Nuts & Bolts: Lightning set for Game 6 vs. Isles

THURSDAY'S MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Islanders are playing Game 6 of a best-of-seven, Eastern Conference Final series tonight...Tampa Bay has won seven of its last nine playoff games against the Islanders dating back to a 2016 Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup in which the Bolts won in five games after dropping the opening contest...The Lightning are 11-4 all-time versus the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and 2-0 in series matchups against the Isles...Nikita Kucherov (2-7--9 pts.) paces the Lightning for scoring in the Eastern Conference Final...Brayden Point (3), Victor Hedman (3) and Ondrej Palat (3) lead the Bolts for goals in the Eastern Conference Final.

THURSDAY'S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay leads the Eastern Conference Final 3-2 and can advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in team history (also: 2004 and 2015) with a victory tonight...The Lightning can match their franchise record for fewest games needed to reach the Stanley Cup Final with a win tonight (needed 16 wins to reach SCF in 2004; 20 wins in 2015)...Tampa Bay has never lost a playoff series when owning a 3-1 lead, going 8-0 in such situations...The Lightning failed to close out a series in Game 5 when holding a 3-1 lead for just the second time in franchise history Tuesday (also: 2015 ECSF vs. Montreal, lost Game 5 at MTL 2-1 but closed out the series in Game 6 with 4-1 win)...The Lightning lost twice in the same playoff series for the first time this postseason following their Game 5 defeat on Tuesday...The Bolts have yet to lose back-to-back games this postseason, going 4-0 in games following a loss...Tampa Bay has won seven of its last nine games and 10 of the last 13...The Lightning are 6-7 all-time in Game 6s and 1-4 in Eastern Conference Final Game 6s...Tampa Bay has never played an Eastern Conference Final that didn't go seven games...The Lightning are 2-3 all time in Eastern Conference Final series...Despite the OT loss in Game 5, the Bolts remain the NHL leader for overtime winning percentage in the postseason, going 20-9 (.690) overall; the Islanders rank second in the League at 36-20 (.643).
HED OF THE CLASS
Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman scored the Bolts' lone goal Game 5 at NYI for his third goal of the Eastern Conference Final and eighth goal of the 2020 Playoffs, adding to his franchise record for most goals by a defenseman in a playoff season...Hedman became the seventh different defenseman in NHL history to score eight or more goals in a single postseason and the first since Brian Leetch scored 11 goals in 1994.
MOST GOALS BY A D-MAN IN A SINGLE POSTSEASON IN NHL HISTORY
1. Paul Coffey (EDM) - 12 goals (1985)
2. Brian Leetch (NYR) - 11 goals (1994)
T-3. Brad Park (BOS) - 9 goals (1978)
T-3. Bobby Orr (BOS) - 9 goals (1970)
T-5. Victor Hedman (TBL) - 8 goals (2020)
T-5. 4 other defensemen tied with 8 goals
Hedman pulled into the lead among NHL defensemen this postseason for goals.
NHL 2020 PLAYOFF D-MAN GOAL LEADERS
1. Victor Hedman (TBL) - 8 goals (18 GP)
2. Shea Theodore (VGK) - 7 goals (20 GP)
3. Miro Heiskanen (DAL) - 5 goals (21 GP)
Hedman has netted a goal in five of his last seven games...Hedman is a finalist for the Norris Trophy for the fourth-consecutive season, the first four-time finalist since fellow Swedish defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom (2006-09).
IN THE NIK OF TIME
Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov did not record a point in Game 5 vs. NYI, the first time he didn't find the scoresheet in the Eastern Conference Final...Kucherov continues to lead the Eastern Conference Final for scoring (2-7--9 pts.) and leads all skaters for scoring from both Conference Finals series... Kucherov needs one point to match his own Lightning franchise record for most points in a playoff series (5-5--10 pts. in 5 GP in 2018 1st Rd. vs. NJD)...Kucherov's seven assists in the ECF are a franchise record for most assists in a playoff series...Kucherov's 19 assists in the 2020 Playoffs are the most in the NHL this postseason and the most all-time in a playoff season in Lightning history.
