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

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

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 Bay’s Brayden Point takes over the No. 1 spot in the rankings this week, jumping over Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, as he has helped the Lightning get to within a single game 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 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.

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 Khudobin 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.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

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.

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 Conference Final 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.

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 Bubble Wrap: Ondrej Palat keeps rolling for Lightning

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By Adam GretzSep 13, 2020, 7:24 PM EDT

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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.

Lightning’s top line dominates to take 3-1 series lead over Islanders

By Adam GretzSep 13, 2020, 6:03 PM EDT

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are one step closer to a return to the Stanley Cup Final.

With their 4-1 win over the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon, the Lightning now have a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Final and will have a chance to advance on Tuesday night.

Even though they allowed the first goal on Sunday, a 12-second stretch in the second period where they scored two goals helped swing the game in their favor.

Overall, it was their top line of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Ondrej Palat doing a lot of the heavy lifting in the win.

Palat’s goal (set up by Kucherov and Point) midway through the second period counts as the game-winner, while Point added a goal of his own early in the third period to help put the game out of reach. Point was making his return to the lineup after missing Game 3 of the series due to injury and made a very immediate — and very noticeable — impact. With their two point efforts on Sunday, they are now tied for the league scoring lead this season (Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche) with 25 points.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

Overall, it wasn’t a bad effort from the Islanders on Sunday. They had moments where they pushed the play and had their share of chances. But that 12-second breakdown in the second period, as well as their inability to find an answer for the Kucherov-Point-Palat line, proved to be their undoing in this game. When that trio was on the ice during 5-on-5 play (just a little over 11 minutes) the Lightning held a 17-9 shot attempt advantage, a 12-2 shots on goal advantage, and a 2-0 goals advantage. They were the difference.

Now the big question for the Lightning becomes whether or not they can finish this series. This the third time in the past four years they have been the first team to three wins in the Eastern Conference Final, having previously done so against Pittsburgh in 2016 and Washington in 2018. In both of those instances they ended up losing the series when their offense went cold at the worst possible time. They have an opportunity to redeem themselves here. If they can get one more win in this series it will put them in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 6 New York Islanders (Lightning lead series 3-1)

Series preview
Game 1: Lightning 8, Islanders 2. (recap)
Game 2: Lightning 2, Islanders 1 (recap)
Game 3: Islanders 5, Lightning 3 (recap)
Game 4: Lightning 4, Islanders 1
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

—

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.

Lightning, Islanders combine for 3 goals in 27 seconds (Video)

By Adam GretzSep 13, 2020, 5:14 PM EDT

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The first 30 minutes of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday afternoon were mostly uneventful.

The Tampa Bay Lightning controlled zone time, New York Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov stood tall, and the two teams had skated to a 0-0 tie.

It was at that point that chaos briefly unfolded as the two teams combined for three goals in a 27-second span.

You can see all three goals in the video above.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

The scoring outburst began with Islanders forward Brock Nelson scoring his ninth goal of the playoffs (and second in as many games) to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

It was a lead they would hold on to for only seconds. Only 15 seconds to be exact.

Just after Nelson’s goal, Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde connected on a pass with Blake Coleman behind the Islanders’ defense, setting the stage for Coleman to beat Varlamov with a slick move in tight to tie the game. That line has been sensational for the Lightning all postseason, and that was a huge goal to help get momentum back on their side after Nelson’s goal.

Just 12 seconds after that goal, Ondrej Palat scored to give the Lightning a lead on a goal that was set up by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.

This stretch is tied for the third fasted three-goal stretch in Stanley Cup Playoff history. The Red Wings and Coyotes also combined for three goals in 27 seconds during a 1998 playoff game. The NHL record is three goals in 21 seconds, set by the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers during the 1985 playoffs.

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 6 New York Islanders (TB leads 2-1)

Series preview
Game 1: Lightning 8, Islanders 2. (recap)
Game 2: Lightning 2, Islanders 1 (recap)
Game 3: Islanders 5, Lightning 3 (recap)
Game 4: Lightning 4, Islanders 1 (recap)
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

—

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.

Islanders lose Cizikas, Kuhnhackl for remainder of playoffs

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By Adam GretzSep 13, 2020, 3:08 PM EDT

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The New York Islanders announced on Sunday afternoon that forwards Casey Cizikas and Tom Kuhnhackl will miss the remainder of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to injury.

Both players are leaving the Edmonton bubble and the team will provide an update on their status at the conclusion of the playoffs.

Cizikas was apparently injured during the Islanders’ Game 2 loss and did not play in their Game 3 win on Friday night.

After recording 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 48 games during the regular season he has two assists in the postseason. While he is not a huge offensive contributor, he is a big part of the Islanders’ fourth line and a significant defensive presence in their lineup. It is not an insurmountable loss by any means, but it definitely leaves a big opening at the bottom of their lineup.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

Kuhnhackl has only appeared in three games this postseason and has not played since the play-in round against the Florida Panthers.

The Islanders enter Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning trailing the Eastern Conference Final by a 2-1 margin.

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 6 New York Islanders (TB leads 2-1)

Series preview
Game 1: Lightning 8, Islanders 2. (recap)
Game 2: Lightning 2, Islanders 1 (recap)
Game 3: Islanders 5, Lightning 3 (recap)
Game 4: Lightning 4, Islanders 1 (recap)
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

—

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.