Lightning top Isles in Game 2 to ‘tie’ series
Kucherov shines Women’s Open champion Saso meets her ‘hero’ at Torrey Pines
TAMPA, Florida, June 16, (AP): Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat delivered early goals and NHL playoff scoring leader Nikita Kucherov had three more assists to help the Tampa Bay Lightning rebound from a series-opening loss and beat the New York Islanders 4-2 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup semifinals.
Kucherov had his fourth game with three or more points this postseason, assisting on goals by Point, Palat and Victor Hedman. The defending champions improved to 12-0 in games following a playoff loss since start of last year’s title run.
Point scored a goal for the fifth straight game, hiking his league-leading playoff total to 10. Palat put Tampa Bay ahead for good with a secondperiod goal that replays showed was scored with the Lightning having too many men on the ice.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, meanwhile, stopped 24 of 26 shots for the Lightning, who entered Tuesday night facing a series deficit for the first time since dropping Game 1 of last year’s Stanley Cup final against the Dallas Stars.
Hedman and Jan Rutta scored in the third period against Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov, who missed a portion of the opening period after a collision with Point a little over 13 minutes into the game.
Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal scored unassisted goals for New York, which - despite the loss - will return home feeling good about itself heading
into Game 3 Thursday night.
Point, pushed from behind by New York’s Adam Pelech, barreled into Varlamov at 6:50 of the first period. The Lightning star drew a penalty for interference on the goalie, and the Islanders wasted no time taking advantage of what Tampa Bay felt was a questionable call.
Nelson’s goal from in front of the net tied it 1-1 just 20 seconds into the power play.
Ilya Sorokin replaced Varlamov for the remainder of the first period.
Point has 10 goals in 13 games this postseason after setting a Lightning franchise playoff record with 14 during last year’s Stanley Cup run.
The 25-year-old center scored off a nifty no-look pass from Kucherov, who delivered the puck from behind the net.
SAN DIEGO, June 16, (AP): The jangled nerves were almost too much for Yuka Saso, and she didn’t even have a putter in her hand with the U.S. Women’s Open on the line.
She was at Torrey Pines on Tuesday. She met Rory McIlroy.
“I didn’t know how to say, ‘Hi.’ But he was so nice. He was so kind. He was so open,” Saso said. “When I asked him a question, he was so honest. I hope I can ask him more advice.”
GOLF
Life has been a whirlwind for Saso since the 19-year-old Filipino won the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago in a playoff at The Olympic Club. She has tried to model her swing after McIlroy, and the four-time major champion served up a video message to her going into the final round.
Saso was at the U.S. Open with her trophy making the rounds, posing with U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, meeting PGA champion Phil Mickelson.
Saso was nervous meeting her golfing idol, but she also showed off her engaging personality.
“I saw Phil activating his calves, and yeah, I saw Jordan Spieth,” she said. “I saw the great players. It’s been a great day, and I’m thinking to come back tomorrow morning before I fly back to Atlanta.”
The ultimate goal was to meet McIlroy. She headed to the range, only to find out he already was on the course. So she met up with him and walked alongside for a few holes.
Saso was headed for Atlanta to get ready for the third LPGA major of the year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.