Lightning advance to Cup finals

EDMONTON, Alberta — Anthony Cirelli scored in overtime to send the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 victory over the Islanders in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final Thursday night.

Cirelli returned in the third after injuring his right knee in the second. Trade deadline pickup Barclay Goodrow set him up for the goal 13:18 into OT.

The Lightning ended each of their three series victories in OT and will face the Stars for the Cup. Only the sixth-seeded Islanders lasted more than five games, pushing the secondseeded Lightning to their limits before their talented core got them into the final.

They’re four wins from the Cup despite being without captain Steven Stamkos all postseason and missing top center Brayden Point for two games against the Islanders. They can thank defenseman Victor Hedman for scoring his ninth goal of the playoffs, Nikita Kucherov for playing 28:22 and Andrei Vasilveskiy making 26 saves while his teammates peppered Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov with 48 shots.

Hedman, Kucherov, Vasilevskiy and Co., are back in the final for the first time since 2015. The Lightning are trying to win their first championship since 2004.

It wasn’t easy getting to this point against an opponent willing to ropea-dope, block shots and wait to pounce on chances. The Islanders got their break in Game 5 to prolong the series when Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk fanned on a shot to pave the way for Jordan Eberle’s double-OT goal, but they were on the wrong side of it Thursday.

The Lightning got Point back after he missed Games 3 and 5 with injury. Point played through obvious pain in Game 6, occasionally using a massage device on the bench between shifts.

Game 1 of the Cup finals is Saturday night.