Saturday's NHL: Lightning, Islanders envision tight Stanley Cup semifinal

Tampa, Fla. — Experience is an invaluable ally in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

There’s little the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t encountered during deep postseason runs five of the past seven years. The New York Islanders haven’t achieved as much but have progressed enough in three seasons under Barry Trotz to not feel like heavy underdogs in the Stanley Cup semifinals.

“We believe we’re a good team. We expected to be here. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy ... but coming into the season, we expected to be here,” New York’s Matt Martin said. “We’re proud and happy with what we’ve accomplished to this point, but the job is still not done and we have our sights set on going all the way.”

The opener Sunday is a best-of-7 rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference final, which was played in the NHL bubble in Edmonton, Alberta, and won by Tampa Bay in six games.

The teams did not meet during the condensed 56-game regular season, which was limited to divisional play due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Whether we played each other last week, or last month, or three months ago, it doesn’t really matter. We know what to expect from them, and they know what to expect from us,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

“They have a bevy of talent there, and they have a coach that pushes them all in the right direction. That's why they're good,” Cooper added. “There should be no surprise the Islanders are where they are.”

Or that Tampa Bay is in the NHL’s final four for a fifth time in seven seasons. The Lightning have won a franchise-best six consecutive playoff series since being swept in the first round by Columbus two years ago.

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Nikita Kucherov is showing why he’s one of the league’s best players with 18 points in 11 games after missing the entire regular season while recovering from hip surgery.

Braden Point and Steven Stamkos are lighting up the scoreboard in the playoffs as well, and Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy is anchoring a stingy defense that gave Florida and Carolina fits in the first two rounds.

“We haven’t played them, but if there’s a team that we’ve played most recent that we haven’t played in our division it would be them, which helps a little bit,” said Trotz, who's in his third season as coach of the Islanders.

“It’s going to be a battle of a series, just like it was in the bubble. We’re looking forward to the challenge,” New York’s Mathew Barzal said.

“We’ve got to go through them to get to where we want to go,” Martin added. “Our focus is on that and getting off to a good start Sunday.”

The Islanders, who’ve made the playoffs each of their three seasons under Trotz, eliminated Pittsburgh and Boston in the first two rounds.

“A lot of similarities on their end and the same with us,” Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said.

“They’re a great team, play with a lot of speed, got some physical ‘D’ that can skate and good goaltending,” Hedman added. “When it comes down to four teams left, it’s the best of the best that are still here.”

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Evans traveling to Vegas with Canadiens for Golden Knights

Montreal forward Jake Evans, who has not played since sustaining a concussion on a hit by Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele on June 2, will accompany the Canadiens to Las Vegas for their Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Golden Knights.

Interim Canadiens coach Dominque Ducharme said Saturday that Evans, defensemen Jeff Petry (hand) and Jon Merrill (lower-body injury) are traveling with the team.

Ducharme had said Friday he wasn't very confident they would dress for Game 1 on Monday night.

Evans has been out of the lineup since the final moments of Montreal’s 5-3 win over Winnipeg in the second-round series opener against the Jets. The crushing blow left Evans facedown on the ice and he was taken off the ice on a stretcher. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety handed Scheifele a four-game suspension.

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The Habs swept the Jets in four games. Vegas beat the Colorado Avalanche in six.

Evans is getting back to game shape, working out in the gym and skating, Ducharme said.

“He’s got a couple more steps to go, but he’s heading in the right direction,” Ducharme said.

The Canadiens believe Evans could make his return in three or four days but are being cautious.

“With that kind of injury you never know, there could be setbacks at any time. We’re not taking anything for granted," Ducharme said. "The most important thing is for him to be 100 percent.”

Evans has one goal in four playoff games this season. The 25-year-old from Toronto had three goals and 10 assists in 47 regular-season games this year.

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At swimming trials, Ledecky keeping an eye on NHL playoffs

Even as she attempts to qualify for her third U.S. Olympic team, champion swimmer Katie Ledecky is keeping an eye on the NHL playoffs.

Her uncle, Jon Ledecky, is a co-owner of the New York Islanders. The team has advanced to the final four of the Stanley Cup playoffs, facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in a best-of-seven series for the chance to take on either Las Vegas or Montreal in the final.

Game 1 is Sunday. Katie Ledecky will be watching from Omaha, where she is competing in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials that also begin Sunday.

“I actually will be able to because I don’t have a race” on the opening day of the meet, she said. “I’m thrilled. It’s so exciting.”

The Islanders are attempting to capture their first Stanley Cup since 1983, when a dynasty led by Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin won the last of four straight championships.

“I love the Islanders,” Katie Ledecky said. “I’ve watched I think almost every regular-season game this year. During the pandemic, I made sure I was able to watch the games because it provided a little bit of entertainment. So I’m a big fan of the team and I’ll be cheering them on.”

The 24-year-old Ledecky is expected to be one of the biggest stars at the Tokyo Olympics. She won four golds and a silver at the 2016 Rio Games.

Jon Ledecky is planning to be in Omaha for at least some of his niece's races, she said.

“I think he’s doing a little bit of back and forth this week, which will be interesting,” Katie said.

The Islanders are planning to move into a new arena at Belmont Park next season.

“Obviously, I can’t go to any games right now, but in the fall they’re opening up a new arena, so I’m hoping I can go to some of those games in the fall,” Katie Ledecky said.

For now, she's focused on swimming — and a bit of playoff hockey from afar.