Islanders, Lightning Advance in Stanley Cup Playoffs

Two more teams advanced to the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with victories on May 26th.

In the East Conference, the #4 seeded New York Islanders dispatched the top seeded Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-3 home victory at the Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders put away the Penguins with a three goal second period, two of which were scored by Brock Nelson. New York won the series 4-2. The Penguins had won the regular season series 6-2. New York will face Boston in the 2nd round. The Islanders beat Boston five games to three in the regular season, but the Bruins won the last three in a row.

The defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning, #3 in the Central, shut out the #2 Florida Panthers 4-0 to win the first ever post season matchup between the two Sunshine State teams four games to two. The Lightning welcomed back Nikita Kucherov, who had missed all of the regular season with a hip injury. All he did was score three goals with eight assists in the six game series. Steven Stamkos, who missed the last 18 games of the regular season with a lower body injury, had three goals and five assists in the series. If those two are back at full strength—which appears to be the case—the Lightning are going to he hard to beat. Tampa Bay awaits the winner of the Carolina—Nashville series.