Tampa Bay Lightning

After surging out to a three-goal lead and holding off a Dallas Stars rally to even the series 1-1 Monday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning will look to bring that momentum into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday.

Despite Stars forward Joe Pavelski scoring his 10th goal of the postseason and entering a tie for the NHL lead, the Lightning held on to take a 3-2 victory in Game 2.

Final numbers from Game 2!! 📊#TBLvsDAL | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/Y2unet5vzb

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 22, 2020

With the victory Monday, the Lightning ensured there will be no four-game sweep throughout the entirety of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking the fourth time since the format was adopted in 1987 that every series saw at least five games.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning's starter in their past 21 games, is now 6-0 in games after a postseason loss this year and is 30-21 overall. 

Here's everything you need to know about Game 3, which will start at 8 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

                 

Odds

Per DraftKings, the Tampa Bay Lightning are favored to win Game 3 at -165 odds, meaning a $100 bet will pay out $161. After falling in Game 2, the Stars sit at +140, with a $100 bet yielding $240. 

The Lightning, who took the title in 2003-04, are also the favorites to win the series at -195, while Dallas is at +170 odds to claim its first championship since 1999.

               

How to Watch

Live Stream

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final can be streamed from the NBC Sports website and on the NBC Sports app.

TV Schedule

In addition to live-streaming options, Game 3 will also air live on NBC Sports.

            

Prediction

Regular-season scoring leader Tampa Bay has struggled since the restart. It has scored just seven goals in its last four games, but grabbing the first goal of the game Wednesday would bode well for the Bolts—they've won eight of nine games in which they've scored first in the postseason.

While he's only allowed three goals at most in nine of his team's last 10 contests and limited the Lightning in the first two games of the series, Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin can only do so much. He posted 35 saves in Game 1 and was tested in Game 2, stopping 28 shots but allowing three quick markers in a four-minute span.

Even though two of those were on a Tampa Bay power play, Khudobin cannot lead the Stars to a championship alone. With or without injured superstar forward Steven Stamkos, the high-flying Lightning will take their first lead of the series. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final.

For the first time since 2015, one of the NHL's premier teams will have an opportunity to play for a championship after finishing off the New York Islanders 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday night. 

It's so good to see you, Captain. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/VzG3NucFOO

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 18, 2020

Anthony Cirelli scored the game-winning goal at 13:18 into overtime as goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy came up with 26 saves in the victory. 

Tampa will face the Dallas Stars inside the league's Edmonton, Alberta, bubble for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup. 

The goal that sent the @TBLightning to the #StanleyCup Final. #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/kv6goRnW7a

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) September 18, 2020

The Bolts are 1-1 in the Final, having defeated the Calgary Flames in 2004 before falling to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. 

Notable Performers

Anthony Cirelli, C, Tampa Bay Lightning: 1 Goal (Game-winner), 4 SOG, 4 Blocks

Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning: 1 Goal, 6 SOG, 30:41 TOI

Devon Toews, D, New York Islanders: 1 Goal, 4 PIM, 3 Blocks

Semyon Varlamov, G, New York Islanders: 41 Saves, 2 Goals Allowed

Cirelli's Overtime Winner

If any of the Islanders defenders saw Anthony Cirelli sneak into the crease they were either too exhausted to stop him or too slow to move him. 

The Tampa Bay center crept behind all five New York skaters, planted himself right in front of Semyon Varlomov and buried a feed from Barclay Goodrow below the goal line before the Isles' goalie could adjust. The result was a game-winning goal that moved the Bolts four wins away from the Stanley Cup.

Mathew Barzal was the closest player to Cirelli and seemed to have an opportunity to lift the center's stick, but ended up reacting late. Cirelli instead moved right in front of the blue paint and out of the reach of any defender. 

That the Lightning forward was in a position to make the play at all was impressive.

Victor Hedman CAN'T STOP scoring. 🚨#GoBolts | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/xVuMMgQRax

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) September 18, 2020

Not only was Cirelli injured in the second period after colliding with New York's Anders Lee, the Islanders whiffed on both a point blank opportunity in overtime from Brock Nelson and a power play that came up empty moments before Cirelli's goal.

Tampa Nearly Wastes Second Period

If ever there were an opportunity to blow the Islanders out of Game 6, the second period provided it and then some. 

Tampa Bay entered the second frame at its defensive peak, with ample scoring opportunities and still came up empty. It was one of the most lopsided 20 minutes of the series and somehow it led to zero edge for either team.

