INSIDER
Goaltender interference debate is alive and well in the NHL playoffs after 1st-round controversy
Read full article: Goaltender interference debate is alive and well in the NHL playoffs after 1st-round controversyThe biggest controversy so far in the NHL playoffs came in the first round when the Tampa Bay Lightning on the wrong end of a couple of questionable goaltender interference rulings in the game they were eliminated by Florida in the first round.
Steven Stamkos scores twice, Lightning avoid elimination with 6-3 victory over Panthers
Read full article: Steven Stamkos scores twice, Lightning avoid elimination with 6-3 victory over PanthersSteven Stamkos scored his fourth and fifth goals of the series and the Tampa Bay Lightning avoided elimination with a 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of the first-round playoff matchup Saturday night.
Tavares' OT goal gives Maple Leafs series win over Lightning
Read full article: Tavares' OT goal gives Maple Leafs series win over LightningJohn Tavares scored 4:35 into overtime, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 for their first NHL playoff series win in nearly two decades.
Maple Leafs rally, top Lightning in OT for 3-1 series lead
Read full article: Maple Leafs rally, top Lightning in OT for 3-1 series leadThe Toronto Maple Leafs wiped out a three-goal deficit in the third period, then beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 on Alexander Kerfootās power-play goal at 4:14 of overtime to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in their first-round NHL playoff matchup.
NHL-best Bruins clinch Atlantic with 2-1 win over Tampa Bay
Read full article: NHL-best Bruins clinch Atlantic with 2-1 win over Tampa BayGarnet Hathaway scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and the NHL-best Boston Bruins wrapped up first place in the Atlantic Division with their sixth straight victory, beating Tampa Bay 2-1.
Oilers' Kane cut on wrist by skate blade, taken to hospital
Read full article: Oilers' Kane cut on wrist by skate blade, taken to hospitalEdmonton forward Evander Kane was cut on the left wrist by a skate blade and taken to the hospital with a frightening injury during the Oilersā 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Road test at Lightning stands between Avalanche, Stanley Cup
Read full article: Road test at Lightning stands between Avalanche, Stanley CupThe Colorado Avalanche face their biggest task yet in the Stanley Cup Final looking to close out the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 on the road.
Avs can't close out Lightning in Game 5 loss at Ball Arena
Read full article: Avs can't close out Lightning in Game 5 loss at Ball ArenaThe Colorado Avalanche were stymied in their quest to close out the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night.
Kadri scores in OT in return, Avs move to brink of title
Read full article: Kadri scores in OT in return, Avs move to brink of titleNazem Kadri scored at 12:02 of overtime ā perhaps with too many Colorado players on the ice ā and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to move within a victory of dethroning the two-time defending champion Lightning.
Lightning bounce back, beat Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3
Read full article: Lightning bounce back, beat Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four times in the second period and beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Palat scores late, Lightning beat Rangers 3-2 in Game 3
Read full article: Palat scores late, Lightning beat Rangers 3-2 in Game 3Ondrej Palat scored with 42 seconds left and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Sunday to cut their deficit in the Eastern Conference finals to 2-1.
Kid Line helping Rangers get first series lead this playoffs
Read full article: Kid Line helping Rangers get first series lead this playoffsThe New York Rangersā third line has been making valuable contributions all season, and the trioās success in Game 1 against Tampa Bay is a big reason the team finally has a lead during a postseason series.
Stamkos, Kucherov lead Lightning past Panthers 5-1 in Game 3
Read full article: Stamkos, Kucherov lead Lightning past Panthers 5-1 in Game 3Steven 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.
Lightning strike first against Panthers, win 4-1 in Game 1
Read full article: Lightning strike first against Panthers, win 4-1 in Game 1Pierre-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.
Palat scores in OT, Lightning rally past Habs in NHL return
Read full article: Palat scores in OT, Lightning rally past Habs in NHL returnOndrej 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.
