KYLE PALMIERI

Zdeno Chara is returning to the team where he started his career after agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with the New York Islanders.

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.

Experience is an invaluable ally in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The score was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes, but the Islanders took control with another big second period. The Islanders went on their first power play of the game 2:18 into the second period when Karson Kuhlman was caught for tripping Mathew Barzal. With the Bruins trailing 3-1 in the elimination game, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy broke up his Perfection Line of David Pastrnak-Marchand-Bergeron. The Bruins scored in 21.9% of their chances during the season, and have upped that to 36.4% during the playoffs. Lazar was injured in the second period of Game 5 in a collision with the Islanders' Adam Pelech.

Brock Nelson scored twice in another big second period by New York, Semyon Varlamov stopped 23 shots and the Islanders beat the Boston Bruins 6-2 in Game 6 on Wednesday night to advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals for the second straight year.

Mathew Barzal scored one power-play goal and assisted on another, and Semyon Varlamov stopped 40 shots to give the New York Islanders a 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins and a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Game 5 is Monday night in Boston, with Game 6 back at Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday night. Varlamov stopped a slap shot by Connor Clifton 8 1/2 minutes into the period, and one by David Pastrnak with 8:15 left. Barzal scored for the second straight game after going scoreless for the first eight games of the postseason. The Islanders challenged for goalie interference, but it stood after a review, putting the Bruins on another power play. BRUINS LINEUPD Brandon Carlo missed the game after leaving Game 3 early in the third period following a hard it from te Islanders' Cal Clutterbuck.

Mathew Barzal broke a tie late in the third period and the New York Islanders beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Saturday night to even the second-round playoff series at two games apiece.

Islanders Bruins Hockey New York Islanders' Josh Bailey (12) is congratulated by teammates, including Kyle Palmieri (21), after scoring against the Boston Bruins in the second period of Game 2 during an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Monday, May 31, 2021, in Boston. Josh Bailey, Kyle Palmieri and Jean-Gabriel Pageau all scored in the second period — with a little help from the Bruins — as the Islanders rallied from a 1-0 deficit to take a 3-1 lead. Tuukka Rask made 38 saves in his 100th career playoff game, and Charlie Coyle scored Boston’s other goal. The Bruins game featured nothing more than obscene chants. OUT ... AND ABOUTBruins forward Sean Kuraly left the game with about five minutes left in the first period after taking a stick to the neck from Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy.

Casey Cizikas scored on a breakaway with 14:48 gone in overtime and Semyon Varlamov returned to the net to make 39 saves to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins and knotting their second-round playoff series at one game apiece.

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa)Just when the New York Islanders got finished with Jeff Carter lighting it up against them with Pittsburgh, they face another significant trade deadline pickup in Taylor Hall and the Boston Bruins. The Islanders might not even be in the second round if not for a trade to get Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from New Jersey. The Bruins also needed Mike Reilly arguably as much as Hall in the first round after their blue line was hit with injuries. From Hall and Reilly to Palmieri and Zajac and David Savard with the Tampa Bay Lightning, trade deadline acquisitions big and small are already paying major dividends in the NHL playoffs. They paid the price of a first-round pick this year to get rugged, big-minute defenseman David Savard from Columbus at the deadline.

Trade deadline acquisitions are already paying big dividends for teams that have advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Brock Nelson scored twice in New York’s three-goal second period and the Islanders advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6.

Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots, Oliver Wahlstrom and Ryan Pulock each had a goal and an assist and the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 in Game 4 Saturday to even the first-round series.

Palmieri knocked a fluttering puck past Tristan Jarry 16:30 into overtime to give the Islanders a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh in Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday. “I thought Tristan made some big saves throughout the course of the game to keep the game where it was at,” Sullivan said. His fifth career playoff goal with 3:39 remaining shook the Penguins out of their doldrums and forced the extra period. The teams traded chances for most of overtime until Palmieri found room down low to end the longest-ever playoff game in six all-time series between the two clubs. The Penguins — who went 17-4-2 without him — hardly appeared bothered while dominating the first 30 minutes or so.

Kyle Palmieri’s second goal of the game 16:30 into overtime lifted the New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their first-round series.

All divisional play through the first two rounds of the playoffs made a major impact at the NHL trade deadline.

Quarantine requirements are making the trade deadline drastically different for teams around the NHL this year.

The NHL trade deadline is less than a week away and teams willing to make a deal have some potentially intriguing options.

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Big West Conference will hold its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments without spectators, including family and guests of the teams. The Big West’s board of directors decided to start the season without fans in attendance. AdPelicans officials say they are hoping to allow as many as 4,000 fans per game later this season. The Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers have been permitted to have a limited number of fans at games during the pandemic. AdThe governor said about 1,700 to 1,800 fans should be allowed to attend Devils games under the new rules.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) celebrates after defenseman Zach Whitecloud, left, scored against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The NHL says Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek has tested positive for COVID-19 after he was removed from playing in a 5-4 win over Anaheim on Tuesday night. The NHL says the Golden Knights home game against the Ducks remains scheduled for Thursday, pending test results of players and staff on both teams. In other coronavirus pandemic developments, Minnesota forward Victor Rask was added to the NHL’s COVID-19 list. The Wild now have 13 players on the list, with their games postponed through at least Saturday.