TAMPA, Fla. – The Lightning are the defending Stanley Cup champions. But the Islanders were the better team on Sunday afternoon.
The Isles controlled five-on-five play and Semyon Varlamov outdueled Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy en route to a 2-1 win in Game 1 of the NHL semifinals – a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals won by the Lightning in six games – 2-1 at Amalie Arena.
Varlamov made 30 saves but was denied his fifth career playoff shutout on Brayden Point’s power play goal with 53.7 seconds left in regulation as the Lightning skated six on four with Vasilevskiy (29 saves) off for an extra skater.
