- The Tampa Bay Lightning are one step closer to the Stanley Cup Final.
- Brayden Point returned to the lineup and made a huge impact.
- The two teams combined for three goals in 27 seconds.
Tampa Bay Lightning 4, New York Islanders 1 (Lightning lead series 3-1)
Thanks to a huge game from their top line the Tampa Bay Lightning were able to pick up a 4-1 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday afternoon, taking a 3-1 series lead on the Isles. They can win the series on Tuesday night. Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist in the game, while Nikita Kucherov also picked up two helpers in the win. Blake Coleman and Patrick Maroon also added goals in the win, while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 out of 27 shots in the win.
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
Three Stars
1. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning. After missing Game 3 of the series due to injury, Point returned on Sunday and made a huge impact with an assist on Ondrej Palat’s game-winning goal and then scoring an early third period goal to help put the game out of reach. His two points now move him into a tie (with Nathan MacKinnon and Kucherov) for the league lead in scoring this postseason. All three players have 25 points. He now has at least one point in 14 of the 16 games he has played in this postseason. His only two games without one were a game against Columbus in the First Round, and Game 2 when he played just eight minutes before leaving with an injury.
2. Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay Lightning. Palat is not one of Tampa Bay’s big stars, but he is still an outstanding player and a huge piece of their offense. He has been especially important over the past few weeks and been one of their most productive players since the beginning of the Second Round. After recording just two points (both assists) through the Round-Robin and First Round portion of the playoffs, Palat now has 11 points over the past nine games, including eight goals. Those eight goals have come over just the past eight games.
3. Blake Coleman, Tampa Bay Lightning. This was one of the many outstanding moves made by Lightning general manager Julian Brisebois this season. Coleman has been a huge addition and along with Barclay Goodrow (another trade deadline pickup) and Yanni Gourde has helped form a completely dominant third line that has been a constant difference-maker for the Lightning in the playoffs. Coleman’s goal on Sunday tied the game just seconds after Brock Nelson scored the opening goal for the Islanders. His defensive play, occasional offensive contributions, and ridiculously low salary cap number for this season and next season make him an extremely valuable asset for the Lightning.
Highlights Of The Day
All three of the goals from that 27-second stretch in the second period.
All of the highlights.
Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano was announced on Sunday as the winner of the Mark Messier leadership award.
Factoids
- This is the ninth time the Lightning have had a 3-1 series lead. They won each of the previous eight series, including seven of them in five games. [NHL PR]
- By scoring two goals in 12 seconds the Lightning set a new franchise postseason record. [NHL PR]
- The three goals in 27 seconds by the two teams combined is the third-fastest mark in Stanley Cup Playoff history. [NHL PR]
Monday Schedule
Game 5: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Livestream (Dallas Stars lead series 3-1)
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.