Defending champs Lightning reach Stanley Cup semis

Brayden Point and Ross Colton scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy controlled the crease, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Tuesday night to win the second-round playoff series in five games.

Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves and stumped the homesteading Hurricanes for the third time in as many series games at PNC Arena. The former Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goaltender and a finalist this year had allowed just two goals on 70 shots through the first two games to open this series.

Then, after a wild Game 4 in Florida that saw each team score four secondperiod goals, Vasilevskiy turned away all shots to help the reigning Stanley Cup champions advance. Among his saves was a huge glove stop of a 2-on-1 shorthanded chance by Carolina’s Vincent Trocheck.

Point’s goal came moments later on a gorgeous effort. He took a feed from Alex Killorn to his backhand side near the crease, went to his forehand before returning to the backhand to get Carolina netminder Alex Nedeljkovic off balance just enough to score at 4:06 of the second.

The Lightning nearly pushed that lead to 2-0 with captain Steven Stamkos scoring a buzzer-beating goal, but a review determined the puck didn’t cross the goal line in time. But Colton made up for it at 9:04 of the third, making it 2-0 and more than enough for Vasilevskiy in this game.

Next up for Tampa Bay is the winner of the series between the New York Islanders and the Boston Bruins. The Islanders lead that best-of-seven series 3-2 and can close it out Wednesday at home.

KADRI’S 8-GAME SUSPENSION UPHELD >>

Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri saw his eight-game suspension for an illegal hit upheld by an arbitrator hours before Game 5 on Tuesday in a second-round series against Vegas.

Kadri has already served six games of a suspension he was given after an illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in Game 2 of their first-round series. Faulk sustained a concussion, according to the report, and didn’t play in the final two games as the Avalanche swept the Blues to advance.

BRUINS COACH FINED $25,000 FOR CRITICIZING REFS >> The NHL fined Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy $25,000 for his criticism of the officials after Game 5 of Boston’s second-round playoff series against the New York Islanders.

The Islanders scored three power-play goals on four chances in a 5-4 victory on Monday night while being called for two penalties themselves. After the game, Cassidy commended the officials but said the teams were treated differently despite playing similar styles.

“I think they sell a narrative over there that it’s more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders,” he said. “The calls, the exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them — and I don’t know why.

“Maybe we need to sell them more — flop — but that’s not us.”