Point bolsters case for Conn Smythe Trophy with Lightning

Brayden Point got the Tampa Bay Lightning rolling with one burst of speed in their 8-2 win against the New York Islanders in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Monday.

On his opening shift, Point took a pass from Blake Coleman and raced wide around Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock in the left circle before cutting to the net and sliding the puck around goalie Thomas Greiss to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead 1:14 into the game.
That was the start of a five-point game for the center, who had two goals and three assists and reinforced his case as the most valuable player for the Lightning and a potential favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Point's linemate Nikita Kucherov also had five points (one goal, four assists) to share the Lightning playoff record for points in a game.
They'll look to help Tampa Bay take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series in Game 2 in Edmonton, the hub city for the conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final, on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS).
The team that wins Game 1 is 488-221 (68.8 percent) winning a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, including 10-2 in the first two rounds this season.
"We haven't played for a week and you were thinking a little bit of how the start was going to be and then [Point] goes out and does that," said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who had a goal and two assists. "So I think he set the tone from the start. … Brayden Point is taking it to another level, that's for sure."

Point's play has been vital for the Lightning with center and captain Steven Stamkos not playing in the postseason so far -- and not expected to play in this series -- because of an unspecified injury.
Point extended his point streak to seven games (four goals, 12 assists) and moved into second in the playoffs with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 14 games. He's two points behind Nathan MacKinnon, who scored 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 15 games before the Colorado Avalanche were eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the second round.
Kucherov, who has 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 14 games, is tied for third in the playoffs with Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen and Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
Point and Kucherov were dangerous on almost every shift Monday, along with linemate Ondrej Palat, who scored a goal for the fifth straight game.
"I think things are going well right now, but it's our team," Point said. "Our team is playing so well. We're playing structured, we're playing responsible with the puck, we're making the right plays and I think it's just our team has been so good."
Point scored 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in 66 games before the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The extra time off before play resumed with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers on Aug. 1 helped him fully recover from hip surgery he had after last season.
From the start of the postseason, Point has looked like the elite player who set NHL career-highs with 41 goals, 51 assists and 92 points in 79 games last season.
"The pause probably helped him get healthy," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "But he's really getting command of his game. And when you play the right way, I truly believe good things will happen to him."
Good things happened for Point in Game 1. After the Islanders tied the game 1-1 at 4:33 of the first period, the Lightning scored five straight goals and Point had a hand in three of them.
He fed Hedman for a shot from the high slot that beat a screened Greiss for a power-play goal at 8:12 of the first that put Tampa Bay ahead 2-1. He also redirected a feed from Hedman for another power-play goal that made it 5-1 with 6:42 left in the second period.

Point and Kucherov then worked a give-and-go on a 2-on-1 rush that Kucherov finished 5:51 into the third period to increase the lead to 6-1.
Kucherov and Point set up Palat to make it 7-2 at 9:31 to complete the five-point game for each.
"I think we played for a couple, a few years together, so we know what to expect from each other and I think we build up good confidence with who's going to be where, who's good at what," Kucherov said of Point. "It's easy playing with him definitely. Fast guy, so it's a lot of fun playing with him."
Kucherov and Point are hoping to have a lot more fun.
The Lightning are seeking redemption after winning the Presidents' Trophy for the best record in the NHL last season (62-16-4) but losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets in four games in the first round of the playoffs. Point helped them move another step closer to getting it Monday, beginning with the rush that resulted in his first goal.
"He put on a burst there that was obviously much needed for us," Cooper said. "But any time you get a lead that early in the game, it's uplifting for the team and Brayden Point has the ability to do those type of things."