Lightning’s Alex Killorn ejected for late hit on Brock Nelson

By Adam GretzSep 9, 2020, 9:15 PM EDT

[UPDATE: Killorn has been suspended one game for the hit.]

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Killorn was ejected from Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night boarding New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson.

The incident happened just five minutes into the first period and resulted in Nelson leaving the game due to injury.

You can see the incident in the video posted above.

Killorn was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the hit, and it is really not hard to see why. Nelson had already made a play with the puck and no longer had possession of it when Killorn skated in from behind and delivered a needless and reckless hit.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

The hit drove Nelson’s head into the glass and knocked him to the ice where he remained for several moments before leaving for the locker room.

Nelson has been one of the Islanders’ top players this postseason, entering play on Wednesday with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 17 games.

Nelson eventually returned to the game midway through the second period. On his first shift back he was cross-checked from behind head first into the glass by Barclay Goodrow with no penalty called.

After Killorn was ejected, Tampa was left with just 10 forwards for the remainder of the game due to their strategy of dressing seven defensemen. That number went down to nine forwards in the second period when Brayden Point exited the bench.

The Islanders did not score on the ensuing power play despite recording five shots on goal.

The question now becomes whether or not Killorn will miss any additional time for the play, or if the Department of Player Safety will decide that the game misconduct (which takes him out for almost an entire game) will be enough. A lot of that decision could come down to how late the hit is timed to be.

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 6 New York Islanders (TB leads 2-0)

Series preview
Game 1: Lightning 8, Islanders 2 (recap)
Game 2: Lightning 2, Islanders 1 (recap)
Game 3: Friday, Sept. 11, 8 p.m. ET – USA (livestream)
Game 4: Sunday, Sept. 13, 3 p.m. ET – NBC (livestream)
*Game 5: Tuesday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN
*Game 6: Thursday, Sept. 17, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN
*Game 7: Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. ET – NBC

*if necessary

MORE STANLEY CUP COVERAGE:
• Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Final schedule

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.

NHL Power Rankings: Point takes over top spot in Conn Smythe race

By Adam GretzSep 14, 2020, 12:44 PM EDT

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It is time again for the NHL Power Rankings and the 2020 Conn Smythe Watch. We not only have a new leader at the top this week, but also a new contender making a strong push and rapid climb in the rankings.

Tampa’ Brayden Point takes over the No. 1 spot this week, jumping over Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, as he has helped the Lightning get to within a win of the Stanley Cup Final.

Also making an appearance this week for the first time is Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin.

Who else makes this week’s NHL Power Rankings list?

To the rankings!

1. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning. He has at least one point in all but two of his games this postseason, and in one of those two games he only played eight minutes before leaving with injury. He has six multi-point games, two-game winning goals (both in overtime, including one series-clincher) and has been the best and most impactful player on a team that is one win away from the Stanley Cup Final.

2. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars. After a long run at the top Heiskanen drops down one spot. That drop has more to do with what the guy now ahead of him has done recently than anything Heiskanen has or has not done. He is still the best overall defenseman going in the playoffs and the best skater on the Dallas roster.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

3. Anton Khudobin, Dallas Stars. The Conn Smythe Trophy tends to weigh the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final over everything that happens in the first two rounds, and that is what gives Khudobin such a huge jump. After being solid, and at times really good, in the First and Second Rounds, Khudobin has gone into superman mode in the Western Conference Final. He is the single the biggest reason, and maybe the only reason, the Stars are so close to advancing. Without him standing on his head over the first four games of this series it might already be over in Vegas’ favor. Entering Monday’s Game 5 (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN; livestream), he has a .952 save percentage against the Golden Knights, while the Stars have won three games by a single goal. The Stars have scored 1, 3, and 2 goals in those wins. Goaltending is the difference.

4. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning. Kucherov and Point have been a nearly unstoppable duo offensively for the Lightning, and it is because of their dominance that the team has been able to overcome the absence of Steven Stamkos. He has averaged two points per game over his past eight games.

5. Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights. Consistently the most impressive skater in the Vegas lineup, Theodore has been a top offensive threat from the blue line and also helped control the pace of every game when he is on the ice. Their best overall player at the moment.

