Lightning into final 4, sweep Panthers
Avalanche take 3-1 series lead over Blues
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning are running out of superlatives to describe Andrei Vasilevskiy’s dominance.
The reigning Conn Symthe Trophy winner delivered another stellar playoff performance for the twotime defending Stanley Cup champions on Monday night, stopping 49 shots to beat the Florida Panthers 2-0 and finish a four-game sweep that sends them to the Eastern Conference final for the sixth time in eight years.
Pat Maroon snapped a scoreless tie, batting Zach Bogosian’s shot down behind Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky before the puck trickled into the net a little over six minutes into the third period. Ondrej Palat added an empty-net goal with 22 seconds left.
Vasilevskiy won his sixth straight game, a streak that began with the Lightning facing a 3-2 series deficit in the opening round. It was his sixth shutout in his last seven series-clinching wins.
The 27-year-old goaltender nicknamed “Big Cat” posted his 57th career postseason victory, moving into a tie with Tuukka Rask for 17th on the all-time list. He’s allowed one or fewer goals in 28 of 87 playoff starts.
When Vasilevskiy began this postseason by yielding three or more goals in Tampa Bay’s first six games against the Maple Leafs, coach Jon Cooper said the Lightning’s confidence in him never wavered.
“I’m not so sure there’s much more I can say about him. It’s funny how the playoffs are five games into the Toronto series and you’re asking all these questions about what’s wrong with Vasilevsky,” Cooper said.
The high-scoring Panthers, who averaged a NHL-best 4.11 goals per game while compiling the league’s best record during the regular season, were shut out for the first time all season. The Presidents’ Trophy winners finished with three goals in four games and wound up being outscored 13-3 in the series.
The Panthers were eliminated from the playoffs for the second year by their in-state rivals. The Lightning ousted them in the first round in 2021.
AVALANCHE 6, BLUES 3: In St. Louis, Mo., Nazem Kadri scored three goals, including two during a four-goal second period barrage, and Colorado took a 3-1 lead in its Western Conference second-round series.
Kadri’s outburst came after he received racist death threats on social media following a firstperiod collision with Blues goalie Jordan Binnington in Game 3 on Saturday night.
Kadri, who was booed heavily every time he touched the puck, skated towards the glass and appeared to salute the Blues fans after each of his first two goals, inciting even more jeers. It was his first career playoff hat trick.
The Avalanche took control of the game — and the series — with three goals in less than a two-minute span early in the second period.
Johnson got it going with his first of the playoffs at the 2:44 mark. Kadri gave the Avalanche the lead with his first at 4:07 and Toews scored 19 seconds later to make it 3-1.
INVESTIGATION: The NHL said Monday that St. Louis police are investigating threats made toward Kadri after he was involved in a collision that knocked Binnington out for the rest of the series.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press that the league and police are looking into the situation; Kadri said a Blues player threw a water bottle at him during a postgame interview on Saturday.