Vasilevskiy, Cirelli help Lightning end Capitals' streak
Read full article: Vasilevskiy, Cirelli help Lightning end Capitals' streakAndrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves, Anthony Cirelli had a goal and two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Washington 3-2 to end the Capitalsā eight-game season-opening point streak.
Jarry has 26 saves, Penguins beat Lightning 6-2 in opener
Read full article: Jarry has 26 saves, Penguins beat Lightning 6-2 in openerTristan 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.
Columbus goalie, 24, dies from fall after fireworks mishap
Read full article: Columbus goalie, 24, dies from fall after fireworks mishapColumbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July.
Vasilevskiy shines again, Lightning blank Islanders 1-0
Read full article: Vasilevskiy shines again, Lightning blank Islanders 1-0Andrei 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.
Kucherov, Stamkos shine, lift Lightning over Hurricanes 6-4
Read full article: Kucherov, Stamkos shine, lift Lightning over Hurricanes 6-4Nikita 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.
Lightning's Goodrow proving his value to Stanley Cup champs
Read full article: Lightning's Goodrow proving his value to Stanley Cup champsThe 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 teamās bid to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Killorn, Kucherov pace Lightning's 6-2 rout of Panthers
Read full article: Killorn, Kucherov pace Lightning's 6-2 rout of PanthersAlex 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.
Lomberg scores in OT to lift Panthers past Lightning, 6-5
Read full article: Lomberg scores in OT to lift Panthers past Lightning, 6-5Ryan Lomberg scored on a breakaway 5:56 into overtime to cap a furious comeback and give the Florida Panthers a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of their first-round playoff matchup.
Sunshine State showdown: Lightning-Panthers in NHL's Round 1
Read full article: Sunshine State showdown: Lightning-Panthers in NHL's Round 1There used to be a thing called the Governorās Cup, a trophy presented to whichever team won the annual regular season series between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
A rarity: Tampa Bay Lightning start all-Black forward line
Read full article: A rarity: Tampa Bay Lightning start all-Black forward lineThe Tampa Bay Lightning started three Black forwards in their regular-season finale against the Florida Panthers, a rarity in NHL history ā if not an absolute first.
Driedger gets third shutout as Panthers beat Lightning 4-0
Read full article: Driedger gets third shutout as Panthers beat Lightning 4-0Chris Driedger stopped 30 shots to record his third shutout of the season, Juho Lammikko scored a short-handed goal, and the Florida Panthers secured home-ice advantage for the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the regular season finale for both clubs.
Bucs, Lightning, Rays transform Tampa Bay into Titletown
Read full article: Bucs, Lightning, Rays transform Tampa Bay into TitletownMany partied while defying a local order mandating masks even be worn outdoors during Super Bowl week, and drawing sharp criticism from some public officials. The Lightning won the Stanley Cup and the Rays went to the World Series. Those guys had our backs throughout the season, both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tampa Bay Lightning. They were rooting us on.āAdSome of the Lightning players wore Bucs jerseys on the teamās flight to Nashville, too. āWe try to watch the Super Bowl every year.
NHL training camps open with sense of urgency
Read full article: NHL training camps open with sense of urgencyIt was the first day of training camp for Laviolette and the Washington Capitals and most of the NHL. Camps are now open for the league's 31 teams and they will last just 10 days. Columbus coach John Tortorella said he'd emphasize a major point to players about how to approach training and playing this season: āThere is no complaining about anything." āMost players would argue that camps are a little bit long anyway," Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. āIāve been told from our team and from the league, when a player is not on the ice during training camp, weāre supposed to say heās not available today,ā Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault said.
