The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down Wednesday’s NHL playoff game with the all-important television and live streaming information included.
• Check out the NHL Bubble Wrap for details on Tuesday’s playoff game.
• Ranking the best possible Stanley Cup Final matchups
WEDNESDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF GAME
Game 2: Islanders vs. Lightning (TB leads 1-0) - 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN (livestream): Brayden Point opened the scoring 1:14 into the first period and the Lightning didn’t look back as they thrashed the Islanders 8-2 in Game 1. Point (2G-3A) and Nikita Kucherov (1G-4A) became the first Lightning players to tally five points in a playoff game, while Tampa tied their franchise record for most goals scored in a playoff game.
“It’s a long series, it’s Game 1,” said Islanders captain Anders Lee. “We dropped the ball tonight. We have an opportunity to come right back at it, fix our mistakes. We’re already looking forward to Game 2 especially after tonight. When you get this far in a series like this, you can’t dwell on the loss. You’ve got to be ready for the next one.”
Tampa entered Game 1 with six full days of rest after their last game against Boston. However, the Lightning showed no rust as they jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first period. Meanwhile, the Islanders had just one day off after beating the Flyers in Game 7. New York led their Second Round series against Philly 3-1 before losing Game 5 in OT and Game 6 in double OT.
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
The Islanders are trailing in a series for the first time this postseason. Their eight goals allowed in Game 1 were tied for the most ever allowed in a playoff game in franchise history.
“We gave [Tampa] too much space,” said head coach Barry Trotz. “We were watching rather than participating. You can’t do that against Tampa. You’ve got to be hard on them.”
After going a perfect 13-for-13 on the penalty kill against the Flyers in the Second Round, the Islanders allowed three power play goals in Game 1 against Tampa (3-for-6). Overall this postseason, the Isles’ penalty kill is the worst of the remaining four teams (78.4%). After going 4-for-20 on the power play against the Bruins, Tampa went 3-for-6 on the power play in Game 1. Overall this postseason, the Tampa power play is clicking at 22%, slightly down from the regular season (23.1%).
[Full NHL Conference Finals schedule]
THURSDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Game 3: Golden Knights vs. Stars (Series tied 1-1) - 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN (livestream)
