TAMPA, Florida — Victor Hedman scored two goals and former University of Maine standout Ben Bishop recorded his fifth career shutout in the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Tampa Bay Lightning earned a 4-0 win against the New York Islanders in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference second-round series on Sunday.
The Lightning won the best-of-seven series 4-1 and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the winner of the second-round series between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bishop made 28 saves while Nikita Kucherov had his ninth goal of the postseason as the Lightning advance to the conference finals for the second consecutive year.
Hedman gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead at 13:49 of the first period. He took control a loose puck at the high slot and beat Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss on the near post.
Lightning center Brian Boyle scored his third goal of the postseason at 18:41 in the first period to make the score 2-0.
Defenseman Matt Carle went behind the net and passed the puck to Boyle in the slot and Boyle snapped a shot past Greiss above his shoulder.
Hedman’s second goal came on a Lightning power play at 4:22 in the second period. Jonathan Drouin made a backhand pass that banked off the boards and Hedman scored on a one-timer from the right circle to make the score 3-0.
Kucherov added a goal at 4:40 in the third period on a breakaway to give the Lightning a 4-0 lead.
Greiss made 21 saves for the Islanders.
NBA
Cavaliers 100, Hawks 99
ATLANTA — Every time Kevin Love got open beyond the 3-point arc, the crowd at Philips Arena would gasp. Eight times the Atlanta Hawks’ fans gasp was followed by a groan.
Love scored 27 points, including tying his career-high with eight 3-pointers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a four-game sweep of the Hawks with a 100-99 win Sunday at Philips Arena.
The Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight season and will await the winner of the Toronto-Miami series.
Kyrie Irving scored 21 points and had eight assists, and LeBron James added 21 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and made a big defensive stand on the Hawks’ final possession.
With Cleveland leading 100-99 with 10 seconds to play, James tied up Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroder on a drive inside the paint and won the ensuing jump ball to help the Cavs hang on.
Cleveland was sizzling hot from the 3-point line throughout the series. The Cavs hit 16 3s on Sunday — 10 in the first half — and made 62 in the final three games of the series.
Schroder paced a balanced Atlanta offense that had five players finish in double figures. He hit back-to-back layups late in the fourth quarter, the second putting the Hawks ahead 97-96 with 1:31 to play. But he couldn’t past James on his last shot.
James scored on a goaltending call and a jumper and the final two minutes, and Tristan Thompson also had a key block on Schroder late for the Cavs.
Cleveland can look forward to some rest. In the other Eastern Conference semifinal, Toronto leads Miami 2-1 in what has been a tight, physical series that has seen both teams suffer injuries to key players.
Schroder finished with 21 points, and Paul Millsap added 19 for Atlanta.
Atlanta enjoyed its biggest lead of the series, up 12 in the second quarter, but it never felt like the Hawks were in control or would be able to withstand an inevitable challenge from the Cavaliers.
That challenge came in the third quarter, and when Love completed a four-point play with a free throw that followed his eighth 3-pointer, Cleveland led 79-75 and looked poised to put away the Hawks in the fourth quarter.
The Hawks head into the offseason, fresh off their ninth consecutive playoff appearance, the longest active streak in the Eastern Conference, but knowing they’re not any closer to beating Cleveland.
It’s the second straight season Atlanta has been swept out of the playoffs by James and the Cavaliers.