The Tampa Bay Lightning blew past the New York Islanders 8-2 on Monday night to take a 1-0 series lead in the best of seven Eastern Conference FInals.
The Lightning needed just a minute and fourteen seconds in the first period to get the scoring started in this one, as Brayden Point nailed one early. After Jordan Eberle answered with a power play goal at the 4:33 mark, the Lightning answered with two more - first on the power play from Victor Hedman, then at full strength from Ryan McDonagh, to build a 3-1 fist period lead.
In the second period Yanni Gourde scored his first at the 4:03 mark to continue the Lightning's success. Brayden Point hit his second, this time on the power play, at the 13:18 mark of the second to build a 5-1 lead.
In the third period Nikita Kucherov scored at the 5:51 mark to make it 6-1. After Nick Leddy scored for New York to pull the Islanders within 6-2, Tampa Bay answered with two more goals - one from Ondrej Palat and the second of the night for Yanni Gourde - to make it an 8-2 contest for the Lightning.
Andrei Vasilevskiy went 22-for-24 in net for the Lightning to pick up the victory, while the Islanders pulled goalie Thomas Greiss after giving up the first three goals of the game. From there Semyon Varlamov went 20-for-25 in net to finish the game.
The Lightning and Islanders will be back in action in game two on Wednesday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 PM - with pregame coverage beginning at 7 PM on News Radio WFLA.