KUCHEROV COLLECTS THREE ASSISTS AS LIGHTNING WIN GAME 2 TO EVEN SERIES
Nikita Kucherov assisted on goals by Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman (1-1—2) as the Lightning defeated the Islanders to pull even in their Stanley Cup Semifinals series, which shifts to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for Game 3.



* Kucherov (5-17—22 in 13 GP) leads the League with 22 points this postseason and has 56 since the start of the 2020 playoffs (12-44—56 in 38 GP). He became the first player with 44 or more assistsover a span of two NHL postseasons since Doug Gilmour from 1993 to 1994 (47 w/ TOR).

* Kucherov has assisted on 20 of Point’s 32 career playoff goals (62.5%), including eight of his League-leading 10 this postseason. Only one player in NHL history has assisted on a higher percentage of a teammate’s career playoff goals (min. 25 goals) – Henrik Sedin factored on over two-thirds of the postseason tallies scored by his twin brother, Daniel.



* Hedman, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner, scored his first goal of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has nine career postseason goals against the Islanders (9-7—16 in 13 GP) – only four defensemen in NHL history have scored more against a single franchise.

LINDBLOM AWARDED BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY
Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom, who regained his regular place in the Philadelphia lineup this season and was again declared cancer-free following a scan in March, is the 2020-21 recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Click here to read more.

* The 2020-21 recipient of the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award presented by MassMutual will be revealed tonight.



QUICK CLICKS

* Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage
* #NHLStats Live Updates: Wednesday, June 16
* NHL Fan Choice Awards winners include David Pastrnak, Marc-Andre Fleury
* NHL World Gaming Championship to crown European champion Saturday

VEGAS VIES FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN, 2-0 SERIES LEAD OVER MONTREAL
The Golden Knights look to extend their winning streak to six games and grab a 2-0 lead in their Stanley Cup Semifinals series when they host the Canadiens for Game 2.

* Vegas can match its longest winning streak in a postseason, a mark set in 2020. The only other franchises with one run of six or more games in a playoff year within its first four NHL seasons are the Blues (8-0 in 1969) and Oilers (6-0 in 1983).

* The Golden Knights can become the first team to record at least one winning streak of six or more games in consecutive NHL postseasons since the Kings, who did so in three straight from 2012 to 2014. Los Angeles won the Stanley Cup twice over that three-year span.

* Marc-Andre Fleury has backstopped Vegas to victory in each contest during its current five-game run (1.80 GAA, .931 SV%). He can become the first goaltender age 36 or older with a winning streak of six or more games in a postseason since Dwayne Roloson over 10 years ago.