Stanley Cup semifinal: Lightning-Islanders Game 6 live updates
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Anthony Beauvillier scored just over a minute into overtime and the Islanders beat the Lightning 3-2 in Game 6 Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum to force Game 7 Friday in Tampa.
The winner will advance to the Stanley Cup final.
The Lightning appeared to be well on their way to returning to the final when they jumped out to a 2-0, second-period lead on goals by Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli.
But Jordan Eberle scored in the second period and Scott Mayfield in the third to force the game into overtime.
Beauvillier scored the winner on the first shot of the extra period after Blake Coleman turned the puck over in the Lightning zone trying to pass to Jan Rutta.
Nikita Kucherov, the NHL’s top playoff scorer (27 points), went to the locker room early in the first period after hitting the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal. Kucherov was hit from behind by Mayfield earlier in the shift.
Here’s how it happened:
Overtime
Anthony Beauvillier scores off a turnover in the Lightning zone and the Islanders win 3-2.
Third period
Mayfield and Coleman start the period in the penalty box after receiving coincidental roughing minors at the end of the second period, so we’ll be at 4-on-4 for the first two minutes
Sergachev blocks Barzal shot
Vasilevskiy saves Barzal wrist shot from low on the left side
Back at full strength
Point shot blocked by Nelson
Komarov called for a hand pass in the Lightning zone
Palmieri unable to tuck the puck in around Vasilevskiy after stealing it from Rutta in the Tampa Bay zone
Vasilevskiy turns aside Clutterbuck shot from the right point through a screen
McDonagh shot from just inside the blue line wide of the net
Vasilevskiy with a save on Eberle at the side of the net after a crazy bounce off the boards
Mayfield fires wide from the right point
Killorn penalized for holding Eberle, and the Islanders go on the power play. They are 1-for-15 in the series
Lightning win the faceoff and Sergachev clears the puck out of the zone
Goodrow clears the puck
Gourde forces a turnover at center ice and sends the puck back into the Islanders zone
Vasilevskiy stops Nelson backhand shot and Gourde blocks Josh Bailey’s follow-up chance
Cirelli clears the puck down the ice
Lightning kill the penalty. Isles get one shot on goal
ISLANDERS GOAL: Mayfield scores from low in the right circle over Savard’s stick and Vasilevskiy’s glove off the crossbar and into the right corner of the net. Lightning 2, Islanders 2
Matt Martin penalized for high-sticking Pat Maroon with just under six minutes remaining and the Lightning go on the power play
Palat fans on a shot from the right circle
Varlamov stops Stamkos shot from the left circle through Mayfield’s legs
Varlamov stops Palat wrist shot
Pulock clears the puck out from in front of an empty net and the Isles clear the puck out of the zone
Islanders kill the penalty
Pulock fans on a shot from the right point and Cirelli gets it out of the Lightning zone
Cizikas misses high from just above the goal line
Gourde fans on a shot from the right circle
Zajac loses his footing after skating with the puck into the slot
Vasilevskiy covers the puck after fighting off an Eberle shot from the right circle
(Lightning and Islanders tied at 2 after regulation)
Second period
Matt Martin is back for the Islanders. Nikita Kucherov has not returned to the Lightning bench
Scott Mayfield shot is blocked out of play
Ryan McDonagh shot from the slot deflected up over the net
Andy Greene shot from the right point high of the net
Andrei Vasilevskiy gets his glove on a Mathew Barzal shot from the left circle. The chance started with a Jan Rutta turnover in the Lightning defensive zone after he was hit by Leo Komarov
Blake Coleman shot from low in the right circle goes off Varlamov’s right pad
Greene blocks Tyler Johnson shot
Ross Colton leaves for the locker room after taking a hard hit into the end boards from Martin
Scott Mayfield ties up Yanni Gourde’s stick in front of the net, preventing a tap-in after a feed from Steven Stamkos
Cal Clutterbuck penalized for roughing Tyler Johnson, and the Lightning get the first power play of the game
Ondrej Palat takes Kucherov’s spot in the right circle on the power play
Mayfield clears the puck after Stamos was unable to complete backhand pass for Victor Hedman
Islanders clear the puck after a nice play from Komarov
Travis Zajac sends the puck down the ice
Hedman penalized for tripping Casey Cizikas. We’ll have 4-on-4 for 58 seconds before the Islanders go on the power play
Adam Pelech shot from the point does not get through
Blake Coleman fails to get the puck in deep, losing the puck at the offensive blue line
Sergachev penalized for tripping Barzal, so the Lightning will have two penalty-killing defensemen in the box
Islanders call timeout
We’ll have 4-on-3 for 16 seconds
Palmieri shot blocked by Rutta
Palmieri misses the net
Vasilevskiy gets a piece of Palmieri shot from the left circle
Vasilevskiy gloves Ryan Pulock shot
Pulock shot blocked
Hedman returns. Isles had one shot during the 5-on-3
Palmieri misses wide from the left circle
Hedman clears the puck
McDonagh closing off all the shooting lanes on his side of the ice
Lightning kill off both penalties
LIGHTNING GOAL! Anthony Cirelli scores between the legs from low in the left circle on a breakaway after being sprung by Ondrej Palat. Lightning 2, Islanders 0.