Tampa Bay takes momentum into back-to-back Cup games
Read full article: Tampa Bay takes momentum into back-to-back Cup gamesAfter consecutive games with three-goal periods, Tampa Bay has all of the momentum and a 2-1 series lead. Dallas' top line is without a goal against Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay then went ahead in Game 3 with two goals in an 85-second span before three goals in the second period of a 5-2 win. The NHL is playing Stanley Cup Final games on back-to-back nights for the first time since 2009, when Detroit won each of the first two games against Pittsburgh, which eventually won the series in seven games. In its only back-to-back this postseason, Tampa Bay won Games 2 and 3 in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against Boston.
'Hit āem!ā: Stars hammer Tampa 4-1 to open Stanley Cup Final
Read full article: 'Hit āem!ā: Stars hammer Tampa 4-1 to open Stanley Cup FinalEDMONTON, AB ā Dallas Stars players on the bench yelled at their teammates, āHit āem!ā They did, over and over, the body checks and the shouts easily heard throughout an arena left empty because of the pandemic for this most unusual Stanley Cup Final. The Stars, who grinded their way through the playoffs with tight-checking toughness, came out hitting, knowing the Lightning are not fully healthy. Defenseman Esa Lindell also got into the action early with Point, cross-checking him and leveling him in open ice. Dallas is trying for its first title since 1999 and Tampa Bay since 2004, though this Lightning core reached the final in 2015. General manager Julien BriseBois on Friday ruled out Stamkos for Game 1 but left open the possibility he could play this series.
Stars, Lightning meet in nontraditional Stanley Cup Final
Read full article: Stars, Lightning meet in nontraditional Stanley Cup FinalEDMONTON, AB ā The leaves are starting to change color around the NHL playoff bubble, and, at most, seven games remain before the Stanley Cup is handed out. On Saturday night, two of the league's southernmost teams begin a Stanley Cup Final like none other in the great white north when the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning face off in Game 1. āThis is unlike any other Stanley Cup final where weād get days rest,ā coach Jon Cooper said. Some things to watch in the Dallas-Tampa Bay Stanley Cup Final:RUSSIAN GOALIESIt's the first time in NHL history that the final features two Russian starting goaltenders. Nikolai Khabibulin is the only Russian goalie to win the Stanley Cup when he did so with Tampa Bay in 2004.
Sunday in the parks: The playoffs, NFL, a no-hitter and more
Read full article: Sunday in the parks: The playoffs, NFL, a no-hitter and moreTampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates his touchdown with offensive tackle Donovan Smith (76) in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. The NFL roared back to life, even if the roar was from fans who werenāt in the stadiums. For the first time since Jan. 1, 2000 ā when he was a senior at Michigan ā Tom Brady played a football game in something other than a New England Patriots helmet. āI know how much comes along with that,ā Cubs manager David Ross said after the second no-hitter of the season. Thatās a special day for us, a special day for Alec Mills.
Unique circumstances give NHLs its first Final Four
Read full article: Unique circumstances give NHLs its first Final FourWelcome to the NHL's first Final Four.Because of the unique circumstances of the Stanley Cup playoffs amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Eastern and Western Conference finals are taking place in the same city, giving it a feel like college basketball's signature event, even though games are being played in an empty arena. The end goal of winning a title is the same, but the Lightning, Golden Knights, Stars and New York Islanders will always be able to say they made hockey's 2020 final four. When we started this, we said lets play one series at a time and lets see if we can get to Edmonton, Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. You have to celebrate the moments because those moments don't come by very much. Its nice to see it live when you can, Stars coach Rick Bowness said.
Familiarity breeds respect among NHL East playoff teams
Read full article: Familiarity breeds respect among NHL East playoff teamsTORONTO, ONT Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper took exception to the Columbus Blue Jackets being referred to as a blue-collar team. Is that a positive or a negative? Cooper said Monday, a day before his Eastern Conference second-seeded Lightning open the first round of the NHL playoffs against the seventh-seeded Blue Jackets. Thats in the history books forever, Cooper said, noting how both teams have made various changes to their lineups. Id call them a really good team.Familiarity is breeding respect among the East opponents entering the first round. The Islanders hold a 5-2 playoff series edge over Washington.