in the playoffs. Outside of one wild second period in Game 4, Vasilevskiy rarely made mistakes or gave up anything easy. “It takes everybody to win a playoff game,” Vasilevskiy said. Vasilevskiy had his first postseason shutout with 22 saves in a 2-0 win against Dallas in Game 6 of last year’s Cup final.

Andrei Vasilevskiy closed another postseason series by turning away every shot.

Lightning Hurricanes Hockey Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) and Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Alex Killorn (17) chase the puck during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves and stumped the homesteading Hurricanes for the third time in as many series games at PNC Arena. Then, after a wild Game 4 in Florida that saw each team score four second-period goals, Vasilevskiy turned away all shots to help the reigning Stanley Cup champions advance. Hurricanes forward Warren Foegele remained sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in a Game 3 hit. STORM WARNINGCarolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule sounded the storm-warning siren for the Hurricanes to take the ice for the third period.

Brayden Point and Ross Colton scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy controlled the crease, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Tuesday night to win the second-round playoff series in five games.

Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos each had two goals and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4 to open a commanding lead in their second-round playoff series.

The star-studded Tampa Bay Lightning beam when talking about the contributions of Barclay Goodrow, a physical third-line forward playing a largely unheralded role in the team’s bid to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

Lightning Hurricanes Hockey Carolina Hurricanes' Jaccob Slavin (74) checks Tampa Bay Lightning's Alex Killorn (17) off the puck during the second period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, June 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker) (Karl B DeBlaker)RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli scored while Andrei Vasilevskiy was strong in net once again, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series. Killorn got the Lightning on the board 7:09 into the second period when he whipped a straightaway shot past Alex Nedeljkovic. The Lightning didn't generate much offense otherwise. Tampa Bay was without defenseman David Savard for a second straight game due to an upper-body injury.

Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli scored while Andrei Vasilevskiy was strong in net once again, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 for a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Barclay Goodrow beat Alex Nedeljkovic for the go-ahead goal at 12:39 of the third period to help the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 to open their second-round playoff series.

And they got it all covered off.”When the best-of-seven series opens Sunday, both the Hurricanes and the Lightning will be coming off a six-game first-round series. He was sharp right away with three goals and eight assists in the Florida series. “It took a few games for me to adjust to the speed and physically adjust to the game,” Kucherov said. The Hurricanes won the other, beating Washington in Game 7 of a 2019 first-round series on Brock McGinn's double-overtime winner. ___AP Sports Writer Fred Goodall in Tampa, Florida, and AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Washington contributed to this report.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning open their second-round playoff series Sunday.

Panthers Lightning Hockey Florida Panthers right wing Patric Hornqvist (70) leads the team to congratulate the Tampa Bay Lightning after the Lightning defeated the Florida Panthers during Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Wednesday, May 26, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy wrapped up a series with a Game 6 shutout for the second straight time, stopping 29 shots in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 4-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay advanced to the second round for the fifth time in the past seven years. The Panthers have not won a playoff series since the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals. The roughing penalty led to Tampa Bay’s second power-play chance of the game and second goal.

Andrei Vasilevskiy wrapped up a series with a Game 6 shutout for the second straight time, stopping 29 shots in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.

The Florida Panthers entrusted their season to a rookie goalie making his playoff debut.

Alex Killorn scored a pair of second-period goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded from its first postseason loss to rout the Florida Panthers 6-2 and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the first-round Central Division playoff matchup.

... We kind of sat back a little bit too much I thought” in the third period," said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who had three assists. Anthony Cirelli, Ross Colton and Steven Stamkos scored in the first nine minutes of the second period. “Obviously not the second period we were looking for, but we know how good of a team we are. We were down 5-3 after that second period and we get the W,” Bobrovsky said. NICE TO BE HOMEThe Lightning played a playoff game at home for the first time since April 12, 2019, vs. Columbus.

Blake Coleman converted a short-handed penalty shot and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots for his 26th career shutout to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-0 victory against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.