ISLANDERS GOAL: Jordan Eberle scores on a backhand shot from between the circles, beating Andrei Vasilevskiy shortside through a screen after a drop pass from Mathew Barzal. Lightning 2, Islanders 1.
Sergachev hurting as he skates back to the bench
Stamkos shot from the left circle stopped by Varlamov
Ross Colton returns to the ice
Martin tip of Greene shot from the left point through a screen nearly gets past Vasilevskiy. Cizikas just misses getting a stick on the puck at the right side of the net
Varlamov catches Gourde shot from the slot after a nice feed from Killorn from the right circle off the rush
Stamkos and Mayfield mix it up as the second period comes to a close.
Stamkos was upset after a hit from Mayfield sent him face-first into the boards
(Lightning lead 2-1 after two periods)
First period
Scott Mayfield hit Kucherov from behind earlier in the shift.
Casey Cizikas shot deflected into the corner
Kyle Palmieri shot misses the net
Adam Pelech shot from the left point deflects wide
Nick Leddy shot from the right point doesn’t get through to the net
Nikita Kucherov leaves the ice. He appeared to be favoring an arm after checking Mathew Barzal.
Mikhail Sergachev blocks Noah Dobson shot
Alex Killorn narrowly misses setting up Anthony Cirelli in front of the New York net
Ross Colton shot misses the net
Sergachev shot misses high and wide
Luke Schenn shot blocked by Cizikas
Andrei Vasilevskiy gets a piece of Josh Bailey spin-around spot from the slot
Tyler Johnson takes Kucherov’s spot alongside Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat
Semyon Varlamov absorbs Blake Coleman shot from the right circle off the rush
Nick Leddy slapshot from the left point saved by Vasilevskiy
Leddy shot from the center point blocked by Jan Rutta
Sergachev blocks Brock Nelson shot, breaking Nelson’s stick in the process
Yanni Gourde now out on the ice with Point and Palat
Matt Martin shot wide right of the net
Adam Pelech pass in front just misses Barzal’s stick
Pelech drive doesn’t get through to the net
Vasilevskiy makes a blocker save on Andy Greene shot
Scott Mayfield blocks Point shot
Matt Martin goes to the locker room after being hit in the face by a dump-in from Luke Schenn
David Savard knocks Palmieri to the ice
LIGHTNING GOAL! Brayden Point scores for the ninth consecutive game. Point seals the boards, keeps the play alive for Anthony Cirelli and then backhands the puck into the net. Lightning 1, Islanders 0.
Pelech shot from the right point wide of the net
(Lightning lead 1-0 after one period)
Pregame scouting report
All of the numbers work in the Lightning’s favor.
They lead the Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Islanders three games to two entering Game 6 tonight at Nassau Coliseum. They are 7-2 all-time when holding a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven playoff series, clinching in six games on five of those occasions.
Conversely, the Islanders are 3-9 in postseason series when trailing 3-2.
Look deeper into the stats themselves, and there’s more to like. The Lightning outrank the Islanders in every meaningful statistical category, except faceoff percentage.
They have scored the past 10 goals of the series going back to the third period of Game 4. They have outshot the Islanders 217-151. They hold a 5-1 advantage in first-period goals (17-8 overall) in a series in which the team that scored first has won every game (two games were scoreless in the first period).
Obviously, the Islanders aren’t going to hand them anything, facing elimination in what could be the final game ever played at Nassau Coliseum before they move into a new arena next season. And they’re still sore about getting knocked out by the Lightning in the same round a year ago.
But you’ve got to like the trend lines. If they continue to hold, the Lightning will clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup final for the second consecutive season either tonight in Uniondale, N.Y., or Friday in Tampa at the latest.
Will it be tonight? Follow our live updates, starting at 8 p.m., and we’ll find out together.
Setting the scene
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