Lightning rout Isles to open East finals

EDMONTON, ALBERTA » Brayden Point scored twice and added three assists, and the wellrested Tampa Bay Lightning romped to a 8-2 win over the travel- and gameweary New York Islanders to open the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.

The Lightning showed no signs of rust following a near week-long break after eliminating the Boston Bruins in their secondround series with a 3-2 double-overtime win on Aug. 31. They instead resembled a refreshed team by scoring three times on nine shots to build a 3-1 lead by the 10:46 mark of the first period, and matched a franchise record for most goals scored in a playoff game.

Nikita Kucherov had four assists, and scored his 34th career playoff goal to move one ahead of Martin St. Louis for first on the franchise list. exhausting stages that took the peloton from the Riviera to the Pyrenees via a short journey in the Alps, riders would have normally taken some time off on Monday with their friends and families.

But this year is different. In addition to their recovery routine, the 166 remaining riders stayed in their own “bubble” with a Damocles sword hanging over their head as they underwent coronavirus tests that will decide whether they can keep on racing.

“It’s disturbing, but we need to be patient,” said French rider Warren Barguil, sitting alongside his Arkea-Samsic team leader Nairo Quintana during a video conference. “We’ll see our families in Paris on Sept. 20.”

Even with the video filter separating them from reporters, both riders kept their face masks on as they answered questions.