The Lightning and Islanders have arrived in Edmonton for the conference final round. The two teams will drop the puck on the Eastern Conference Final on Monday night at Rogers Place.
Tampa Bay, the No. 2 seed in the East, eliminated the Blue Jackets and Bruins in five games to advance to the conference final for the second time in three seasons. But the Lightning will be without one of its top players in Steven Stamkos, who sustained a lower-body injury before training camp for the postseason began July 13. He hasn’t played since Feb. 25. Tampa Bay, however, will have Nikita Kucherov back after he left Game 5 of the second round against Boston when he was hit in the face by a stick.
Brayden Point has stepped up in Stamkos’ absence with a team-high 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) followed by Kucherov’s 16 (four goals, 12 assists).
The Islanders, the only team remaining from the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, defeated the Panthers (3-1), Capitals (4-1) and Flyers (4-3) to make the conference final for the first time since 1993. New York last reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1984, their fifth consecutive appearance and first Cup Final loss.
This year’s team has several players contributing offensively with five players with 10 points: Josh Bailey 17 (two goals, 15 assists), Brock Nelson 15, Mathew Barzal 13 (five goals, eight assists), Anthony Beauvillier 12 (eight goals, four assists) and Jordan Eberle 11 (three goals, eight assists).
Monday, Sept. 7
NY Islanders at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. (NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS)
*Central time