Lightning, Islanders both advance in six games

LOS ANGELES: Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist and Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his second career playoff shutout as the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning ousted Florida with a 4-0 win on Wednesday.

Vasilevskiy stopped 29 shots for the Lightning, who wrapped up the East playoff series in six games.

It marked the second shutout for Vasilevskiy in 59 playoff games.

Pat Maroon, Brayden Point and Alex Killorn also scored for the Lightning, who are trying to become the first team since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017 to defend their Stanley Cup title.

Maroon is trying to win a Stanley Cup title for the third straight season, having won with the Lightning last season and with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

Panther goaltender Spencer Knight made 20 saves in his second consecutive start.

Elsewhere, Ryan Pulock and Brock Nelson scored just 13 seconds apart in the second period as the New York Islanders beat top seeded Pittsburgh 5-3 to close out their playoff series in six games.

Nelson finished with two goals and an assist, and Anthony Beauvillier and Kyle Palmieri also scored in front of a pandemic-limited crowd of 9,000 as the Islanders wrapped up a playoff series at the Coliseum arena for the first time since 1993.

The Islanders, seeded fourth in the East Division, advance to face the third-seeded Boston Bruins in the semi-finals.

Ilya Sorokin made 34 saves for the Isles and Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots.

Jeff Carter, Jake Guentzel and Jason Zucker scored for the Penguins, who have won just one playoff series since winning their back-to-back Stanley Cups.

The Islanders have not made the Stanley Cup finals since 1984.