Through 10 minutes of play the Islanders had zero shots on goal with just two shot attempts total. Overall, the Bolts were outshooting New York 24-6. 

ICEBREAKER! 🚨

The #Isles get Game 6 going. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/aPviDnpAaG

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) September 18, 2020

Yet the score remained 1-1. No harm, no foul, little action. 

The defensive presence from both sides required the Lightning to completely  interrupt any offensive opportunity while the Isles yet again relied on netminder Semyon Varlomov to turn aside the 10 shots he faced.

Varlomov was also called upon to shut down back-to-back Lightning power plays and Devon Toews was called for delay of game and Cal Clutterbuck was caught tripping. 

Neither instance came back to hurt New York.

Instead the Bolts fought through obvious exhaustion in overtime and delivered an Eastern Conference title to Tampa Bay. 

What's Next

The Lightning are on to face the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Final. Game 1 is set for Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning drew first blood in the Eastern Conference Finals, beating the New York Islanders 8-2 on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta.

Whereas the Islanders were only two days removed from their series-clinching victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, the Lightning had an entire week to rest and prepare. That long layoff might have played a role in the result.

Tampa Bay had a 34-25 advantage in shots even though New York had five power plays.

Brayden Point led the way for the Lightning, scoring twice and assisting on three goals, and Nikita Kucherov was instrumental with a goal and four assists.

   

Notable Performers

Brayden Point, TB: two goals, three assists

Nikita Kucherov, TB: one goal, four assists

Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB: 23 saves

Yanni Gourde, TB: two goals

Jordan Eberle, NYI: one goal, one assist

   

Well-Rested Lightning Strike Early

You'd be forgiven for missing the Lightning's first goal.

Point needed only 74 seconds to put Tampa Bay in the lead. NBC Sports Network was still displaying the line combinations when the center beat Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss.

Brayden Point is ELITE. #GoBolts with the ICEBREAKER in Game 1. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/XTDi0LUaqx

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) September 8, 2020

Jordan Eberle scored on the power play to bring the Islanders level, but they didn't enjoy that position for too long. Victor Hedman delivered a power-play goal of his own at the 8:12 mark, and Ryan McDonagh followed with the Lightning's third goal two-and-a-half minutes later.

A Hedman MISSILE! 🚀#GoBolts BACK on top.

📺: NBCSN
💻: https://t.co/pnHteIqPkD pic.twitter.com/w3Z4LBKtS6

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) September 8, 2020

The Lightning are on a MISSION!#GoBolts extend the lead in the 1st. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/rJZeuY6Owq

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) September 8, 2020

The Lightning didn't just do it with their attack. They were firmly in control when at even strength in the opening frame.

Islanders had 3 shots on goal at 5-on-5 in the first period. (Lightning 7)

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) September 8, 2020

In addition to their quick turnaround, the Islanders had to travel from Toronto to Edmonton, which isn't an easy trek under the best of circumstances. New York likely carried a level of mental and physical fatigue onto the ice Monday, and Tampa Bay exploited that in the first period.

The first 20 minutes of the game set the tone.

   

Greiss Fails to Replicate Game 7 Heroics

While he didn't tip his hand, Islanders coach Barry Trotz said he'd continue to switch between Greiss and Semyon Varlamov.

Greiss was one of New York's top performers in Game 7 against the Flyers, saving all 16 shots, and that probably played a role in his getting the call Monday.

Trotz waited 10:46 before reversing course.

Nobody should blame Greiss even though he allowed three goals on nine shots. His defense did him few favors during his brief time on the ice.

#Isles are a step slow to everything. Not much for Greiss to do on the last two

— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) September 8, 2020

Varlamov in, Greiss out. Not all on Thomas Greiss, screened twice and victim of an otherworldly move by Point on the first. But rough start to this series.

— John Chandler (@JohnChandlerNBC) September 8, 2020

Little changed with Varlamov between the pipes, which presents the wrong kind of conundrum for Trotz since he has to choose between one goalie coming off a bad game and another goalie coming off an even worse game.

Varlamov will presumably start since he has been New York's primary goaltender.

A short memory will be key for the Islanders.

The Islanders are in a seven game series with Tampa pic.twitter.com/82fYr42UwY

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 8, 2020

      

What's Next?

The teams return to the ice Wednesday for Game 2. The puck will drop at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos will miss the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Islanders as he continues to rehab a core muscle injury.

