Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final wasn’t the competitive, tight-checking 60 minutes many had anticipated seeing.
Instead, it was a completely one-sided drubbing as the Tampa Bay Lightning skated away with an 8-2 win over the New York Islanders.
There were a handful of franchise and individual records set during the game.
With that in mind, here’s a rundown of the notable records and achievements that occurred in Game 1:
• Brayden Point opened the scoring early in the first period to extend his current point streak to seven games. It’s the longest active streak in the playoffs. Only two players in Lightning history have recorded longer point streaks during a playoff run when both Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos did it in 2018.
• Hedman scored his sixth of the post-season and in doing so extended his goal streak to three games to become the first defenceman in franchise history to score at least one goal in three straight playoff games.
• Hedman’s six goals this post-season is also a franchise record. The four-time Norris Trophy finalist is two points away from tying the franchise record he set in 2016 for most points by a Lightning defenceman during a playoff run.
• Overall, Point had two goals, three assists and Nikita Kucherov had one goal, four assists to become the first players in franchise history to register five points in a single playoff game.
• The third member of the Point-Kucherov line is Ondrej Palat, who scored the Lightning’s seventh goal to extend his goal streak to a franchise record five games.
• This is the second time Kucherov has recorded 20 or more points during a playoff run. He also did it back in 2015 with 22 points in 26 games.
• Point has 23 points in 14 games this summer and became the fifth different player in Lightning history to record 20 or more points during a playoff run. He joined Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis, Tyler Johnson and Kucherov.
• Point is just three points back of Tampa’s all-time record for points during a playoff run. Richards scored 26 points in 23 games in 2004 en route to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.
• Kucherov now has 16 assists through 14 post-season games, which is a new franchise record. The previous Lightning record for assists in a post-season was the 15 St. Louis registered in 2004.
• The Lightning have reached the conference finals five previous times but they had never scored more than six goals in any conference final game. The eight they notched in Game 1 is a new franchise record.
• The Lightning have won five games in a row, which is the fifth time a Lightning team has won at least five straight post-season contests.
• Andrei Vasilevskiy was in net yet again and has won five games in a row. Only two goalies in Lightning history have recorded longer playoff winning streaks. Nikolai Khabibulin won eight straight in 2004 and Dwayne Roloson won eight straight in 2011.
*Stats courtesy of NHL Public Relations
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