[NHL Conference Final schedule]

6. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars. He has been productive, timely, and quite honestly looked like the Jamie Benn of old. He has some fierce Conn Smythe competition within his own team, however.

7. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning. At one point he had a goal in four consecutive games this postseason for the Lightning. He does not tend to get as many headlines as the forwards, but he is arguably the engine that makes this machine run every season. He is one of the best all-around players in hockey.

8. Brock Nelson, New York Islanders. He took a beating in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final series only to come back in Game 3 and score a huge game-winning goal to keep the Islanders in the series. He has been one of their top offensive players throughout the postseason.

9. Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay Lightning. Palat is making a late push for the way he has played over the past two rounds. Since the start of the Second Round he has 11 points in nine games, including eight goals.

10. Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders. He is usually the most noticeable Islanders forward, and with 15 points in 20 games has also been one of their most productive. He has had a really strong playoff run and continues to establish himself as the foundational piece for the Islanders organization moving forward.

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.

Golden Knights-Stars stream: NHL Stanley Cup Western Conference Final

By Sean LeahySep 14, 2020, 11:45 AM EDT

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NBCSN’s coverage of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues with Monday’s Western Conference Final matchup between the Golden Knights and Stars. Pre-game coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Watch the Golden Knights-Stars stream on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.

After falling behind 1-0 on Alec Martinez’s power play goal in the second period, the Stars rebounded to score twice later in the period. Joe Pavelski tied the game at 1-1 with his ninth goal this postseason. Dallas captain Jamie Benn provided the game winner on his power play tally with 59 seconds left before intermission. Dallas netminder Anton Khudobin, once again, stood tall in goal, stopping 32 of 33 shots.

Khudobin has responded after getting pulled after the second period of Game 2 by stopping 70 of 73 shots he faced in Games 3 and 4. He eclipsed 500 saves in the 2020 postseason with his 32-save outing in Game 4 (527). His 527 saves are the third-most by a Stars/North Stars goaltender in a single playoff year, behind Ed Belfour (606 in 2000 and 574 in 1999).

To extend this series to a Game 6, the Golden Knights will likely need more from some of its big names who have hit cold streaks:

• Jonathan Marchessault: 0 goals in last 10 games
• Reilly Smith: 0 goals in last 10 games
• Max Pacioretty: 0 goals in last 7 games
• Mark Stone: 1 goal in last 8 games

Since the conference format was adopted ahead of the 1981-82 season, teams that hold a 3-1 lead in the Conference Finals own an all-time series record of 34-1.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

WHAT: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars
WHERE: Rogers Place – Edmonton
WHEN: Monday, September 14, 8 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
ON THE CALL: John Forslund, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire
LIVE STREAM: You can watch the Golden Knights-Stars stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.

No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 3 Dallas Stars (DAL leads 3-1)

Stars 1, Golden Knights 0 (recap)
Golden Knights 3, Stars 0 (recap)
Stars 3, Golden Knights 2 [OT] (recap)
Stars 3, Golden Knights 1 (recap)
Game 5: Monday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN (livestream)
*Game 6: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN
*Game 7: Friday, Sept. 18, 9 p.m. ET – NBCSN

*if necessary

Golden Knights staying confident facing elimination vs. Stars

By Sean LeahySep 14, 2020, 11:00 AM EDT

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Jonathan Marchessault and his Golden Knights teammates don’t see a mountain in front of them. Down 3-1 to the Stars in the Western Conference Final, they can no longer afford to just play well but lose. Beginning Monday in Game 5 (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN; livestream), Vegas must start winning.

“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves or anything,” said Marchessault. “The playoffs are never over until it’s over. You can’t look it like a big mountain right now. Let’s focus on [Game 5]. We have a lot of scoring chances. We’ve created a lot still. We just can’t find the back of the net.”

The Golden Knights are no strangers to this experience. In the Second Round, they couldn’t solve Thatcher Demko in Games 5 and 6, which allowed the Canucks to get back into the series and force a Game 7. This round, it’s Anton Khudobin who is their main nemesis.