The Lightning star underwent surgery to repair a core muscle in early March after not having played since February 25. Initially expected to miss the end of the season and possibly the playoffs, the NHL's hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic allowed the forward to heal up without missing much ice time. 

"With the timing of all this, it was devastating at the beginning because I thought I would possibly be missing some playoff games," Stamkos said April 29, per Forbes' Justin Birnbaum. "And the stoppage happened, and we didn't know how long it was gonna be. So the silver lining in that was I'll be ready when we resume. So I've been able to still use this time to rehab. I've been going to the rink...about three times a week to skate and just start feeling normal again."

Stamkos hasn't always had the best luck when it comes to his health. The 30-year-old suffered a broken tibia in 2013 and then had thoracic outlet syndrome in 2016, requiring surgery. He went under the knife again only months later after tearing the meniscus in his knee.

Now he could miss even more time in the midst of a crucial run for Tampa Bay. Stamkos remains one of the most crucial players in the lineup for the Lightning.

The fourth-longest game in NHL history went in favor of the Tampa Bay Lightning after Brayden Point fired home a goal at 10:27 of the fifth overtime to end a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series in Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.

Brayden Point puts an end to the 4th longest playoff game in NHL history!

What an epic Game 1 win for the @TBLightning. #GoBolts | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/0cdRih1XGg

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) August 12, 2020

Nikita Kucherov sent a shot toward the net that Columbus defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov blocked, but the puck appeared to injure the blueliner. With Gavrikov shaken, the puck found its way to Point, who found an open lane and scored his second goal of the evening.

Point's score was Tampa Bay's first shot on goal in the fifth overtime and 88th overall.

The game stands as the second-longest matchup in the modern era, with the Philadelphia Flyers' 2000 Game 4 conference semifinal win against Pittsburgh Penguins lasting 1:34 longer.

The longest game in Stanley Cup history ended 16:30 into the sixth overtime in the Detroit Red Wings' Game 1 semifinal win over the Montreal Maroons in 1936.

Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo broke the all-time single-game saves record with 85, destroying the mark previously held by the New York Islanders' Kelly Hrudey, who had 73 in a 4-3 quadruple overtime win over the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the 1987 Patrick Division semifinals.

Furthermore, the Blue Jackets and Lightning also combined to register the most combined shots on goal since the statistic was tracked in 1955-56, per NHL Public Relations.

Columbus defenseman Seth Jones also had 65:06 of ice time, which marks a record dating back to 1997-98, when the statistic was first officially logged, per NHL Public Relations.

The two teams traded goals in the first period, starting with Pierre-Luc Dubois' power-play effort at 2:39 thanks to a tip-in.

Another look at PLD's tip-in ⬇️#CBJ | @18Dubois pic.twitter.com/YVa2jUEBdF

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) August 11, 2020

Point answered fewer than four minutes later with an even-strength goal to tie the game at one after a Kucherov shot found its way into a scrum and deflected off the goal scorer:

Pointer gets the credit, we get on the board. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/l0gyRcTxTu

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) August 11, 2020

Columbus was able to take the lead before the end of the second period when Oliver Bjorkstrand somehow snuck one home with 48 seconds remaining before intermission off a shot from the right corner:

Goal #1️⃣ for #️⃣2️⃣8️⃣#CBJ | #CBJAsOne pic.twitter.com/89jIdIZR2y

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) August 11, 2020

It didn't take long for Tampa Bay to respond, however, as Yanni Gourde scored the game-tying goal 23 seconds into the third after jamming home a Blake Coleman shot that found a scrum in front of the net.

Both teams had their overtime scoring chances. Tampa Bay had 47 shots on goal after regulation ended, including 14 each in the third and fourth extra sessions.

But the game stretched on. In fact, it lasted so long that Game 1 of the first-round series between the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes, which was scheduled to occur at Scotiabank Arena following the Blue Jackets-Lightning game, was moved to 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The Blue Jackets' Twitter account put it best with the game in the fourth overtime:

This game is like a CVS receipt.

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) August 12, 2020

In the end, the Lightning won and took a 1-0 series lead.

Columbus and Tampa Bay's series is a rematch of their first-round matchup from last year in which the Blue Jackets swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Lightning in four games.

Columbus has played a lot of hockey of late: The Blue Jackets just finished a three-game stretch from last Thursday through Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs to close their qualifying-round series. The first two of those games went into overtime.