MOST ASSISTS IN PLAYOFF SEASON IN TBL HISTORY
1. Nikita Kucherov (2020) - 19 assists (18 GP)
2. Brayden Point (2020) - 16 assists (16 GP)
3. Martin St. Louis (2004) - 15 assists (23 GP)
Kucherov's 19 assists are tied for the third most by a primary winger in a single postseason in NHL history.
MOST ASSISTS BY A WINGER IN A PLAYOFF SEASON IN NHL HISTORY
1. Mark Recchi (PIT) - 24 assists in 1991 (24 GP)
2. Rick Middleton (BOS) - 22 assists in 1983 (17 GP)
T-3. Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 19 assists in 2020 (18 GP)
T-3. Brian Bellows (MNS) - 19 assists in 1991 (23 GP)
Kucherov has recorded six multi-point games in the 2020 Playoffs (T-4th most in NHL; most: Nathan MacKinnon - 8) and has 24 career multi-point playoff games, tied with Martin St. Louis for most in franchise history.
MOST MULTI-PT. PLAYOFF GAMES IN TBL HISTORY
T-1. Martin St. Louis - 24 multi-pt. games (63 GP)
T-1. Nikita Kucherov - 24 multi-pt. games (83 GP)
3. Steven Stamkos - 15 multi-pt. games (70 GP)
VASY FOR VEZINA
Bolts goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22-of-24 shots in a defeat Game 5 vs. NYI, just his second loss in his last nine starts...The Vezina Trophy finalist (third consecutive season) has allowed two or fewer goals in seven of his last eight playoff starts and 12 of 18 starts overall this postseason... Vasilevskiy has won 13 of 18 starts this postseason...Vasilevskiy's 13 wins are the most in the 2020 Playoffs and tied for the second most in a single playoffs in TBL history.
TBL MOST GOALIE WINS IN A SINGLE PLAYOFFS ALL-TIME
1. Nikolai Khabibulin (2004) - 16 wins (23 GS)
T-2. Andrei Vasilevskiy (2020) - 13 wins (18 GS)
T-2. Ben Bishop (2015) - 13 wins (25 GS)
4. Andrei Vasilevskiy (2018) - 11 wins (17 GS)
PUTTING UP PALAT OF POINTS (AND GOALS)
Tampa Bay left wing Ondrej Palat has scored eight goals during the 2020 Playoffs (and 3 in the Eastern Conference Final) to match his career best for goals in a single playoff season (also: 8 goals in 2015 Playoffs)...Palat's eight goals are tied for the third-highest total in the NHL this postseason...Palat has scored at least one goal in seven of the last nine games...Palat has scored all eight of his goals this postseason in the last nine games.
POINTING THE WAY
Lightning center Brayden Point did not play Game 5 vs. NYI, his second missed game of the Eastern Conference Final (also Game 3, both TBL losses)...Despite not playing Tuesday, Point remains in a three-way tie for the NHL scoring lead in the 2020 Playoffs.
2020 NHL PLAYOFF SCORING LEADERS
T-1. Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 9-16--25 pts. (15 GP)
T-1. Brayden Point (TBL) - 9-16--25 pts. (16 GP)
T-1. Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 6-19--25 pts. (18 GP)
4. Miro Heiskanen (DAL) - 5-17--22 pts. (21 GP)
Point's 25 points this postseason are tied for the second most in a playoff season in Lightning history and one point from matching Brad Richards' record from 2004.
MOST POINTS IN A PLAYOFF SEASON IN TBL HISTORY
1. Brad Richards (2004) - 12-14--26 pts. in 23 GP
T-2. Brayden Point (2020) - 9-16--25 pts. in 16 GP
T-2. Nikita Kucherov (2020) - 6-19--25 pts. in 18 GP
4. Tyler Johnson (2015) - 13-10--23 pts. in 26 GP
Point has recorded points in 14 of 16 games and owns a six-game and seven-game point streak (tied for 2nd-longest point streak in TBL history) this postseason.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Game 7* - Friday, September 19 - 7:30 p.m.
\If necessary
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