Vegas is winning the possession battle and has more high-danger chances for at even strength through four games, but the Stars goaltender has played his way into the Conn Smythe Trophy discussion. Khudobin has a .965 5-on-5 save percentage in the series and been vital as Dallas has changed from an offensive force earlier in the playoffs into a shutdown defensive unit.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

“He’s fronting a lot of pucks. We’re making his life a little easy. We’ve got get more bodies in front,” Marchessault said.

Part of finding a way by Khudobin is getting the top guys involved. Some of Vegas’ bigger offensive stars have been in a rut since their last round series against Vancouver. Marchessault and Reilly Smith haven’t scored in their last 10 games; Max Pacioretty is goalless in his last seven; and Mark Stone has one goal in his last eight games. The chances have been there, but a familiar obstacle is in their away again.

DeBoer is keeping the faith. He did so in the Vancouver series and he has no choice but to right now with their season on the line for at least the next three games — if they even get a chance to play them all.

“The worst thing we can do is analyze this to death and start changing a bunch of things,” DeBoer. “If you can throw out double the amount of high-danger scoring chances on a given night, you’re going to win most games. You’ve got to trust that eventually that will come around and swing your way.”

DeBoer has good reason to be confident. Just a year ago he was on the winning side of a 3-1 series comeback against the Golden Knights while coaching the Sharks. Winning three in a row isn’t impossible, and with the way Vegas has been playing it’s just a matter of the breaks finally going their way.

“All we need is to finish. The effort’s there. We’re creating a lot of really good looks,” DeBoer said. “Their best player, Joe Pavelski, takes a backhander, it rolls up the shaft of the stick and over our goalie’s shoulder. We haven’t gotten any of those and we gotta stick with it until we do.”

No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 3 Dallas Stars (DAL leads 3-1)

*if necessary

MORE: Full NHL Conference Finals schedule

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.

The Wraparound: Golden Knights look to force Game 6 vs. Stars

By Sean LeahySep 14, 2020, 9:45 AM EDT

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The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down Monday’s NHL playoff schedule with the all-important television and live streaming information included.

• Check out the NHL Bubble Wrap for details on Sunday’s playoff game.

MONDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Game 5: Stars vs. Golden Knights (DAL leads 3-1) – 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN (livestream): After falling behind 1-0 on Alec Martinez’s power play goal in the second period, the Dallas Stars rebounded to score twice later in the period. Joe Pavelski tied the game at 1-1 with his ninth goal this postseason. Dallas captain Jamie Benn provided the game winner on his power play tally with 59 seconds left before intermission. Dallas netminder Anton Khudobin, once again, stood tall in goal, stopping 32 of 33 shots.

The Stars are now one win away from reaching the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final since 2000. The Stars won their only Stanley Cup title in 1999.

The Vegas Golden Knights are 2-5 in their last seven games after starting postseason 10-2.

Benn has recorded a point on each of the Stars’ game-winning goals against the Golden Knights. Should he record a point on their series-clinching goal, he would become only the fourth player to do so on all four game-winning goals within a Conference Finals series. The others: Kings forward Wayne Gretzky (1993 vs. Toronto), Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque (1988 vs. New Jersey) and Islanders forward Mike Bossy (1983 vs. Boston).

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

Vegas has been inconsistent with its offensive output, having now put up just six goals in four games this series after averaging 2.71 goals/game in the Second Round against Vancouver. Even in that series, the Golden Knights had a cold spell, scoring just one goal total in Games 5 and 6 losses before winning Game 7, 3-0.

Robin Lehner stopped 18 of 20 shots in Game 4 but finished on the losing end for the second straight game. The lack of offensive support has been part of this story as well, with Vegas putting up no more than two goals in each of Lehner’s six losses this postseason.

Since the conference format was adopted ahead of the 1981-82 season, teams that hold a 3-1 lead in the Conference Finals own an all-time series record of 34-1.

[Full NHL Conference Finals schedule]

TUESDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Game 5: Islanders vs. Lightning (TB leads 3-1) – 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN (livestream)