But the Blue Jackets must forge ahead and get ready for Game 2, which is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have reportedly closed their team facilities because of multiple positive COVID-19 tests. 

Per TSN's Bob McKenzie, it's believed that three Lightning players and two staff members tested positive and that the "remaining players and staff are being tested." Sources confirmed to Joe Smith of The Athletic that three Tampa players tested positive for the coronavirus.

McKenzie noted the expectation is that the Lightning will reopen their facilities if there aren't any more positive tests. 

Phase 2 of the NHL's return-to-play plan began June 8, which allowed teams to open their facilities so players could take part in voluntary individual workouts. The plan limited the number of participants in a facility to six players and one staff member.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced in May that the league was planning a 24-team playoff format with two host cities to finish the 2019-20 season. Formal training camps (Phase 3) are scheduled to begin July 10. 

Phase 4 will be the start of the postseason, but no official return date has been announced yet.

Florida has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases recently as more businesses have started to reopen. The state announced on Friday a single-day record of 3,822 confirmed new cases. 

 

Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos says he expects to return from injury if the 2019-20 NHL season resumes.

"With the timing of all this, it was devastating at the beginning, because I thought I would be possibly missing some [Stanley Cup] Playoff games," Stamkos said in a video shared by the Lightning on Friday (h/t Mike Battaglino of NHL.com). "And the stoppage happened. We didn't know how long it was going to be, so the kind of silver lining in that was I'll be ready when we resume."

The Lightning were dealt a tough blow in February when they announced their captain would miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. That effectively ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season until the NHL postponed the campaign as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Any time you lose as big a part of your team as your captain, it's a loss," head coach Jon Cooper told reporters. "You can't replace him. He's one of the best in the world at what he does."

The injury derailed what had been a productive season for Stamkos, who had 29 goals and 37 assists through 57 games.

Cooper's comments underscored the center's value to Tampa Bay. The team has an embarrassment of riches among its forward group, including reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov, but Stamkos' absence would have left a significant void.

The Lightning were swept in the first round of last year's playoffs after reaching the Eastern Conference Final in 2018.

A 23-year-old woman who worked as a coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning's girls' hockey program has filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the NHL franchise.

Anastasia Dawson of the Tampa Bay Times reported the lawsuit's details:

"A former youth hockey coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning says she lost her job after telling the organization's human resources department she was sexually assaulted by a team executive during a company trip, according to a lawsuit.

"The Hillsborough County woman, 23, is seeking punitive damages for post-traumatic stress disorder, back pay to her dismissal August 2018, and reinstatement to her job with the Lightning's community outreach program. She worked as a coach for the girls hockey program.

"According to the lawsuit, the woman began working for the Lightning in 2016 and was repeatedly 'subjected to disparate, discriminatory, and harassing treatment based on her sex.'"

The woman, who was not identified, said that Lightning community hockey coordinator and University of South Florida associate hockey coach Aaron Humphrey sexually assaulted her.

Criminal charges have not been filed against him, per Circuit Court Clerks office records obtained by the Tampa Bay Times.

Lightning spokesman Bill Wickett did not comment, citing the franchise's policy of refraining from remarks on pending litigation. Wickett said that Humphrey also had no comment.

Dawson provided more details from the ex-youth hockey coach's lawsuit:

"The assault occurred during an overnight company trip to Pensacola by the woman and five men, the lawsuit says. She repeatedly resisted Humphrey's advances but he sexually assaulted her, the lawsuit says.

"When she returned to work, the woman was 'scared and unsure as to how to handle the situation' and at first tried to act as if nothing had happened. But the harassment continued as she refused to engage in a sexual relationship with Humphrey, the lawsuit says."

The lawsuit also says she saw Humphrey at a Tampa bar in March 2018 and asked him to leave her alone. The lawsuit says Humphrey laughed and shoved his hand down her pants in response.

The lawsuit says the woman dealt with far greater scrutiny for her performance in addition to further discrimination at work. The lawsuit says she requested a meeting with vice president of community hockey development Jay Feaster, who said that he would refer the case to human resources.

The lawsuit says she was fired for a "violation in company policy" on Aug. 7, 2018. According to the lawsuit, when she asked the team's HR department about the sexual harassment complaints, a representative from the department replied: "Oh, I heard about that, but that's in the past and doesn't matter."

The news comes in the midst of the NHL's current suspension because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no timetable for the resumption of the 2019-20 campaign.